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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 OSTI2022

Lithium-Ion Battery Design for Grid-Scale Energy Storage App

A software that delivers parameters from energy storage system (ESS) to container, rack, module and single cell design, as well as data analysis on arbitrage energy and frequency regulation of ESS in different regions, has been developed. The Lithium-ion Battery Design for Grid-scale Energy Storage App V1.0 has the capability to output the system, module and cell design with the energy, power, capacity, group method, cost of single cell, and single cell test protocol which break down from input energy storage system data in different regions. The default chemistry of the battery is LiFePO4 and graphite. The energy density of the graphite/LiFePO 4 pouch cell ranges from 100 Wh/kg to 200 Wh/Kg in the software. Graphite/LiFePO 4 pouch cell (up to 1Ah in lab) manufacturing line is also built and can be used to evaluate the test protocol, moreover, for electrolyte evaluation in other ESMI seedling projects. The software enables rapid prototyping to accelerate energy storage research, development, and manufacturing.

Liu, Dianying [Pacific Northwest National Laborato↗
DOE OSTI2024

SPT clusters with DES and HST weak lensing. II. Cosmological constraints from the abundance of massive halos

We present cosmological constraints from the abundance of galaxy clusters selected via the thermal Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (SZ) effect in South Pole Telescope (SPT) data with a simultaneous mass calibration using weak gravitational lensing data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The cluster sample is constructed from the combined SPT-SZ, SPTpol ECS, and SPTpol 500d surveys, and comprises 1,005 confirmed clusters in the redshift range 0.25–1.78 over a total sky area of 5200 deg 2 . We use DES Year 3 weak-lensing data for 688 clusters with redshifts 𝑧 < 0.95 and HST weak-lensing data for 39 clusters with 0.6 < 𝑧 < 1.7. The weak-lensing measurements enable robust mass measurements of sample clusters and allow us to empirically constrain the SZ observable-mass relation without having to make strong assumptions about, e.g., the hydrodynamical state of the clusters. For a flat Λ⁢ CDM cosmology, and marginalizing over the sum of massive neutrinos, we measure Ω m = 0.286 ± 0.032, 𝜎 8 = 0.817 ± 0.026, and the parameter combination 𝜎 8 ⁢(Ω m /0.3) 0.25 = 0.805 ± 0.016. Our measurement of 𝑆 8 ≡ 𝜎 8 ⁢$\sqrt{Ω_{m}/0.3}$ = 0.795 ± 0.029 and the constraint from Planck CMB anisotropies (2018 TT, TE, EE+lowE) differ by 1.1⁢𝜎. In combination with that Planck dataset, we place a 95% upper limit on the sum of neutrino masses ∑𝑚 𝜈 < 0.18 eV. When additionally allowing the dark energy equation of state parameter 𝑤 to vary, we obtain 𝑤 = −1.45 ± 0.31 from our cluster-based analysis. In combination with Planck data, we measure 𝑤 =−1.3⁢4$^{+0.22}_{−0.15}$, or a 2.2⁢𝜎 difference with a cosmological constant. We use the cluster abundance to measure 𝜎8 in five redshift bins between 0.25 and 1.8, and we find the results to be consistent with structure growth as predicted by the Λ⁢ CDM model fit to Planck primary CMB data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Conformational Isomerization of Imide Anions Governs Solvation and Transport in Water-in-Salt Electrolytes

The behavior of highly concentrated electrolytes departs radically from the dilute-solution theory, yet the molecular origin of this transformation remains unresolved. Here, we identify the conformational isomerization of molecular ions as a decisive, previously unrecognized control parameter governing structure and transport in crowded aqueous electrolytes. Across a series of fluorosulfonimide anions, we show that increasing concentration drives a collective shift from extended transoid to compact cisoid conformers, revealed by small-angle X-ray scattering, vibrational spectroscopy, pulsed-field gradient NMR, and molecular dynamics simulations. This conformational transition triggers a collapse of the hydrogen-bonded water network and the emergence of densely packed ionic domains with confined water, producing a qualitative change in Li+ transport from solvent-mediated diffusion to network-confined hopping. Anion size and asymmetry systematically tune the onset of this transition, demonstrating that molecular geometry dictates mesoscale organization and dynamics in the ion-rich regime. Our results establish ion conformation, not merely composition or coordination, as a fundamental thermodynamic variable in concentrated solutions, providing a chemical framework that unifies solvation structure and transport in water-in-salt electrolytes and suggesting new principles for designing dense ionic media.

