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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 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Sub-Ambient Performance of Potassium Sarcosinate for Direct Air Capture Applications: CO 2 Flux and Viscosity Measurements

Absorption based direct air capture (DAC) technologies have garnered significant interest in recent years due to their scalability, competitive regeneration energy requirements, and low susceptibility to degradation. One of the key advantages of DAC lies in its flexible siting options and the potential to utilize low-value land. However, most of the research in this field has been focused on ambient climate zones (T > 20 °C), overlooking sub-ambient (–30 °C < T < 20 °C) regions, which comprise approximately 70 % of the Earth’s surface. To fully realize the potential of DAC, it is essential to understand how DAC solvents perform in these sub-ambient conditions before any large-scale deployment can be considered. Among DAC solvents of interest, potassium sarcosinate (K-SAR) has emerged as a promising candidate due to its high CO 2 capacity, fast uptake kinetics, compatibility with contactor packing materials, low volatility, good thermal and oxidative stability, and competitive regeneration energy requirements compared to current industry standards. This paper characterizes the CO 2 flux and viscosity of K-SAR at sub-ambient conditions and explores the potential of using ethylene glycol and triethylene glycol as additives to prevent solvent freezing in DAC applications. For 1 M K-SAR, the CO 2 flux ranges between 1.3 × 10 -5 and 8.0 × 10 -5 mol m –2 s –1 across a temperature range of –5 °C to 45 °C. Ethylene glycol is shown to effectively suppress the freezing point of K-SAR below –30 °C with volumetric loadings of the additive as low as 0.1. Here, a reaction model was developed to predict the CO 2 flux for 1 M K-SAR at different temperatures, demonstrating good agreement between experimental and theoretical fluxes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Beyond conventional batteries: a review on semi-solid and redox targeting flow batteries-LiFePO{sub 4} as a case study.

Clean and sustainable energy is becoming increasingly crucial to tackle the current energy crisis. However, the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources presents a challenge for their effective implementation. Redox flow batteries (RFBs) have emerged as a promising solution to this problem, as they can help enhance the stability of grid networks and promote the use of renewable energy sources. RFBs are highly modular and scalable systems that can be customized to meet the power and energy requirements of different renewable energy plants. Moreover, they offer several advantages over conventional battery technologies, including cost and safety concerns. However, conventional RFBs have limited energy densities due to the low solubility of their active species in electrolyte. To overcome this limitation, semi-solid (SSRFBs) and redox targeting (RTFBs) flow batteries have been proposed. These systems feature high concentrations of active species and impressive energy densities, making them highly attractive for renewable energy applications. LiFePO4 (LFP) is a highly promising active material for semi-solid and targeting flow batteries. One of the key advantages of LFP is its low raw materials cost, as it is composed of Earth-abundant elements such as iron and phosphorus. This makes it an attractive option for large-scale battery production. The recent developments in SSRFBs and RTFBs using LFP as catholyte hold great promise for the future of sustainable energy storage. The combination of LFP's low cost, safety, durability, and high energy density with the modularity and scalability of flow battery systems make for a compelling solution to the challenges of intermittent renewable energy sources. Ongoing research and development in this area will likely yield even further improvements in the performance and efficiency of LFP-based flow batteries, opening exciting new possibilities for sustainable energy storage.

El Halya, Nabil↗
DOE OSTI2021

Making Data-Driven Policy Decisions for the Nation’s First Building Energy Performance Standards

Nearly every major U.S. city has committed itself to ambitious climate action goals – for Washington, DC this means a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2032 and carbon neutrality by 2050. In support of these goals, Washington, DC has passed one of the most aggressive and practical climate action bills in the nation—with the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act, DC became the first city in the U.S. to adopt energy performance standards for existing buildings. DC’s Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) require energy efficiency improvements for all commercial and multifamily buildings that do not meet a sector-specific minimum ENERGY STAR score or equivalent metric, with iterative compliance cycles every five years that will accelerate the pace of whole building retrofits. This paper explores this revolutionary policy framework and uses two data analysis projects that DC conducted to evaluate the potential impact of the BEPS and move towards carbon neutrality. First, we analyze the potential energy savings and greenhouse gas reductions, as well as potential cost impacts, from the implementation of a BEPS policy in DC We then examine the role of BEPS in a carbon neutrality strategy, how BEPS savings iterate over time, and what additional existing building improvements will be driven by the gravitational pull of new building codes on median performance. The paper highlights the benefits and limitations of such data-driven approaches to support policy decisions. Finally, we will review ongoing BEPS implementation, including expected policy directions, critical supportive programs, and lessons learned to date.

