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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

When Every Drum is a Win - Tackling a Thirty-Five Thousand Drum Legacy - 20064

Cameco Corporation's (Cameco) Port Hope Conversion Facility (PHCF) was previously owned by the federal Crown Corporation, Eldorado Nuclear, which held a significant inventory of legacy waste material at the time Cameco was formed in 1988. As a result, Cameco was granted an allocation of 150,000 cubic metres of space in the Long-Term Waste Management Facility (LTWMF) located in the Municipality of Port Hope (MPH), which opened to the receipt of Cameco material in June 2018. Cameco is currently undertaking a major site cleanup and renewal of its Port Hope Conversion Facility (PHCF) which is known as the Vision in Motion (VIM) project. Over its operating history, Eldorado accumulated an inventory of over 35,000 drums of accumulated waste that was primarily stored at two offside warehouse locations. In 2017 and 2018, the project focused on repackaging two well characterized legacy wastes (magnesium fluoride slag and depleted uranium titanium oxide) from one of the two offsite locations. At the conclusion of this work, approximately 15,000 drums of these wastes had been repackaged and disposed of at the LTWMF. There remained approximately 1000 drums from this location that either could not be repackaged safely or were different waste types and required further verification and/or processing. The buildings at this location were scheduled for demolition in early 2019, which triggered the development of a process for triaging legacy drums in August 2018, which allowed for preparation and shipment of approximately half of these drums to the LTWMF by March 2019, with the remainder moved to the second offsite warehouse location in February 2019 for further characterization which is ongoing. This paper will discuss key lessons learned as the drummed legacy waste disposal inventory has been reduced to approximately half of the initial inventory. This will include the development of an alternate packaging process; prioritization of characterization activities and selection of techniques where minimal inventory information is available; determination of next step(s) for each drum as it is assessed; key safety considerations; and how to make inroads into an overwhelming task while under public and regulatory scrutiny. In a relatively short period of time, significant progress has been made to organize and gather information about the legacy waste, update the inventory records and determine the most appropriate pathways (i.e. LTWMF disposal, disposal at another appropriate facility, site storage until future processing and/or disposal). Since 2017 the volume of the decades-old legacy waste inventory has decreased significantly. With the majority of the known materials safely disposed of at the LTWMF, every drum removed from the endless rows of 20,000 pyramidally-stacked waste drums with limited history that is safely characterized, prepared and shipped is considered a win. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Optimal CO 2 storage management considering safety constraints in multi-stakeholder multi-site GCS projects: A Markov game perspective

Geological carbon storage (GCS) projects could involve a diverse array of stakeholders or players from public, private, and regulatory sectors, each with different objectives and responsibilities. Given the complexity, scale, and long-term nature of GCS operations, determining whether individual stakeholders can independently optimize their interests — or whether collaborative coalition agreements are needed — remains a central question for effective GCS project planning and management. To access large, high-quality storage resources, future GCS deployment may increasingly occur in geologically connected sites, where shared geological features such as pressure space and reservoir pore capacity can lead to competitive behavior among stakeholders. In this work, we propose a paradigm based on Markov games to quantitatively investigate how different coalition structures affect the goals of stakeholders. We frame this multi-stakeholder multi-site problem as a multi-agent reinforcement learning problem with safety constraints. Our approach enables agents to learn optimal strategies while complying with safety regulations. We present an example where multiple operators are injecting CO 2 into their respective project areas in a geologically connected basin. To address the high computational cost of repeated simulations of high fidelity models, a previously developed surrogate model based on the Embed-to-Control (E2C) framework is employed. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework in addressing optimal management of CO 2 storage when multiple stakeholders with different objectives and goals are involved.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Novel PCM-based fin and tube heat exchanger system for building heating and cooling applications

