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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 775 records · Page 43

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Characterization of NU-LHT-4M Lunar Regolith Simulant Using Different Raman Configurations

As much as possible, structures to help sustain a long-term human presence on the moon will be constructed via in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) from lunar regolith. Various processes have been proposed to make lunar regolith-based construction materials, but one complication is that the lunar regolith is relatively complex in terms of composition and can vary quite significantly from one site to another. Some of these methods to make lunar regolith-based construction materials are quite sensitive to the composition and so in-situ methods for evaluating the composition of the lunar regolith could be critical. Various analytical instrumentation has been proposed for in-situ characterization of the composition of regolith on planetary bodies. Raman spectroscopy has been suggested and has some advantages over other in-situ techniques, such as potential for relatively high spatial resolution, direct determination of the mineralogy (while other methods may only infer the mineralogy), nondestructive analysis, relatively simple instrument configurations, and minimal sample preparation/handling. For example, Raman instrumentation has already been deployed in rover-based missions to Mars. Previously, we developed the Standoff Ultracompact Micro-Raman Sensor (SUCR), which is a portable Raman spectroscopy instrument capable to be integrated into a rover or onto a lander. Here, we present work on Raman spectroscopy measurements of NU-LHT-4M lunar simulant using three different Raman instruments with different configurations for collecting Raman data with the goal to explore the effect of these different configurations on the results, especially for use in a lunar environment.

Raman Spectroscopy↗

DOE OSTI2018

Utah FORGE: Earthquake Catalog

This is the set of earthquake catalogs developed for the Utah FORGE project covering December of 2016 through March of 2018. These are discussed in the "Utah FORGE Phase 2B Final Topical Report," which can be found on GDR under id: 1038 (See link 'Final Topical Report' in resources below). The details are in section: 'TASK 2B.12: SEISMIC MONITORING PHASE2B FINAL REPORT.' The catalogs are in an Excel file.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2021

Progress toward favorable landscapes in quantum combinatorial optimization

The performance of variational quantum algorithms relies on the success of using quantum and classical computing resources in tandem. Here, we study how these quantum and classical components interrelate. In particular, we focus on algorithms for solving the combinatorial optimization problem MaxCut, and study how the structure of the classical optimization landscape relates to the quantum circuit used to evaluate the MaxCut objective function. In order to analytically characterize the impact of quantum features on the critical points of the landscape, we consider a family of quantum circuit ansätze composed of mutually commuting elements. We identify multiqubit operations as a key resource and show that overparameterization allows for obtaining favorable landscapes. Namely, we prove that an ansatz from this family containing exponentially many variational parameters yields a landscape free of local optima for generic graphs. However, we further prove that these ansätze do not offer superpolynomial advantages over purely classical MaxCut algorithms. Here, we then present a series of numerical experiments illustrating that noncommutativity and entanglement are important features for improving algorithm performance.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2025

TCCSP Project Implementation Plan

The TCCSP CarbonSAFE Phase II efforts focused on developing the technical, community, and economic foundation for a commercial-scale regional geologic storage complex for CO 2 captured. TCCSP has conducted a thorough evaluation of the regional, local, and site-specific geology, legacy well infrastructure, injection site design, and project planning as part of the CarbonSAFE Phase II TCCSP. Specially, the work performed under the CarbonSAFE Phase II has significantly furthered the advancement towards the commerciality of the TCCSP storage complex by delivering on the following objectives: Objective 1: Acquire site-specific characterization data to validate carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) storage estimates of reservoir units and the competency of confining layers in the region to prevent CO 2 leakage to develop a commercial-scale CO 2 project. Objective 2: Assess technical, economic, regulatory, and stakeholder aspects of the TCCSP.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2020

Structural Characterization of Potential Carbon Dioxide Reservoirs and Adjacent Strata within the Llandovery Silurian to Middle Devonian Strata of Ohio

The Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (MRCSP) has incorporated the work of geologic research teams (Geoteams) in its regional characterization, project planning and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) injection implementation work since the partnership was established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in 2003. Over this 16-year period, the cohort of Geoteams has grown from five to ten states and has contributed to the characterization of geologic sequestration opportunities, refinement of reservoir and seal data, and supported injection efforts through both predictive and post-injection assessments. This report details the work led by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey to evaluate the structure of nine formations in the Appalachian Basin of Ohio to assess seal integrity and whether carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) migration pathways could pose a potential risk. As part of Phase II MRCSP work, the Pennsylvania Geological Survey led the characterization of the Llandovery Silurian (“middle Silurian”) to Middle Devonian regional geologic characterization CO 2 utilization and storage. This preliminary assessment included generalized, regional-scale mapping, as well as the development of relatively coarse structure and isochore maps of stratigraphic intervals of interest for the Appalachian Basin. Because this stratigraphic interval offers several enhanced oil recovery targets and secondary targets for CO 2 storage, the Ohio Geological Survey undertook efforts in Phase III to characterize the Ohio’s portion of the Appalachian Basin more precisely and to resolve inconsistencies within Ohio’s formation tops. This study refined the subsurface correlations of the Silurian-through-Devonian stratigraphic section in Ohio. Higher-resolution isochore mapping of the CO 2 storage reservoirs and seals provides greater detail of potential high-porosity zones and potential structural influence on the interval.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

DOE OSTI2019

Enhanced Precision in Geothermal Reservoir Characterization and Exploitation

The objective of this project is to demonstrate how enhanced analytical and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms can play a critical role in all phases of geothermal resource development including 1) exploration, 2) exploitation, 3) maintenance, and 4) electric grid integration. A secondary goal, but one that in all likelihood will become more impactful, is to repurpose Introspective System's open source research and deployment architecture, xGraph™, so that is capable of significantly accelerating both the research as well as the deployment of operational systems for exploiting our nation’s vast geothermal resources. This development framework could be used to accelerate deployment by commercial operational enterprises.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Characterization of Volatiles from Simulated Lunar Highland Melts Under Vacuum

As part of the Artemis program that returns humans to the Moon for sustained presence, the in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) pilot plant is developing hardware to test systems in relevant lunar environments. As this evolves, the ever-growing field of interest requires in-depth understanding of the environment for operations. Lunar regolith contains compounds that can be harvested as resources such as fuel, or life support and construction feedstocks. Therefore, this necessitates an understanding of its constituents and processed by-products under some of the extreme conditions imposed for resource extraction.

Oxygen Extraction↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Characterization of Volatiles from Simulated Lunar Highland Melts Under Vacuum

Oxygen Extraction↗

DOE OSTI2021

A Novel Multiagent Resource Sharing Algorithm for Control of Advanced Energy Systems

This paper implements a novel resource sharing control strategy on a fuel cell–gas turbine hybrid power system at the National Energy Technology Laboratory’s Hybrid Performance Facility (Hyper). In a fuel cell–gas turbine hybrid power system, the simultaneous interaction of the gas turbine and the fuel cell creates a tightly coupled environment characterized by conflicting dynamics. In this paper, a model-free control approach is applied to solve the tightly coupled control problem posed by this challenging environment. Specifically, this control problem is presented as a resource sharing problem that can be solved using a resource sharing algorithm that is defined based on the distribution construction concept. This algorithm creates computational agents and solves the problem through the distribution and redistribution of shared resources defined as blocks. Furthermore, two agents were created; the first agent (agent 1) controls the gas turbine speed by adjusting the electric load, and the second agent (agent 2) controls the cathode mass flow through the fuel cell using the cold-air bypass valve. A parametric study was performed over the course of 15 experimental tests for both agents 1 and 2 through an evaluation of the responses based on setpoint changes. The algorithm was shown to have behavior comparable to a previously implemented multi-input multioutput state-space controller, which was designed through a model-based control approach. The resource sharing algorithm was able to find stable performance during run-time operations without any prior system knowledge identification on the power plant and without creating models used in traditional control strategies.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

NASA NTRS2010

Mauna Kea, Hawaii as an Analogue Site for Future Planetary Resource Exploration: Results from the 2010 ILSO-ISRU Field-Testing Campaign

Within the framework of the International Lunar Surface Operation - In-Situ Resource Utilization Analogue Test held on January 27 - February 11, 2010 on the Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii, a number of scientific instrument teams collaborated to characterize the field site and test instrument capabilities outside laboratory environments. In this paper, we provide a geological setting for this new field-test site, a description of the instruments that were tested during the 2010 ILSO-ISRU field campaign, and a short discussion for each instrument about the validity and use of the results obtained during the test. These results will form a catalogue that may serve as reference for future test campaigns. In this paper we provide a description and regional geological setting for a new field analogue test site for lunar resource exploration, and discuss results obtained from the 2010 ILSO-ISRU field campaign as a reference for future field-testing at this site. The following instruments were tested: a multispectral microscopic imager, MMI, a Mossbauer spectrometer, an evolved gas analyzer, VAPoR, and an oxygen and volatile extractor called RESOLVE. Preliminary results show that the sediments change from dry, organic-poor, poorly-sorted volcaniclastic sand on the surface, containing basalt, iron oxides and clays, to more water- and organic-rich, fine grained, well-sorted volcaniclastic sand, primarily consisting of iron oxides and depleted of basalt and clays. Furthermore, drilling experiments showed a very close correlation between drilling on the Moon and drilling at the test site. The ILSO-ISRU test site was an ideal location for testing strategies for in situ resource exploration at the lunar or martian surface.

