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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 OSTI2025

A product data network to enable faster, easier, and better planning of building envelopes

The building envelopes contributes significantly to the energy-efficiency of the building. Building performance simulation has made it possible to compare façade technologies regarding energy demand, daylighting, thermal and visual comfort in detail. Planners, such as architects and engineers, need experience to find product data with the right quality and level of detail, and to process the data to fit the calculation and the application. In the available time, planners can compare only a limited number of products, which means that better solutions could go unnoticed. This paper presents a new concept for making product data easily accessible for building façade planning. The concept consists of a network of databases for the efficient exchange and use of optical and calorimetric data of glazing units, shading devices, and combinations of both. The paper presents the research questions, an analysis of the current challenges, six design goals for the product data network and its implementation together with a discussion. Many product data sources can be connected to many planning software applications via the specified application programming interface. When planning software connects to the product data network, the planning of building envelopes can be much faster because planners do not need to spend so much time to search and process product data manually. The planning of building envelopes can also become much easier, especially for planners with limited experience. They do not need to understand all the details about which data fits which calculation if the software company implements this. The planning of building envelopes can become much more reliable when software companies validate their use of the product data network, because the current manual process is prone to errors. The planning of building envelopes can also improve because more products can be compared in the available time, allowing better solutions to be found.

Maurer, Christoph↗
DOE OSTI2026

Nonenergy Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS): Assessing Durability of Nongaseous Carbon Products Across Terrestrial Storage Fates

Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage, or BiCRS, pathways use plants or algae that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store it underground or in long-lived products. While some BiCRS approaches generate an energy product, all BiCRS approaches generate a carbon product. A new subset of BiCRS approaches focus on the storage of these raw or converted carbon products for generation of carbon credits. However, the durability of these approaches is highly variable as carbon products vary widely in their “form” and the conditions of their “fate.” We organize our thinking about carbon products and their durability around these two primary axes. The durability of carbon product “forms” is mediated by chemical recalcitrance and ranges substantially across agricultural residues, municipal solid waste, woody biomass, and nongaseous products of thermochemical conversion (e.g., biochars and bio-oils). Meanwhile, terrestrial storage “fates” vary in the mechanism employed to stall decay, including surface storage, dry storage, shallow anoxic storage, and deep or geologic anoxic storage (or injection). Each mechanism has different implications for suitability with different feedstock forms as well as long-term risks. We present a framework for assessing durability of solid or liquid raw and conversion carbon products under terrestrial storage fates, highlighting knowns, unknowns, and research priorities moving forward.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Induced seismicity and geothermal energy production in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field, California

We analyze the relationship between geothermal energy production and seismic hazards in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field (SSGF) between 1972 and 2022. A clear increase in seismic activity accompanies geothermal energy production and is greatest to the east of the Brawley fault, where the amount of injection exceeds the amount of production. We estimate that, whereas there was a 2% chance of a M6.07 earthquake nucleating inside the SSGF within a fifty-year period prior to energy production (pre-production), there is an equal probability that a M6.70 earthquake nucleates there in a fifty-year period during which historically average energy production conditions persist (syn-production). Similarly, we estimate a 2% chance of a M7.15 and M6.92 occurring in the broader Brawley Seismic Zone (excluding the SSGF) within a fifty-year period during the pre- and syn-production eras, respectively. We find that linear regression models fail to reliably forecast the background seismicity rate as a function of fluid production and injection.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Life-cycle analysis of lithium chemical production in the United States

