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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Energy Services Interface: Requirements Document

This energy services interface (ESI) requirements document represents a process step in the path for creating an ESI specification, which will describe the technical characteristics of an ESI. This document outlines the concepts that need to be covered in the ESI specification, such as principal functions of the ESI, grid services communicated through the ESI, and the ESI lifecycle. It provides context for the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium (GMLC) to engage industry participants in the development of the ESI specification. To do this, it describes the desired contents of the ESI specification and provides examples of the type of material that needs to be included in it. The purpose of the ESI specification is to define the requirements that are to be addressed in information and communications technology (ICT) interface standards for enabling the integration of a facility containing responsive distributed energy resources (DER facility) to an electric system consistent with the fundamental ESI principles. In this context, a DER facility may consist of a single DER with a communicating controller or may be as complex as a microgrid campus with several buildings and many DERs. The ESI specification is not a technical interface standard, but the requirements in the specification can be used to check that existing, augmented, or new interface standards meet the interoperability requirements of the ESI concept, which is explained further in this document. In this way, the ESI specification can be used to guide standards advancement work in multiple standards development organizations. To explain the scope of the ESI specification, this ESI requirements document provides examples of situations (or illustrative applications) for using an ESI to coordinate DER flexibility for grid operations. These examples originate from foundational work for describing common grid-DER service agreements that are anticipated to be supported using this interface.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Sizing and Selection of Pressure Relief Valves for High-Pressure Thermal–Hydraulic Systems

This study covers the critical concerns related to the sizing, selection, installation, maintenance, and testing of pressure safety valves (PSVs). The aim is to ensure the safety of pressurized systems, hydrostatic transmission systems, and hydraulic plants, including process plants, thermal power plants, and nuclear reactor systems. PSVs are devices that ensure the safety and reliability of pressurized vessels, lines, and systems during overpressure events. The task of selecting which PSV features are of greatest value for a specific purpose is complex—especially in the design of a high-pressure experimental thermal–hydraulic facility for hydrostatic and transient testing of the reactor system—when the systems are in the design and development phases and require qualification and demonstration to prove that they have reached a given level of technological readiness. The present study highlights the required steps for users to follow the associated rules, guidelines, and recommendations. As a part of this research, case studies are presented to help readers better understand the applicable strategy and standards. A discussion and a review of PSV performance degradation and failure are summarized to provide a better understanding of varied process applications and conditions, including fluid flow dynamics, boundary-layer formation and pressure drops, gas bubble formation and collapse, geometric configurations, inlet/outlet piping, abrupt pressure fluctuations, and acoustic resonance. Moreover, this study discusses the servicing and testing of PSVs in a multiphase pressurized system. Overall, it provides a basic overview of how PSVs ensure the safety of pressurized systems, supported by case studies and industrial practices.

02 PETROLEUM↗
NASA NTRS2000

Numerical Propulsion System Simulation: An Overview

The cost of implementing new technology in aerospace propulsion systems is becoming prohibitively expensive and time consuming. One of the main contributors to the high cost and lengthy time is the need to perform many large-scale hardware tests and the inability to integrate all appropriate subsystems early in the design process. The NASA Glenn Research Center is developing the technologies required to enable simulations of full aerospace propulsion systems in sufficient detail to resolve critical design issues early in the design process before hardware is built. This concept, called the Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS), is focused on the integration of multiple disciplines such as aerodynamics, structures and heat transfer with computing and communication technologies to capture complex physical processes in a timely and cost-effective manner. The vision for NPSS, as illustrated, is to be a "numerical test cell" that enables full engine simulation overnight on cost-effective computing platforms. There are several key elements within NPSS that are required to achieve this capability: 1) clear data interfaces through the development and/or use of data exchange standards, 2) modular and flexible program construction through the use of object-oriented programming, 3) integrated multiple fidelity analysis (zooming) techniques that capture the appropriate physics at the appropriate fidelity for the engine systems, 4) multidisciplinary coupling techniques and finally 5) high performance parallel and distributed computing. The current state of development in these five area focuses on air breathing gas turbine engines and is reported in this paper. However, many of the technologies are generic and can be readily applied to rocket based systems and combined cycles currently being considered for low-cost access-to-space applications. Recent accomplishments include: (1) the development of an industry-standard engine cycle analysis program and plug 'n play architecture, called NPSS Version 1, (2) A full engine simulation that combines a 3D low-pressure subsystem with a 0D high pressure core simulation. This demonstrates the ability to integrate analyses at different levels of detail and to aerodynamically couple components, the fan/booster and low-pressure turbine, through a 3D computational fluid dynamics simulation. (3) Simulation of all of the turbomachinery in a modern turbofan engine on parallel computing platform for rapid and cost-effective execution. This capability can also be used to generate full compressor map, requiring both design and off-design simulation. (4) Three levels of coupling characterize the multidisciplinary analysis under NPSS: loosely coupled, process coupled and tightly coupled. The loosely coupled and process coupled approaches require a common geometry definition to link CAD to analysis tools. The tightly coupled approach is currently validating the use of arbitrary Lagrangian/Eulerian formulation for rotating turbomachinery. The validation includes both centrifugal and axial compression systems. The results of the validation will be reported in the paper. (5) The demonstration of significant computing cost/performance reduction for turbine engine applications using PC clusters. The NPSS Project is supported under the NASA High Performance Computing and Communications Program.

