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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
NASA NTRS1986

Radiative and free-convective heat transfer from a finite horizontal plate inside an enclosure

An experimental and analytical investigation of heat transfer from a horizontal, thin, square plate inside of an enclosure was carried out. Experimental results were obtained from both the upward-facing and the downward-facing sides of the heated plate. Starting with the integrated momentum and energy equations, approximate solutions were obtained for heat transfer in the laminar and the turbulent regime that correlate well with experimental data. Radiative heat transfer correction was given special attention. Effects of the enclosure-related recirculation of the test fluid, as well as effects of simultaneous heat transfer on both sides of the plate, caused an early transition, and indicated a high level of internal turbulence.

Hrycak, Peter↗
NASA NTRS1986

Coupling conditions for integrating boundary layer and rotational inviscid flow

The matching of a boundary layer and a rotational inviscid flow is reexamined by extending the Johnson and Sockol (1979) coupling conditions to include the case where the boundary layer solution includes the second-order effects of the freestream vorticity and the total temperature gradient. It is pointed out that two of the three conditions are not independent. If the boundary layer solution satisfies the appropriate momentum and energy integral equations, it follows that the imposition of the normal mass flux condition insures that the conditions on a normal flux of streamwise momentum and total enthalpy will also be satisfied.

Sockol, P. M.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Marine energy supported multi-energy system planning and operation optimization for sustainable coastal community

The growing need for sustainable energy solutions in coastal areas necessitates the development of integrated systems that leverage abundant marine resources. In this study, a standalone Marine Energy Supported Multi-Energy System (MRE-MES) is designed for sustainable coastal community development, utilizing renewable marine resources, including offshore wind, wave, and solar energy, to address the energy needs of electricity, heat, freshwater, and hydrogen. The proposed MRE-MES incorporates a co-optimization model that simultaneously balances capacity planning and operational efficiency to minimize costs and environmental impacts. The system is tested under different renewable energy penetration levels and demand uncertainties, using a two-stage stochastic programming to account for variability in renewable resources and consumption needs. The experimental results indicate that in the optimal system capacity configuration, the percentage of total renewable energy generation is around 80 %, with or without capacity limitation constraints on PV, water tank, and hydrogen storage. Compared to the worst-case scenario in Monte Carlo experiments, two-stage stochastic optimization results in a more robust decision that effectively mitigates the risks posed by future uncertain demand conditions. In conclusion, the findings highlight the viability of marine energy for providing a resilient, comprehensive energy solution to coastal communities.

Capacity planning↗
DOE OSTI2026

Mechanical Solution for Existing Conductors

The rapid growth in energy demand, driven by advancements in AI technology, renewable energy integration, and increased industrial activity, highlights the need for innovative solutions to improve the resiliency and efficiency of the power grid. This report details the fire testing of GridWrap’s Composite WiRe Wrap, to evaluate the wrap's ability to enhance conductor performance under wildfire-simulated conditions. Conductors were prepared and tested in a controlled environment at 400°C for 18 minutes, during which sag and temperature data were recorded. The results demonstrated that the unwrapped conductor sagged 3/16ths of an inch, while the WiRe Wrapped conductor sagged only 1/16th of an inch under identical conditions, indicating a significant improvement in mechanical performance. This project, conducted as part of a collaborative effort between BEA (Idaho National Laboratory’s managing contractor) and GridWrap, Inc., demonstrates the potential of grid-enhancing technologies like WiRe Wrap to reduce sag, increase grid resiliency, and support the future energy landscape. By validating the performance of such technologies in real-world scenarios, this work provides critical insights for industry adoption, benefiting both grid operators and U.S. taxpayers through improved reliability, reduced emissions, and enhanced energy delivery.

24 - POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

SDE_quark

This program provides a fixed-grid quadrature algorithm to compute integrals in the self-energy of the quark propagator within the Maris-Tandy model. The quark propagator both on t he spacelike real axis and at complex-valued momenta is determined from its Schwinger-Dyson equation (SDE). We first apply an iterative solver to find the quark propagator on the spacelike real axis. The propagator at complex-valued momenta is then computed from its self-energy based on this solution, where demanding integrals are encountered. In order to compute of these integrals, we apply customized variable transformations for the radial integral after subtracting the asymptotics. We subsequently apply an optional compound of quadrature rules for the angular integral.