To achieve its ambitious national decarbonization goals, the United States has incentivized the domestic production of materials critical to decarbonization technologies, including lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). These materials include battery-grade lithium chemicals (Li-chemicals), for which the U.S. is encouraging domestic production from resources (sedimentary clays and low Li-content brines (LLCBs)) that differ substantially from conventional sources (Salar brines and spodumene ores). Here, we conduct the first-ever comparative life-cycle analysis of Li-chemical production from all alternative resources (in the U.S.) and conventional sources based on data from company literature for U.S.-related production efforts. Two energy sources (electricity and natural gas), four material inputs (HCl, NaOH, Na 2 CO 3 , and CaO), and process carbon emissions dominate the life-cycle impacts (≥90% share) of U.S.-based Li-chemical production. Comparatively, the life-cycle impacts of alternative sources-based Li-chemicals lie between those for Li-chemical production from Salar brines and from spodumene ores. At the battery level, the shift in Li-chemical sourcing causes a notable change in LIB's life-cycle impacts (by ~5–15%), independent of the cathode chemistry employed. Our study highlights the relevance of a decarbonized electric grid and the capture and sequestration of process carbon emissions generated during Li-chemical and upstream material production in decarbonizing Li-chemical production from alternative sources. Further decarbonization would necessitate using decarbonized material inputs and a shift away from natural gas towards renewable energy for alternative resource-based Li-chemical production processes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Production of neutron-rich heavy nuclei in deep-inelastic 208 Pb + 208 Pb collisions within the stochastic mean-field theory

In deep-inelastic collisions of heavy nuclei, reaction products with a wide range of mass and charge are produced. Such collisions been considered as a possible way to produce superheavy nuclei, as an alternative to fusion reactions. To provide reliable theoretical predictions, it is desired to develop microscopic approaches that correctly and accurately describe nucleon transfer processes in dissipative collisions of heavy nuclei. The purpose of the present work is (1) to investigate the mechanism of nucleon transfers in dissipative collisions of two heavy nuclei, and (2) to explore possible pathways to produce neutron-rich heavy nuclei, through detailed theoretical analyses of fluctuations and correlations in nucleon transfers in 208 Pb + 208 Pb reactions. Three-dimensional time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) calculations are performed for the collisions of 208 Pb + 208 Pb at 𝐸 c.m. = 832, 936, and 1040 MeV, using the Skyrme SLy4d energy density functional. To calculate fluctuations and correlations in nucleon transfers, we employ the stochastic mean-field (SMF) theory, and the results are compared with another theoretical framework currently available, the time-dependent random phase approximation (TDRPA). Primary and secondary production cross sections are calculated with the SMF theory combined with a statistical model, GEMINI ++ . Using information of nucleon flow across a neck of colliding nuclei in TDHF calculations, we solve quantal diffusion equations for fluctuations and correlations in nucleon transfers based on the SMF theory. From the SMF calculations, we obtain the time evolution of diffusion coefficients as well as fluctuations and correlations in nucleon transfers for a range of initial orbital angular momenta. We compare the results of the SMF calculations with those of TDRPA, showing that TDRPA tends to predict substantially larger fluctuations and correlations in strongly damped collisions of heavy nuclei, which exhibit complex initial angular momentum dependence, while the SMF results provide almost constant (stable) values. Using the obtained fluctuations and correlations, we calculate primary and secondary production cross sections for the 208 Pb + 208 Pb collisions. From the results, we find that both lighter and heavier reaction products as compared to 208 Pb are produced for a wide region in the 𝑁−𝑍 plane as primary products, thanks to the quantal diffusion mechanism in the dissipative collisions. However, we show that cross sections for production of heavy nuclei with 𝑍 ≳ 90 or 𝑁 ≳ 135 are washed out due to secondary particle evaporation and/or fission processes. On the other hand, we find that there remain sizable cross sections for production of neutron-rich nuclei along 𝑁 = 126 with 𝑍< 82, even after secondary disintegration processes. We demonstrate that the secondary production cross sections depend weakly on incident energies, but lower (higher) energy is slightly preferred for production of nuclei with smaller (larger) atomic numbers as compared to 𝑍 = 82. Here, based on the microscopic SMF calculations, it has been shown that deep-inelastic collisions of heavy nuclei, such as 208 Pb + 208 Pb examined in this study, can be a promising means to produce neutron-rich heavy nuclei along 𝑁=126. Discrepancies between the SMF and TDRPA approaches are left unsolved for future investigations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

