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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 OSTI2026

Cummins PEM Fuel Cell System for Heavy Duty Applications

The motivation for this project was to develop a high-pressure 100+ kW fuel cell stack that can be used in a modular fashion to power HD applications up to 1 MW. One of the issues that was identified during fuel cell system integration was the need for extra space for heat rejection systems(radiators) as well as additional fans and associated energy consumption to compensate for lower operating temperatures of fuel cells compared to internal combustion (IC) engines. To maximize the heat rejection capability of existing water-based coolant systems that are prevalent on IC engine-based systems, fuel cell stack design was developed to withstand and operate at IC engine coolant temperatures or higher, which in turn helps to reduce the radiator size requirement.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2021

Metal-Supported Ceria Electrolyte-based SOFC Stack for Scalable, Low-Cost, High-Efficiency and Robust Stationary Power Systems (Final Report)

This is the end of project report for the DOE Project DE-FE-0027844 “Metal-Supported Ceria Electrolyte-based SOFC Stack for Scalable, Low-Cost, High-Efficiency and Robust Stationary Power Systems”. The objectives of the project were to develop several technologies required for the mass adoption of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell systems for medium to large power generation applications. The key achievements of this project were: 1) Development of fuel cells with complete internal fuel reforming capability. 2) Fuel cell power scale up with production of cells with larger active areas. 3) Assembly of an integrated 5 kW modular stack platform capable of installation into medium to large power systems. 4) Demonstration of a 10 kW Fuel Cell Power System utilizing the integrated 5 kW modular stack platform. 5) Cost modelling to show system cost of $1,500/kW are achievable at production volumes. 6) Development of cathode air poison getters for reduced degradation and extended fuel cell life. 7) Assessment of fuel poison on anode degradation, particularly poisons frequently produced from the process of gasification of coal. The Cummins led Voice of Customer (VOC) work identified several significant markets for natural gas powered fuel cell systems, where the end customer is interested in reducing energy consumption and emissions, or increasing reliability of electrical supply. Data centers and truck Auxiliary Power Units (APU) were highlighted as 2 key future markets for fuel cell systems.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2016

Expanding the modular ester fermentative pathways for combinatorial biosynthesis of esters from volatile organic acids

ABSTRACT Volatile organic acids are byproducts of fermentative metabolism, for example, anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass or organic wastes, and are often times undesired inhibiting cell growth and reducing directed formation of the desired products. Here, we devised a general framework for upgrading these volatile organic acids to high‐value esters that can be used as flavors, fragrances, solvents, and biofuels. This framework employs the acid‐to‐ester modules, consisting of an AAT (alcohol acyltransferase) plus ACT (acyl CoA transferase) submodule and an alcohol submodule, for co‐fermentation of sugars and organic acids to acyl CoAs and alcohols to form a combinatorial library of esters. By assembling these modules with the engineered Escherichia coli modular chassis cell, we developed microbial manufacturing platforms to perform the following functions: (i) rapid in vivo screening of novel AATs for their catalytic activities; (ii) expanding combinatorial biosynthesis of unique fermentative esters; and (iii) upgrading volatile organic acids to esters using single or mixed cell cultures. To demonstrate this framework, we screened for a set of five unique and divergent AATs from multiple species, and were able to determine their novel activities as well as produce a library of 12 out of the 13 expected esters from co‐fermentation of sugars and (C2‐C6) volatile organic acids. We envision the developed framework to be valuable for in vivo characterization of a repertoire of not‐well‐characterized natural AATs, expanding the combinatorial biosynthesis of fermentative esters, and upgrading volatile organic acids to high‐value esters. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1764–1776. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Layton, Donovan S.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Robust Rapid Cellular Metabolite Sensing Using Benchtop NMR and SABRE-Hyperpolarized [1- 13 C]Pyruvate