ten Kate, I. L.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Characterization Inform Sustainable Recovery of Critical Minerals from Fossil Energy Waste Feedstocks

Rare earth elements (REE) and other critical minerals (CM, e.g., Co, Ni, Li) have important uses in green energy and modern technologies, yet are vulnerable to potential supply chain disruptions. One potential domestic CM source is fossil energy wastes, such as acid mine drainage (AMD) and treatment solids (AMD solids), coal combustion ash, and Oil and Gas (O&G) drilling wastes (drill cuttings and produced waters). While they can contain lower CM concentrations then traditional ore, the quantity and fast availability as waste feedstock makes them a promising CM resource. To explore their promise, researchers at DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) have collected and analyzed CM data for aforementioned fossil energy wastes, and utilized advanced geochemical characterization (e.g., synchrotron microprobe and sequential extraction) to identify the CM speciation and binding environments, and developed sustainable and targeted CM recovery. Successful examples include: (1) the discovery of easily mobile REE phases in Ca-rich coal combustion ash and developing a patented REE recovery process from Ca-rich Powder River Basin coal ash; (2) the successful identification of REE/Co/Ni/Zn hosting phases in acid mine drainage treatment solids (AMD solids) with diverse chemical composition (Al, Mn, or Fe-rich) informing the sequential recovery of different REE/CMs from AMD solids; (3) the recovery potential of Li and other CMs in O&G produced waters and drill cuttings. The innovations driven by characterization have the potential to offset the cost of waste management and wastewater treatments while reducing the cost and environmental footprint of CM extraction.

Stuckman, Mengling↗

NASA NTRS1974

Applicability of ERTS to Antarctic iceberg resources

This investigation explores the applicability of ERTS to: (1) determine the Antarctic sea ice and environmental behavior that may influence the harvesting of icebergs, and (2) monitor iceberg locations, characteristics, and evolution. Imagery sampling in the western Antarctic between the Peninsula and the Ross Sea is used in the analysis. It is found that the potential applicability of ERTS to the research, planning, and harvesting operations can contribute importantly to the glowing promise derived from broader scope studies for the use of Antarctic icebergs to relieve a growing global thirst for fresh water. Several years of comprehensive monitoring will be necessary to characterize sea-ice and environmental behavior and iceberg evolution. Live ERTS services will assist harvesting control and claiming operations and offer a means for harmonizing entitlements to iceberg resources.

Hult, J. L.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Network-Cognizant Time-Coupled Aggregate Flexibility of Distribution Systems Under Uncertainties

Increasing integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) within distribution feeders provides unprecedented flexibility at the distribution-transmission interconnection. To exploit this flexibility and to use the capacity potential of aggregate DERs, feasible substation power injection trajectories need to be efficiently characterized. This paper provides an ellipsoidal inner approximation of the set of feasible power injection trajectories at the substation such that for any point in the set, there exists a feasible disaggregation strategy of DERs for any load uncertainty realization. The problem is formulated as one of finding the robust maximum volume ellipsoid inside the flexibility region under uncertainty. Though the problem is NP-hard even in the deterministic case, this paper derives novel approximations of the resulting adaptive robust optimization problem based on optimal second-stage policies. The proposed approach yields less conservative flexibility characterization than existing flexibility region approximation formulations. The efficacy of the proposed method is demonstrated on a realistic distribution feeder.

adaptive robust optimization↗

DOE OSTI2020

Characterization of partially observed epidemics through Bayesian inference: application to COVID-19

We demonstrate a Bayesian method for the "real-time'" characterization and forecasting of partially observed COVID-19 epidemic. Characterization is the estimation of infection spread parameters using daily counts of symptomatic patients.The method is designed to help guide medical resource allocation in the early epoch of the outbreak. The estimation problem is posed as one of Bayesian inference and solved using a Markov chain Monte Carlo technique. The data used in this study was sourced before the arrival of the second wave of infection in July 2020. The proposed modeling approach, when applied at the country level, generally provides accurate forecasts at the regional, state and country level. The epidemiological model detected the flattening of the curve in California, after public health measures were instituted.The method also detected different disease dynamics when applied to specific region of New Mexico

