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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

Corrosion Testing Of Additively Manufactured Stainless Steel 316H In Molten Salt Environments

The development of a new ASTM standard for evaluating the corrosion resistance of additive manufactured (AM) stainless steel (SS) 316H in chloride molten salts is critical for the use of these materials in extreme environments such as molten salt reactors (MSRs). This report pertains to a work package of the Advaned Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMT) developing a systematic methodology to link changes in AM fabrication parameters, namely surface finishing, porosity, microstructure, and chemical heterogeneity, to corrosion performance in NaCl-MgCl2 salt, a proposed secondary coolant for MSRs. During Fiscal Year 2024, Idaho National Laboratory investigators in the AMMT program, utilized SS316H bars, fabricated with laser bed powder fusion at Los Alamos National Laboratory, to establish and optimize the workflow for evaluating these process-to-performance relationships. Standard practices for specimen preparation were established using these specimens, with particular focus on descaling and sectioning methods that align with ASTM guidelines. A comprehensive experimental design for static corrosion testing was developed, with pre- and post-exposure analysis utilizing optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. So far standard descaling techniques were optimized, one static corrosion test was conducted on the LANL AM SS316H specimens, and pre- and post-corrosion practices were established. In addition, the work package yielded a review paper on corrosion testing gaps for AM materials in nuclear applications and submitted a proposal for a rapid-turnaround experiment to the Nuclear Science User Facilities Program to investigate the combined effects of proton irradiation and corrosion on AM SS316H. This work package establishes a foundation for evaluating processing-to-performance relationships for AM SS316H in harsh conditions, contributing to the safe and efficient design of components for next-generation nuclear reactors. The creation of a standardized methodology and the generation of relevant publications and future research pathways represent significant strides towards integrating AM materials into critical applications where corrosion resistance is paramount.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Static actuator-sharing algorithm for concurrent control of multiple plasma properties

Simultaneous regulation of multiple properties in next-generation tokamaks like ITER and fusion pilot plant may require the integration of different plasma control algorithms. Such integration requires the conversion of individual controller commands into physical actuator requests while accounting for the coupling between different plasma properties. This work proposes a tokamak and scenario-agnostic actuator-sharing algorithm (ASA) to perform the above-mentioned command-request conversion and, hence, integrate multiple plasma controllers. The proposed algorithm implicitly solves a quadratic programming (QP) problem formulated to account for the saturation limits and the relation between the controller commands and physical actuator requests. Since the constraints arising in the QP program are linear, the proposed ASA is highly computationally efficient and can be implemented in the tokamak plasma control system in real time. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm is designed to handle real-time changes in the control objectives and actuators’ availability. Nonlinear simulations carried out using the Control Oriented Transport SIMulator illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in achieving multiple control objectives simultaneously.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

The CMS Phase-2 Fast Beam Condition Monitor prototype test with beam

The Fast Beam Condition Monitor (FBCM) is a standalone luminometer for the High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) program of the CMS Experiment at CERN. The detector is under development and features a new, radiation-hard, front-end application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) designed for beam monitoring applications. The achieved timing resolution of a few nanoseconds enables the measurement of both the luminosity and the beam-induced background. The ASIC, called FBCM23, features six channels with adjustable shaping times, enabling in-field fine-tuning. Each ASIC channel outputs a single binary asynchronous signal encoding time-of-arrival and time-over-threshold information. The FBCM is based on silicon-pad sensors, with two sensor designs presently being considered. This paper presents the results of tests of the FBCM detector prototype using both types of silicon sensors with hadron, muon, and electron beams. Irradiated FBCM23 ASICs and silicon-pad sensors were also tested to simulate the expected conditions near the end of the detector's lifetime in the HL-LHC radiation environment. Based on test results, direct bonding between the sensor and ASIC was chosen, and an optimal bias voltage and ASIC threshold for FBCM operation were proposed. The current design of the front-end test board was validated following the beam test and is now being used for the first front-end module, which is expected to be produced in summer 2025. These results represent a major step forward in validating the FBCM concept, first version of the firmware and establishing a reliable design path for the final detector.

