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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

Megavolt bremsstrahlung measurements from linear induction accelerators demonstrate possible use as a FLASH radiotherapy source to reduce acute toxicity

Abstract Recent studies indicate better efficacy and healthy tissue sparing with high dose-rate FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) cancer treatment. This technique delivers a prompt high radiation dose rather than fractional doses over time. While some suggest thresholds of > 40 Gy s −1 with a maximal effect at > 100 Gy s −1 , accumulated evidence shows that instantaneous dose-rate and irradiation time are critical. Mechanisms are still debated, but toxicity is minimized while inducing apoptosis in malignant tissue. Delivery technologies to date show that a capability gap exists with clinic scale, broad area, deep penetrating, high dose rate systems. Based on these trends, if FLASH-RT is adopted, it may become a dominant approach except in the least technologically advanced countries. The linear induction accelerator (LIA) developed for high instantaneous and high average dose-rate, species independent charged particle acceleration, has yet to be considered for this application. We review the status of LIA technology, explore the physics of bremsstrahlung-converter-target interactions and our work on stabilizing the electron beam. While the gradient of the LIA is low, we present our preliminary work to improve the gradient by an order of magnitude, presenting a point design for a multibeam FLASH-RT system using a single accelerator for application to conformal FLASH-RT.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Mechanistic understanding of carbon mineralization in fracture systems using microfluidics

Carbon mineralization in mafic and ultramafic rocks presents an opportunity for permanent carbon storage in the Earth's subsurface. However, due to their lower permeability, pre-existing fracture networks are key for mineralization to occur. Therefore, to fully develop this technology, a mechanistic understanding of the mineralization behavior in fractures with the consideration of hydrodynamic components is required. We use high-pressure microfluidics to investigate key mechanisms influencing dissolution–precipitation in a fracture network. The experiments were conducted in micromodels made of natural rocks with a comb-shaped flow channel to mimic a fracture network. This enabled studying the effect of injection rate on coupled dissolution–precipitation in advection and diffusion-dominated flow paths. We used gypsum carbonation as an analog reaction to allow for realistic experimental time frames due to its rapid reaction kinetics. The experimental work is coupled with high-fidelity numerical simulations to enhance our understanding of the parameters affecting the mineralization reaction. Our results demonstrate the importance of flow rate on the rate and nature of the gypsum carbonation reaction revealing that higher flow rates enable deeper penetration of the mineral precipitation front into the dead-end channels. This is an important finding since for sustained mineralization in a fracture network, precipitation in dead-ends while still allowing for flowing fractures is critical. Detailed characterization of the precipitates showed that lower flow rates led to porous and loose precipitates in the form of aragonite while higher flow rates mimicked supersaturation behavior leading to the formation of calcite. The reactive transport simulations further demonstrated the significance of flow velocity in advection-dominated channels to influence the efficiency of carbon mineralization in diffusion-dominated channels, potentially clogging of dead-end channels. These findings highlight the need for coupling chemical, mechanical, and hydrodynamic processes to evaluate the nature and extent of carbon mineralization in fractured media critical for permanent storage in mafic and ultramafic formations. This research further highlights the need for more investigation in potential subsurface fracture generation techniques to aid carbon mineralization.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Critically assessing sodium-ion technology roadmaps and scenarios for techno-economic competitiveness against lithium-ion batteries

Sodium-ion batteries have garnered notable attention as a potentially low-cost alternative to lithium-ion batteries, which have experienced supply shortages and price volatility for key minerals. Here we assess their techno-economic competitiveness against incumbent lithium-ion batteries using a modelling framework incorporating componential learning curves constrained by minerals prices and engineering design floors. We compare projected sodium-ion and lithium-ion price trends across over 6,000 scenarios while varying Na-ion technology development roadmaps, supply chain scenarios, market penetration and learning rates. Assuming that substantial progress can be made along technology roadmaps via targeted research and development, we identify several sodium-ion pathways that might reach cost-competitiveness with low-cost lithium-ion variants in the 2030s. In addition, we show that timelines are highly sensitive to movements in critical minerals supply chains—namely that of lithium, graphite and nickel. Our modelled outcomes suggest that being price advantageous against low-cost lithium-ion variants in the near term is challenging and increasing sodium-ion energy densities to decrease materials intensity is among the most impactful ways to improve competitiveness.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Establishing a silica gel zone in well annulus and evaluating its performance in blocking vertical water flow

