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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 OSTI2026

Hydrogeological assessment of CO2 containment assurance and wellbore integrity at a Gulf Coast storage site

Abstract A large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiative on the Texas Gulf Coast serves as a premier demonstration of the U.S. Department of Energy’s CarbonSAFE program. Targeting deep saline formations, specifically Oligo-Miocene deltaic sequences, the project aims to establish technical and commercial viability for geologic CO2 storage within a major industrial corridor. This study provides a rigorous hydrogeological assessment to support Class VI permitting by quantifying the high degree of containment security. Utilizing a compositional reservoir simulator, we developed a suite of 27 distinct simulation cases to evaluate vertical plume dynamics near both planned injection wells and proximal legacy infrastructure. To ensure numerical accuracy near wellbores, we implemented a refined mesh strategy, determining that a 5.6 ft × 5.6 ft grid refinement offered the optimal balance between computational efficiency and descriptive precision. The modeling framework utilized a systematic sensitivity-based approach to evaluate the mechanical redundancy of the subsurface system by performing a bounding analysis of wellbore interfaces against hypothetical high-permeability microannuli. By systematically isolating competing physical drivers, including permeability, porosity, gas hysteresis, thermal gradients, salinity, and solubility trapping (quantified via Henry’s law with dynamically adjusted coefficients), this work moves beyond binary assessments to establish a nuanced hierarchy of containment factors. The results confirm that primary trapping mechanisms (e.g., gas hysteresis and solubility), combined with the site's unique geomechanical stratigraphy, significantly restrict vertical mobility and reinforce the robust containment security of the reservoir. Baseline results demonstrate substantial vertical separation between the CO2 plume and the upper confining system, ensuring robust containment. Sensitivity analysis reveals that even under highly conservative bounding scenarios—assuming theoretical 10-Darcy pathways at specific wellbore locations—the 2,900-ft thick multi-layered confining zone remains a reliable barrier. In these hypothetical upper-bound cases, peak upward fluxes of CO2 and saltwater after 15 years of injection remain localized and dissipate rapidly within the lower sections of the confining interval, leaving the integrity of the seal uncompromised. Furthermore, the study identifies that while localized wellbore pathways define theoretical upper bounds of vertical migration, the Area of Review (AoR) is primarily sensitive to regional thermal gradients and hysteresis, which can influence the AoR by over 3,000 acres in pessimistic configurations. Also, primary trapping mechanisms, specifically gas hysteresis and solubility, work in tandem with the Gulf Coast’s unique geomechanical stratigraphy to significantly restrict vertical mobility. Ductile, smectite-rich mudstones facilitate natural borehole convergence and the self-healing of potential conduits, creating a natural geomechanical bridge that effectively mitigates migration potential at both current injection points and legacy-well locations. This comprehensive modeling effort demonstrates that the integration of high-resolution wellbore simulations and regional geomechanical observations confirms the long-term storage security of the studied site, providing a physics-based foundation for industrial-scale CCS deployments. This modeling framework establishes a baseline for future research into coupled geomechanical effects, such as time-dependent borehole convergence, to further refine long-term containment projections. Acknowledgements We thank the Gulf Coast Carbon Center (GCCC) at the Bureau of Economic Geology for foundational research support. We appreciate Alex Bump for technical guidance and David Hoffman for model mesh generation. This work used TACC’s Frontera cluster for simulations and CMG Ltd. software licenses provided to UT-Austin. This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy under Award Number DE-FE0032338. Disclaimer This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fossil Energy and Carbon Management Office under the CarbonSAFE program, award Number DE-FE0032338. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of Energy or the United States Government.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

An Efficient Annual-Performance Model of a Geothermal Network for Improved System Design, Operation, and Control: Preprint