Hyperpolarized NMR has emerged as a powerful analytical technique to significantly enhance targeted NMR signals, improving the sensitivity for investigations of unique chemical and biological dynamics. Here, we demonstrate the use of a hyperpolarization strategy based on Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange (SABRE) to generate highly reproducible doses of a hyperpolarized [1- 13 C]pyruvate probe for benchtop characterization of yeast metabolism. This method allows rapid, scalable, and benchtop preparation of biocompatible hyperpolarized solutions suitable for live-cell experiments. We show that this production can be dove-tailed into a modular, compact workflow to characterize real-time metabolism in cell cultures, using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Baker’s yeast) as a model organism. With high temporal resolution, we show that this method can resolve the conversion of hyperpolarized [1- 13 C]pyruvate into oxidative decarboxylation products CO 2 and bicarbonate. This conversion exhibits sustained and detectable metabolic activity for over 300 s after introduction of the agent to the cells. We model the metabolite kinetics to show decarboxylation activity and derive estimates of the pH over time from the CO 2 and bicarbonate (carbonic acid buffer system) equilibrium to probe changes in the cellular environment during active metabolism. These results highlight the utility of benchtop SABRE-hyperpolarized [1- 13 C]pyruvate as a scalable, specific probe for metabolic phenotyping of living cells using compact, low-cost instrumentation well-suited for future high-throughput applications across microbial engineering, drug response profiling, and dynamic metabolic screening.

fungi↗
DOE OSTI2024

Li-ion battery design through microstructural optimization using generative AI

Lithium-ion batteries are used across various applications, necessitating tailored cell designs to enhance performance. Optimizing electrode manufacturing parameters is a key route to achieving this, as these parameters directly influence the microstructure and performance of the cells. However, linking process parameters to performance is complex, and experimental or modeling campaigns are often slow and expensive. This study introduces a fast computational optimization framework for electrode manufacturing parameters. A generative model, trained on a small dataset of microstructural images associated with different manufacturing parameters, efficiently generates representative microstructures for new parameters. This model is integrated into a Bayesian optimization loop that includes microstructure generation, characterization, and simulation, aiming to find optimal manufacturing parameters for a particular application. Significant improvement in the energy density of a 4680 cell is achieved through bespoke cell design, highlighting the importance of cell-scale normalization. The framework’s modularity allows its application to various advanced materials manufacturing scenarios.

batteries↗
DOE OSTI2019

Structural and biochemical studies of an NB-ARC domain from a plant NLR immune receptor

Plant NLRs are modular immune receptors that trigger rapid cell death in response to attempted infection by pathogens. A highly conserved nucleotide-binding domain shared with A PAF-1, various R -proteins and C ED-4 (NB-ARC domain) is proposed to act as a molecular switch, cycling between ADP (repressed) and ATP (active) bound forms. Studies of plant NLR NB-ARC domains have revealed functional similarities to mammalian homologues, and provided insight into potential mechanisms of regulation. However, further advances have been limited by difficulties in obtaining sufficient yields of protein suitable for structural and biochemical techniques. From protein expression screens in Escherichia coli and Sf9 insect cells, we defined suitable conditions to produce the NB-ARC domain from the tomato NLR NRC1. Biophysical analyses of this domain showed it is a folded, soluble protein. Structural studies revealed the NRC1 NB-ARC domain had co-purified with ADP, and confirmed predicted structural similarities between plant NLR NB-ARC domains and their mammalian homologues.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Conceptual Silicon Beta Cell Design

Silicon detectors have the potential to significantly improve the sensitivity limits for radioxenon detection. While silicon has beneficial attributes like improved energy resolution and memory effect, the sensitivity improvements will not occur without a properly designed beta cell that utilizes silicon detectors. This report details the key parameters that have been incorporated into the design of a silicon beta cell. Parameters that have the potential to change as a prototype silicon beta cell is developed and during the future commercialization process are also discussed. The design of the silicon beta cell has focused primarily on simulations and analytical models to optimize the mechanical properties. Additionally, a team of experts provided guidance and potential alternatives for the silicon detectors and electronics fabrication. A conceptual design for a silicon beta cell was completed, with an emphasis on the modularity of the system. The modularity allows for any potential changes that may be of interest during the prototyping phase or future spiral development to be implemented with minimal impact on the complete system. The impact of the silicon based beta cell is discussed in the conclusions, along with potential next steps. Mechanical design drawings for the beta cell could be used to manufacture a prototype beta cell and are available in an appendix document.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

A New Configuration of Paralleled Modular ANPC Multilevel Converter Controlled by an Improved Modulation Method for 1 MHz, 1 MW EV Charger