Wells are often constructed for monitoring purposes with relatively long screen lengths (e.g., >10 m). Vertical water flows can occur within the artificial or natural filterpack annulus that surrounds the screened interval, bypassing packer assemblies installed inside the wellbore. Attempts to isolate discrete vertical zones during groundwater sampling are unsuccessful when annular flow occurs and lead to remedy decisions based on biased or incorrect interpretations. Blocking vertical annular water flow and contaminant transport will help obtain more accurate concentrations of contaminants from sampling in targeted depth intervals. The application of silica gels formed from the injected colloidal silica CS suspensions is a novel approach to minimize or prevent movement of vertical movement of groundwater in the surrounding filterpack annulus. In this work, we tested the feasibility of injecting CS suspensions to target locations and developed a modified CS formulation that is injectable and prevents gravity sinking. We studied the distribution and penetration of silica gel at laboratory scale in mock well annulus with surrounding formations. We evaluated the performance of the silica gel in blocking vertical water flow in the annulus and in minimizing chemical transport through the gel zone. CS suspension formulations have been defined that are ready for injection, stay in target locations, and form gel within desired time frames. Injection of CS suspensions achieved uniform distribution in a well annulus filter pack, fully occupied the annulus pore space, and penetrated the formation surrounding the filter packer with a sufficient distance to create a hydraulic annular seal when the injection was applied at a sufficient rate. The depth of penetration into the formation was dependent on the permeability contrast between the filter pack and the surrounding formation. Silica gel that formed in the annulus blocked vertical water flow and stopped the chemical transport through the gel zone. In conclusion, this research reveals that using CS suspension injection and sequential gelation (CS-GEL) is a promising technology for blocking vertical water flow and chemical transport through the filter pack in targeted zones within the annulus of long-screened well systems.

Colloidal silica suspension↗

Impact of High Penetration Distributed Energy Resources on the Bulk Electric System

The growth of distributed energy resources (DERs), mostly generation using intermittent renewable energy sources, along with the retirement of central generation (mostly conventional power plants using fossil-fuel-based resources) has implications for the steady-state and dynamic performance of the bulk electric system (BES). Among the DERs connected to the distribution system, photovoltaic (PV) systems are the most prevalent and have been installed at an increasing rate. Until recently, the penetration levels of DERs have not been high enough to create significant impacts on the reliability and security of power system operation. However, in recent years, the penetration levels of DERs have risen to a level that their impacts on the bulk electric system should be considered in a detailed fashion in planning and operations.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Utah FORGE: Well 16A(78)-32 Logs

This dataset contains all well logs from Utah FORGE well 16A(78)-32. This includes the mud log, Sanvean Technologies logs, and Schlumberger logs. Please see the file descriptions below for information about each log.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Experimental Investigation of Inhibitive Drilling Fluids Performance: Case Studies from United States Shale Basins

Shale formations are attractive prospects due to their potential in oil and gas production. Some of the largest shale formations in the mainland US, such as the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS), have reserves estimated to be around 7 billion barrels. Despite their huge potential, shale formations present major concerns for drilling operators. These prospects have unique challenges because of all their alteration and incompatibility issues with drilling and completion fluids. Most shale formations undergo numerous chemical and physical alterations, making their interaction with the drilling and completion fluid systems very complex to understand. In this study, a high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) drilling simulator was used to mimic real time drilling operations to investigate the performance of inhibitive drilling fluid systems in two major shale formations (Eagle Ford Shale and Tuscaloosa Marine Shale). A series of drilling experiments using the drilling simulator and clay swelling tests were conducted to evaluate the drilling performance of the KCl drilling fluid and cesium formate brine systems and their effectiveness in minimizing drilling concerns. Cylindrical cores were used to mimic vertical wellbores. It was found that the inhibitive muds systems (KCl and cesium formate) provided improved drilling performance compared to conventional fluid systems. Among the inhibitive systems, the cesium formate brine showed the best drilling performances due to its low swelling rate and improved drilling performance.