Lytle, John K.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Geochemical Changes in Response to CO 2 Injection in a CO 2 -EOR Complex in Northern Michigan (Volume II.1)

The Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (MRCSP) was founded in 2003 as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership initiative. Since its founding, MRCSP has made significant strides toward making CCUS a viable option for states in the region. The public/private consortium, funded through the DOE Regional Carbon Sequestration Initiative, brings together nearly 40 industry partners and 10 states. Battelle, as the project lead, oversees research, development and operations and coordinates activities among the partners. The incremental, phased approach has built a valuable knowledge base for the industry and paved the way for commercial-scale adoption of CCUS technologies. From 2008 to 2020, MRCSP Phase III focused on the development of large-scale injection projects. This report is part of a series of reports prepared under the Midwestern Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (MRCSP) Phase III (Development Phase). These reports summarize and detail the findings of the work conducted under the Phase III project. The report describes the geochemical monitoring program under MRCSP to use stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry in concert with analysis of general geochemical parameters of fluids and gases and analysis of core samples to determine geochemical processes occurring in the reef structure because of CO 2 injection. Specifically, brine and gas samples were collected and analyzed to determine changes occurring between reefs prior to and following CO 2 injection. The analytical results for general geochemical parameters were modeled with chemical equilibrium models to determine if the injection of CO 2 resulted in the mineral dissolution or precipitation. Finally, core samples were collected and analyzed to determine if there was evidence of dissolution features or mineral precipitation.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2026

Toward Sustainable Lithium Recovery: A Universal Hydrothermal Approach for Lithium Extraction

The rapid growth of lithium-ion battery (LIB) deployment presents critical challenges in sustainable end-of-life management and raw material recovery. Conventional pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical methods suffer from high energy demand, lithium loss, and complex wastewater treatment. This study established a universal, highly efficient, and sustainable hydrothermal route for lithium extraction and material recovery from various spent lithium-ion battery cathodes using 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA). The optimized process achieved over 99% lithium leaching efficiency for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and LiNi x Mn y Co 1–x–y O 2 (NMC), with transition metal coleaching below 1%. It was also broadly applicable to lithium manganese oxide, lithium cobalt oxide, and black mass, achieving 98.5%, 98.95%, and 94.06% leaching efficiencies, respectively. The extracted lithium was directly converted into battery-grade lithium sources, while transition metals were recovered as oxides. Unreacted BTCA was efficiently regenerated and reused without degradation. Electrochemical evaluation confirmed that cathode materials synthesized with recovered lithium exhibit comparable performance to commercial products. Compared to conventional hydrometallurgy, the BTCA-based process increased revenue by over 40% and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by up to 39%. This closed-loop, chemistry-agnostic strategy offered a scalable and economically viable solution for industrial LIB recycling, enabling resource circularity and reducing dependency on primary critical materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

On a framework for generating PoD curves assisted by numerical simulations

The Probability of Detection (PoD) curve method has emerged as an important tool for the assessment of the performance of NDE techniques, a topic of particular interest to the nuclear industry where inspection qualification is very important. The conventional experimental means of generating PoD curves though, can be expensive, requiring large data sets (covering defects and test conditions), and equipment and operator time. Several methods of achieving faster estimates for PoD curves using physics-based modelling have been developed to address this problem. Numerical modelling techniques are also attractive, especially given the ever-increasing computational power available to scientists today. Here we develop procedures for obtaining PoD curves, assisted by numerical simulation and based on Bayesian statistics. Numerical simulations are performed using Finite Element analysis for factors that are assumed to be independent, random and normally distributed. PoD curves so generated are compared with experiments on austenitic stainless steel (SS) plates with artificially created notches. We examine issues affecting the PoD curve generation process including codes, standards, distribution of defect parameters and the choice of the noise threshold. We also study the assumption of normal distribution for signal response parameters and consider strategies for dealing with data that may be more complex or sparse to justify this. These topics are addressed and illustrated through the example case of generation of PoD curves for pulse-echo ultrasonic inspection of vertical surface-breaking cracks in SS plates.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