The phototrophic purple non‐sulfur bacteria Rhodomicrobium spp. are novel chassis for bioplastic production

Abstract Petroleum‐based plastics levy significant environmental and economic costs that can be alleviated with sustainably sourced, biodegradable, and bio‐based polymers such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). However, industrial‐scale production of PHAs faces barriers stemming from insufficient product yields and high costs. To address these challenges, we must look beyond the current suite of microbes for PHA production and investigate non‐model organisms with versatile metabolisms. In that vein, we assessed PHA production by the photosynthetic purple non‐sulfur bacteria (PNSB) Rhodomicrobium vannielii and Rhodomicrobium udaipurense. We show that both species accumulate PHA across photo‐heterotrophic, photo‐hydrogenotrophic, photo‐ferrotrophic, and photo‐electrotrophic growth conditions, with either ammonium chloride (NH 4 Cl) or dinitrogen gas (N 2 ) as nitrogen sources. Our data indicate that nitrogen source plays a significant role in dictating PHA synthesis, with N 2 fixation promoting PHA production during photoheterotrophy and photoelectrotrophy but inhibiting production during photohydrogenotrophy and photoferrotrophy. We observed the highest PHA titres (up to 44.08 mg/L, or 43.61% cell dry weight) when cells were grown photoheterotrophically on sodium butyrate with N 2 , while production was at its lowest during photoelectrotrophy (as low as 0.04 mg/L, or 0.16% cell dry weight). We also find that photohydrogenotrophically grown cells supplemented with NH 4 Cl exhibit the highest electron yields – up to 58.89% – while photoheterotrophy demonstrated the lowest (0.27%–1.39%). Finally, we highlight superior electron conversion and PHA production compared to a related PNSB, Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE‐1. This study illustrates the value of studying non‐model organisms like Rhodomicrobium for sustainable PHA production and indicates future directions for exploring PNSB metabolisms.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Overexpression of RuBisCO form I and II genes in Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1 augments polyhydroxyalkanoate production heterotrophically and autotrophically

ABSTRACT With the rising demand for sustainable renewable resources, microorganisms capable of producing bioproducts such as bioplastics are attractive. While many bioproduction systems are well-studied in model organisms, investigating non-model organisms is essential to expand the field and utilize metabolically versatile strains. This investigation centers on Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1, a purple non-sulfur bacterium capable of producing bioplastics. To increase bioplastic production, genes encoding the putative regulatory protein PhaR and the depolymerase PhaZ of the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biosynthesis pathway were deleted. Genes associated with pathways that might compete with PHA production, specifically those linked to glycogen production and nitrogen fixation, were deleted. Additionally, RuBisCO form I and II genes were integrated into TIE-1’s genome by a phage integration system, developed in this study. Our results show that deletion of phaR increases PHA production when TIE-1 is grown photoheterotrophically with butyrate and ammonium chloride (NH 4 Cl). Mutants unable to produce glycogen or fix nitrogen show increased PHA production under photoautotrophic growth with hydrogen and NH 4 Cl. The most significant increase in PHA production was observed when RuBisCO form I and form I & II genes were overexpressed, five times under photoheterotrophy with butyrate, two times with hydrogen and NH 4 Cl, and two times under photoelectrotrophic growth with N 2 . In summary, inserting copies of RuBisCO genes into the TIE-1 genome is a more effective strategy than deleting competing pathways to increase PHA production in TIE-1. The successful use of the phage integration system opens numerous opportunities for synthetic biology in TIE-1. IMPORTANCE Our planet has been burdened by pollution resulting from the extensive use of petroleum-derived plastics for the last few decades. Since the discovery of biodegradable plastic alternatives, concerted efforts have been made to enhance their bioproduction. The versatile microorganism Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1 (TIE-1) stands out as a promising candidate for bioplastic synthesis, owing to its ability to use multiple electron sources, fix the greenhouse gas CO 2 , and use light as an energy source. Two categories of strains were meticulously designed from the TIE-1 wild-type to augment the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), one such bioplastic produced. The first group includes mutants carrying a deletion of the phaR or phaZ genes in the PHA pathway, and those lacking potential competitive carbon and energy sinks to the PHA pathway (namely, glycogen biosynthesis and nitrogen fixation). The second group comprises TIE-1 strains that overexpress RuBisCO form I or form I & II genes inserted via a phage integration system. By studying numerous metabolic mutants and overexpression strains, we conclude that genetic modifications in the environmental microbe TIE-1 can improve PHA production. When combined with other approaches (such as reactor design, use of microbial consortia, and different feedstocks), genetic and metabolic manipulations of purple nonsulfur bacteria like TIE-1 are essential for replacing petroleum-derived plastics with biodegradable plastics like PHA.