Beam-line instrumentation (beam position and profi↗

Improving Resiliency in Planning MW-Scale Medium and Heavy Duty EV Charging Stations Considering TSCOTS Optimization

Electrification of heavy-duty (HD) vehicles marks an important milestone and technical challenge in the electric vehicle (EV) industry and the public grid. However, implementing EV charging at this scale will necessitate that traditional truck stops be updated with EV charging infrastructure that could represent 10's of MW in electricity consumption. Furthermore, as the transportation sector is represented as critical infrastructure, supporting resiliency considerations in EV charging infrastructure will be critical. This paper proposes an optimization-based approach for optimally designing a MW-scale microgrid charging network. This approach transforms conventional designed truck stops into a reliable HDEV charging stations capable of overnight slow charging and 30-minute to 1 hour fast charging. Using a mixed-integer linear program formulation blending capacity planning and reliability constraints, an optimal network configuration can be solved for a proposed EV charging station that includes photovoltaic and battery energy storage capabilities.

Ponce, Moises [University of Tennessee, Knoxville ↗

CEC Quest: Long Duration Energy Storage Impact Analysis Tool

SAND2025-14389O CEC Quest is a Python tool with a user interface designed to analyze the greenhouse gas impacts of long-duration energy storage projects in California. The tool automates data collection from public sources and uses an Application Programming Interface (API) to enable users to download photovoltaic resource availability, marginal operating emissions rate, and utility rate data. It guides users in inputting parameters for a battery energy storage model and uploading site electrical load data, while also prompting for relevant analysis parameters like timestep and grid limits. CEC Quest performs monthly optimization of one year of data to assess impacts on the site’s electrical bill and the grid’s greenhouse gas emissions. Finally, it conducts a lifecycle analysis to evaluate changes over a defined quantification period, with results aggregated through automated report generation. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Rosewater, David [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), L↗

Brine Availability Test in Salt (BATS) (FY25 Final Closeout)

This fiscal year 2025 (FY25) closeout report summarizes the final experiments conducted and data collected in phase 2 of the Brine Availability Test in Salt (BATS 2). The design and interpretation of the test was previously funded by the US Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition Program, under the Disposal Research and Development (R&D) program of the Office of Spent Fuel & Waste Science and Technology (SFWST) but they are not funding it anymore (since May 2025). The experiment was located underground at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), southeastern New Mexico, which is a DOE Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) site managed by the Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO). DOE-EM funds the WIPP Test Coordination Office (TCO), which provided critical implementation support for the continued execution of BATS. A high-level summary of processes expected in a salt repository are given in Kuhlman & Mills (2025).

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Microbial Design for a Developing Bioeconomy: Frontier Science for the Bioeconomy Workshop Series

The Microbial Design for a Developing Bioeconomy workshop report is one of a four-part Frontier Science for the Bioeconomy series hosted by the DOE Biological and Environmental Research program’s Biological Systems Science Division. The series defines frontiers of plant science, agriculture, synthetic biology, biobased materials, and environmental microbiome science that will unlock the promise of an innovative, resilient U.S. bioeconomy.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Final Design for Thermal/Epithermal eXperiments (TEX) with Lithium Absorbers to Provide Validation Benchmarks for Y-12 Electrorefining Facility (IER 575, CED-2 Report)

One of the main goals of the Thermal/Epithermal eXperiments (TEX) project is to use existing Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP) assets to create critical experiment plutonium and uranium test beds for materials important to criticality safety that have insufficient benchmark evaluations. The plutonium test bed experiments were completed in 2018 and are published in the 2020 edition of the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) Handbook. The uranium test bed assemblies were completed in 2023 and accepted in the 2024 edition of the ICSBEP Handbook.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

All Systems Go: Regional Collaborations for Scaling AEC Innovation: Preprint

The high and rising cost of preserving and delivering housing in the U.S. requires changes to existing practices of finance, design, and construction. Innovative methods such as industrialized construction could offer the means to address housing undersupply while reducing delivery costs, operational costs and material waste in the building industry, but they face challenges to success and to scale. Simultaneously, construction and cleantech innovators themselves face skepticism from the traditional entrepreneurial ecosystem such as incubators and accelerators while attempting to navigate systems level challenges. To respond to this need, various public and private sector stakeholders have launched initiatives to support innovative companies. These include nonprofits such as Terner Labs and Ivory Innovations offering curated programming to architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) startups; housing developers in Minnesota and California "bundling" multiple projects together to reach economies of scale with a consistent project team; public and private sector entities developing "catalogues" of pre-approved home designs in the U.S. and Canada. This exploratory paper documents several of these emerging ecosystem-development efforts to support innovative housing approaches, characterizing them by leading stakeholder and intervention strategy based on publicly available information. The paper finds that these initiatives share similar high level goals but vary in implementation, reflecting different stakeholder priorities, regional market and policy dynamics, and housing typologies. The early stage of these efforts offer limited data for comparing actual outcomes, but the paper highlights common qualitative themes and identifies opportunities for further research and potential coordination among these efforts.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Achieving designed texture and flows in bulk active nematics using optimal control theory