In the United States, the building sector accounts for 40% of all energy use, and buildings are responsible for more than two-thirds of electricity consumption. Buildings remain the major driver of energy-related carbon emissions, and such emissions are projected to increase in the years ahead because of urbanization and population growth. To accomplish the low carbon energy goal in the building sector, phase change material (PCM)–based thermal energy storage (TES) is increasingly being adopted because it offers several advantages, such as reducing building peak load and energy consumption, enabling large scale deployment of renewables, and improving grid stability. The integration of TES with thermally anisotropic building envelopes (TABEs) is a promising solution because, TABE can redirect natural thermal energy from a building using hydronic loops to TES, and the stored energy can be used later for heating and cooling applications. In this study, we experimentally investigate the thermal performance of a novel fin-tube heat exchanger TES system designed for potential integration with a TABE. An experimental rig for a 5-gal PCM fin-tube heat exchanger system with water as the heat transfer medium is described which records temperatures at the heated and cooled boundaries of the system. Experimental observations provide insight into the role a TES system can play in offsetting a building’s heating and cooling demand and also offer a means to characterize the performance of PCMs for building applications. The scale and study presented in this work will help in the design of future thermal storage systems optimized for storage capacity while also accounting for overall system costs for building applications.

Tamraparni, Achutha↗

Micron Size NaCrO 2 Particles Enable High‐loading Dry‐processed Electrode for Sodium Ion Batteries

Dry-process fabrication using fibrillatable binder is emerging as a promising method to produce high-loading electrodes for energy storage applications, favored by its cost-efficiency and eco-friendliness. While previous studies have demonstrated the advantages of dry process over the traditional slurry method, there remains a gap in understanding how the particle size of active materials influences the mechanical and electrochemical performance of dry electrodes. In this study, four different particle size NaCrO 2 materials (Average size, S-NCO: 0.6 µm, M1-NCO 1.5 µm, M2-NCO: 4.4 µm, and L-NCO: 9.9 µm) are synthesized to investigate the effect of particle size on dry-processed high-loading electrodes. The findings reveal that the larger micron-sized (>4.4 µm) NCO dry films exhibit significantly improved tensile strength and electrochemical performance, primarily ascribed to the low film porosity, abundant inter-particle connection by the binder, comprehensive carbon coverage, and efficient percolation of the conductive pathway. Notably, a full cell incorporated with a high loading (5.2 mAh cm −2 ) and high active material ratio (96.5 wt.%) L-NCO film electrode demonstrates promising cycling stability and rate capability. Furthermore, these results provide valuable insights regarding the design and fabrication of dry-processed electrodes for future energy storage applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Molecular Engineering of Biorefining Lignin Waste for Solid-State Electrolyte

Lignin is the second most abundant renewable biopolymer on Earth but also a waste in both the paper industry and lignocellulosic biorefineries. Recently, lignin valorization has been extensively sought after to return economics, enhance carbon efficiency, and improve the bioeconomy, but the commercial value and size compatibility still hinder its applications. In this study, we developed a facile strategy to apply lignin waste into a solid-state electrolyte (SSE), which represents a safe next generation energy storage. Here, lignin was grafted with polyethylene glycol (PEG), an efficient lithium-ion (Li + ) conductive polymer, to enable its ion conduction. The synthesized PEG-g-lignin was mixed with poly(vinylidene fluoride)-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) and PEG-g-lignin-based bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) to prepare a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE), which has an ionic conductivity of 2.5 × 10 –5 S/cm at 25 °C. This result was further enhanced to 6.5 × 10 –5 S/cm by adding an ion-conductive ceramic of Li 6.4 La 3 Ga 0.2 Zr 2 O 12 (LLGZO), which is referred to as composite polymer electrolyte (CPE). These data represent the highest ones among reported polymer-based SSE. A mechanistic study by using 2D HSQC NMR revealed that PEG-g-lignin has increased ether type β–O–4 linkages that can promote the interchain hopping of Li+ between lignin polymer chains, and 31 P NMR revealed that the lignin phenolic end can be associated by Li + . Moreover, the abundant aromatic moieties and methoxyl in PEG-g-lignin also enhanced Li + association and improved its ionic conductivity. The superior ionic conductivity of PEG-g-lignin-based SSE can enable massive applications of this biorefining waste in all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs), which has potential to promote the energy sector by promoting the bioeconomy and enhancing the renewability and sustainability of future energy storage.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Influence of Electrolyte Additives on Interfacial Stability of Manganese-Rich Lithium-Ion Battery Cathodes