Jia, Shaoyang↗
DOE OSTI2026

Optimizing Heat Recovery with Storage: Control Validation and Sensitivity Analysis of the Time-Independent Energy Recovery Plant Using Modelica

Heat recovery in large building central plants saves energy but traditionally requires simultaneous heating and cooling. The Time-Independent Energy Recovery (TIER) plant shifts this paradigm by integrating thermal energy storage (TES) to enable heat recovery regardless of concurrent demand, offering a highly efficient, space-saving solution to achieve California’s energy goals. However, its integration of heat recovery chillers, cooling-only chillers, cooling towers, and trim air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) creates growing control and sizing complexity. To overcome this, this study employs high-fidelity Modelica dynamic simulation to validate TIER control sequences and optimize equipment sizing. We translated the written Sequences of Operation into executable Control Description Language (CDL) to test logic against sub-hourly loads. This verification workflow successfully identified and resolved critical vulnerabilities, such as thermal storage freezing and equipment short-cycling, in a virtual environment prior to physical deployment. Then, the study analyzes TIER plant performance across three simulated building types in three locations, and a real building load profile, ensuring variety in heating and cooling loads, and simultaneity factors and explores sizing rules for the TES and ASHP capacity. The analysis shows that the TIER plant operates equipment efficiently leading to a plant SCOP of around 7.5 across all scenarios, higher than a traditional ASHP plant, and a viable pathway to de-risk complex system design and control through simulation to identify optimal designs that maximize energy efficiency, minimize operational costs, and ensure robust operation in varied environmental conditions, thereby facilitating the broader adoption of such a solution for large buildings.

Zanetti, Ettore↗
DOE OSTI2020

An Edge-Cloud Integrated Solution for Buildings Demand Response Using Reinforcement Learning

Buildings, as major energy consumers, can provide great untapped demand response (DR) resources for grid services. However, their participation remains low in real-life. One major impediment for popularizing DR in buildings is the lack of cost-effective automation systems that can be widely adopted. Existing optimization-based smart building control algorithms suffer from high costs on both building-specific modeling and on-demand computing resources. To tackle these issues, this paper proposes a cost-effective edge-cloud integrated solution using reinforcement learning (RL). Beside RL’s ability to solve sequential optimal decision-making problems, its adaptability to easy-to-obtain building models and the off-line learning feature are likely to reduce the controller’s implementation cost. Using a surrogate building model learned automatically from building operation data, an RL agent learns an optimal control policy on cloud infrastructure, and the policy is then distributed to edge devices for execution. Simulation results demonstrate the control efficacy and the learning efficiency in buildings of different sizes. A preliminary cost analysis on a 4-zone commercial building shows the annual cost for optimal policy training is only 2.25% of the DR incentive received. Results of this study show a possible approach with higher return on investment for buildings to participate in DR programs.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Modular DC circuit breaker with integrated energy storage for future DC networks

A T-breaker is an all-in-one solution for dc microgrid fault protection, power flow control, and power quality improvement. A T-breaker features a modular multilevel “T” structure with integrated energy storage devices. The two horizontal arms of the T-breaker realize fault current breaking, load voltage compensation, and power flow control; and the vertical arm of the T-breaker realizes shunt compensation. The configuration provides excellent voltage scalability and relaxes the requirements on the switching signal synchronization during fault transients. The local energy storage in sub-modules eases the fault energy dissipation requirement placed on the traditionally-adopted surge arrestors. The modular multilevel structure also offers immense control flexibility for all types of targeted functions of the provided T-breaker.