Geothermal district energy systems (DES), and specifically geothermal networks, provide a viable solution for decarbonizing residential and commercial heating and cooling loads. District energy systems of all kinds enable a thermal resource with a relatively high capital cost (such as a geothermal borehole field) to be shared among a large number of users. While district heating and cooling has been studied for many years, geothermal networks, fifth generation DES that utilize water-source heat pumps and an ambient temperature loop to meet heating and cooling loads, have not been implemented extensively and thus require additional technical and economic optimization to obtain maximum benefits. This paper presents a newly developed reduced-order model that captures the flow of energy within the network, including the commercial and residential users' electrical usage, at an hourly rate over a year. The model includes building loads, heat pumps, borehole fields, and auxiliary heat/cool input, all connected with an ambient-temperature thermal loop model. In the model, operational control is possible for the borehole fields, circulation pump, and auxiliary system. For a given system, the model can output the complete state parameters for each component, the thermal loop, and the collective system, such as flow rate over time, average thermal loop temperature over time, and total electricity usage. The model can also be used to optimize the system control for maximizing system efficiency or minimizing system operational cost. For example, one initial assessment of the borehole controller for an example system showed that a controller with on/off operation of the borehole field reduces annual electrical usage by 33%, compared with continuous operation mode. Hence, the model can assist in optimizing a given system's operation to get the most value out of a geothermal network installation. Future work will consider the model's application to a demonstration project, including the model validation against operational data and system operation optimization.

ambient-temperature loop↗
DOE OSTI2025

Interactions between land use, fires, and dust as drivers of global climate change (Final Technical Report)

This award to UC Irvine and Cornell University led to the publication of 18 papers, three of which are highly cited. According to ISI Web of Science, the body of work from this grant has been cited over 476 times by May 2025. Several additional publications remain in review. This grant contributed to several significant science advances, including an improved understanding of the influence of fire aerosols on global photosynthesis (Xu et al., 2021), dust-driven teleconnections between Africa and South America (Li et al., 2021), the role of fire aerosols in triggering phytoplankton blooms in the Arctic (Ardyna et al., 2022), and wildfire responses to heat waves (Li et al., in review). Several other studies are being written up for publication, and will acknowledge funding support. These efforts include an analysis in which the magnitude of tropical fire emissions from land use change is constrained by comparing E3SMv3 simulations with atmospheric observations. This work has revealed that carbon cycle model estimates of land use change may considerably overestimate the global tropical deforestation flux. The project also contributed to several technical advances, including a new process-based and scale-aware desert dust emission scheme for global climate models (Leung et al., 2023), an improved representation of dust and its influence on radiation in E3SM (Feng et al., 2022), an improved representation of the dust parameterization in the Community Earth System Model (Li et al., 2022), and an improved coupling of wildfires with atmospheric chemistry in E3SM v3.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Development of Explainable, Knowledge-Guided AI Models to Enhance the E3SM Land Model Development and Uncertainty Quantification

Focal Area(s): (2)Predictive modeling using AI techniques and AI-derived model components; use of AI and other tools to design a prediction system comprising of a hierarchy of models. (3) Insight gleaned from complex data (both observed and simulated) using AI, big data analytics, and other advanced methods, including explainable AI and physics- or knowledge- guided AI. Science Challenge: The Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) is a fully coupled, state-of-the-science Earth system model that uses code optimized for DOE's advanced computers to address the most critical scientific questions facing our nation and society (Golaz et al., 2019). The E3SM Land model (ELM) is designed to understand how the changes in terrestrial land surfaces will interact with other Earth system components and has been used to understand hydrologic cycles, biogeophysics, and ecosystem dynamics. In spite of great successes, the ELM has several known issues that restrain rapid improvements. For example, the ELM uses equilibrium models to simulate dynamic land-climate interactions and it requires long model spin-up time to identify suitable initial conditions for transient simulations. The ELM lacks built-in uncertainty mechanisms that can improve the robustness of model predictions. The ELM is a holistic, deterministic model system with a rigid design, and in many situations, it is hard to modify the ELM system to incorporate new theory/hypothesis and new data across scales to address emerging science problems (such as predicting the impacts of water cycle extremes). In addition, The ELM is technically optimized for traditional CPU-centric computers and it cannot fully utilize the current and incoming leadership computers for model simulations and uncertainty quantification (UQ). The success of artificial intelligence (AI) has inspired scientists to use AI models to discover intrinsic features from simulation data (Chattopadhyay et al., 2020) and observational data (Reichstein et al., 2019) to gain further process understanding of Earth science problems. However, autonomous AI model training through deep learning usually requires a huge amount of annotated data. To overcome the limitations from the data and computing resources, knowledge-guided AI models are necessary where human-knowledge is ingested in model construction (Banino et al., 2018) and training process (Silver et al., 2016) for efficient learning. Herein, we present a new way that leverages the process understanding from the ELM to guide AI model development for the ELM enhancement and UQ. We hope this study can inspire further Earth and environmental system model developments and transformations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