Ranaivoarisoa, Tahina Onina↗
DOE OSTI2024

Algal Biomass Production via Open Pond Algae Farm Cultivation: 2023 State of Technology and Future Research

The annual State of Technology (SOT) assessment is an essential activity for platform research conducted under the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO). It allows for the impact of research progress (both directly achieved in-house at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory [NREL] and furnished by partner organizations) to be quantified in terms of economic improvements in the overall biofuel production process for a particular biomass processing pathway, whether based on terrestrial or algal biomass feedstocks. As such, initial benchmarks can be established for currently demonstrated performance, and progress can be tracked toward out-year goals to ultimately demonstrate economically viable biofuel technologies. NREL's algae SOT benchmarking efforts historically focused both on front-end algal biomass production and separately on back-end conversion to fuels through NREL's "combined algae processing" (CAP) pathway. The production model is based on outdoor long-term cultivation data, enabled by comprehensive algal biomass production trials conducted under the Development of Integrated Screening, Cultivar Optimization, and Verification Research (DISCOVR) consortium efforts, driven by data furnished by Arizona State University (ASU) at the Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation (AzCATI) testbed site. The CAP model is based on experimental efforts conducted primarily under NREL research and development projects. This report focuses on front-end algal biomass production, documenting the pertinent algal biomass cultivation parameters that were input to the NREL open pond algae farm model. Through partnerships under DISCOVR, collaborators at ASU furnished details on cultivation performance metrics including biomass productivity and harvest densities for recent growth trials done at the AzCATI site. The resulting biomass productivity was calculated at 16.7 g/m 2 /day (ash-free dry weight [AFDW], annual average) for seasonal cultivation of Picochlorum celeri TG2 and Monoraphidium minutum 26B-AM biomass strains at the ASU site. Picochlorum celeri achieved the best productivity from April to September, with Monoraphidium minutum 26B-AM being used between October and March. Tetraselmis striata LANL1001, usually part of the strain rotation in previous cultivation SOTs, was supplanted by Monoraphidium minutum 26B-AM in this year's outdoor cultivation trials. Finally, building from an industry case study presented in the 2022 SOT report, in the Appendix of this report we provide an update on further improved data furnished by an industry collaborator and resultant impacts on economics reflecting several seasonal scenarios. This case study provides a supplementary datapoint on work being performed elsewhere with a more dedicated focus on improved compositional quality, producing biomass enriched in lipids as may be more optimal for conversion upgrading to fuels and products.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Domestication of Algae for Increasing Biomass Productivity