Bergfeld, Katie↗
DOE OSTI2023

High-moisture pelleting of corn stover using pilot- and commercial-scale systems: Impact of moisture content, L / D ratio and hammer mill screen size on pellet quality and energy consumption

Here, high-moisture pelleting of corn stover was tested in pilot- and commercial-scale systems. For the pilot-scale study, a 6.35 mm screen size hammer mill ground corn stover was reconditioned to moisture between 14 and 29.6% (w.b.), and 5, 7 and 9 L/D ratio pellet die were used. At 29% corn stover moisture content and L/D ratios of 5 and 9, the bulk density and durability of the pellets were ≤450 kg/m 3 and <90% and >540 kg/m 3 and >90%, respectively. Increasing the feedstock moisture and L/D ratio increased the pelleting energy. Increasing the hammer mill screen size to 11.11 mm reduced the bulk density but not the durability. The response surface models adequately described the pelleting process (R 2 ≥ 0.88), and analysis of variance showed a strong interaction between the process variables and pellet properties. Commercial-scale testing of high-moisture pelleting using 6.35 mm ground corn stover bales in the moisture range 24–26% (w.b.) produced pellets with a density of >675 kg/m 3 and durability of >98%, whereas increasing the hammer mill screen size to 11.11 mm reduced the bulk density by about 100 kg/m 3 but not the durability. The energy consumption of the commercial-scale unit operations for the high-moisture pelleting process was in the range 98–124 kW h/ton, which is 64–72% less energy than conventional pelleting that requires energy about 350 kW h/ton for biomass drying from 30% (w.b.) to 10% (w.b.) moisture content before pelleting. Pellets produced using high-moisture pelleting met International Organization for Standardization and Pellets Fuel Institute international standards. Published 2023. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Thermal energy storage composites with preformed expanded graphite matrix and paraffin wax for long-term cycling stability and tailored thermal properties

Harvesting solar energy, preventing hot spots in electronics, transport of temperature-sensitive materials, and capture and repurposing of thermal energy require a latent heat thermal energy storage (TES) system to store/discharge heat repeatedly. For the practical application of phase change material (PCM) composites within TES systems, reliable thermal performance throughout its operational lifetime is essential. Nevertheless, the reliability of thermal conductivity in multi-phase composites over relevant numbers (>10 3 ) of melt/freeze cycles has barely been studied, particularly for composites containing fillers for thermal conductivity enhancement. Here, we introduce a preform-type expanded graphite (EG)/paraffin wax composite possessing highly robust heat transfer and storage properties even after 10,000 melt/freeze cycles. To achieve such excellent reliability, comparative studies on the combined influence of fabrication process, particle size, EG vol%, binder amount, and compaction on both magnitude and robustness of thermal conductivity were undertaken. Our parametric study has yielded a trade-off between thermal conductivity and latent heat. Based on our modeling, 20 vol% EG approaches the case where all EG particles are well-connected thermally while 10 vol% EG is close to loosely connected fillers in the matrix. Thermal conductivity of our paraffin composites containing 20 vol% EG (25.1 W·m -1 ·K -1 ) is highest among other EG/paraffin composites without aligned EG in the literature. After 10,000 thermal cycling, negligible conductivity fading was observed for the 10 vol% EG composite, while reduction in latent heat remained within 10% for all 10, 14, 17 and 20 vol% EG samples. Here we anticipate this work provides insight on suitable recipe for desirable magnitude and robustness of thermal conductivity of EG/paraffin composites.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Wind and Wildlife Co-Exist With Help From ECO Wind

Sustainable deployment of wind energy requires a balance of conservation, energy, and economic goals. The Enabling Coexistence Options for Wind Energy and Wildlife (ECO Wind) program at the U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) supports efforts to reduce wildlife impacts at land-based and offshore wind energy facilities with monitoring and minimization technology solutions.