Affordable, long-lasting energy storage has become critical to support increased electricity demand in recent years. Cobalt-free, lithium- and manganese-rich lithium nickel manganese oxide (LMR-NM) cathodes stand to reduce cost and supply-chain concerns associated with traditional cobalt-containing cathodes for lithium-ion batteries by leveraging more earth-abundant materials; however, they have shown issues with long-term cycling stability. Here, we investigate lithium difluoro(oxalate)borate (LiDFOB), tris(trimethylsilyl) phosphite (TMSPi), and vinylene carbonate (VC) electrolyte additives for their ability to improve cycling performance of LMR-NM (0.3 Li 2 MnO 3 + 0.7 LiMn 0.5 Ni 0.5 0 2 ) cells. Cryogenic scanning transmission electron microscopy (cryo-STEM) with electron energy loss spectroscopy enables the construction of a structure–function relationship between cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) characteristics and the electrochemical performance of cells aged with these additives. We find the combination of 2 wt % TMSPi + 1 wt % LiDFOB performs better than any single additive, achieving a 28% improvement in specific capacity over the baseline electrolyte after long-term cycling. We attribute this to LiDFOB mitigating Mn ion dissolution, with cryo-STEM showing Mn stabilized up to the CEI surface, coupled with improved CEI structure and chemistry enabled by TMSPi, evidenced by a moderately thick (∼7–15 nm) CEI that appears to protect against further electrolyte reactions with the particle. These results, achieved through site-specific nanoscale characterization, directly reveal mechanisms through which electrolyte engineering can improve the performance of earth-abundant cathodes, enabling informed development of more affordable and reliable batteries to meet future energy storage needs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Phase II Field Demonstration at Lansing Smith Generating Plant, Southport, Florida (Final Report)

The Final Technical Report: Field Test Design and Pressure Management Strategies for Phase II Field Demonstration of Optimal Pressure Control, Plume Management, and Produced Water Strategies presents the culmination of multi-year efforts under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brine Extraction and Storage Test (BEST) program, led by EPRI in partnership with Gulf Power at the Plant Smith site near Panama City, Florida. The project was designed to evaluate and demonstrate the technical feasibility of managing subsurface pressures and fluid movement associated with large-scale CO₂ injection, using low-salinity water as a proxy fluid. Through a combination of field injection testing, reservoir modeling, and optimization studies, the research team developed and refined active and passive brine extraction strategies aimed at controlling injection-induced pressure buildup, mitigating risks of fault activation, and managing plume migration. The field demonstration incorporated a new injection well (TIW-2), a new monitoring/extraction well (TEMW-A), and an existing well (TIW-1) repurposed for passive pressure relief. Complementary geophysical monitoring was designed to track plume development and evaluate the effectiveness of pressure management strategies. The report details the integrated workflow encompassing wellfield development, regulatory permitting, model calibration, and survey design. It includes a comprehensive electromagnetic (EM) modeling and inversion study used to develop a cost-effective, time-lapse geophysical monitoring plan capable of imaging the evolving low-salinity plume within the highly saline Lower Tuscaloosa formation. Reservoir simulation results guided the design of the 17-month injection program and the timing of active extraction to maintain formation pressures below a hypothetical fault reactivation threshold. Supporting analyses evaluated potential injectivity risks related to clay fines migration and geochemical incompatibility, identifying practical mitigation measures such as salinity and pH control. The final design recommends a series of crosswell EM surveys—conducted before, during, and after injection—as the most effective and economical approach for plume imaging, supplemented by continuous downhole pressure and flow monitoring. Collectively, the study provides a field-ready framework for cost-effective pressure management and monitoring in support of future CO₂ storage projects.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Development of Remote Cutting Tools for use at ATR - 20438