On the physical and chemical details of alumina atomic layer deposition: A combined experimental and numerical approach

Alumina thin film is typically studied as a model atomic layer deposition (ALD) process due to its high dielectric constant, high thermal stability, and good adhesion on various wafer surfaces. Despite extensive applications of alumina ALD in microelectronics industries, details on the physical and chemical processes are not yet well understood. ALD experiments are not able to shed adequate light on the detailed information regarding the transient ALD process. Most of current numerical approaches lack detailed surface reaction mechanisms, and their results are not well correlated with experimental observations. In this paper, the authors present a combined experimental and numerical study on the details of flow and surface reactions in alumina ALD using trimethylaluminum and water as precursors. Results obtained from experiments and simulations are compared and correlated. By experiments, growth rate on five samples under different deposition conditions is characterized. The deposition rate from numerical simulation agrees well with the experimental results. Details of precursor distributions in a full cycle of ALD are studied numerically to bridge between experimental observations and simulations. The 3D transient numerical model adopts surface reaction kinetics and mechanisms based on atomic-level studies to investigate the surface deposition process. Surface deposition is shown as a strictly self-limited process in our numerical studies. ALD is a complex strong-coupled fluid, thermal and chemical process, which is not only heavily dependent on the chemical kinetics and surface conditions but also on the flow and material distributions.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2018

A Transdisciplinary Review of Deep Learning Research and Its Relevance for Water Resources Scientists

Deep learning (DL), a new generation of artificial neural network research, has transformed industries, daily lives, and various scientific disciplines in recent years. DL represents significant progress in the ability of neural networks to automatically engineer problem-relevant features and capture highly complex data distributions. I argue that DL can help address several major new and old challenges facing research in water sciences such as interdisciplinarity, data discoverability, hydrologic scaling, equifinality, and needs for parameter regionalization. This review paper is intended to provide water resources scientists and hydrologists in particular with a simple technical overview, transdisciplinary progress update, and a source of inspiration about the relevance of DL to water. The review reveals that various physical and geoscientific disciplines have utilized DL to address data challenges, improve efficiency, and gain scientific insights. DL is especially suited for information extraction from image-like data and sequential data. Techniques and experiences presented in other disciplines are of high relevance to water research. Meanwhile, less noticed is that DL may also serve as a scientific exploratory tool. A new area termed AI neuroscience , where scientists interpret the decision process of deep networks and derive insights, has been born. This budding subdiscipline has demonstrated methods including correlation-based analysis, inversion of network-extracted features, reduced-order approximations by interpretable models, and attribution of network decisions to inputs. Moreover, DL can also use data to condition neurons that mimic problem-specific fundamental organizing units, thus revealing emergent behaviors of these units. Vast opportunities exist for DL to propel advances in water sciences.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Additive Manufacturing: A New Paradigm for the Next Generation of High-Power-Density Direct-Drive Electric Generators

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for high-power-density direct-drive generators in the wind industry owing to their high reliability, torque per unit volume, and conversion efficiencies. However, direct-drive wind turbine generators are very large, low-speed electric machines, which pose remarkable design and manufacturing issues that challenge their upscaling potential and cost of implementation. With air-gap tolerance as the main design driver, the need for high stiffness shifts the focus toward support-structure design that forms a significant portion of the generator's total mass. Existing manufacturing processes allow the use of segmented-steel-weldment disk or spoke-arm assemblies that yield stiffer structures per unit mass but tend to be heavier and more expensive to build. As a result, there is a need for a transformative approach to realize lightweight designs that can also facilitate series production at competitive costs. Inspired by recent developments in metal additive manufacturing (AM), we explore a new freedom in the structural design space with a high potential for weight savings in direct-drive generators. This includes the feasibility of using nonconventional complex geometries, such as lattice-based structures as structurally efficient options. Powder-binder jetting of a sand-cast mold was identified as the most feasible AM technology to produce large-scale generator rotor structures with complex geometry. A parametric optimization study was performed and optimized results within deformation and mass constraints were found for each design. The response to the maximum Maxwell stress due to unbalanced magnetic pull was also explored for each design. Further, a topology optimization was applied for each parameter-optimized design to validate results and provide insights into further mass reduction. These novel designs catered for AM are compared in both deflection and mass to conventional rotor designs using NREL's systems engineering design tool, GeneratorSE. The optimized lattice design with a U-beam truss resulted in a 24% reduction in structural mass of the rotor and 60% reduction in radial deflection. It is demonstrated that additive manufacturing shifts the focus from manufacturability constraints toward lower mass.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Progression to Compatibility Evaluations in Flowing Molten Salts