HFTS-2 (Final Report)

This report delves into the research program, identified tasks, various studies, observations, results, and conclusions under the Hydraulic Fracturing Test Site (HFTS-2) project. This test site is located in Loving County close to the Texas, New Mexico border. The program targeted the Wolfcamp formation in Delaware Basin. The aim of the project was to improve our understanding of hydraulic fracturing processes to not only optimize unconventional resource development in US Basins but to minimize environmental footprint as well. Various new diagnostic technologies were demonstrated at this site, including distributed acoustic microseismic, high resolution strain using Rayleigh frequency band (DSS-RFS), and in-fill proppant logging tool. Significant conclusions from this study include: 1) lateral and vertical fracture growth mapping as well as proppant transport behavior, 2) Use of DSS-RFS as a diagnostic tool to understand cluster level behavior, 3) Validation of proppant log, both at core scale as well as in-fill well implementation, and 4) New modeling tools to map far-field strain response using distributed strain sensing data. Specifically, far-field fracture distribution is influenced by linear fracture corridors defined by the stress-state as well as clustering behavior influenced by spatio-temporal effects. Depletion impacts on new stimulation was demonstrated and technically quantified. Significant vertical fracture height growth was observed. However, our understanding is limited by available gauge data availability. Numerical strain modeling techniques have been developed and demonstrated to help understand observed strain response behavior. Finally, proppant log has been further validated as a useful tool to map propped zones within the SRV. It has also shown very strong correlation with observed drawdown behavior at this test site. This report will detail many of these studies as well as technical results and conclusions from said studies. These include general subsurface characterization work, completion designs as implemented, studies looking at fracture geometry, high resolution microseismic study including source mechanisms, advanced DSS-RFS studies including drainage characterization, core characterization results, proppant analysis (core and in-fill child well), geochemistry, etc.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2023

Resilient Inverter-Driven Black Start with Collective Parallel Grid-Forming Operation

As modern power systems are experiencing exceptional changes with increasing penetrations of inverter-based resources (IBRs), system restoration using IBRs has received attention. Using local grid-forming (GFM) assets near consumers, engineered to establish grid voltages in the absence of a stiff grid, i.e., bottom-up restoration, a distribution system could obtain high system resilience by not relying on the bulk power system restoration, which requires significant human intervention and procedure. This paper studies the technical feasibility of the novel approach with detailed electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulations. To thoroughly evaluate the potential of GFM inverters and the technical challenges in IBR-driven black start, a detailed three-phase inverter model is developed, including negative-sequence control for voltage balance and a phase-by- phase current limiter to sustain momentary overloading during the black start. To examine dynamic aspects of the black-start process, the EMT simulation also models transformer and motor dynamics to emulate their inrush and startup behaviors as well as network dynamics. In addition, active involvement of grid- following distributed energy resources is also studied to facilitate the black-start process. By allowing multiple GFM inverters to collectively black start without leader-follower coordination, we demonstrate that a system can achieve high resilience even with a fraction of assets lost. Two test cases of inverter-driven black start, using two and one GFM inverters, respectively, for a heavily unbalanced 2-MVA distribution feeder are demonstrated. Takeaways for further study and field deployment are provided.