In this work, a new configuration of the modular multilevel converter (MLC) based on the parallel connection of three-level active-neutral-point-clamped (3L-ANPC) cells as well as its improved modulation method is proposed for 1 MHz, 1 MW electric vehicle (EV) megacharger. In the proposed paralleled modular ANPC-MLC, only six high-frequency silicon carbide (SiC) power switches operating at 333 kHz are required to generate 1 MHz switching frequency spectrum. Moreover, the operating voltage of all power devices is halved, the magnitude of the first switching frequency harmonic cluster is decreased by the factor of five, and the load current is equally distributed between the 3L-ANPC legs by employing the proposed improved modulation method. Hence, the modularity, efficiency, and power density of the proposed converter are notably increased, whereas the value of passive components and the overall switching loss are remarkably decreased. In addition, an optimized design of the one 3L-ANPC cell of the proposed paralleled modular ANPC-MLC for 1 MHz, 1MW EV megacharger using Ansys SIwave, Icepak, and Q3D finite element method platforms is presented and analyzed in detail. The provided experimental results of the down-scaled setup verify the feasibility and viability of the proposed configuration as well as its improved switching pattern.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2015

The Industrial Experience Feedback and R and D Ensure the Longevity of French Vitrification Facilities - 15503

The French vitrification of High Level Liquid Waste (HLLW) developed since the beginning of the 1960's led to the successive completion of four industrial vitrification facilities: PIVER facility (1969), Marcoule vitrification facility (1978), and R7 (1989) and T7 (1992) vitrification facilities on La Hague site. R and D has involved containment glass formulation and characterization of glass properties, development of modular technologies specifically tailored to be operated in shielded cells, and development of the vitrification process on full scale prototype. Industrial support has then provided by the R and D team during all phases of commissioning and operation of these industrial facilities. The initial choices of industrial facility design, as well as technologies to enhance flexibility and modularity, allowed an evolution of the vitrification process over time. Maintaining the R and D capabilities on containment glass, process and technology development at full scale size is essential to anticipate treatment of the new effluent and propose innovative industrial technologies. Fueling R and D with industrial feedback ensured the longevity of industrial vitrification facilities and development capabilities for future projects. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Design of a Multi-Chemistry Battery Pack System for Behind-the-Meter Storage Applications

Battery management systems (BMS) are essential for a battery pack's safe operation and longevity. This paper presents an active balancing method-based BMS for different cell chemistry structures to be used in behind-the-meter storage (BTMS) applications. The proposed system utilizes modular isolated dual active bridge (DAB) DC/DC converters to actively balance the battery pack through a low voltage (LV) bus. A supervisory controller monitors all the cell voltage, current, and state of charge (SOC) values. Based on the estimation of the SOCs, reference currents for the DAB converters are generated by the supervisory controller. Detailed modeling and the control approach of the modular DAB converters are presented in the paper. Moreover, the control strategy of the supervisory control is also analyzed. The proposed method and structure can be extended to any combination of the number of cells to design the battery pack. Simulation results are provided for a system consisting of three cells in parallel to form a cell block and three cell blocks in series to form the battery module. Experimental results are provided for three modular DAB converters operating with a LiFeMnPO4 prismatic cell with 3.2V, 20Ah rated values.

battery management systems↗
DOE OSTI2016

Bypassing the Pentose Phosphate Pathway: Towards Modular Utilization of Xylose

The efficient use of hemicellulose in the plant cell wall is critical for the economic conversion of plant biomass to renewable fuels and chemicals. Previously, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been engineered to convert the hemicellulose-derived pentose sugars xylose and arabinose to D-xylulose-5-phosphate for conversion via the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). However, efficient pentose utilization requires PPP optimization and may interfere with its roles in NADPH and pentose production. Here, we developed an alternative xylose utilization pathway that largely bypasses the PPP. In the new pathway, D-xylulose is converted to D-xylulose-1-phosphate, a novel metabolite to S. cerevisiae, which is then cleaved to glycolaldehyde and dihydroxyacetone phosphate. This synthetic pathway served as a platform for the biosynthesis of ethanol and ethylene glycol. The use of D-xylulose-1-phosphate as an entry point for xylose metabolism opens the way for optimizing chemical conversion of pentose sugars in S. cerevisiae in a modular fashion.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Laboratory Impacts 2017

The laboratory impacts at Idaho National Lab consist of neutron radiography reactor doubles throughput; electric vehicle wireless charging; assessing chemical weapons in Panama; hot cell window replacement; developing better batteries and other impacts.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2017