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

The Role of Bedrock Circulation Depth and Porosity in Mountain Streamflow Response to Prolonged Drought

Quantitative understanding is lacking on how the depth of active groundwater circulation in bedrock affects mountain streamflow response to a multi-year drought. We use an integrated hydrological model to explore the sensitivity of a variety of streamflow metrics to bedrock circulation depth and porosity under a plausible extreme drought scenario lasting up to 5 years. Endmember depth versus hydraulic conductivity relationships and porosity values for fractured crystalline rock are simulated. With drought, a deeper circulation system with higher drainable porosity more effectively buffers minimum flow and significantly limits perennial stream loss in comparison to a shallow circulation system. Streamflow buffering is accomplished through extensive groundwater storage loss. However, deeper circulation systems experience prolonged recovery from drought in comparison to storage-limited shallow systems. Research highlights the importance of characterizing the deeper bedrock hydrogeology in mountainous watersheds to better understand and predict drought impacts on stream ecosystem health and water resource sustainability.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2019

The Monarch Initiative in 2019: an integrative data and analytic platform connecting phenotypes to genotypes across species

In biology and biomedicine, relating phenotypic outcomes with genetic variation and environmental factors remains a challenge: patient phenotypes may not match known diseases, candidate variants may be in genes that haven’t been characterized, research organisms may not recapitulate human or veterinary diseases, environmental factors affecting disease outcomes are unknown or undocumented, and many resources must be queried to find potentially significant phenotypic associations. The Monarch Initiative (https://monarchinitiative.org) integrates information on genes, variants, genotypes, phenotypes and diseases in a variety of species, and allows powerful ontology-based search. We develop many widely adopted ontologies that together enable sophisticated computational analysis, mechanistic discovery and diagnostics of Mendelian diseases. Our algorithms and tools are widely used to identify animal models of human disease through phenotypic similarity, for differential diagnostics and to facilitate translational research. Launched in 2015, Monarch has grown with regards to data (new organisms, more sources, better modeling); new API and standards; ontologies (new Mondo unified disease ontology, improvements to ontologies such as HPO and uPheno); user interface (a redesigned website); and community development. Monarch data, algorithms and tools are being used and extended by resources such as GA4GH and NCATS Translator, among others, to aid mechanistic discovery and diagnostics.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Physical and Hydraulic Properties of RCRA Borehole Samples from the Hanford Site : Final Report, Fiscal Years 2023-2024

Sediment from 44 core samples collected from Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) boreholes drilled in the 200 East and 200 West areas of the Hanford Site were characterized for physical and hydraulic properties (Table S.1). Characterization data included gravimetric water contents and matric potentials, grain-size distributions, saturated hydraulic conductivity, water retention characteristics, and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. These properties provide site-specific data and parameters that can be used in subsurface flow and contaminant transport models to assess the transport and fate of contaminants in the vadose zone and underlying aquifer systems. The analyzed core samples come from specific areas and depth intervals at the Hanford Site that were targeted for sampling to address data gaps identified by site contractors (Khaleel 2020). X-ray computed tomography (XCT) was used to evaluate the general textural characteristics of the samples and to determine which samples to use for further physical and hydraulic property characterization. Subsequent sample selection was determined by consensus after review of the XCT images by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Central Plateau Cleanup Company, and INTERA staff.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

NASA NTRS1984

Characterization of an advanced focal plane for multispectral linear array (MLA) application

It is pointed out that the MLA instrument represents the next generation in the Landsat series of earth resources satellites. The MLA sensor concept utilizes a pushbroom scan mode to eliminate electromechanical scan mirrors, and the lower reliabililty and higher power dissipation which accompany their employment. The pushbroom scanner makes use of a linear array which consists generally of thousands of detectors oriented perpendicular to the along-track direction of the satellite. Test techniques have been developed for the measurement of the module parameters which are critical to MLA focal plane performance. These measurements include the determination of infrared responsivity, linearity over the dynamic range, temporal noise, and fixed pattern effects on each detector element of each module tested. Tests related to spectral response, crosstalk, and spot scan profiles are also conducted. A description is provided of the test equipment involved.

King, P.↗