50 EE - Wind and Water Power Program - Water (EE-4↗
DOE OSTI2020

High-Performance Integrated Window and Façade Solutions for California

The researchers developed a new generation of high-performance façade systems and supporting design and management tools to support industry in meeting California’s greenhouse gas reduction targets, reduce energy consumption, and enable an adaptable response to minimize real-time demands on the electricity grid. The project resulted in five outcomes: (1) The research team developed an R-5, 1-inch thick, triplepane, insulating glass unit with a novel low-conductance aluminum frame. This technology can help significantly reduce residential cooling and heating loads, particularly during the evening. (2) The team developed a prototype of a windowintegrated local ventilation and energy recovery device that provides clean, dry fresh air through the façade with minimal energy requirements. (3) A daylight-redirecting louver system was prototyped to redirect sunlight 15–40 feet from the window. Simulations estimated that lighting energy use could be reduced by 35–54 percent without glare. (4) A control system incorporating physics-based equations and a mathematical solver was prototyped and field tested to demonstrate feasibility. Simulations estimated that total electricity costs could be reduced by 9-28 percent on sunny summer days through adaptive control of operable shading and daylighting components and the thermostat compared to state-of-the-art automatic façade controls in commercial building perimeter zones. (5) Supporting models and tools needed by industry for technology R&D and market transformation activities were validated. Attaining California’s clean energy goals require making a fundamental shift from today’s ad-hoc assemblages of static components to turnkey, intelligent, responsive, integrated building façade systems. These systems offered significant reductions in energy use, peak demand, and operating cost in California.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Transforming nanoscale VO 2 (B) into a scalable sodium-ion electrode

The intermittent nature of renewable energies requires highly reliable grid-level energy storage approaches. A critical consideration in developing this technology is the areal capacity which determines battery performance and influences the cost of battery technology. Of related importance is finding new ways of developing scalable electrodes. In recent years, three-dimensional (3D) printing of conductive scaffolds has emerged as an alternative to overcome the scalability limitations of commercial tape cast electrodes. The research carried out in the current study demonstrates a successful scalability pathway for nanoscale VO 2 (B), a desirable cathode for sodium-ion batteries which has a nano-flower morphology with a crystallite size < 20 nm. By electrodepositing VO 2 (B) onto a graphene aerogel scaffold, we were able to achieve mass loading of over 100 mg·cm −2 and still possess an areal capacity of 10 mAh·cm −2 at a current density of 5 mA·cm −2 . Moreover, after 1000 cycles, these electrodes retained 75% to 80% of their initial capacity. Even at high loading levels, the electrodeposited VO 2 (B) exhibits pseudocapacitive material signatures such as a box-like voltammetry response, linear galvanostatic response, and no phase change upon lithiation. The scalability of the VO 2 (B) electrode is demonstrated in a series of experiments which show the areal capacity to scale upon increase in both mass loading and electrode thickness, with only small changes in specific capacity. Furthermore, this study establishes that nanoscale materials can be scaled up to achieve thick electrodes without compromising their electrochemical properties.

additive manufacturing↗
DOE OSTI2025

Drying of strawberries with airborne ultrasound and other integrated dehydration mechanisms

This article presents a comprehensive investigation into the drying of strawberries using multiple dehydration methods with an emphasis on energy efficiency and sustainability. Initially, an airborne ultrasonic transducer with a frequency of 21 kHz was employed in batch operations to examine the effects of controlling parameters, including applied power, distance from the transducer plate, sample thickness, and sample holder type. The Energy Ratio, defined as the ratio of thermal energy required to evaporate moisture to ultrasonic energy, was observed to reach up to 2.2, particularly during the initial stages of drying. Subsequently, the Smart Dryer integrated airborne ultrasound (US) dehydration, slot jet reattachment (SJR) nozzle convective drying, infrared (IR) drying, and their combinations, enabling a systematic exploration of various drying conditions on the drying time and quality of strawberries. The integration of airborne US with SJR nozzles and IR drying demonstrates a promising approach for optimizing drying processes. This method not only preserves the quality of dried strawberries but also improves the energy factor to 0.88, reducing drying time by 89% compared with other conditions. Key quality attributes of the dried strawberries, such as color and water activity, were evaluated to understand the influence of each drying method. The findings highlight the potential of these integrated drying techniques as sustainable solutions for efficient and high-quality strawberry dehydration.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Plasma field faraday cage system

A system for creating a plasma field Faraday cage around a structure, the system comprising a plurality of lasers spaced apart from each other, each laser being configured to transmit an electromagnetic energy beam to a focal point of an atmosphere region, each electromagnetic energy beam having an amount of energy less than an amount of energy required to ionize air, the electromagnetic energy beams intersecting at the focal point such that the electromagnetic energy beams cooperatively ionize the air at the focal point to block electromagnetic radiation from passing through the focal point.