Being intrinsically nonequilibrium, active materials can potentially perform functions that would be thermodynamically forbidden in passive materials. However, active systems have diverse local attractors that correspond to distinct dynamical states, many of which exhibit chaotic turbulent-like dynamics and thus cannot perform work or useful functions. Designing such a system to choose a specific dynamical state is a formidable challenge. Motivated by recent advances enabling optogenetic control of experimental active materials, we describe an optimal control theory framework that identifies a spatiotemporal sequence of light-generated activity that drives an active nematic system toward a prescribed dynamical steady state. Active nematics are unstable to spontaneous defect proliferation and chaotic streaming dynamics in the absence of control. We demonstrate that optimal control theory can compute activity fields that redirect the dynamics into a variety of alternative dynamical programs and functions. This includes dynamically reconfiguring between states, selecting and stabilizing emergent behaviors that do not correspond to attractors, and are hence unstable in the uncontrolled system. Furthermore, our results provide a roadmap to leverage optical control methods to rationally design structure, dynamics, and function in a wide variety of active materials.

Complex systems theory↗

Impacts of the Conductive Networks on Solid‐State Battery Operation

The micromorphology of composite cathodes is known to play a vital role in determining all-solid-state battery (ASSB) performance. However, much of our current understanding is derived from empirical observations, lacking a deeper mechanistic foundation. The “rocking chair” concept of battery chemistry requires maintaining charge neutrality, emphasizing the necessity of examining electrode micromorphology from the perspective of conductive networks. This study systematically investigates the microscopic electrochemical impacts of conductive network micromorphology by varying the Li + -to-e − channel ratio in cathodes comprising LiNbO 3 -coated LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 , Li 6 PS 5 Cl, and carbon fibers. Utilizing multiscale synchrotron-based spectro-microscopy, we unravel that unbalanced Li + and e − conducting channels intensify charge polarization within active cathode particles and accelerate their degradation. A further model system with X-ray nano-tomography resolved e − and Li + channels indicates that spatially uniform and well-paired Li + and e − conducting channels are highly desirable as they could promote more uniform lithiation/delithiation, mitigating microscopic electrochemical polarization. Electrode-scale X-ray holotomography analysis reveals that the impact of conductive networks is particle-size-dependent, with smaller cathode particles being more significantly affected. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the interplay between conductive networks and all-solid-state battery operation, laying the groundwork for rational design and optimization of cathode architectures in future solid-state battery technologies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

On the uncertainties in helium generation predictions for fission and fusion alloys

With ongoing advances in fusion and advanced fission reactors, quantifying irradiation effects in materials is critical. Transmutation-induced helium in cladding and structural materials can drive swelling and embrittlement, thereby reducing these components’ lifespans. Yet most studies ignore the considerable uncertainties in predicting helium generation rates. In this work, we created a code wrapper, F-SCATTER, that automatically performs simulations in FISPACT-II. We used this tool to investigate potential variance in helium generation rate, or He/dpa, calculations based on deviations in alloy composition, irradiating neutron flux spectrum, computational methodology, and nuclear data sources. We used 12 wt% Cr HT9 steel as the reference case and observed a 6.5%–98.3% He/dpa spread based on compositional variation within a single chemical specification, a 1.8%–11.5% He/dpa variation upon the incorporation of a 15% artificial uncertainty in flux at each energy, and a He/dpa difference as high as 231% when using ENDF/B-VIII.0 versus TENDL-2021 data libraries. Similar results were found for other prominent iron-based alloys, including Grade 91, castable nano-structured alloy, and 316H—where additional variations exist based on reactor type (e.g. thermal, fast, or fusion) and alloying elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and nickel. Based on the simulated results, we conclude that a significant part of the heat-to-heat variability in swelling responses of Fe-based alloys can be driven by impurity content in alloy compositions, and, therefore, chemical control should be a key element in supply chain design for advanced nuclear energy systems. Furthermore, we provide critical recommendations on best practices for evaluating and reporting helium production and lattice damage rates when computing predictions with multiphysics programs such as FISPACT-II.