Wang, Jin↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Roadmap Toward a Sustainable Aviation Ecosystem

This report outlines a holistic view of pathways to a sustainable aviation ecosystem, focusing on low-net-carbon aircraft energy carriers (fuels), airport ecosystems (airports and bases), and developments in sustainable aircraft components (aircraft). Taking this holistic ecosystem perspective, we identify critical components that contribute to sustainable energy solutions necessary to achieve deep decarbonization of the aviation industry, as well as the integrated energy system interfaces that must be comprehensively understood, planned for, and realized. Further, we outline necessary R&D needs to achieve sustainability across the aviation ecosystem, including advancing breakthrough innovations to rapidly achieve scalable solutions, with attention to their cross-sectoral dependencies and implications.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

A proposed methodology to reduce heat pump size with integrated thermal energy storage

Thermal energy storage (TES) offers a unique storage solution wherein heat is stored for later use to thermally condition an application. Heat pumps (HPs) move heat from relatively cold to a relatively hot with an input of work. Integrating TES into a HP system adds a third temperature body, and the HP can be selectively coupled to operate between any two: a constant temperature application, a temporally fluctuating ambient temperature, or a constant temperature TES. Since the HP-TES system enables operation under different conditions depending on the pair of temperature bodies, changes in efficiency and capacity can be expected. Thus, TES can shift HP operation to more favorable conditions to deliver heat to the application. Consequently, TES increases the apparent capacity of the HP which might enable a nominally smaller HP to be used effectively. This paper outlines a method by which TES can reduce the size of a HP without sacrificing heat delivered to the application. The method is demonstrated for a building cooling application which realized a reduction in nominal HP size from 3 tons to 2.4 tons.

Hirschey, Jason↗
DOE OSTI2024

Decomposing a renewable energy design and dispatch model

We address a mixed-integer linear programming model which selects a cost-minimizing set of available technologies with which to design a renewable energy system and prescribe their associated dispatch decisions. Realistically sized instances of such models pose computational challenges. To this end, we develop a Lagrangian heuristic based on a decomposition methodology which partitions the model into blocks and optimizes these more manageable, smaller subproblems. It also provides a lower bound to assess solution quality. In conclusion, we apply this methodology to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Renewable Energy Integration and Optimization (REopt TM ) model to generate near-optimal solutions to realistic instances containing, on average, approximately 300,000 variables and at least as many constraints, with a mean 30% optimality gap improvement using a five-minute solution time limit, compared to directly solving the original monolith.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Integrated techno-economic framework for nuclear hydrogen production: assessing the role of high temperature steam electrolysis and safety considerations

This manuscript presents a comprehensive techno-economic assessment of nuclear integrated hydrogen production through high-temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) in the U.S. Gulf Coast region. Given the significant role of hydrogen as an energy carrier and chemical feedstock, the research evaluates the feasibility of co-locating HTSE facilities with existing nuclear power plants (NPPs) to enhance hydrogen production efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Here, the study highlights the advantages of HTSE over traditional low-temperature electrolysis, particularly in leveraging thermal and electrical energy from NPPs. A novel framework for hydrogen deployment is introduced, integrating hydrogen market analysis, techno-economic evaluation (TEA), and safety assessments. The findings underscore the economic viability of hydrogen production in light of current market conditions, including fluctuating natural gas prices and the impact of production tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. A case study in the Gulf Coast region demonstrates the potential for strategic hydrogen production to meet growing industrial demand while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance. Overall, this research contributes to the advancement of nuclear integrated hydrogen production as a sustainable energy solution.

08 - HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2026

Scalable and Secure Power Outage Data Reporting: A Hexagonal Geospatial Approach

Power outages disrupt critical infrastructure and cause billions of dollars in economic losses annually in the United States. Accurate and granular outage reporting is vital for effective restoration and mitigation. This paper examines the integration of the Hexagonal Hierarchical Geospatial Indexing System (H3) to enhance power outage reporting, leveraging its uniform grid structure, scalable resolutions, and support for privacy-preserving analysis. Using high-resolution LandScan Global population data and K-anonymization techniques, this work achieves a balance between data granularity and privacy. Results show that lower privacy thresholds (e.g., K-anonymity = 2) enable higher resolution, while stricter thresholds (e.g., >15 people per hex) reduce granularity, potentially affecting localized responses. State-and county-level resolution case studies demonstrate H3’s adaptability and the trade-offs between precision and privacy. The proposed H3-based framework offers a scalable and efficient solution for geospatial data integration within the energy sector, such as outage data, aiding utilities and regulators in improving resilience and response efforts, particularly in disaster-prone regions.