Timpson, Erik Joseph↗
DOE OSTI2023

Plasma field faraday cage system

A system for creating a plasma field Faraday cage around a structure, the system comprising a plurality of lasers spaced apart from each other, each laser being configured to transmit an electromagnetic energy beam to a focal point of an atmosphere region, each electromagnetic energy beam having an amount of energy less than an amount of energy required to ionize air, the electromagnetic energy beams intersecting at the focal point such that the electromagnetic energy beams cooperatively ionize the air at the focal point to block electromagnetic radiation from passing through the focal point.

Timpson, Erik Joseph↗
DOE OSTI2024

System and Component Development of Particle-Based Pumped Thermal Energy Storage

Reliable power supply from variable renewable resources requires energy storage at various scales to overcome resource intermittency. Long-duration energy storage (LDES, 10-100 hours) can improve dispatchability and grid reliability with increasing levels of renewable power supply. Thermal energy storage (TES) has siting flexibility and the ability to store a large capacity of energy, and thus has the potential to meet the LDES need and provide charging and discharging durations beyond the economic capacity of conventional batteries. TES technology has evolved from concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) generation and is recognized as an economic large-scale energy storage method. A standalone electric-thermal energy storage system supporting renewable integration of wind and solar power without CSP solar field can firm renewable generation and boost overall grid resilience and security.

concentrating solar thermal power↗
DOE OSTI2023

Flue-Gas Desulfurization Effluent Management using an Innovative Low-Energy Biosorpotion Treatment System to Remove Key Contaminants

Among the most critical water contaminants of concern affecting wide geographical regions and a number of industries and natural systems is selenium. Selenium found in surface, ground and wastewater in originates from natural sources, as well as industrial sources such as petroleum refineries, electronics manufacturing, pesticides, and coal power plants and mining also contribute to selenium contamination in water in the US. At high concentrations, selenium is toxic to human and wildlife. There are a number of technologies that have been used to treat selenium and other similar contaminants in water. Biological treatment of selenium has been used in the past to reduce soluble SeVI and/or SeIV to insoluble Se0, which is then filtered in the same vessel. The insoluble selenium (Se0) is then backwashed from the system and solids are separated for subsequent disposal, if they meet the leaching and water content criteria. In order to promote biological reduction to insoluble Se0, heating of bioreactor is needed in some applications, and excess food source (electron donor) is added so that all selenium can be filtered. An additional disadvantage of these systems is the significant amount of water lost due to extensive and frequent backwash and rinse cycles. When comparing the advantages and energy requirements of the various treatment technologies, RO membrane filtration immediately stands out due to the excessive energy expenditure needed to pump water across the membrane although RO is an effective way to remove selenium. In addition, RO requires extensive pretreatment, such as MF membrane, and frequent maintenance, rendering it an expensive option that may be out of reach for certain applications. In fact, although the performance was good during the pilot testing by the NSMP Working Group for treatment naturally occurring selenium in the surface water, the high electricity requirements and significant reject water stream made it an infeasible alternative. While conventional ion exchange maybe an effective treatment option, it requires frequent regeneration of the resin when applied to highly contaminated water, which leads to several tons of contaminant-laden, high-salinity brine that needs to be disposed off-site each day. One of the water systems in the west coast currently uses ion exchange for selenium treatment and has been trucking selenium laden hazardous brine waste weekly in the last several years. Pneumatic pumping and rinse water pumping required for ion exchange also increase the energy usage. In comparison, adsorption process is a passive treatment system where contaminated water comes in contact with an adsorption media in a vessel. Typically, there is no mixing, backwash, or recycle pumping required, thus significantly reducing the energy usage. A passive single-use adsorption system does not require backwash, thereby generating small amount of process waste, and producing the highest water yield among the alternatives. The energy and water efficiencies, and applicability for SeVI and SeIV are summarized in Table 1. Despite these benefits though, adsorption typically does not work for the most oxidized form of selenium (SeVI). The innovative biosorption process integrates both process to increase the treatment efficiency while minimizing energy, chemical, and time required to treat both SeVI and SeIV. Additional advantages include simple partial biological reduction with reduced on-site waste generation, which lead to water and electricity savings, and less operational need compared to biological treatment alone. This makes biosorption especially suitable for remote areas, where liquid backwash and brine disposal may be cost prohibitive or infeasible.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2021