grid-forming inverter↗
DOE OSTI2020

Blackstart of Power Grids with Inverter-Based Resources

This paper presents the findings of our investigation into inverter-based resource-(IBR-) driven blackstart of electric grids. Four potential black-start configurations with different setups are presented. To evaluate the technical feasibility of IBR-driven black start in the four configurations, a behavioral model of inverters that mimics current-limited inverter operation is developed using variable resistors in the MATLAB Simulink/Simscape environment. The inverter model is connected to an induction motor through transformers and a transmission line to simulate its startup. Simulation results show that even with the limited current supply capability of inverters because of their physical constraints, IBRs can black-start a motor under certain conditions. Results also show that by using soft-start techniques, such as ramped supply voltage, inrush currents can be reduced, thereby expanding the conditions under which IBRs can provide black-start support. Simulation results with different scenarios lead to discussions and key takeaways that could be valuable for further IBR-driven black-start research.

41 EE - Solar Energy Technologies Office (EE-4S)↗
DOE OSTI2024

ECP libraries and tools: An overview

The Exascale Computing Project (ECP) Software Technology and Co-Design teams addressed the growing complexities in high-performance computing (HPC) by developing scalable software libraries and tools that leverage exascale system capabilities. As we enter the exascale era, the need for reusable, optimized software solutions that can handle the unique challenges posed by these systems becomes increasingly important. The primary challenges the ECP teams faced were to create software libraries and tools that are performant on exascale architectures and portable and usable across diverse hardware platforms. Efforts addressed issues related to concurrent execution, memory management, and the integration of heterogeneous computing resources, such as GPUs from multiple vendors. The ECP’s strategy involved a structured development process encompassing the creation, optimization, and deployment of software in collaboration with industry, academia, and national laboratories. The project was organized into several technical areas: co-design of domain-specific suites with target applications, programming models and runtimes, development tools, mathematical libraries, data and visualization tools, and software ecosystem and delivery mechanisms. ECP has successfully developed a large portfolio of software libraries and tools that demonstrate significant improvements in performance and scalability on exascale systems. These products have been integrated into the Department of Energy’s computing facilities, supporting various scientific applications and ensuring robust performance across different hardware setups. ECP advancements in software development for exascale computing highlight the importance of a collaborative and adaptive approach to handling next-generation HPC systems complexities. The lessons learned emphasize the need for continuous engagement with end-users and vendors, and the importance of maintaining a balance between innovation and practical implementation. Future efforts will focus on ensuring scalability, keeping pace with rapid hardware advancements, and further enhancing the interoperability and usability of the software ecosystem. In conclusion, subsequent articles in this special issue provide in-depth discussions and case studies into specific library and tool efforts.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Oakridge Geothermal Resources Assessment

Through the Communities Local Energy Action Program (LEAP), NREL provided technical assistance to a coalition of stakeholders from Oakridge, Oregon. The coalition included community-based non-profit organizations, the city government, the local utility, and others. Technical assistance provides analysis and information to support Oakridge stakeholders with their goals to increase energy reliability and resilience in the community, while promoting economic development. The Geothermal Resource Assessment provides technical analysis related to the geothermal resource in the Oakridge area, possible technology applications, and information related to further geothermal exploration. Technical analysis includes a review of a previous geothermal study conducted for Oakridge, thermal modeling to estimate reservoir temperatures, and technoeconomic simulation of a combined heat and power application in the Oakridge area.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Proposed Classifications of Remote Operations for Nuclear Reactors Based on Physical and Cybersecurity Considerations