Microalgae cultivation processes have been developed for the production of a variety of bioproducts, however currently only a few species are used in commercial applications. Their domestication, that is strain improvements, is still in its infancy, with major advances required, specifically to maximize biomass productivity a limiting factor in microalgae production. This requires a deep understanding of algal biology, in particular to develop superior strains without the need of genetic technologies that would require lengthy regulatory permits, and often limit consumer acceptance. Adaptive Laboratory Evolution techniques, alone or in conjunction with sexual recombination, can allow for rapid develop of improved strains and their industrial production. Light harvesting antenna reduction has been a major approach to achieve increased photon utilization efficiency by cultures operating under full sunlight conditions due to higher light saturation levels, allowing for higher productivities under outdoor conditions. Decades of research yielded some promising results under controlled conditions with a few specific mutant strains. However, these failed to achieve the anticipated higher productivities in actual algal mass cultures, in part due to the inability of single mutations to overcome photoinhibition, reactive oxygen species, and other pleiotropic impacts on the complex metabolic processes of photosynthesis. Higher productivity strains will require multiple genetic improvements. We report on recent Adaptive Laboratory Evolution with the green alga Scenedesmus obliquus resulting in higher biomass productivity in open pond cultivation. Coupling our approach with sexual recombination and genome sequencing provides a path to algal domestication suitable for large-scale, low-cost biomass production.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Achieving Unprecedented CO 2 Utilization InCO 2 Concrete™: System Design, Product Development and Process Demonstration

Anthropogenic sources of carbon dioxide are generated from a number of sources, but the key among these are ordinary Portland cement (OPC) production and combustion of fossil fuels. Cement production is the largest global CO 2 source from the mineral decomposition of carbonates. This is due to the clinkering process whereby limestone (mainly consisting of CaCO 3 ) is decomposed into CaO and CO 2 , and combined with silica rich clays at high temperatures to form clinkers (i.e. the four key minerals that comprise cement). The high temperature range of 1400 – 1550°C required for this process accounts for up to 60% of the generated CO 2 from cement production. Combination of the limestone decomposition and thermal requirements of the clinkering process causes cement production to contribute 8-9% of annual global CO 2 emissions. Combustion of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) was shown to contribute a much larger portion of global CO 2 emissions. As of 2018, combustion of fossil fuels accounted for 65% of global CO 2 , where 41% was derived from stationary sources for electricity and heat generation and the other 24% was related to transport. To reduce these contributions, key steps forward in CO 2 utilization technologies are required. Therefore, a CO 2 mineralization technology (CO 2 mineralization concrete) to reduce the OPC content in concrete, while utilizing flue gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion has been developed to address both areas simultaneously. This Reversa™ technology utilizes low-carbon cementation agents produced by in situ CO 2 mineralization (“mineral carbonation reactions”) to offer a promising alternative to OPC. CO 2 mineralization relies upon the reaction of dissolved CO 2 with inorganic alkaline reactants to precipitate mineral carbonates (e.g., CaCO 3 ), which bind proximate particles and achieve cementation. Herein, a concrete green body, which is composed of a mixture of binder, water, and mineral aggregates, is exposed to CO 2 borne in industrial flue gas streams. This manner of CO 2 mineralization allows the production of construction components that feature equivalent engineering attributes as their OPC-based counterparts while featuring a much smaller embodied carbon intensity (eCI). The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the feasibility of the Reversa process evolving from a TRL-3 technology at the bench-scale up to TRL-6 technology at the pilot-scale. The reliability of the Reversa technology was tested to prove the effective production of three standard industrial concrete products selected during the course of the project. The results detailed herein will demonstrate the evolution of this technology to the industrial scale. The culmination of this work resulted in 9 production runs completed at the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC), Wilsonville, AL, using natural gas (NG) flue gas as the CO 2 source. Over the course of the production runs at NCCC, the CO 2 utilization as a function of time, 24-h CO 2 uptake, electricity usage, and 28-d net area compressive strength recorded for each run. Collection of this data will be used to determine the success of the demonstration goals: (1) achieving in excess of 0.2gCO 2 /g reactant , (2) achieving greater than 50% reduction in global warming potential compared to standard produced units, and (3) ensuring compliance of carbonated concrete with industry standard specifications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Baseline Hypothetical Facility for the Production of 131 I and 99 Mo using Activation Targets