2020 High Energy Physics Network Requirements Review (Final Report)

The Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) is the high-performance network user facility for the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science (SC) and delivers highly reliable data transport capabilities optimized for the requirements of data-intensive science. In essence, ESnet is the circulatory system that enables the DOE science mission by connecting all of its laboratories and facilities in the United States and abroad. ESnet is funded and stewarded by the Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) program and managed and operated by the Scientific Networking Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). ESnet is widely regarded as a global leader in the research and education networking community. Throughout 2020,ESnet and the Office of High Energy Physics (HEP) of the DOE SC organized an ESnet requirements review of HEP-supported activities. Preparation for this event included identification of key stakeholders: program and facility management, research groups, technology providers, and a number of external observers. These individuals were asked to prepare formal case study documents about their relationship to the HEP program to build a complete understanding of the current, near-term, and long-term status, expectations, and processes that will support the science going forward. A series of pre-planning meetings better prepared case study authors for this task, along with guidance on how the review would proceed in a virtual fashion. ESnet and ASCR use requirements reviews to discuss and analyze current and planned science use cases and anticipated data output of a particular program, user facility, or project to inform ESnet’s strategic planning, including network operations, capacity upgrades, and other service investments. A requirements review comprehensively surveys major science stakeholders’ plans and processes in order to investigate data management requirements over the next 5–10 years.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Basic Energy Sciences Network Requirements Review (Final Report)

The Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) is the high-performance network user facility for the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science (SC) and delivers highly reliable data transport capabilities optimized for the requirements of data-intensive science. In essence, ESnet is the circulatory system that enables the DOE science mission by connecting all of its laboratories and facilities in the US and abroad. ESnet is funded and stewarded by the Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) program and managed and operated by the Scientific Networking Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). ESnet is widely regarded as a global leader in the research and education networking community. Between March and September 2022, ESnet and the Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) of the DOE SC organized an ESnet requirements review of BES-supported activities. Preparation for these events included identification of key stakeholders: program and facility management, research groups, and technology providers. Each stakeholder group was asked to prepare formal case study documents about its relationship to the BES program to build a complete understanding of the current, near-term, and long-term status, expectations, and processes that will support the science going forward. A series of pre-planning meetings better prepared case study authors for this task, along with guidance on how the review would proceed in a virtual fashion.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Optimal management of electric hotel loads in mild hybrid heavy duty truck

Here, the problem of engine idling for heavy-duty trucks has been under study for decades with Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) and Truck Stop Electrification (TSE) as the most compelling solutions. With the electrification of trucks approaching feasibility in terms of cost-effective technology, hybridization offers another “degree of freedom” to tackle the problem. Here, this work aims at exploiting a battery pack of a 48 V mild-hybrid heavy-duty truck to store sufficient onboard energy for powering the auxiliary loads during the hoteling. This problem is not trivial, as the battery packs typically cannot recover the entire energy required through regeneration alone; hence an optimal energy management strategy needs to be employed to charge the battery through the engine during drive operation. This strategy optimizes powertrain performances among the four modes: (i) Engine of Coasting (EOC), (ii) Regeneration by braking, (iii) Regeneration by engine, and (iv) engine idling. This paper presents the development of a Dynamic Programming (DP) framework that employs a multi-objective cost function to minimize the fuel consumption and maximize the regeneration using the above-mentioned four modes. A typical heavy-duty truck drive cycle is used to represent the drive phase, with mandatory hoteling stops as per regulations. A comprehensive powertrain model is developed using validated components’ model. The DP employs two state variables: battery State-of-Charge (SOC) and engine mode, and three control inputs: (i) the engine ON–OFF state, (ii) clutch engagement state, and (iii) power request at the Electric Machine (EM) for calculating optimal SOC trajectory. The framework also tackles rapid engine ON–OFF scenarios to avoid the challenges associated with DP and the compromises in fuel cost with those approaches. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed framework is tested for potential fuel savings on two different battery packs by performing the full cycle simulations. The results show 6.47% of fuel consumption reduction as compared to traditional APU-based heavy-duty truck.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