As a result of years of operations of the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Lab (INL), the ATR canal has become congested due to the storage of materials including waste consisting of highly irradiated remote handled (RH) metals. In order to support its continuing nuclear mission the ATR requires canal space to support fuel storage and future core internal change out (CIC) components. INL staff determined that the canal must be cleaned out and waste removed to efficiently utilize the valuable canal floor space. It was determined that a methodology for processing, packaging, characterizing, and removing current and future irradiated hardware from the ATR canal is needed. Orano Federal Services (OFS) and its subcontractor Babcock Services Inc. (BSI) were selected to provide remote tooling in order to safely and efficiently size reduce the material currently stored in the ATR canal. INL developed detailed requirements that established the design and performance requirements for the tooling. Orano TN and BSI had recently successfully completed similar tasks in clearing highly activated materials from spent fuel pools and canals at commercial nuclear plants. That experience directly translated into a proven approach that could be used at the ATR thereby saving time and money and lowering risks. Based on BSI's demonstrated proficiency in the design and deployment of remote size reduction specialty tooling at comparable commercial facilities, Orano Federal Services was confident that a solution to INL's requirements could be delivered. The tooling had to be designed to be compatible with the operational requirements of the ATR canal as well as the functionality needed by the facility operators that will use the equipment. Some of the major design requirements and functions of the equipment included remote operations, capability to shear highly irradiated sections of aluminum and steel tubing, pipe, and components ranging in size from 0.6 cm to 16.5 cm diameter into 1.5 m -1.8 m lengths, utilizing buoyancy compensation to assist with underwater operations, and use commercially available existing technology and components as much as practical. The design team evaluated and selected commercially available equipment that could be modified to meet the design and performance specifications. In addition, a waste sizing table (WST) was designed and fabricated to further ensure the size reduction equipment would perform as expected and give the facility operators a stable and usable remote, underwater work platform. After successful development of the tooling, a mock up test and operator training was conducted to ensure the tooling performed as expected and met the requirements of INL. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Understanding Electrochemical Reaction Mechanisms of Sulfur in All‐Solid‐State Batteries through Operando and Theoretical Studies **

Abstract Due to its outstanding safety and high energy density, all‐solid‐state lithium‐sulfur batteries (ASLSBs) are considered as a potential future energy storage technology. The electrochemical reaction pathway in ASLSBs with inorganic solid‐state electrolytes is different from Li‐S batteries with liquid electrolytes, but the mechanism remains unclear. By combining operando Raman spectroscopy and ex situ X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, we investigated the reaction mechanism of sulfur (S 8 ) in ASLSBs. Our results revealed that no Li 2 S 8, Li 2 S 6, and Li 2 S 4 were formed, yet Li 2 S 2 was detected. Furthermore, first‐principles structural calculations were employed to disclose the formation energy of solid state Li 2 S n (1≤ n ≤8), in which Li 2 S 2 was a metastable phase, consistent with experimental observations. Meanwhile, partial S 8 and Li 2 S 2 remained at the full lithiation stage, suggesting incomplete reaction due to sluggish reaction kinetics in ASLSBs.

Cao, Daxian↗

Understanding Electrochemical Reaction Mechanisms of Sulfur in All‐Solid‐State Batteries through Operando and Theoretical Studies **

Abstract Due to its outstanding safety and high energy density, all‐solid‐state lithium‐sulfur batteries (ASLSBs) are considered as a potential future energy storage technology. The electrochemical reaction pathway in ASLSBs with inorganic solid‐state electrolytes is different from Li‐S batteries with liquid electrolytes, but the mechanism remains unclear. By combining operando Raman spectroscopy and ex situ X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, we investigated the reaction mechanism of sulfur (S 8 ) in ASLSBs. Our results revealed that no Li 2 S 8, Li 2 S 6, and Li 2 S 4 were formed, yet Li 2 S 2 was detected. Furthermore, first‐principles structural calculations were employed to disclose the formation energy of solid state Li 2 S n (1≤ n ≤8), in which Li 2 S 2 was a metastable phase, consistent with experimental observations. Meanwhile, partial S 8 and Li 2 S 2 remained at the full lithiation stage, suggesting incomplete reaction due to sluggish reaction kinetics in ASLSBs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Pore-Filling Induced Solid Electrolyte Failure of Ti-Doped Na 3 Zr 2 Si 2 PO 12 Characterized by Operando Synchrotron X-Ray Tomography