Ahmad, Nasir [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000150677368)↗
DOE OSTI2020

Supercritical Treatment Technology for Water Purification (Annual Final Report)

This project continued the development of the Supercritical Water Extraction – Enhanced Targeted Recovery (SWEETR™) technology, a novel desalination process for treating hypersaline brines. The overall objective is to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of an innovative, energy efficient, and robust supercritical desalination technology to treat hypersaline solutions and separating saltwater into a pure water stream and valuable recovered solids, resulting in zero liquid discharge (ZLD). The proposed technology, focuses on innovative methods of applying supercritical water to treat highly concentrated brine solutions without incurring a high energy penalty. Integrating the technology with solar energy reduces the energy cost for the system. The results obtained during the proof-of-concept testing demonstrate that the SWEETR™ concept is technically feasible and that supercritical water treatment is a viable option with strong merit for treating high salinity waters. The strategic design of the system provides the opportunity to localize the supercritical zone, which helps reduce the overall energy cost associated with the desalination process. The process can be tuned to remove only the amount of salts required to make the treated water “fit for purpose”, providing further opportunities to minimize energy costs. The ability to destroy organic compounds associated with the water while simultaneously being able to desalinate makes SWEETR™ uniquely fitted for treating aqueous streams such as produced water from oil and gas extraction which contain small amounts of organics. Such mixed contaminant streams pose an extreme challenge for other treatment options. Future work will further develop the SWEETR™ technology to take it from the bench-scale to the pilot-scale, and ready the technology for commercial application.

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS↗
NASA NTRS1964

An inviscid model of the solar wind

Inviscid, thermal conductive, spherically symmetric solar wind model - model solution by integration of mass, momentum, and energy conservation equations

SOLAR WIND↗
NASA NTRS1999

Development of Analysis Methods for Designing with Composites

The project involved the development of new analysis methods to achieve efficient design of composite structures. We developed a complex variational formulation to analyze the in-plane and bending coupling response of an unsymmetrically laminated plate with an elliptical cutout subjected to arbitrary edge loading as shown in Figure 1. This formulation utilizes four independent complex potentials that satisfy the coupled in-plane and bending equilibrium equations, thus eliminating the area integrals from the strain energy expression. The solution to a finite geometry laminate under arbitrary loading is obtained by minimizing the total potential energy function and solving for the unknown coefficients of the complex potentials. The validity of this approach is demonstrated by comparison with finite element analysis predictions for a laminate with an inclined elliptical cutout under bi-axial loading.The geometry and loading of this laminate with a lay-up of [-45/45] are shown in Figure 2. The deformed configuration shown in Figure 3 reflects the presence of bending-stretching coupling. The validity of the present method is established by comparing the out-of-plane deflections along the boundary of the elliptical cutout from the present approach with those of the finite element method. The comparison shown in Figure 4 indicates remarkable agreement. The details of this method are described in a manuscript by Madenci et al. (1998).

Madenci, E.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Integrating Variable Renewable Energy in Power Systems: Fundamentals for the Greater Mekong Subregion

This presentation is an introduction to foundational concepts for integrating variable renewable energy (VRE) into bulk power systems, with a focus on the Greater Mekong Subregion. It contains fundamentals on challenges and solutions for VRE integration (e.g., wind and solar PV), as well as deep dives on energy storage, floating solar PV (FPV), and cross-border energy trade (CBET). Case studies are contained throughout.

Cambodia↗
DOE OSTI2024

Adaptive Protection and Validated Models to Enable Deployment of High Penetrations of Solar PV (PV-MOD)