The incorporation of remote operations into reactor operations is a topic of high interest among advanced and small modular reactor (A/SMR) vendors, with some considering it essential to the success of their business models. However, remote operations are a concept novel to the nuclear industry. While various technical aspects of remote operations have been explored, a significant gap remains in understanding the security implications of integrating remote operations into reactor designs, particularly concerning the security requirements for remote-operations facilities and infrastructure. This report aims to address this gap by first defining classes of remote operation based on the extent of remote access to reactor control systems and grounded in the existing regulatory framework with compatible terminology. Secondly, the report outlines the physical and cybersecurity requirements applicable to remote-operations facilities and infrastructure at each defined class. These requirements are based on existing licensing frameworks provided by 10 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 50 and 10 CFR Part 52, as well as the upcoming A/SMR licensing framework in the proposed Part 53. The assessment focuses specifically on security regulations, such as 10 CFR Part 73, which includes provisions for both cybersecurity (§ 73.54) and physical security (§ 73.55). This report proposes five classes of remote reactor operations. Class 1 involves remote monitoring only, with no control over reactor systems. Class 2 allows for the remote issuance of allowlisted commands to the reactor facility. Class 3 extends control to non-safety-significant, non-safety-related, or not important to safety systems and equipment. Class 4 permits remote control of safety-significant systems. Finally, Class 5 allows remote control of safety-related systems. It is important to note that these classes were defined purely with functionality in mind, without considering the practicality or feasibility of implementation for each class under current or upcoming regulatory guidance. The intention behind this approach is to enable an assessment of which security requirements apply to each class, allowing readers to evaluate the implementation possibilities for their specific use cases. Following the definition of remote-operation classes, the report assesses the specific physical and cybersecurity requirements applicable to the remote-operations facility and infrastructure within each defined class. This includes defining the types and locations of operators that are possible at each class of operation and, based on operator type and location, as well as functionality within each class, outlining the physical and cybersecurity requirements. By detailing the security requirements by class, the report provides readers with the information needed to determine the type of security program they may need to implement for their desired concept of operation. The next contribution of this report was to assess the practicality of implementing each proposed class of remote operations based upon the security requirement assessment. In short, three of the five proposed remote-operation classes were found to possibly have a practical path forward to implementation under the U.S. regulatory framework. Class 1 remote operations are currently in use in the U.S. while Class 2 and 3 remote operations may be logistically possible to implement under the U.S. regulatory framework. The final two Classes, 4 and 5, would likely be logistically difficult, if not infeasible to implement within the current U.S. physical- and cybersecurity regulatory framework. Given the results of the feasibility assessment, an example architecture is proposed for both Class 2, remote allowlisted commands, and Class 3, remote control of non-safety systems as well as security implication assessments of each architecture. These example implementations are not meant to be prescriptive in terms of how Class 2 or Class 3 remote operations should be deployed; instead, they are intended to be informative to stakeholders on how Class 2 or Class 3 could potentially be applied in order to inform their system design. An example architecture for Class 1 remote monitoring was not provided as Class 1 in already in use in U.S. nuclear operations. Example architectures for Class 4 and Class 5 were not provided due to their assessment of being likely infeasible to implement. The final contribution is an assessment of the physical- and cybersecurity implications of introducing autonomous operations into an A/SMR. What was found was that the security implications can be separated into two cases. Autonomous operations supported by SSCs located only at the reactor site, and autonomous operations supported by SSCs outside of the reactor site. For the first case, the introduction of autonomous systems will likely not change the facility’s requirement to comply with existing cyber and physical security regulation

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Exploratory Studies of Mechanical Properties, Residual Stress, and Grain Evolution at the Local Regions near Pores in Additively Manufactured Metals

Directed energy deposition (DED) is gaining widespread acceptance in various industrial applications since its unique manufacturing features allow the DED to print metallic parts with very complex geometries. However, DED inevitably generates a lot of internal pores which can limit the widespread applications of the DED technique. The current studies on DED porosity are mostly focused on analyzing pores’ bulk-scale influences on mechanical properties and performances. Since DED pores have a micro-scale existence, with dimensions ranging from a few microns to several hundred microns, it is fundamental to explore the pores’ influences on the micro-scale, including local mechanical properties, residual stress, and grains near pores. However, this important research direction has been neglected. The objective of this work is to fill the above gap in DED porosity research and acquire a fundamental understanding of the role of porosity on a microscopic scale. The authors used nanoindentation approaches to investigate internal pores’ effects on mechanical properties and residual stress in local regions surrounding the pores. In addition, the grains near pores were observed through EBSD, and simulated with the Kinetic Monte Carlo model. The research findings can be provided for DED researchers and industrial practitioners as technical guidance. Most importantly, the research results can work as a good reference for tracing the source of bulk-scale mechanical performances and properties of DED parts with internal pores.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Blackstart of Power Grids with Inverter-Based Resources: Preprint