Solid-state batteries (SSBs), particularly those utilizing sodium metal, are emerging as a promising technology due to their potential for enhanced safety, higher energy density, and longer cycle life. NASICON (Na superionic conductor) materials, known for their robust crystalline structure and high ionic conductivity, are pivotal in the development of efficient sodium all-solid-state batteries. These materials exhibit high room-temperature ionic conductivity and electrochemical stability, making them ideal for various applications. Research has focused on improving NASICON's ionic conductivity and stability through doping, interface regulation, and composite anode design. Recent advancements include Ti-doped Na 3 Zr 2 Si 2 PO 12 (Ti-NZSP), which demonstrates improved surface stability, higher ionic conductivity, and increased critical current density. However, challenges such as Na dendrite formation and mechanical integrity under operational conditions persist. Advanced imaging techniques like operando synchrotron X-ray tomography have provided insights into failure mechanisms, revealing that pore-filling and dendrite growth are significant issues. Understanding these processes is essential for enhancing the performance and safety of Na-based SSBs. Here, this study underscores the need for continued research to address these challenges and develop reliable, high-performance solid-state electrolytes for future energy storage solutions.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Catalysis Process Development for Hydrogen Storage/Generation with LOHCs

The hydrogen as green energy carrier is an envisioned future. Hydrogen storage is a key enabling technology for the advancement of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in applications including stationary power, portable power, and transportation. Hydrogen has the highest energy per mass of any fuel; however, its low ambient temperature density results in a low energy per unit volume, therefore requiring the development of advanced storage methods that have potential for higher energy density.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Directing High-Efficiency Na Plating with Carbon–Aluminum Junction Interfaces for Anode-Free Na Metal Batteries

Anode-free sodium metal batteries are highly promising for future energy storage but suffer from much faster cycling degradation as they are sensitive to even trace levels of irreversible side reactions. This work focuses on the most practical Al foil current collectors and systematically examined the effect of nano-sized carbon coating on improving the Na plating and stripping stability. We identified that the carbon-Al junction interface generated by carbon coating enabled more uniform Na depositing with lower overpotentials, delivering higher than 99.8% Faradaic efficiencies for a wide range of cycling currents between 0.5 and 3.0 mA cm -2 . This performance is much better than the 96.4% efficiency observed on uncoated Al foils under the same conditions, and was also confirmed under lean electrolyte and freezing electrolyte conditions, and can be attributed to the stronger interfacial binding and enhanced sodiophilic properties of the carbon-aluminum junction sites. Furthermore, these sites not only ensure uniform Na plating but also eliminates side reactions that would otherwise cause electrolyte depletion. As a result, Na-metal free full cells assembled with high capacity Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 cathode delivered ~ 85% capacity retention for 100 cycles, higher than the 73% of retention of uncoated Al foil.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Knowledge-driven design of solid-electrolyte interphases on lithium metal via multiscale modelling