LaserSnake2: An Innovative Approach to Nuclear Decommissioning - 17080

Nuclear decommissioning challenges exist the world over and require innovative approaches to ensure safe and cost effective dismantling of high hazard nuclear facilities. LaserSnake technology makes use of the flexibility and dexterity of snake arm robots to deploy high-powered laser cutting, lifting and manipulation tools. This paper describes the development and use of the system to achieve the successful size reduction and removal of a substantial stainless steel vessel within the First Generation Reprocessing Plant (FGRP) at Sellafield in the UK. Due to the environment, nuclear decommissioning is an extremely challenging activity. High ambient radiation levels often preclude entry to the areas involved, and as industry tries to minimise dose uptake, even moderate radiation levels now require remote solutions. 'In-situ' size reduction of process plant, including vessels and pipework, will allow the removal of the nuclear inventory from a building prior to further decontamination and demolition. The term 'in situ' is in this case used to mean work done on plant items within their existing cells as opposed to moving items from their original location to a dedicated size reduction facility. Traditional size reduction cutting methods, such as reciprocating saws or grinders, pose a significant challenge for remote deployment platforms. This includes the loss of haptic feedback and the length of time taken to perform the task, and difficulty dealing with the reaction forces. Although remote engineered solutions for these tools are possible, they are are typically complicated, unreliable and expensive. Robot deployed laser cutting is widely used in non-nuclear industrial sectors, and offers a simpler method for size reduction. LaserSnake2 is a UK collaborative project, co-funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Innovate UK and the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The project combined the skills of robotic experts and laser and optic specialists, to develop a remote handling technology suited for deployment within active nuclear environments. As well as meeting strict safety case requirements, the system provides a safe and cost effective method for decommissioning of complex nuclear spaces. An overview of the system development and deployment is presented in this paper. In July 2016, a successful decommissioning campaign was conducted in the FGRP at Sellafield. The LaserSnake2 system was used to size reduce a double-skinned dissolver vessel within a radiologically active nuclear cell. Planning of the size reduction method and processes, as well as results of the campaign itself are described in this paper. The containment procedures and radiological considerations for the system are presented along with the effects of operations on the cell and ventilation systems. LaserSnake, developed as a modular arm system with up to 4.5 m of articulation, carries an integrated tool comprising a high power, decommissioning specific, laser cutting head, high definition cameras and high powered illumination LEDs. It is designed for precise dismantling work within confined and hazardous environments. The tool can be interchanged, allowing the snake-arm robot also to carry grippers, environmental mapping sensors and other tools which may prove advantageous during a decommissioning campaign. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2019

Process Intensification for Electrochemical Utilization of CO 2

The conversion of CO 2 to value-added products is an attractive approach for reducing the cost of CO 2 capture. Formic acid (FA) is a multipurpose industrial chemical feedstock for formic acid fuel cells, additives in the textile and agricultural sectors, cleaning products, and corrosion inhibitors. FA can be produced directly from CO 2 via a two-electron process facilitated with DC electricity supplied via renewable/intermittent power sources [1]. The state-of-the-art method for industrial FA production is the Kemira process, which uses methanol, sodium methoxide, and CO to produce methyl formate that is subsequently hydrolyzed to formic acid. Conversely, an electrochemical approach reduces the number of chemical input for FA production, but conventional electrochemical processes for CO 2 reduction to FA continue to suffer from selectivity issues where the electrocatalyst produces a wide range of products. These competing products include FA, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methanol, and methane that reduce faradaic efficiency by up to 50% [2]. The CAER-Andora process features an enzymatic catalyst with high selectivity for FA production with turn-over-frequency >85 s-1. The CAER-Andora process combines an electrochemical cell that features graphite electrodes and an electrochemically facile charge mediator, combined with an immobilized proprietary catalyst inside a FA production cell. These processes work together to 1) reduce faradaic inefficiencies by producing only FA, 2) protect the valuable catalyst from deactivation by overpotentials, and 3) provide a modular system configuration that facilitates independent optimization of the electrochemical and production cells. Operating at <3 V, the CAER-Andora process currently produces ~1 mM FA/hour with >90% CO2 to FA conversion in the production cell, and progress towards the intensification of the CO 2 utilization process will be discussed.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2019

