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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 OSTI2020

A hybrid cyt c maturation system enhances the bioelectrical performance of engineered Escherichia coli by improving the rate-limiting step

Bioelectronic devices can use electron flux to enable communication between biotic components and abiotic electrodes. We have modified Escherichia coli to electrically interact with electrodes by expressing the cytochrome c from Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. However, we observe inefficient electrical performance, which we hypothesize is due to the limited compatibility of the E. coli cytochrome c maturation (Ccm) systems with MR-1 cytochrome c. Here we test whether the bioelectronic performance of E. coli can be improved by constructing hybrid Ccm systems containing protein domains from both E. coli and S. oneidensis MR-1. The hybrid CcmH increased cytochrome c expression by increasing the abundance of CymA 60%, while only slightly changing the abundance of the other cytochromes c. Electrochemical measurements showed that the overall current from the hybrid ccm strain increased 121% relative to the wildtype ccm strain, with an electron flux per cell of 12.3 ± 0.3 fA·cell -1 . Additionally, the hybrid ccm strain doubled its electrical response with the addition of exogenous flavin, and quantitative analysis of this demonstrates CymA is the rate-limiting step in this electron conduit. These results demonstrate that this hybrid Ccm system can enhance the bioelectrical performance of the cyt c expressing E. coli, allowing the construction of more efficient bioelectronic devices.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Moiré quantum chemistry: Charge transfer in transition metal dichalcogenide superlattices

Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) bilayers have recently emerged as a robust and tunable moiré system for studying and designing correlated electron physics. In this Rapid Communication, by combining a large-scale first-principles calculation and continuum model approach, we provide an electronic structure theory that maps long-period TMD heterobilayer superlattices onto diatomic crystals with cations and anions. We find that the interplay between the moiré potential and Coulomb interaction leads to filling-dependent charge transfer between different moiré superlattice regions. Further, we show that the insulating state at half filling found in recent experiments on WSe 2 /WS 2 is a charge-transfer insulator rather than a Mott-Hubbard insulator. Our work reveals the richness of simplicity in moiré quantum chemistry.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Assessing electrogenetic activation via a network model of biological signal propagation

Introduction: Molecular communication is the transfer of information encoded by molecular structure and activity. We examine molecular communication within bacterial consortia as cells with diverse biosynthetic capabilities can be assembled for enhanced function. Their coordination, both in terms of engineered genetic circuits within individual cells as well as their population-scale functions, is needed to ensure robust performance. We have suggested that “electrogenetics,” the use of electronics to activate specific genetic circuits, is a means by which electronic devices can mediate molecular communication, ultimately enabling programmable control. Methods: Here, we have developed a graphical network model for dynamically assessing electronic and molecular signal propagation schemes wherein nodes represent individual cells, and their edges represent communication channels by which signaling molecules are transferred. We utilize graph properties such as edge dynamics and graph topology to interrogate the signaling dynamics of specific engineered bacterial consortia. Results: We were able to recapitulate previous experimental systems with our model. In addition, we found that networks with more distinct subpopulations (high network modularity) propagated signals more slowly than randomized networks, while strategic arrangement of subpopulations with respect to the inducer source (an electrode) can increase signal output and outperform otherwise homogeneous networks. Discussion: We developed this model to better understand our previous experimental results, but also to enable future designs wherein subpopulation composition, genetic circuits, and spatial configurations can be varied to tune performance. We suggest that this work may provide insight into the signaling which occurs in synthetically assembled systems as well as native microbial communities.