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS↗

Enhanced Corneal Penetration of a Poorly Permeable Drug Using Bioadhesive Multiple Microemulsion Technology

Corneal penetration is a key rate limiting step in the bioavailability of topical ophthalmic formulations that incorporate poorly permeable drugs. Recent advances have greatly aided the ocular delivery of such drugs using colloidal drug delivery systems. Ribavirin, a poorly permeable BCS class-III drug, was incorporated in bioadhesive multiple W/O/W microemulsion (ME) to improve its corneal permeability. The drug-loaded ME was evaluated regarding its physical stability, droplet size, PDI, zeta potential, ultrastructure, viscosity, bioadhesion, in vitro release, transcorneal permeability, cytotoxicity, safety and ocular tolerance. Our ME possessed excellent physical stability, as it successfully passed several cycles of centrifugation and freeze–thaw tests. The formulation has a transparent appearance due to its tiny droplet size (10 nm). TEM confirmed ME droplet size and revealed its multilayered structure. In spite of the high aqueous solubility and the low permeability of ribavirin, this unique formulation was capable of sustaining its release for up to 24 h and improving its corneal permeability by 3-fold. The in vitro safety of our ME was proved by its high percentage cell viability, while its in vivo safety was confirmed by the absence of any sign of toxicity or irritation after either a single dose or 14 days of daily dosing. Our ME could serve as a vehicle for enhanced ocular delivery of drugs with different physicochemical properties, including those with low permeability.

Ibrahim, Mohamed Moustafa↗

Establishing a Baseline for Global Geothermal Drilling Rates

Geothermal is a promising source of renewable energy with almost zero emissions. However, there remains untapped geothermal potential around the world. This is largely because geothermal projects have high development costs and high resource-value uncertainty, and returns on initial investments can be slow to materialize. Increasing drilling efficiency of geothermal wells is one way to decrease development costs, as drilling accounts for up to 50% of the upfront costs of a geothermal power project. Currently, little quantitative information exists about how fast geothermal drilling occurs on a global scale. This paper was originally intended to be an extension of Frone and Boyd's 2018 report on geothermal drilling rates in California and Nevada. Our project includes global data and considers additional measures, such as flat time. Data for the project was limited to published papers and drilling reports that are publicly available online. The goal of our project was to establish a baseline geothermal drilling rate that is representative of current global geothermal drilling practices can be used to gauge the impact of future improvements in geothermal drilling technology. We recorded the number of days from beginning to end of a project, the number of days spent drilling, and the number of days considered to be flat time. We found the average global rate at which a drilling project is completed (including non-drilling activities) to be 160 ft/day, and the average drilling rate (including only time during which active drilling occurred) to be 360 ft/day. Our data shows no clear trend in rate change from 2000 to 2017 and significant variability in drilling rates between countries and within countries.

baseline↗

Thermal Runaway of Li-Ion Cells: How Internal Dynamics, Mass Ejection, and Heat Vary with Cell Geometry and Abuse Type

Thermal runaway of lithium-ion batteries can involve various types of failure mechanisms each with their own unique characteristics. Using fractional thermal runaway calorimetry and high-speed radiography, the response of three different geometries of cylindrical cell (18650, 21700, and D-cell) to different abuse mechanisms (thermal, internal short circuiting, and nail penetration) are quantified and statistically examined. Correlations between the geometry of cells and their thermal behavior are identified, such as increasing heat output per amp-hour (kJ Ah −1 ) of cells with increasing cell diameter during nail penetration. High-speed radiography reveals that the rate of thermal runaway propagation within cells is generally highest for nail penetration where there is a relative increase in rate of propagation with increasing diameter, compared to thermal or internal short-circuiting abuse. For a given cell model tested under the same conditions, a distribution of heat output is observed with a trend of increasing heat output with increased mass ejection. Finally, internal temperature measurements using thermocouples embedded in the penetrating nail are shown to be unreliable thus demonstrating the need for care when using thermocouples where the temperature is rapidly changing. All data used in this manuscript are open access through the NREL and NASA Battery Failure Databank.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