Abstract Due to its high energy density, lithium metal is a promising electrode for future energy storage. However, its practical capacity, cyclability and safety heavily depend on controlling its reactivity in contact with liquid electrolytes, which leads to the formation of a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). In particular, there is a lack of fundamental mechanistic understanding of how the electrolyte composition impacts the SEI formation and its governing processes. Here, we present an in-depth model-based analysis of the initial SEI formation on lithium metal in a carbonate-based electrolyte. Thereby we reach for significantly larger length and time scales than comparable molecular dynamic studies. Our multiscale kinetic Monte Carlo/continuum model shows a layered, mostly inorganic SEI consisting of LiF on top of Li 2 CO 3 and Li after 1 µs. Its formation is traced back to a complex interplay of various electrolyte and salt decomposition processes. We further reveal that low local Li + concentrations result in a more mosaic-like, partly organic SEI and that a faster passivation of the lithium metal surface can be achieved by increasing the salt concentration. Based on this we suggest design strategies for SEI on lithium metal and make an important step towards knowledge-driven SEI engineering.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Liquid-like dynamics in a solid-state lithium electrolyte

Superionic materials represent a regime intermediate between the crystalline and liquid states of matter. Despite the considerable interest in potential applications for solid-state batteries or thermoelectric devices, it remains unclear whether the fast ionic diffusion observed in superionic materials reflects liquid-like dynamics or whether the hops of mobile ions are inherently coupled to more conventional lattice phonons. Here we reveal a crossover from crystalline vibrations to relaxational dynamics of ionic diffusion in the superionic compound Li 6 PS 5 Cl, a candidate solid-state electrolyte. By combining inelastic and quasi-elastic neutron-scattering measurements with first-principles-based machine-learned molecular dynamics simulations, we found that the vibrational density of states in the superionic state strongly deviates from the quadratic behaviour expected from the Debye law of lattice dynamics. The superionic dynamics emerges from overdamped phonon quasiparticles to give rise to a linear density of states characteristic of instantaneous normal modes in the liquid state. Further, we showed that the coupling of lattice phonons with a dynamic breathing of the Li+ diffusion bottleneck enables an order-of-magnitude increase in diffusivity. Thus, our results shed insights into superionics for future energy storage and conversion technologies.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Complete characterization of a lithium battery electrolyte using a combination of electrophoretic NMR and electrochemical methods

Improving transport properties of electrolytes is important for developing lithium-ion batteries for future energy storage applications. In Newman's concentrated solution theory, electrolytes are characterized by three transport parameters, conductivity, diffusion coefficient, and transference number, in addition to the thermodynamic factor. In this work, these parameters are all determined for an exemplar liquid electrolyte, lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide mixed in tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether, using electrochemical methods. The intrinsic coupling between parameters obtained by electrochemical methods results in large error bars in the transference number that obscure the transport behavior of the electrolyte. Here, we use electrophoretic NMR (eNMR) to measure the electric-field-induced ion and solvent velocities to obtain the transference number directly, which enables determination of the thermodynamic factor with greater certainty. In conclusion, our work indicates that the combination of eNMR and electrochemical methods provides a robust approach for complete characterization of battery electrolytes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Morphodynamics of dendrite growth in alumina based all solid-state sodium metal batteries

All solid-state batteries (ASSBs) with ceramic electrolytes and alkali metal anodes are a potential future energy storage technology for vehicle electrification and smart grids. However, uncontrollable dendrite growth toward ultimate short circuiting in solid electrolytes (SEs) has become a serious concern in the design of long-cycle, safe ASSBs, and the underlying mechanism has remained unclear. Here through multiscale imaging and morphodynamic tracking we show that Na dendrites grow in β''-Al 2 O 3 SEs through an alternating sequence of Na deposition and crack propagation. Atomic-scale imaging evidenced that electrochemical cycling causes massive delamination cracking along the Na + conduction planes, accompanied by the closure of neighboring conduction channels. In situ SEM observations revealed a dynamic interplay between Na deposition and crack propagation: Na deposition accumulates mechanical stress that induces cracking; cracking releases the local stress, which promotes further Na deposition. Thus, Na deposition and cracking alternatingly proceed until short circuits take place. A multiscale phase-field model is developed to recapitulate the morphodynamics of Na dendrite growth, predicting the tree-like fractal morphology of the growing dendrites. Importantly, our findings suggest that decoupling between Na deposition and cracking represents an important route to mitigate uncontrollable dendrite growth in ASSBs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