Nguyen, Huong TD↗
DOE OSTI2026

Microscopic Scattering Approach to In-Gap States

We develop a microscopic scattering formalism to describe Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) states due to a single Cr adatom on the Bi-terminated surface of beta Bi2Pd, by combining ab initio Wannier functions with a real-space Green's function approach in the Bogoliubov-de Gennes formalism[1]. Our framework reproduces key scanning tunneling spectroscopy features, including a single particle-hole asymmetric YSR peak and isotropic dIdV maps around the impurity. Decomposing the YSR states reveals contributions from four nearly degenerate C4v representations, with energy broadening masking their individual signatures. Spin-orbit coupling induces partial spin polarization, while the spatial asymmetry between particle and hole components arises from Cr d-Bi p hybridization. These results highlight the importance of realistic band structures and microscopic modeling for interpreting STM data for magnetic in-gap states on superconductors. Further advances examining layered 2D material surfaces, such as NbSe2, will be described[2]. For this system the superconducting properties are obtained from a full anisotropic Eliashberg calculation of the superconducting order parameter along with the charge density wave gap. Additional features associated with proposals to measure the dynamics of these individual YSR states will be presented. [1] arXiv:2507.08740 [2] arXiv:2507.11856

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2026

Final Report: A Multi-Channel Fusion Product

The goal of this project was to measure charged fusion products from the d(d,p)t reaction in MAST-U plasmas as a function of time and position with good energy resolution using a system of up to six charged particle detectors. The data from this new diagnostic will make it possible to determine the neutral beam ion density profile as a function of R, z, and t with reduced model dependency and contribute new information to a global analysis of fast ion diagnostic data needed for the determination of the fast ion distribution function (velocity space tomography).

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Search for New Physics via Low-Energy Electron Recoils with a 4.2 Tonne-Year Exposure from the LZ Experiment

We report results from searches for new physics models through electron recoils using data collected by the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment during its first two science runs, with a total exposure of 4.2 tonne−years. The observed data are consistent with a background-only hypothesis. Constraints are derived for electromagnetic interactions of solar neutrinos, solar axionlike particles (ALPs), mirror dark matter, and the absorption of bosonic dark matter candidates. The inverse Primakoff process for 57 Fe deexcitation solar ALPs is considered for the first time. These results represent the most stringent constraints to date on keV-scale Primakoff and 57 Fe solar ALPs, bosonic dark matter, mirror dark matter, and neutrino millicharge, while remaining competitive for the other signal models investigated.

Axion-like particles↗
DOE OSTI2026

Linking international technical specifications for acoustic characterization of marine energy converter sounds with environmental compliance criteria

As new ocean energy technologies emerge and are deployed for testing and operations, sound emissions are a potential concern for environmental effects to marine life. Consistent acoustic measurement and data analysis methods can help promote comparisons of technologies and transferability between project sites. In 2022, acoustic emissions from a prototype scale wave energy converter (WEC) were characterized for a range of environmental conditions and power generation states in the coastal waters off southern California using a set of international technical specifications. Results from the international technical specification analyses were applied to United States regulatory threshold criteria for acoustic impacts to marine mammals and examined in the context of European underwater noise monitoring guidelines. Weighted 24 hour cumulative sound exposure levels SEL24h calculated from the highest power generation state WEC sound pressure levels were often more than 20 dB below threshold criteria for temporary threshold shifts in five relevant marine mammal hearing groups. Following European Union recommendations for analyses and reporting, WEC sound characterization in third octave bands centered at 63 Hz and 125 Hz show clear spatial decay of WEC-generated noise, with more pronounced attenuation at 63 Hz, and a less marked but still detectable gradient at 125 Hz, collectively suggesting a relatively confined acoustic footprint under the observed conditions. The value of the international technical specification approach is highlighted by the isolation of WEC sounds from the surrounding soundscape. This allows for a robust characterization of acoustic emissions through a range of device power generation and sea states. Furthermore, in threshold-based regulatory contexts like the U.S., this facilitates direct evaluation of source contributions, while in broader monitoring frameworks used in the E.U. it provides a reproducible foundation for assessing the contribution of emerging ocean energy technologies to the underwater acoustic environment.