This report describes a hypothetical facility for production of medical radioisotopes via activation under the Proliferation Resistance and Optimization (PRO-X) program. The facility uses neutron activation of non-special nuclear material (SNM) to produce the medical isotopes 131 I and 99 Mo at a throughput of 60 Ci/week of 131 I and 5 Ci/week of 99 Mo. The hypothetical design was carried out using a 10 MWt research reactor. The precursors used for the activation process were TeO2 for 131 I and MoO 3 for 99 Mo. The processes are performed in 3 hot cells used for target receipt, extraction, purification low specific activity (LSA) generator introduction, and packaging. A fourth hotcell is used for waste processing. The hot cell processing area takes up a footprint of 15.4 m 2 with the total footprint of the facility, including space for administrative offices, non-rad labs, quality assurance, and radiation buffer areas set at 763 m 2 . Waste is produced at a weekly rate of 257.8 g low activity solid waste and 8032.7 mL of low activity liquid waste, 8032 mL of which is water. This baseline hypothetical facility for production of medical isotopes via activation was then compared and contrasted to the hypothetical facility for production of medical isotopes via fission products to show the differences in approach for the two production modes. The two production modes had several highlighted differences including the overall facility and hot cell layout, the type and amount of waste produced by the respective facilities, and economic factors impacting production mode. Finally, a decision tree for which production mode might be more beneficial for an entrant into medical isotope production was developed based on the differences examined and the desired output of medical isotopes desired by the entrant.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

Measurement of the Pion Exclusive Electro-Production Cross-Section in the E12-19-006 Experiment in Hall-C at Jefferson Lab

One of the most effective methods for exploring the transition from hadronic degrees of freedom to quark-gluon degrees of freedom in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) is through the investigation of \exclusive" pion and kaon electro-production reactions at various Q2 and ?t values. The E12-19-006 experiment is conducted within the confi?nes of experimental Hall C at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, USA, for such studies. The primary aim of the experiment is to ?first enhance our comprehension of the pion electro-production cross-section and its form factor at Q2 = 0.38 and 0.42 GeV2. This is the fi?rst run period of the E12-19-006 experiment which ran in summer 2019. A more profound understanding of the pion electro-production reaction, 1H(e,e'?+)n, at low Q2 is deemed essential to employ this electro-production reaction (an indirect technique) for the high Q2 studies, thereby delving deeper into the realm of QCD. Consequently, this dissertation presents a thorough analysis of the experimental data acquired in the ?first run period of the E12-19-006 experiment. In pursuit of precision, a series of systematic studies (target boiling correction study, the elastic reaction cross-section measurements, study for determining vari- ous kinematics o?sets, etc.) are conducted to discern the accuracy of the analyzed data, a prerequisite for the use of Rosenbluth separation technique to separate the pion electro-production cross-section terms in t bins. The separated pion electro-production cross-section through the Rosenbluth separation technique is then used to extract the pion electromagnetic form factor. In this dissertation, the pion electro-production cross-section is carefully dissected into its four constituent components: longitudinal (?L), transverse (?T ), longitudinal-transverse (?LT ), and transverse-transverse (?TT ), using the full version of Rosenbluth separation technique for the Q2 = 0.38 GeV2. The technique is simultaneously fi?tted to the unseparated pion electro-production cross-sections at the three values of polarization of the virtual photon (?), i.e., ? = 0.286, 0.629 and 0.781. An iterative process is applied to re?ne the parameters of the model cross-sections until the yield ratio of experimental and Monte Carlo simulation converges. In this study, 21 iterations are conducted to re?ne the model cross-section parameters. The fi?nal pion electro-production cross-section terms are then determined for 7 t bins using the optimized parameters of the model cross-sections.