12 C(p,p') 12 C Reaction ( E p =19.5–30 MeV) for Active Interrogation of Special Nuclear Material

Passive detection of special nuclear material (SNM) is challenging due to its inherently low rate of spontaneous emission of penetrating radiation, the relative ease of shielding, and the fluctuating and frequently overwhelming background. Active interrogation, the use of external radiation to increase the emission rate of characteristic radiation from SNM, has long been considered to be a promising method to overcome those challenges. Current active-interrogation systems that incorporate radiography tend to use bremsstrahlung beams, which can deliver high radiation doses. Low-energy ion-driven nuclear reactions that produce multiple monoenergetic photons may be used as an alternative. The 12 C ( p , p ' ) 12 C reaction is one such reaction that could produce large yields of highly penetrating 4.4- and 15.1-MeV gamma rays. This reaction does not directly produce neutrons below the approximately 19.7 MeV threshold, and the 15.1-MeV gamma-ray line is well matched to the photofission cross section of 235 U and 238 U . In this article, we report the measurements of thick-target gamma-ray yields at 4.4 and 15.1 MeV from the 12 C ( p , p ' ) 12 C reaction at proton energies of 19.5, 25, and 30 MeV. Measurements are made with two 3 -in. EJ-309 cylindrical liquid scintillation detectors and thermoluminescent dosimeters placed at 0 ° and 90 ° , with an additional 1.5 -in. Na I ( Tl ) cylindrical scintillation detector at 0 ° . We estimate the highest yields of the 4.4- and 15.1-MeV gamma rays of 1.65 × 10 10 and 4.47 × 10 8 sr - 1 μ C - 1 at a proton energy of 30 MeV, respectively. The yields in all experimental configurations are greater than in a comparable deuteron-driven reaction that produces the same gamma-ray energies— 11 B ( d , n γ ) 12 C . However, a significant increase of the neutron radiation dose accompanies the proton energy increase from 19.5 to 30 MeV.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Oxidation Activities

Slides for Oxidation Activities, oxidation rate, penetration/lathing, and strength after oxidation work. Also includes recent and current oxidation studies, background for rate behavior, strength behavior, density profile, and penetration measurements, oxidation resistant graphite coating development, and irradiated and unirradiated graphite oxidation rate behavior.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Comparative and Cost Analysis of a Novel Predictive Power Ramp Rate Control Method: A Case Study in a PV Power Plant in Puerto Rico

One of the most important aspects that need to be addressed to increase solar energy penetration is the power ramp-rate control. In weak grids such as the one found in Puerto Rico, it is important to smooth power fluctuations caused by the intermittence of passing clouds. In this work, a novel power ramp-rate control strategy is proposed. Additionally, a comparison with some of the most common power ramp-rate control methods is performed using a proposed model and real solar radiation data from the Coto Laurel photovoltaic power plant located in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The proposed model was validated using one-year real data from Coto Laurel. The power ramp-rate control methods were compared in real-time simulations using the OP5700 from Opal-RT Technologies considering power ramp rate fluctuations, power ramp-rate violations, fluctuations in the state-of-charge, among other indicators. Moreover, the proposed power ramp-rate control strategy, called predictive dynamic smoothing was explained and compared. Results indicate that the predictive dynamic smoothing produced a considerably reduced Levelized Cost of Storage compared to other power ramp-rate control methods and provided a higher lifetime expectancy for lithium batteries.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