Chun, Kayla↗
DOE OSTI2022

Economic and embodied energy analysis of integrated circuit manufacturing processes

Integrated circuits (ICs) are the fundamental microelectronic building blocks of typical information and communication technology (ICT) devices such as laptops and smartphone. With the emergence of faster and cheaper low-power ICs for the growing ICT market, there is a limited information on their manufacturing energy and economic impacts owing to the lack of recurrent upgradation of proprietary IC manufacturing process data. In this work, economic and life cycle energy assessments (LCAs) of IC manufacturing and assembly processes were conducted using the latest bill of materials (BOM) manufacturing data in a state-of-the-art IC manufacturing cost software tool developed by IC Knowledge, LLC. IC manufacturing cost was estimated to be $\$$1.00-$\$$5.00/cm 2 ; the high-end cost represents the most advanced 3D NAND IC technology with the Wafer Level Chip Scale Package cost of $4/cm 2 . Total cumulative energy demand (CED) estimates of IC manufacturing using the OpenLCA software ranged from 9 to 38 MJ/cm 2 or 56–235 BJ/month with the largest share (~ 75%) from on-site energy. The IC manufacturing CED is projected to increase with the progress in IC technology node, which has increased by more than two times for technology node evolution from 110 to 14 nm. Furthermore, the representative detailed BOM data were considered to reduce the CED uncertainties of the estimated standard deviation of 35%- 42%.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Redox active plant phenolic, acetosyringone, for electrogenetic signaling

Abstract Redox is a unique, programmable modality capable of bridging communication between biology and electronics. Previous studies have shown that the E. coli redox-responsive OxyRS regulon can be re-wired to accept electrochemically generated hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) as an inducer of gene expression. Here we report that the redox-active phenolic plant signaling molecule acetosyringone (AS) can also induce gene expression from the OxyRS regulon. AS must be oxidized, however, as the reduced state present under normal conditions cannot induce gene expression. Thus, AS serves as a “pro-signaling molecule” that can be activated by its oxidation—in our case by application of oxidizing potential to an electrode. We show that the OxyRS regulon is not induced electrochemically if the imposed electrode potential is in the mid-physiological range. Electronically sliding the applied potential to either oxidative or reductive extremes induces this regulon but through different mechanisms: reduction of O 2 to form H 2 O 2 or oxidation of AS. Fundamentally, this work reinforces the emerging concept that redox signaling depends more on molecular activities than molecular structure. From an applications perspective, the creation of an electronically programmed “pro-signal” dramatically expands the toolbox for electronic control of biological responses in microbes, including in complex environments, cell-based materials, and biomanufacturing.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Ferromagnetic resonances in single-crystal yttrium iron garnet nanofilms fabricated by metal-organic decomposition

Tunable microwave and millimeter wave oscillators and bandpass filters with ultra-low phase noise play a critical role in electronic devices, including wireless communication, microelectronics, and quantum computing. Magnetic materials, such as yttrium iron garnet (YIG), possess ultra-low phase noise and a ferromagnetic resonance tunable up to tens of gigahertz. Here, we report structural and magnetic properties of single-crystal 60 and 130 nm-thick YIG films prepared by metal-organic decomposition epitaxy. These films, consisting of multiple homoepitaxially grown monolayers, are atomically flat and possess magnetic properties similar to those grown with liquid-phase epitaxy, pulsed laser deposition, and sputtering. Our approach does not involve expensive high-vacuum deposition systems and is a true low-cost alternative to current commercial techniques that have the potential to transform the industry.

Wang, Szu-Fan (Paul)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Securing Grid Communications Infrastructure: Addressing Gaps Beyond NERC CIP Facility Perimeters

The North American electric grid relies on a complex communications infrastructure that extends beyond facility perimeters traditionally covered by NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) standards. While CIP requirements have significantly strengthened cybersecurity within Electronic Security Perimeters, many operational communications—such as those between control centers, substations, and third-party networks—fall outside current regulatory scope. As grid modernization introduces new technologies and connectivity models, these external pathways present evolving security challenges. This brief explores the nature of these challenges, including emerging attack vectors and supply chain considerations, and highlights how ongoing grid transformation increases exposure to sophisticated threats. It outlines practical strategies and policy options to complement existing standards, such as expanding secure communications practices, enhancing supply chain transparency, and fostering collaboration among federal, state, and industry stakeholders. Near-term actions like encryption, authentication, and contractual safeguards can help reduce risk while longer-term frameworks are developed to ensure resilient and secure grid operations.