Haxel, Joseph H. (ORCID:0000000273864761)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Bacterial Bioleaching and Biorecovery for Biomining Unconventional Rare Earth Element Feedstocks

Bacterial metabolic interactions with rare earth elements (REEs) can be harnessed for biomining unconventional feedstocks like abandoned coal-mine drainage (AMD). Pennsylvania has ~500 AMD passive remediation systems that can precipitate REE rich solids. REEs include yttrium and the lanthanide series that are used in modern energy and technology. Bacteria that metabolically interact with REEs can be used for biomining in an affordable efficient process that does not require hazardous chemical additives. Currently, the microbial metal mechanisms that contribute to REE biorelease and biorecovery are poorly understood. Our work shows acidogenic bacterial isolates (Bacillus mycoides JR07 and Bacillus pseudomycoides KB7) successfully bioleach a mixed REE solution from AMD solids by their organic acid production and biofilm formation. Further, our work shows the potential for bacterial lanthanide-dependent enzymes to recover lanthanides from a mixed REE solution; here we have bacterial isolate Methylobacterium sp. B3 that can recover soluble lanthanum. Whole genome sequencing of Methylobacterium sp. B3 predict lanthanide-dependent methanol dehydrogenase XoxF. Understanding the microbial metabolism and genes involved in the REE release and recovery is crucial to optimize the biomining of AMD solids. Our work addresses the growing need to develop novel REE mining methods from unconventional feedstocks.

biogeochemistry↗
DOE OSTI2026

Energy-Optimal Vehicle Longitudinal Motion Control via Pontryagin’s Minimum Principle and Ultra-Local Model

Longitudinal vehicle motion control is essential for enhancing performance and optimizing a vehicle’s energy usage. However, it remains a challenging task due to the nonlinear and uncertain nature of vehicle dynamics, along with varying driving conditions. This paper presents a novel ultra-local optimal control approach based on Pontryagin’s Minimum Principle (PMP) that circumvents the need for detailed system identification by employing an ultra-local model. The control objective is to minimize the total energy consumption under boundary conditions while ensuring smooth traction force generation. The proposed approach is evaluated using a high-fidelity vehicle model in three representative scenarios: (i) nominal driving, (ii) a change in tire road friction coefficient (TRFC) from 0.5 to 0.65 and road slope from 0% to 5% during the maneuver, with target velocity unchanged, and (iii) a change in target velocity from 20 m/s to 0 m/s during the maneuver, while maintaining nominal TRFC and slope conditions. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method delivers robust performance, effectively balancing consumption and tracking accuracy in all tested scenarios.

Waleed khan, Muhammad [The University of Texas at ↗
DOE OSTI2024

The first high-redshift cavity power measurements of cool-core galaxy clusters with the International LOFAR Telescope

Radio-mode feedback associated with the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at the cores of galaxy clusters injects a large amount of energy into the intracluster medium (ICM), offsetting radiative losses through X-ray emission. This mechanism prevents the ICM from rapidly cooling down and fueling extreme starburst activity as it accretes onto the central galaxies, and it is therefore a key ingredient in the evolution of galaxy clusters. However, the influence and mode of feedback at high redshifts (z ∼ 1) remains largely unknown. Low-frequency sub-arcsecond-resolution radio observations taken with the International LOFAR Telescope have demonstrated their ability to assist X-ray observations with constraining the energy output from the AGNs (or “cavity power”) in galaxy clusters, thereby enabling research at higher redshifts than before. In this pilot project, we tested this hybrid method on a high-redshift (0.6 < z < 1.3) sample of 13 galaxy clusters for the first time with the aim of verifying the performance of this method at these redshifts and providing the first estimates of the cavity power associated with the central AGN for a sample of distant clusters. We were able to detect clear radio lobes in three out of 13 galaxy clusters at redshifts of 0.7 < z < 0.9, and we used these detections in combination with ICM pressures surrounding the radio lobes obtained from standard profiles to calculate the corresponding cavity powers of the AGNs. Combining our results with the literature, the current data appear to suggest that the average cavity power peaked at a redshift ofz ∼ 0.4 and slowly decreases toward higher redshifts. However, we require more and tighter constraints on the cavity volume and a better understanding of our observational systematics to confirm any deviation of the cavity power trend from a constant level.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2026

PACT Center: Perovskite PV Accelerator for Commercializing Technologies (Final Technical Report)