COMPUTATIONAL MODELING OF IGNITION AND PREMIXED FLAME PROPAGATION INITIATED BY A PRE-CHAMBER TURBULENT JET

Addressing the pressing need for reduced carbon emissions, Turbulent Jet Ignition (TJI) emerges as a promising technology for ultra-lean combustion, offering enhanced thermal efficiencies and minimized cyclic variability in spark-ignited engines. To facilitate rapid testing and integration of this technology, a robust computational modeling framework is crucial. This study delves into the predictive capabilities of computational models for main-chamber ignition and premixed flame propagation using a single-cycle TJI rig measured by Biswas et al. (Applied Thermal Engineering, vol 106, 2016). Employing an open-source compressible flow simulation solver with Large Eddy Simulation (LES) for turbulence modeling, the investigation integrates the conventional Laminar Finite Rate Chemistry (LFRC) model alongside the transported Probability Density Method (PDF) for turbulence-chemistry interaction. A fully-consistent Eulerian Monte-Carlo Fields (EMCF) method is utilized to approximate the transported PDF, while Interaction by Exchange with Mean is employed to close micro-mixing terms in stochastic differential equations. A reduced chemical reaction mechanism with 21 species and 84 reactions (DRM-19) is used for solving chemical kinetics, and a double Gaussian energy deposition model is used to approximate the spark ignition in the pre-chamber. An unstructured O-grid mesh with 0.3 million cells in the prechamber and 1 million cells in the main chamber is employed. Results are divided into two phases: pre-chamber initialization and full TJI simulations. Validation of the predicted pre-chamber flame propagation and the lean ignition in the main-chamber is carried out by using available experimental data. Under quiescent conditions, both the LFRC and transported PDF methods largely underestimate the flame speed and subsequent pressure growth in the pre-chamber. A linear momentum forcing technique is applied to investigate the impact of initial turbulence in the pre-chamber, demonstrating a notable influence on flame propagation. Fine-tuning of the forcing coefficient reproduces the sudden pressure growth observed in the experiment. The experimentally validated pre-chamber simulation serves as the initial condition for the full TJI simulations. It is found that the LFRC model fails to predict lean-ignition in the main-chamber, resulting in a misfiring event. Incorporation of turbulence-chemistry interaction using the transported PDF method substantially improves the prediction of the ignition event in the main-chamber, achieving fair qualitative agreement and quantitative validation of combustion parameters within ±10% of the reported experimental data. The rich simulation results consisting of a full set of statistical description of the thermo-chemical states enable us to gain deep insights into the ignition mechanisms in the main chamber, which is limited when done experimentally. A novel dual ignition phenomenon is revealed in the TJI rig for the first time. Initially, a primary ignition kernel is formed at a downstream location which eventually detaches from the main jet. As the jet momentum decreases, a secondary ignition event follows, this time at a more upstream location which eventually combines with the primary ignition kernel to form a single connected flame front. Investigation of these ignition sequences in chemical composition space reveal distinct differences between the two. The primary ignition event in the main-chamber is followed by a large concentration of active radicals from the pre-chamber jet, accelerating the chain-branching steps, characterizing what has been referred to as flame ignition. In contrast, the secondary ignition occurs in the absence of active radicals in the pre-chamber jet, hence characterized as jet ignition. Further analysis of the effect of pre-chamber jet characteristics on lean ignition in the main-chamber is conducted by setting up cases with different initial pressure ratios (por) between the two chambers, a non-dimensional parameter, ranging from 1.2 to 3.2. As the initial pressure ratio increases, jet momentum increases, with dual ignition observed in cases above por= 2.2. Case with por= 3.2 lead to misfiring. The effect of ignition sequence on global combustion characteristics of TJI is analyzed. Dual ignition events lead to non-monotonicity in combustion characteristics such as global reaction progress variable, flame penetration, and global heat release rate. In dual ignition events, although the rate of fuel consumption and global heat release rate is initially lower, the secondary ignition leads to a sudden increase in flame surface area, resulting in a sudden jump and promoting the overall performance of the TJI system.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Interpretive modeling of tungsten divertor leakage during experiments with neon gas seeding