24 - POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Colossal Terahertz Emission with Ultrafast Tunability Based on Van der Waals Ferroelectric NbOI 2

Abstract Terahertz (THz) technology is critical for quantum material physics, biomedical imaging, ultrafast electronics, and next‐generation wireless communications. However, standing in the way of widespread applications is the scarcity of efficient ultrafast THz sources with on‐demand fast modulation and easy on‐chip integration capability. Here the discovery of colossal THz emission is reported from a van der Waals (vdW) ferroelectric semiconductor NbOI 2 . Using THz emission spectroscopy, a THz generation efficiency an order of magnitude higher than that of ZnTe, a standard nonlinear crystal for ultrafast THz generation is observed. The underlying generation mechanisms associated are further uncovered with its large ferroelectric polarization by studying the THz emission dependence on excitation wavelength, incident polarization, and fluence. Moreover, the ultrafast coherent amplification and annihilation of the THz emission and associated coherent phonon oscillations by employing a double‐pump scheme are demonstrated. These findings combined with first‐principles calculations, inform a new understanding of the THz light–matter interaction in emergent vdW ferroelectrics and pave the way to develop high‐performance THz devices on them for quantum materials sensing and ultrafast electronics.

Subedi, Sujan [Department of Materials Science and↗
DOE OSTI2020

Solar Energy Research Institute for India and the United States (SERIIUS): Lessons and Results from a Binational Consortium

This book describes the development, functioning, and results of a successful binational program to promote significant scientific advances in Earth-abundant photovoltaics (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP), advanced process/manufacturing technologies, multiscale modeling and reliability testing, and analysis of integrated solar energy systems. SERIIUS is a consortium between India and the United States dedicated to developing new solar technologies and assessing their potential impact in the two countries. The consortium consists of nearly 50 institutions including academia, national laboratories, and industry, with the goal of developing significant new technologies in all areas of solar deployment. In addition, the program focused on workforce development through graduate students, post-doctoral students, and an international exchange program. Particular emphasis was placed on the following efforts: creating disruptive technologies in PV and CSP through high-impact fundamental and applied research and development (R&D); identifying and quantifying the critical technical, economic, and policy issues for solar energy development and deployment in India; overcoming barriers to technology transfer by teaming research institutions and industry in an effective project structure; building a new platform for binational collaboration using a formalized R&D project structure, along with effective management, coordination, and decision processes; creating a sustainable network and workforce development program from which to build large collaborations and fostering a collaborative culture and outreach programs. This includes using existing and new methodologies for collaboration based on advanced electronic and web-based communication to facilitate functional international teams. The book summarizes the general lessons learned from these experiences.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Structural basis for inhibition of coagulation factor VIII reveals a shared antigenic hotspot on the C1 domain

Hemophilia A arises from dysfunctional or deficient coagulation factor (F)VIII and leads to inefficient fibrin clot formation and uncontrolled bleeding events. The development of antibody inhibitors is a clinical complication in hemophilia A patients receiving FVIII replacement therapy. LE2E9 is an anti-C1 domain inhibitor previously isolated from a mild/moderate hemophilia A patient and disrupts FVIII interactions with von Willebrand factor and FIXa, though the intermolecular contacts that underpin LE2E9-mediated FVIII neutralization are undefined. To determine the structure of the complex between FVIII and LE2E9 and characterize its mechanism of inhibition. FVIII was bound to the antigen binding fragment (Fab) of NB2E9, a recombinant construct of LE2E9, and its structure was determined by cryogenic electron microscopy. Here, this report communicates the 3.46 Å structure of FVIII bound to NB2E9, with its epitope comprising FVIII residues S2040 to Y2043, K2065 to W2070, and R2150 to H2155. Structural analysis reveals that the LE2E9 epitope overlaps with portions of the epitope for 2A9, a murine-derived inhibitor, suggesting that these residues represent a shared antigenic region on the C1 domain between FVIII –/– mice and hemophilia A patients. Furthermore, the FVIII:NB2E9 structure elucidates the orientation of the LE2E9 glycan, illustrating how the glycan sterically blocks interactions between the FVIII C1 domain and the von Willebrand factor D' domain. A putative model of the FVIIIa:FIXa complex suggests potential clashing between the NB2E9 glycan and FIXa light chain. These results describe an antigenic “hotspot” on the FVIII C1 domain and provide a structural basis for engineering FVIII replacement therapeutics with reduced antigenicity.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Advances in High-Power Wireless Charging Systems: Overview and Design Considerations