The Perovskite PV Accelerator for Commercializing Technologies (PACT) center was established in July 2021 as a national resource to accelerate the commercialization of perovskite photovoltaic (PV) technology in the United States. Since its inception, PACT has been led by Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia) in partnership with the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), formerly known as NREL. From FY20-FY23, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), CFV Labs, Black & Veatch (B&V), and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) were part of the project team. LANL brought expertise in perovskite PV device designs and processing, CFV Labs (now GroundWork Renewables) provided initial indoor and outdoor measurement hardware technology, B&V led the initial effort on perovskite PV bankability, and EPRI worked on reviewing testing standards, identifying commercialization gaps, and helping to run PACT’s Industry Advisory Board, a group including representatives from commercial testing labs, independent engineering firms, insurance companies, state regulators, and electric utilities. To source perovskite PV module samples, PACT contracted with the University of North Carolina (UNC), the University of Toledo, the University of Washington, and SLAC/Stanford University to provide a steady stream of research-grade perovskite mini modules, enabling protocol development in advance of commercial module availability. The project period ran from July 1, 2021, through December 31, 2025, including a No Cost Extension. Starting in FY25, the project was continued as a Core Capability in the Lab Call portfolio and continues at a reduced budget with only Sandia and NLR as funded recipients. Notably, starting in FY25 PACT expanded its scope beyond MHP modules to accept all emerging PV mini module technologies for testing, including organic PV (OPV) and all-thin-film tandems, with the aim of supporting commercialization across the broader emerging PV ecosystem. With this change in scope the program was renamed the PV Accelerator for Commercializing Technologies, dropping perovskite from the name.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Advancements in nanocomposites for enhancing the performance of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries

The benefits of nanotechnology have been realized in almost every component of lithium-ion batteries. From electrodes to electrolytes, the incorporation of nanoparticles as dopants and coatings has shown marked improvements in cell cycle life, efficiency, mechanical and thermal stabilities, and lithium-ion transport. The improvements realized depends on several factors, from processing methods, nanoparticle type, structure, and concentration, to the material into which the nanoparticulate will be incorporated. Regardless of these many factors, nanotechnology has vastly improved the performance of secondary lithium-ion batteries. Here we will highlight some of the works that demonstrate these improvements and the quantitative benefits of nanotechnology.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Storing Affordability: Battery Storage as an Asset to Reduce Data Center Cost Shifts

This report examines how battery energy storage systems (BESS) can help utilities accommodate large load growth while protecting affordability for existing ratepayers. Rapid growth in electricity demand from artificial intelligence (AI) data centers is straining the U.S. grid. Furthermore, many new data centers are entering rural markets, which could offer economic benefits but may also pose implementation challenges for smaller utilities. At the same time, retail electricity prices are increasing faster than inflation, elevating customer affordability as a key challenge. While data centers have not been the primary driver of increases in residential prices to date, they have pushed wholesale energy and capacity prices higher in several markets. Fundamental utility cost-allocation principles show that data center growth can be rate-positive for existing customers only if new peak demand grows faster than the costs a utility must incur to serve it. Several factors, including a utility’s degree of wholesale market exposure, forecast uncertainty and stranded-asset risk, and tariff design can determine the outcome of load growth on retail rates. Energy storage can make several affordability contributions in the face of this landscape of uncertainty and market volatility, including deferral of higher-cost grid investments through improved utilization of existing assets and flexibility of new large loads, insulation from volatile wholesale prices through peak shaving, and reliability support to address grid risks stemming from the behavior of AI data center loads. Different potential BESS deployment pathways—utility-scale front-of-the-meter systems, aggregated small-scale storage installations, and data center-sited behind-the-meter storage—are compared against each other and against conventional capacity alternatives. This framework is intended as a conceptual resource to utilities, particularly smaller public utilities with rural service territories, who may be considering the role that energy storage can play in insulating existing ratepayers from data center cost shifts.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Evidence for large baryonic feedback at low and intermediate redshifts from kinematic Sunyaev-Zel’dovich observations with ACT and DESI photometric galaxies

Recent advances in cosmological observations have provided an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the distribution of baryons relative to the underlying matter. In this work, we show that the gas is more extended than the dark matter, and the amount of baryonic feedback at $z \lesssim 1$ disfavors low-feedback models such as that of state-of-the-art hydrodynamical simulation IllustrisTNG compared with high-feedback models such as that of the original Illustris simulation. This has important implications for bridging the gap between theory and observations and understanding galaxy formation and evolution. Furthermore, a better grasp of the baryon-dark matter link is critical to future cosmological analyses, which are currently impeded by our limited knowledge of baryonic feedback. Here, we measure the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (kSZ) effect from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), stacked on the luminous red galaxy (LRG) sample of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) imaging survey. This is the first analysis to use photometric redshifts for reconstructing galaxy velocities. Due to the large number of galaxies comprising the DESI imaging survey, this is the highest signal-to-noise stacked kSZ measurement to date: we detect the signal at 13$σ$, finding strong evidence that the gas is more spread out than the dark matter, as well as a preference for larger feedback compared to some commonly used state-of-the-art hydrodynamical simulations. Here, our work opens up the possibility of recalibrating large hydrodynamical simulations using the kSZ effect. In addition, our findings highlight the importance of properly accounting for baryonic feedback with future surveys such as LSST through direct probes such as the kSZ, and shed light on long-standing enigmas in astrophysics, such as the “missing baryon” problem.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Customizable wave tailoring nonlinear materials enabled by bilevel inverse design