FISPACT-II↗

NCAP - Non-Canonical Amino Acid Parameterization

Our software is designed to only work on novel NCAA side chains and parameterize for the CHARMM potential. This works around the detailed analysis and manual parameter fitting of many existing software programs. Our approach is also more specific than those used in Rosetta where we calculate parameters specific for each NCAA rather than assuming transferability.

Overstreet, Richard [Pacific Northwest National La↗

2017 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study

# 2017 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study The 2017 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study collected household- and person-level activity and travel pattern information from residents throughout the Puget Sound Regional Council's four-county region in Washington State. It followed the [2014-2015 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study](https://www.nrel.gov/transportation/secure-transportation-data/tsdc-puget-sound-travel-study), starting a planned six-year data collection that includes 2019 and 2021. The multiyear program's goal is to maintain an updated source of household travel behavior data that: - Supports modeling and planning needs - Facilitates trend analysis over time - Allows for regular study design updates to integrate evolving data collection methods and emerging travel behaviors and transportation issues. ## Data Collection Agency The Puget Sound Regional Council conducted the study. ## Methodology The 2017 study featured both the design and administration of a one-day household travel diary (approximately 80% of households before data cleaning) and a seven-day smartphone global positioning system (GPS) diary (approximately 20% of households before data cleaning). It combined data collection methods, including smartphone, online, and telephone. The survey design included several stages to recruit and collect data about households, their members, and their travel behaviors during the assigned travel period. ## Survey Records Survey records include a total of 6,254 participants. ## More Information For more information, see the [survey documentation](https://www.nrel.gov/media/docs/libraries/tsdc/zip/tsdc-2017-puget-sound-travel-study-documentation.zip?sfvrsn=45991f2f_1). ## Transportation Data The data set contains a demographic and socioeconomic composition of 6,254 people from 3,285 households in the Puget Sound regional area, as well as detailed information on the travel behavior of each household for a designated 24-hour period. The survey logged over 508 thousand vehicle miles of travel by participants during 52,492 trips. Transportation data are available as zipped files. [Download Winzip](http://www.winzip.com/downwz.htm).

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

2017 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study

# 2017 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study The 2017 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study collected household- and person-level activity and travel pattern information from residents throughout the Puget Sound Regional Council's four-county region in Washington State. It followed the [2014-2015 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study](https://www.nrel.gov/transportation/secure-transportation-data/tsdc-puget-sound-travel-study), starting a planned six-year data collection that includes 2019 and 2021. The multiyear program's goal is to maintain an updated source of household travel behavior data that: - Supports modeling and planning needs - Facilitates trend analysis over time - Allows for regular study design updates to integrate evolving data collection methods and emerging travel behaviors and transportation issues. ## Data Collection Agency The Puget Sound Regional Council conducted the study. ## Methodology The 2017 study featured both the design and administration of a one-day household travel diary (approximately 80% of households before data cleaning) and a seven-day smartphone global positioning system (GPS) diary (approximately 20% of households before data cleaning). It combined data collection methods, including smartphone, online, and telephone. The survey design included several stages to recruit and collect data about households, their members, and their travel behaviors during the assigned travel period. ## Survey Records Survey records include a total of 6,254 participants. ## More Information For more information, see the [survey documentation](https://www.nrel.gov/media/docs/libraries/tsdc/zip/tsdc-2017-puget-sound-travel-study-documentation.zip?sfvrsn=45991f2f_1). ## Transportation Data The data set contains a demographic and socioeconomic composition of 6,254 people from 3,285 households in the Puget Sound regional area, as well as detailed information on the travel behavior of each household for a designated 24-hour period. The survey logged over 508 thousand vehicle miles of travel by participants during 52,492 trips. Transportation data are available as zipped files. [Download Winzip](http://www.winzip.com/downwz.htm).