The availability and validation of various PV models in commercial tools differ, with some models not yet thoroughly validated for advanced inverter functionalities and reliable performance under weak system conditions. Many existing models do not fully incorporate new inverter control functions, which can affect system stability. The increasing deployment of solar PV and other inverter-based resources (IBRs), including distributed energy resources (DERs), is influencing the reliable operation of protection schemes in distribution systems and microgrids. Emerging adaptive protection schemes (APS) offer new opportunities for protecting these systems during varying configurations and DER operating conditions, though their demonstration and validation remain limited. Adaptive protection schemes face similar challenges, as they are typically designed for specific configurations. There is a growing need for tools and methodologies to streamline the deployment of adaptive protection for safe and reliable DER integration. The project main objective was to develop and validate high-fidelity generic models of solar PV facilities for stability, protection, EMT, and QSTS analyses. This objective was achieved, and these models can now be integrated into commercial software tools, enabling utilities, vendors, and developers to study high-penetration PV systems more confidently. The project also demonstrated advanced applications of these models, including the design and deployment of adaptive protection schemes in high-penetration field applications and microgrids, supporting grid safety and reliability. Several milestones were reached by the end of the project. A sophisticated inverter test plan was developed, and inverters representative of the North American marketplace were selected. EPRI and NREL tested various inverters, conforming to IEEE standards. Improvements were made to existing generic models of IBR units, IBR plants, and aggregated feeders for various analyses. The first generic electromagnetic transient (EMT) model for a solar PV plant was developed, conforming to IEEE Std 2800™-2022 and validated against laboratory measurements of a 2.2 MVA large-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) inverter. That model was then used to produce reference responses illustrating examples of validated and verified IBR plant models that pass or fail tests for technical minimum capability and performance as specified in the IEEE standard. The developed, tested, and validated generic models can be used for transmission planning, stability assessments, expansion planning, and evaluating potential future IBR interconnection requirements. They can also support interconnection screens and conformity assessments of IBR plants, including solar PV. The project significantly contributed to the ongoing standardization and model-based representation and verification of IBR responses. The project further addressed challenges of common distribution protection schemes with increasing deployment of DER by developing, validating, and demonstrating adaptive protection schemes (APS) that can improve the reliable and safe integration of DER into distribution systems. New APS were designed using improved DER models for three common distribution systems: a radial feeder, a meshed network, and a microgrid. Modeling and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing of the APS were conducted, successfully showing their effectiveness and selectivity. Proof-of-concept field demonstration was achieved for two APS, i.e., one on a radial feeder and another one in a microgrid. Field demonstration could not be achieved for the APS on a meshed network, primarily due apprehension of one utility partner and also due to limited access to the protective algorithms in the network protectors. Guidelines developed from the lessons learned in the project lay out the general process followed in the design, installation, and commissioning of APS for various distribution systems. Distribution utility partners’ apprehension about field demonstration of the new APS were addressed—with varying success—by taking a stepped risk-management approach of modeling of a wide range of sensitivities first, performing in-depth proof-of-concept testing in the laboratory including HIL next, and finally deliberately implementing and commissioning the actual protection equipment and algorithms into parts of—or in parallel operation to—the three real distribution systems. Future work should include pilot projects that further show the acceptable performance of the developed APS before these schemes be rolled out more widely. Inclusion of both utility and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in future projects could increase chances of successful field demonstration. Despite challenges in achieving the field demonstration goal of the project for all three APS, the research significantly contributed to the innovation of adaptive protection solutions for scalable and reliable DER integration into distribution systems. This project significantly enhances the understanding of the impact of using appropriate inverter models on distribution and transmission (T&D) systems. By addressing the limitations of existing generic models, the project introduces high-fidelity models for stability, protection, electromagnetic transient (EMT), and quasi-static time series (QSTS) analyses. These models, integrated into commercial software tools, enable utilities, vendors, and developers to confidently study high-penetration PV systems. The project also demonstrates advanced applications, including adaptive protection schemes (APS) for distribution systems and microgrids, ensuring grid safety and reliability. The technical effectiveness and economic feasibility of the methods are evident through the development and validation of sophisticated inverter test plans and the selection of representative inverters. Testing by EPRI and NREL on retail, commercial, and utility-scale inverters, conforming to IEEE standards, underscores the robustness of the models. Improvements to existing generic models for various analyses further enhance their validity and applicability. The project also identifies gaps in common distribution protection schemes and designed new APS using improved DER models, demonstrating their effectiveness through modeling and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing. The project’s benefits to the public are manifold. By advancing the standardization and model-based representation of IBR response, it supports transmission planning, stability assessments, and future IBR interconnection requirements. The generic models can facilitate better communication between transmission planners and developers, supporting expected IBR plant capability and performance. Additionally, the development of APS for radial feeders, meshed networks, and microgrids supports the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) into distribution systems, enhancing grid reliability and safety. The project’s emphasis on thorough testing and simplicity in design ensures practical and scalable solutions for DER integration.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