Abstract Many existing and future tokamaks with tungsten divertors operate, or will operate, with low- Z impurity seeding, but the direct effect of these seeded impurities on tungsten Scrape-off-Layer (SOL) transport has not been explored in detail. This paper reports on a DIII-D experiment designed to test how tungsten divertor leakage from the Small-Angle Slot V-Shaped, tungsten-coated divertor is impacted by neon seeding at a variety of injection rates and poloidal injection locations. Measurements from the experiment show an inverse relationship between the neon injection rate and the tungsten core penetration factor. Interpretive modeling is performed with a combination of the SOLPS-ITER and DIVIMP codes to assess the underlying tungsten behavior. The modeling results show that the reduction in tungsten divertor leakage is driven by both an increase in the divertor collisionality as well as a reduction in the ion temperature gradient near the divertor target. Collisions between low- Z impurities and tungsten impurities are found to have a significant impact on the tungsten SOL transport, such that ignoring the low- Z impurity collisional effects on the tungsten transport can result in an overestimate of the divertor leakage by an order-of-magnitude. Given the importance of these localized interactions, neon seeding from the closed, slot-like divertor has a clear advantage in being able to reduce tungsten divertor leakage without the high levels of neon core contamination that occur when seeding from other poloidal locations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Progress Report on Model Development for Aerosol Transport through Divergent Cracks Paths

This report summarizes the progress in developing a phenomenological model of aerosol transport, deposition, and plugging through microchannels. The purpose of this effort is to introduce to a user community—involving researchers, regulators, and industry—a generic, reliable numerical model for the prediction of aerosol transport while accounting for potential deposition and plugging of the leak paths to model spent nuclear fuel (SNF) release from postulated Stress Corrosion Cracks in canisters under storage or transportation. Current work focuses on expanding the model to predict aerosol (and gas) flow through complex microchannel (nozzle) geometries in addition to the rectangular and cylindrical geometries, as we approach more realistic Stress Corrosion Crack conditions. In this regard, a divergent nozzle geometry, used at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) for testing aerosol release and retention (Durbin et al. 2021), was added to the model. The model was then validated with blowdown data for the particular microchannel, from experiments conducted at SNL. The report also presents preliminary non-benchmarked aerosol penetration fraction and mass flow rate for a monodisperse 10-micron (AED) particle concentration of 1.7e-08 kg/m 3 being released through the divergent microchannel geometry from the SNL’s aerosol experimental tank setup.Future work will involve validating the aerosol model and updating the model’s Graphical User Interface (GUI) to include the divergent nozzle geometry. This is expected to help stakeholders perform quick and easy first principles calculations without needing to understand the underlying MATLAB script.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Large-Eddy Simulation of Laser-Ignited Direct Injection Gasoline Spray for Emission Control

Large-Eddy Simulations (LES) of a gasoline spray, where the mixture was ignited rapidly during or after injection, were performed in comparison to a previous experimental study with quantitative flame motion and soot formation data [SAE 2020-01-0291] and an accompanying Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulation at the same conditions. The present study reveals major shortcomings in common RANS combustion modeling practices that are significantly improved using LES at the conditions of the study, specifically for the phenomenon of rapid ignition in the highly turbulent, stratified mixture. At different ignition timings, benchmarks for the study include spray mixing and evaporation, flame propagation after ignition, and soot formation in rich mixtures. A comparison of the simulations and the experiments showed that the LES with Dynamic Structure turbulence were able to capture correctly the liquid penetration length, and to some extent, spray collapse demonstrated in the experiments. For early and intermediate ignition timings, the LES showed excellent agreement to the measurements in terms of flame structure, extent of flame penetration, and heat-release rate. However, RANS simulations (employing the common G-equation or well-stirred reactor) showed much too rapid flame spread and heat release, with connections to the predicted turbulent kinetic energy. With confidence in the LES for predicted mixture and flame motion, the predicted soot formation/oxidation was also compared to the experiments. The soot location was well captured in the LES, but the soot mass was largely underestimated using the empirical Hiroyasu model. An analysis of the predicted fuel–air mixture was used to explain different flame propagation speeds and soot production tendencies when varying ignition timing.

42 ENGINEERING↗