Kumar, Vijay↗
DOE OSTI2026

Measuring labor productivity dynamics in U.S. industrial and electric power sectors: a case study (2014–2023)

This study proposes a subsystem methodology for measuring labor productivity in the U.S. industrial and electric power sectors by leveraging public data available between 2014 and 2023. Building on Pasinetti’s framework and subsequent developments, the approach employs Vertically Integrated Sectors (VIS) to account for both direct and indirect productivity effects. The novelty of this work is twofold. First, it enables the estimation of productivity trends over time, providing a robust foundation for empirical analysis. Second, it applies the methodology to a case study of the electric generation sector, highlighting its practical relevance. Using data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Impact Analysis for Planning (IMPLAN) tool, the study reveals significant discrepancies between conventional productivity measures and those derived from the VIS approach. Furthermore, the proposed method aligns with the principles of Integrated Energy Systems by capturing the interrelations among generation, distribution, storage, and consumption. This alignment underscores its utility and applications for energy-related policy and planning. Overall, the findings contribute to more precise labor productivity assessments, supporting informed decision-making and future research. Additionally, the method highlights the importance of considering the whole supply chain, providing interrelated metrics for labor productivity which includes both, direct and indirect effects on the final labor productivity metric. By incorporating intersectoral dependencies, this method offers a more comprehensive and accurate measure of labor productivity compared to traditional metrics.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Measurements of the inclusive W and Z boson production cross sections and their ratios in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13.6$ TeV

Measurements are presented of the W and Z boson production cross sections in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13.6 TeV. Data collected in 2022 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.01 fb −1 with one or two identified muons in the final state are analyzed. The results for the products of total inclusive cross sections and branching fractions for muonic decays of W and Z bosons are 11.93 ± 0.08 (syst) ± 0.17 (lumi) $^{+0.07}_{−0.07}$ (acceptance) nb for W + boson production, 8.86 ± 0.06 (syst) ± 0.12 (lumi) $^{+0.05}_{−0.06}$ (acceptance) nb for W − boson production, and 2.021 ± 0.009 (syst) ± 0.028 (lumi) $^{+0.011}_{−0.013}$ (acceptance) nb for the Z boson production in the dimuon mass range of 60–120 GeV, all with negligible statistical uncertainties. Furthermore, the corresponding fiducial cross sections, as well as cross section ratios for both fiducial and total phase space, are provided. The ratios include charge-separated results for W boson production (W + and W − ) and the sum of the two contributions (W ± ), each relative to the measured Z boson production cross section. Additionally, the ratio of the measured cross sections for W + and W − boson production is reported. All measurements are in agreement with theoretical predictions, calculated at next-to-next-to-leading order accuracy in quantum chromodynamics.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Measurements of electroweak W ± Z boson pair production in association with two jets in pp collisions at $ \sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Measurements of integrated and diferential cross-sections for electroweak W ± Z production in association with two jets (W ± Zjj) in proton-proton collisions are presented. The data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider from 2015 to 2018 at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV are used, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb -1 . The W ± Zjj candidate events are reconstructed using leptonic decay modes of the gauge bosons. Events containing three identifed leptons, either electrons or muons, and two jets are selected. Processes involving pure electroweak W ± Zjj production at Born level are separated from W ± Zjj production involving a strong coupling. The measured integrated fducial cross-section of electroweak W ± Zjj production per lepton favour is σ W Zjj-EW→ℓ' νℓℓjj = 0.368 ± 0.037 (stat.) ± 0.059 (syst.) ± 0.003 (lumi.) fb, where ℓ and ℓ' are either an electron or a muon. Respective cross-sections of electroweak and strong W ± Zjj production are measured separately for events with exactly two jets or with more than two jets, and in three bins of the invariant mass of the two jets. The inclusive W ± Zjj production cross-section, without separating electroweak and strong production, is also measured to be σ W Zjj→ℓ ' νℓℓjj = 1.462 ± 0.063 (stat.) ± 0.118 (syst.) ± 0.012 (lumi.) fb, per lepton favour. The inclusive W ± Zjj production cross-section is measured diferentially for several kinematic observables. Finally, the measurements are used to constrain anomalous quartic gauge couplings by extracting 95% confdence level intervals on dimension-8 operators.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