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

2017 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study

# 2017 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study The 2017 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study collected household- and person-level activity and travel pattern information from residents throughout the Puget Sound Regional Council's four-county region in Washington State. It followed the [2014-2015 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study](https://www.nrel.gov/transportation/secure-transportation-data/tsdc-puget-sound-travel-study), starting a planned six-year data collection that includes 2019 and 2021. The multiyear program's goal is to maintain an updated source of household travel behavior data that: - Supports modeling and planning needs - Facilitates trend analysis over time - Allows for regular study design updates to integrate evolving data collection methods and emerging travel behaviors and transportation issues. ## Data Collection Agency The Puget Sound Regional Council conducted the study. ## Methodology The 2017 study featured both the design and administration of a one-day household travel diary (approximately 80% of households before data cleaning) and a seven-day smartphone global positioning system (GPS) diary (approximately 20% of households before data cleaning). It combined data collection methods, including smartphone, online, and telephone. The survey design included several stages to recruit and collect data about households, their members, and their travel behaviors during the assigned travel period. ## Survey Records Survey records include a total of 6,254 participants. ## More Information For more information, see the [survey documentation](https://www.nrel.gov/media/docs/libraries/tsdc/zip/tsdc-2017-puget-sound-travel-study-documentation.zip?sfvrsn=45991f2f_1). ## Transportation Data The data set contains a demographic and socioeconomic composition of 6,254 people from 3,285 households in the Puget Sound regional area, as well as detailed information on the travel behavior of each household for a designated 24-hour period. The survey logged over 508 thousand vehicle miles of travel by participants during 52,492 trips. Transportation data are available as zipped files. [Download Winzip](http://www.winzip.com/downwz.htm).

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

2017 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study

# 2017 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study The 2017 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study collected household- and person-level activity and travel pattern information from residents throughout the Puget Sound Regional Council's four-county region in Washington State. It followed the [2014-2015 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study](https://www.nrel.gov/transportation/secure-transportation-data/tsdc-puget-sound-travel-study), starting a planned six-year data collection that includes 2019 and 2021. The multiyear program's goal is to maintain an updated source of household travel behavior data that: - Supports modeling and planning needs - Facilitates trend analysis over time - Allows for regular study design updates to integrate evolving data collection methods and emerging travel behaviors and transportation issues. ## Data Collection Agency The Puget Sound Regional Council conducted the study. ## Methodology The 2017 study featured both the design and administration of a one-day household travel diary (approximately 80% of households before data cleaning) and a seven-day smartphone global positioning system (GPS) diary (approximately 20% of households before data cleaning). It combined data collection methods, including smartphone, online, and telephone. The survey design included several stages to recruit and collect data about households, their members, and their travel behaviors during the assigned travel period. ## Survey Records Survey records include a total of 6,254 participants. ## More Information For more information, see the [survey documentation](https://www.nrel.gov/media/docs/libraries/tsdc/zip/tsdc-2017-puget-sound-travel-study-documentation.zip?sfvrsn=45991f2f_1). ## Transportation Data The data set contains a demographic and socioeconomic composition of 6,254 people from 3,285 households in the Puget Sound regional area, as well as detailed information on the travel behavior of each household for a designated 24-hour period. The survey logged over 508 thousand vehicle miles of travel by participants during 52,492 trips. Transportation data are available as zipped files. [Download Winzip](http://www.winzip.com/downwz.htm).

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

2017 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study

# 2017 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study The 2017 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study collected household- and person-level activity and travel pattern information from residents throughout the Puget Sound Regional Council's four-county region in Washington State. It followed the [2014-2015 Puget Sound Regional Travel Study](https://www.nrel.gov/transportation/secure-transportation-data/tsdc-puget-sound-travel-study), starting a planned six-year data collection that includes 2019 and 2021. The multiyear program's goal is to maintain an updated source of household travel behavior data that: - Supports modeling and planning needs - Facilitates trend analysis over time - Allows for regular study design updates to integrate evolving data collection methods and emerging travel behaviors and transportation issues. ## Data Collection Agency The Puget Sound Regional Council conducted the study. ## Methodology The 2017 study featured both the design and administration of a one-day household travel diary (approximately 80% of households before data cleaning) and a seven-day smartphone global positioning system (GPS) diary (approximately 20% of households before data cleaning). It combined data collection methods, including smartphone, online, and telephone. The survey design included several stages to recruit and collect data about households, their members, and their travel behaviors during the assigned travel period. ## Survey Records Survey records include a total of 6,254 participants. ## More Information For more information, see the [survey documentation](https://www.nrel.gov/media/docs/libraries/tsdc/zip/tsdc-2017-puget-sound-travel-study-documentation.zip?sfvrsn=45991f2f_1). ## Transportation Data The data set contains a demographic and socioeconomic composition of 6,254 people from 3,285 households in the Puget Sound regional area, as well as detailed information on the travel behavior of each household for a designated 24-hour period. The survey logged over 508 thousand vehicle miles of travel by participants during 52,492 trips. Transportation data are available as zipped files. [Download Winzip](http://www.winzip.com/downwz.htm).

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