Wireless charging systems are foreseen as an effective solution to improve the convenience and safety of conventional conductive chargers. As this technology has matured, recent broad applications of wireless chargers to electrified transportation have indicated a trend toward higher power, power density, modularity, and scalability of designs. In this article, commercial systems and laboratory prototypes are reviewed, focusing mostly on the advances in high-power wireless charging systems. The recent endeavors in magnetic pad designs, compensation networks, power electronics converters, control strategies, and communication protocols are illustrated. Both stationary and dynamic (in-motion) wireless charging systems are discussed, and critical differences in their designs and applications are emphasized. On that basis, the comparisons among different solutions and design considerations are summarized to present the essential elements and technology roadmap that will be necessary to support large-scale deployment of high-power wireless charging systems. The review is concluded with the discussion of several fundamental challenges and prospects of high-power wireless power transfer (WPT) systems. Foreseen challenges include utilization of advanced materials, electric and electromagnetic field measurement and mitigation, customization, communications, power metering, and cybersecurity.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Time-Based CAN IDS Paper Results Code

Modern vehicles are complex cyber-physical systems made of hundreds of electronic control units (ECUs) that communicate over controller area networks (CANs). This inherited complexity has expanded the CAN attack surface which is vulnerable to message injection attacks. These injections change the overall timing characteristics of messages on the bus, and thus, to detect these malicious messages, time-based intrusion detection systems (IDSs) have been proposed. However, time-based IDSs are usually trained and tested on low-fidelity datasets with unrealistic, labeled attacks. This makes difficult the task of evaluating, comparing, and validating IDSs. Here we detail and benchmark four time-based IDSs against the newly published ROAD dataset, the first open CAN IDS dataset with real (non-simulated) stealthy attacks with physically verified effects. We found that methods that perform hypothesis testing by explicitly estimating message timing distributions have lower performance than methods that seek anomalies in a distribution related statistic. In particular, these “distribution-agnostic” based methods outperform “distribution-based” methods by at least 55% in area under the precision-recall curve (AUC-PR). Our results expand the body of knowledge of CAN time-based IDSs by providing details of these methods and reporting their results when tested on datasets with real advanced attacks. Finally, we develop an after-market plug-in detector using lightweight hardware, which can be used to deploy the best performing IDS method on nearly any vehicle.

Moriano, Pablo [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oa↗
DOE OSTI2021

Time-Based CAN Intrusion Detection Benchmark

Modern vehicles are complex cyber-physical systems made of hundreds of electronic control units (ECUs) that communicate over controller area networks (CANs). This inherited complexity has expanded the CAN attack surface by the injection of malicious messages that vary their time-based characteristics. To detect these malicious messages, time-based intrusion detection systems (IDS) have been proposed. However, time-based IDS are usually trained and tested on low-fidelity datasets with unrealistic labeled attacks. This makes difficult the task of evaluating, comparing, and validating IDS. Here we detail and benchmark four time-based IDS in a dataset with real and advanced attacks. We found that methods with strong assumptions regarding the distribution of inter-arrival times have lower performance than distribution agnostic based methods. In particular, distribution agnostic based methods outperform distribution based methods at least on $55\%$ in area under the precision-recall (AUC-PR) curve. Our results expand the body of knowledge of CAN time-based IDS by providing details of these methods and reporting their results when tested on datasets with real and advanced attacks. We describe limitations, open challenges, and how lessons learnt from this research can inform the design of deployable time-based IDS in modern vehicles.