DE-FE0031180 Final Report - LGFCS Prototype System Testing - R0

In the project, LGFCS assembled and tested its modular SOFC Power System that incorporates all critical technology improvements identified for its “product-like” demonstration. This product demonstrator is expected to meet customer and LGFCS performance expectations for operation, availability, durability and serviceability. The principal technology improvements are aimed at increasing the fuel cell power output and reducing the stack degradation rate. Improvements were also made for added system robustness and increased reliability. The objective of this program is to test a 250kWe thermally self-sustaining modular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) Power System for a minimum of 5,000 hours while advancing this commercial prototype product demonstrator to a Technical Readiness Level (TRL) 7. The SOFC system was tested on a site provided by Stark State College in North Canton, Ohio. System performance and degradation as well as cost estimates were compared to established SOFC Program performance metrics to assess progress. The major achievements were to assemble, and QA qualify 70 fuel cell strips for 12 integrated blocks into a fuel cell vessel and install it into a generator module with the fuel and power electronics modules on the test site. Performance to date included over 1800 hours on load at 250 KW-AC to the grid with a DC efficiency of 61% and AC efficiency of 55%. Power degradation was less than 0.4% per 1000 hours and NOx emissions met standards. The LGFCS SOFC Prototype System (GEN0) was demonstrated in an operational environment and therefore achieving Technical Readiness Level 7. The work presented here represents the efforts of all the employees of LG Fuel Cell Systems. Their dedication and hard work made GEN0 possible and successful.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2019

LGFCS Prototype System Testing (Final Report)

In the project, LGFCS assembled and tested its modular SOFC Power System that incorporates all critical technology improvements identified for its “product-like” demonstration. This product demonstrator is expected to meet customer and LGFCS performance expectations for operation, availability, durability and serviceability. The principal technology improvements are aimed at increasing the fuel cell power output and reducing the stack degradation rate. Improvements were also made for added system robustness and increased reliability. The objective of this program is to test a 250kWe thermally self-sustaining modular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) Power System for a minimum of 5,000 hours while advancing this commercial prototype product demonstrator to a Technical Readiness Level (TRL) 7. The SOFC system was tested on a site provided by Stark State College in North Canton, Ohio. System performance and degradation as well as cost estimates were compared to established SOFC Program performance metrics to assess progress. The major achievements were to assemble, and QA qualify 70 fuel cell strips for 12 integrated blocks into a fuel cell vessel and install it into a generator module with the fuel and power electronics modules on the test site. Performance to date included over 1800 hours on load at 250 KWAC to the grid with a DC efficiency of 61% and AC efficiency of 55%. Power degradation was less than 0.4% per 1000 hours and NOx emissions met standards. The LGFCS SOFC Prototype System (GEN0) was demonstrated in an operational environment and therefore achieving Technical Readiness Level 7. The work presented here represents the efforts of all the employees of LG Fuel Cell Systems. Their dedication and hard work made GEN0 possible and successful.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2018

ISD3: a particokinetic model for predicting the combined effects of particle sedimentation, diffusion and dissolution on cellular dosimetry for in vitro systems

The development of particokinetic models describing the delivery of insoluble or poorly soluble nanoparticles to cells in liquid cell culture systems has improved the basis for dose-response analysis, hazard ranking from high-throughput systems, and now allows for translation of exposures across in vitro and in vivo test systems. Complimentary particokinetic models that address processes controlling delivery of both particles and released ions to cells, and the influence of particle size changes from dissolution on particle delivery for cell-culture systems would help advance our understanding of the role of particles ion dosimetry on cellular toxicology. We developed ISD 3 , an extension of our previously published model for insoluble particles, by deriving a specific formulation of the Population Balance Equation for soluble particles. ISD3 describes the time, concentration and particle size dependent dissolution of particles, their delivery to cells, and the delivery and uptake of ions to cells in in vitro liquid test systems. The model is modular, and can be adapted by application of any empirical model of dissolution, alternative approaches to calculating sedimentation rates, and cellular uptake or treatment of boundary conditions. We apply the model to calculate the particle and ion dosimetry of nanosilver and silver ions in vitro after calibration of two empirical models, one for particle dissolution and one for ion uptake. The results demonstrate utility and accuracy of the ISD 3 framework for dosimetry in these systems. Total media ion concentration, particle concentration and total cell-associated silver time-courses were well described by the model, across 2 concentrations of 20 and 110 nm particles. ISD 3 was calibrated to dissolution data for 20 nm particles as a function of serum protein concentration, but successfully described the media and cell dosimetry time-course for both particles at all concentrations and time points. We also report the finding that protein content in media has effects both on the initial rate of dissolution and the resulting near-steady state ion concentration in solution.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Flexible Nuclear-Based Integrated Energy System

Presentation on a conceptual study of combining a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) with a solid oxide fuel cell, solid oxide electrolysis cell, and a gas turbine as an integrated energy system with high operational flexibility and rapid load following. Virtually presented at the MILLENNIUM CLEAN and SUSTAINABLE POWER workshop 2025, University of Genoa, Italy.

flexibility↗