An Analysis of Energy Needs and Seawater Extraction Approaches for the Integration of Primary Magnesium Production with Nuclear Power

The cost of primary magnesium production is highly dominated by the energy required to produce the metal. This, along with the current geographical concentration of its production, makes the magnesium price vulnerable as energy-production paradigms begin to rapidly change. In this work, four nuclear-integration pathways for the efficient supply of heat and electricity to magnesium production from a nuclear power plant are considered. A production route using electrified metallothermic reduction is compared to a nuclear-heat-integrated electrolytic pathway. It is shown that the latter can achieve significantly lower primary energy consumption, 261 MJ/kg Mg compared with 416 MJ/kg Mg. The electrolytic pathway can also reduce emissions down to around 2.1 kgCO2/kg Mg, compared to around 34 kgCO2/kg Mg in the Pidgeon process. Beyond energy and emissions, the four pathways considered are also compared to their ability to reduce locational dependence of the production plant and reduce process complexity. This work also highlights future advances in magnesium production with a potential scheme for the efficient extraction of magnesium from seawater with coproduction of desalinated water and the potential of demand-side response from magnesium electrolysis. This is the first work to consider the full integration of primary magnesium production using nuclear cogeneration, and it is hoped the study paves the way for the analysis of economic nuclear integration within metal extraction and manufacturing.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Measurement of 𝐽∕𝜓and 𝜓(2𝑆)production in 𝑝 +𝑝and 𝑝 +𝑑interactions at 120 GeV

We report the p + p and p + d differential cross sections measured in the SeaQuest experiment for J/psi and psi(2S) production at 120GeV beam energy covering the forward x-Feynman (x(F)) range of 0.5 < x(F) < 0.9. The measured cross sections are in good agreement with theoretical calculations based on the nonrelativistic QCD (NRQCD) using the long-distance matrix elements deduced from a recent global analysis of proton- and pion-induced charmonium production data. The sigma(psi(2S))/sigma(J/psi) cross section ratios are found to increase as x(F) increases, indicating that the q (q) over bar. annihilation process has larger contributions in the psi(2S) production than the J/psi production. The sigma(pd)/2 sigma(pp) cross section ratios are observed to be significantly different for the DrellYan process and J/psi production, reflecting their different production mechanisms. We find that the sigma(pd)/2 sigma(pp) ratios for J/psi production at the forward x(F) region are sensitive to the (d) over bar/(u) over bar flavor asymmetry of the proton sea, analogous to the Drell-Yan process. The transverse momentum (p(T)) distributions for J/psi and psi(2S) production are also presented and compared with data collected at higher center-of-mass energies.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Economic and environmental bottlenecks in the industrial‐scale production of lipid‐derived biofuels from oleaginous yeasts: A review of the current trends and future prospects

Abstract Concerns about climate change and the reliance on fossil fuel reserves have motivated researchers to identify new renewable sources of energy. Biomass holds the potential to replace fossil‐derived products with biofuels and bio‐based chemicals. Plant‐derived lipids are promising sources of biofuels; however, the production of plant oil often leads to the release of massive amounts of carbon dioxide due to deforestation and land‐use change. The production of biofuels via plant oils (such as soybean) also competes with food production and in turn, impacts biodiversity. To mitigate these issues, the production of lipids from oleaginous yeasts could be an excellent alternative by incorporating these microbes into biorefineries utilizing agricultural or forest residues. Eventually, these microbial lipids could be potential sources for producing lipid‐derived biofuels. However, the current conventional methods for the production and recovery of lipids from oleaginous microbes suffer from economic and ecological challenges that affect its industrial‐scale expansion. This review highlights the major economic and environmental bottlenecks for the production of lipid‐derived biofuels from oleaginous yeasts. It also provides perspectives on the strategies that could be adapted on economic and ecological fronts to assist the expansion of the production of microbial lipid‐derived biofuels at an industrial scale.

Agriculture↗