Abstract Passive wave transformation via nonlinearity is ubiquitous in settings from acoustics to optics and electromagnetics. It is well known that different nonlinearities yield different effects on propagating signals, which raises the question of “what precise nonlinearity is the best for a given wave tailoring application?” In this work, considering a one-dimensional spring-mass chain connected by polynomial springs (a variant of the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam-Tsingou system), we introduce a bilevel inverse design method which couples the shape optimization of structures for tailored constitutive responses with reduced-order nonlinear dynamical inverse design. We apply it to two qualitatively distinct problems—minimization of peak transmitted kinetic energy from impact, and pulse shape transformation—demonstrating our method’s breadth of applicability. For the impact problem, we obtain two fundamental insights. First, small differences in nonlinearity can drastically change the dynamic response of the system, from severely under- to outperforming a comparative linear system. Second, the oft-used strategy of impact mitigation via “energy locking” bistability can be significantly outperformed by our optimal nonlinearity. We validate this case with impact experiments and find excellent agreement. This study establishes a framework for broader passive nonlinear mechanical wave tailoring material design, with applications to computing, signal processing, shock mitigation, and autonomous materials.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2026

Quantifying the dislocation content of atomically resolved grain boundary line defects using the Nye tensor

The Nye tensor, which quantifies the density of Burgers vector for a given dislocation line direction, can be effectively used to characterize dislocation content in bulk crystals from atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy images. The Nye tensor can be calculated from these images, in part because the reference state is simply defined by the lattice of the perfect crystal. The application of the Nye tensor to interfacial line defects, for which the natural reference state is the dichromatic pattern of the two grains in their reference orientation, poses additional challenges. In this work, we present a method that employs the Nye tensor to characterize the edge dislocation content of line defects at grain boundaries from atomic-resolution images. This approach enables us to rapidly characterize all edge dislocation content along a grain boundary. Additionally, the Nye tensor provides information about line defect core structure. Finally, we demonstrate this method on two exemplar defects: a twin boundary disconnection and a facet junction in face-centered cubic Au.

Crystallographic defects↗
DOE OSTI2026

Fire Protection Design

The purpose of this project is to design the demolition and installation of a deluge valve swap from a DV-5 to a DV-5A valve.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Block copolymer self-assembly derived mesoporous magnetic materials with three-dimensionally (3D) co-continuous gyroid nanostructure

Magnetic nanomaterials are gaining interest for their many applications in technological areas from information science and computing to next-generation quantum energy materials. While magnetic materials have historically been nanostructured through techniques such as lithography and molecular beam epitaxy, there has recently been growing interest in using soft matter self-assembly. In this work, a triblock terpolymer, poly(isoprene-block-styrene-block-ethylene oxide) (ISO), is used as a structure directing agent for aluminosilicate sol nanoparticles and magnetic material precursors to generate organic–inorganic bulk hybrid films with co-continuous morphology. After thermal processing into mesoporous materials, results from a combination of small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are consistent with the double gyroid morphology. Nitrogen sorption measurements reveal a type IV isotherm with H1 hysteresis, and yield a specific surface area of around 200 m 2 g −1 and an average pore size of 23 nm. The magnetization of the mesostructured material as a function of applied field shows magnetic hysteresis and coercivity at 300 K and 10 K. Comparison of magnetic measurements between the mesoporous gyroid and an unstructured bulk magnetic material, derived from the identical inorganic precursors, reveals the structured material exhibits a coercivity of 250 Oe, opposed to 148 Oe for the unstructured at 10 K, and presence of remnant magnetic moment not conventionally found in bulk hematite; both of these properties are attributed to the mesostructure. This scalable route to mesoporous magnetic materials with co-continuous morphologies from block copolymer self-assembly may provide a pathway to advanced magnetic nanomaterials with a range of potential applications.

Chemistry↗