Blevins, Deborah↗
DOE OSTI2026

Firmware Tampering Detection in Heavy-Duty Vehicles through J1939 CAN Analysis

Modern heavy-duty vehicles rely on complex networks of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) that communicate using the J1939 protocol. While this system makes it easier to update and configure vehicle components, it also opens the door to serious cybersecurity risks if not properly secured. This work investigates the potential for firmware tampering through the J1939 communication protocol, which enables ECU configuration and reprogramming over the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus. By monitoring CAN traffic during legitimate maintenance operations and reverse-engineering OEM diagnostic software, we identified common and proprietary J1939 message identifiers, authentication patterns, and vulnerabilities within Unified Diagnostic Services (UDS). These findings demonstrate that inadequate authentication mechanisms can allow malicious actors to alter ECU firmware or disable safety functions, posing severe operational and safety risks. Our analysis contributes to the development of vehicle intrusion detection systems capable of recognizing abnormal reprogramming activity and future firmware fingerprinting methods to verify software integrity across ECUs. This work highlights the importance of standardizing secure firmware authentication across manufacturers to strengthen cyber resilience in heavy-duty vehicle systems.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Superconducting Radio Frequency Resonators for Quantum Computing: A Short Review

Superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) technology is being used not only in discovery science programs and basic research but also for several applications that benefit society more directly. The advantage of superconducting resonators over those made of normal-conducting metal is their ability to store electromagnetic energy with much lower dissipation. The high-quality factor and longer dissipation time provided by these superconducting resonators can deliver superior performance. Currently, the quantum processing architecture uses resonators and interconnecting circuits operating in the microwave regime with superconducting strip-line technology and low noise electronic devices for switching and communication. The performance of these devices can be enhanced by embedding them in 3D SRF cavity resonators to prolong the coherence time, which improves the utility of the device by reducing error rates and allowing more manipulations (calculations) before the quantum state decays. Here, we present a short review of current microwave technology used in quantum computers and progress towards the 3D resonators to enhance thecoherence time.

Dhakal, Pashupati↗
DOE OSTI2021

3D superconducting radio-frequency resonators for quantum computing

Superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) technology is being used not only in discovery science programs and basic research but also for several applications that benefit society more directly. The advantage of superconducting resonators over those made of normal-conducting metal is their ability to store electromagnetic energy with much lower dissipation. The high quality factor and longer dissipation time provided by these superconducting resonators can deliver superior performance. Currently, the quantum processing architecture uses resonators and interconnecting circuits operating in the microwave regime with superconducting strip-line technology and low noise electronic devices for switching and communication. The performance of these devices can be enhanced by embedding them in 3D SRF cavity resonators to prolong the coherence time, which improves the utility of the device by reducing error rates and allowing more manipulations (calculations) before the quantum state decays. In this presentation, I will review the current technology and progress towards the three dimensional SRF cavities to enhance the coherence time.

Dhakal, Pashupati↗
DOE OSTI2022

An overview of the operation architectures and energy management system for multiple microgrid clusters

The emerging novel energy infrastructures, such as energy communities, smart building-based microgrids, electric vehicles enabled mobile energy storage units raise the requirements for a more interconnective and interoperable energy system. It leads to a transition from simple and isolated microgrids to relatively large-scale and complex interconnected microgrid systems named multi-microgrid clusters. In order to efficiently, optimally, and flexibly control multi-microgrid clusters, cross-disciplinary technologies such as power electronics, control theory, optimization algorithms, information and communication technologies, cyber-physical, and big-data analysis are needed. This paper introduces an overview of the relevant aspects for multi-microgrids, including the outstanding features, architectures, typical applications, existing control mechanisms, as well as the challenges.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