This paper presents the findings of our investigation into inverter-based resource- (IBR-) driven blackstart of electric grids. Four potential black-start configurations with different setups are presented. To evaluate the technical feasibility of IBR-driven black start in the four configurations, a behavioral model of inverters that mimics current-limited inverter operation is developed using variable resistors in the MATLAB Simulink/Simscape environment. The inverter model is connected to an induction motor through transformers and a transmission line to simulate its startup. Simulation results show that even with the limited current supply capability of inverters because of their physical constraints, IBRs can black-start a motor under certain conditions. Results also show that by using soft-start techniques, such as ramped supply voltage, inrush currents can be reduced, thereby expanding the conditions under which IBRs can provide black-start support. Simulation results with different scenarios lead to discussions and key takeaways that could be valuable for further IBR-driven black-start research.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Durable Module Materials Consortium (DuraMAT) FY 2021 Annual Report: New Results and a Renewed Consortium

The Durable Module Materials Consortium (DuraMAT) is a multi-lab consortium led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, with Sandia National Laboratories, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as core research labs. DuraMAT's overarching goal is to discover, develop, de-risk, and enable the rapid commercialization of improved materials, designs, predictive tests, and models for photovoltaic (PV) modules that increase performance, extend lifetime, and enable new applications. Technical results are highlighted throughout this report, and the new projects awarded for FY 2022 address many of the challenges to making 50-year, high-energy-yield modules that were identified in these working groups.

backsheet↗
DOE OSTI2022

Resilient Inverter-Driven Black Start with Collective Parallel Grid-Forming Operation: Preprint

As the modern power systems are experiencing exceptional changes with increasing penetration of inverter-based resources (IBRs), system restoration using IBRs has received attention. Using local grid-forming (GFM) assets near consumers, engineered to establish grid voltages in the absence of a stiff grid, i.e., bottom-up restoration, a distribution system would obtain high system resilience, by not relying on the bulk power system restoration requiring significant human intervention and procedure to restore. This paper studies the technical feasibility of the novel approach with detailed electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulations. To thoroughly evaluate the potential of GFM inverters and technical challenges in IBR-driven black start, a detailed three-phase inverter model is developed, including negative-sequence control for voltage balance and a phase-by-phase current limiter to sustain momentary overloading during the black start. To examine dynamic aspects of the black start process, the EMT simulation also models transformer and motor dynamics to emulate their inrush and start-up behaviors as well as network dynamics. In addition, active involvement of grid-following distributed energy resources (DER) is also studied to facilitate the black start process. It is shown that, by allowing multiple GFM inverters to collectively black start without master-slave coordination, a system can achieve high resilience even with a fraction of assets lost. Two test cases of inverter-driven black start using two and one GFM inverters, respectively, for a heavily unbalanced 2-MVA distribution feeder are demonstrated. Takeaways for further study and field deployment are provided.

grid-forming inverter↗
DOE OSTI2023

Environmental and Economic Implications of Emerging Plastic Recycling Technologies

Recycling will play a crucial role in mitigating plastic pollution and promoting a circular economy for polymers. Quantitative analysis can help guide the optimization and implementation of these plastic management strategies, enabling increased circularity while minimizing costs, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and other environmental impacts. This talk will outline the Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLE) Consortium's approach to analysis-guided plastic recycling research. Stringent process modelling, life cycle assessment, and techno-economic analysis are used to benchmark the technical feasibility, environmental impacts, and costs of chemical and biological recycling technologies in comparison to conventional fossil fuel-based plastic manufacturing. Across emerging recycling strategies, several key challenges become apparent - including plastic feedstock pretreatment requirements, high energy or chemical use, and recycled plastic yields and quality - highlighting opportunities for future innovation. Through this consistent and in-depth analysis approach, BOTTLE aims to provide the plastics community with key metrics and insights to drive plastic recycling innovation towards a more sustainable and circular economy.

circular economy↗
DOE OSTI2024

Leveraging Military Veteran Talent Through SkillBridge Training: Recommendations for the Solar Industry

Solar Energy International (SEI), in partnership with IREC, has published a white paper, Leveraging Military Veteran Talent Through SkillBridge Training: Recommendations for the Solar Industry. This resource presents SkillBridge as a key strategy for solar employers to attract, develop, and retain qualified veteran talent, and provides model training frameworks aligned with four key occupations, including solar installation, operations and maintenance, technical sales, and solar design.

Howes, Megan↗
DOE OSTI2024

Nucleon Structure Studies at Jefferson Lab and the Electron Ion Collider

The research programs of Thomas Jefferson Laboratory (JLab) and the future Electron- Ion Collider (EIC) focus on one of the main goals of strong interaction studies : understanding the structure of nucleons in terms of the quarks and gluons composing them. Their structure is encoded in functions such as Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs), which describe how quarks and gluons’ transverse position and longitudinal momentum are distributed inside nucleons. GPDs allow to obtain three-dimensional pictures of nucleons and to understand some of their fundamental properties, such as their internal pressure or the emergence of their spin from the dynamics of the partons composing them. At JLab and the EIC, electron beams are used to probe nucleons. Measurement of reactions such as Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering (DVCS) allows access to GPDs. The first longitudinally polarized-target experiment of the CLAS12 program at Jlab took place in 2022-2023. Combining polarized electron beams and nucleon targets, this experiment offers unique access to observables that allow the measurement of different types of GPDs. In particular, the DVCS beam- and target-spin asymmetries for protons and neutrons in deuterium will be measured for the first time. They give access to kinds of GPDs that are still poorly known, and the comparison between proton and neutron data will allow the extraction of the flavor dependence of the structure of nucleons. Specific analysis methods have been implemented to work with a polarized nuclear target and are presented in this thesis. These methods allow to obtain preliminary results for the asymmetries, waiting for the complete statistics to be available. In the long term, the experimental program for the EIC has been established with a strong emphasis on the measurement of the structure of nucleons at high energy. Measurements of reactions such as DVCS impose strict requirements on the electromagnetic calorimeter that will allow to measure the energy of the scattered electrons and photons. This calorimeter, which is under development, will be based on scintillating crystals read by Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs). A new type of glass-based scintillating material was tested, evaluating the possibilities to meet the technical requirements concerning their light yield and resistance to radiation damage in particular. Several models of SiPMs have been characterized, demonstrating they can operate over the vast energy range necessary to address the physics case at the EIC and providing guidelines for developing their readout electronics.

Pilleux, Noemie↗
DOE OSTI2024

Final Technical Report

This research project aims to understand the structure and properties of hidden intermediates in amorphous oxides grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD), and apply what is learned to achieve predictive phase and property control in the ALD synthesis of amorphous oxide thin films. The one-year renewal is to further this understanding to understand how amorphous TiO2 thin films by ALD turn into crystalline phase in correlation to the presence of medium range ordering (MRO) and other impurities. This fundamental study is expected to produce a predictive synthesis science for amorphous thin films with substantially improved uniformity and thereby achieve higher stability as a new surface coating strategy used for electrochemical catalysis. In this final technical report, we summarize the key achievements in this project to meet the research goals. This includes (1) a new approach to achieve homogeneous nanometer-scale amorphous coating leading to a new record of lifetime for photoelectrochemical hydrogen fuel generation; (2) A advancement in scanning transmission electron microcopy (STEM) that led to new understanding of intermediate phase in amorphous films; and (3) a computational model for understanding the local structure ordering in amorphous TiO2 films. In addition, this project also yielded relevant technical innovations including a development of bioresorbable zinc primary batteries that can self-degrade after depletion; and a ferroelectric membrane that provides active dendrites suppression to substantially improve the lifetime of rechargeable batteries. Collaboration with Lam Research also yield a new understanding of how built-in strain influences the amorphous films’ quality, bringing direct impacts to semiconductor manufacturing industry.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