Molten salt compatibility with structural alloys has been identified as a key issue for the development of Generation 3 concentrating solar power (CSP) systems with thermal storage. To accelerate this evaluation to pumped systems, the goal of this project was to conduct thermal convection loop (TCL) experiments with a peak temperature of ≥700°C and a typical temperature gradient of ~100°C. The experiments indicated that conventional ~16wt.%Cr Ni-based alloys are compatible up to 700°C with purified (i.e. low O) or dried (low H₂O) industrial-sourced Mg-K-Na chloride salt with <10 μm/yr loss. This two-year project was conducted based on the experimental and mechanistic understanding developed more than 60 years ago at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The first TCL experiment met the <15 μm/yr corrosion metric for this project with specimens of Ni-based alloy 600 exposed at 580°-700°C for 1000 h and post-exposure room temperature tensile tests showed minimal degradation. The second TCL experiment successfully deployed an electrochemical sensor from Argonne National Laboratory and had a peak temperature of 750°C but only ran for ~110 h due to a furnace failure. Both experiments used highly purified industrial-sourced salt with an O content of ~3 μg O/g salt and a Mg addition of 0.04 wt.%. In the second year, the Chloride Collective developed a more economical drying procedure such that the O content was much higher (>20,000 μg O/g salt). A third TCL experiment was conducted with a sensor and a peak temperature of 700°C using dried salt from the same industrial source and increased NaCl content (~20 wt.%). In addition to a 0.05% Mg addition to the salt, a Mg coupon was added in the coldest part of the loop which dissolved during the experiment. Again, small mass changes were noted for specimens of alloys 600 and C276 but the values were slightly higher than those measured in purified salt with Mg. A thin non-continuous and non-adherent oxide layer was deposited on most specimens containing Mg, Si and Al but Cr depletion also was observed. Both years included facilities qualification crucible experiments and then capsule experiments to confirm a baseline isothermal reaction rate. The first year capsule experiment led to the conclusion that the two-stage ORNL purification process using NH₄Cl and CCl₄ left the salt with a high Cl potential and a Mg addition (~0.05wt.%) was needed to lower the potential. The second year capsule experiments at 600° and 700°C found little difference in depth of attack for 0-0.25%Mg additions. In general, the complex reactions where salt can be trapped in the porous surface layer of metal indicated that mass change is an unreliable metric and average depth of Cr depletion is a better metric for assessing the extent of attack. These results have created a new baseline that is contrary to the recent published literature for chloride salts where mass losses have been reported that can be extrapolated to very significant annual metal loss rates. Chloride salt corrosion can be controlled and the results also indicate that salt purification to low O levels may not be necessary. However, additional TCL experiments are needed at different times and temperatures to generate important engineering information such as temperature dependent corrosion rates and reaction rate laws for extrapolation to long-term behavior and isolate the effect of salt additives and impurities.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tailored Fiber Placement for Complex Preforms

Tailored Fiber Placement (TFP) offers a novel approach to optimize fiber architecture for the fabrication of complex, structural parts not traditionally suitable for advanced composites. This technology not only offers new routes for weight reduction via metal substitution, it also offers cost reduction through minimization of material scrap and reduced labor. This reduction in component weight leads to increased fuel efficiency, and reduced production energy consumption, thereby, helping to achieve the stated IACMI technical goals. This technology leverages centuries of manufacturing development in support of the textile and embroidery industry. One major drawback to this technology is the lack of commercial or non- proprietary structural performance data and robust analytical tools used to optimize fiber architecture and predict performance. This project was structured to utilize common sub-element features to validate analytical performance tools, generate performance data, and gather cost and performance data on components of interest. This project was designed to give industry sponsors the confidence and ability to take full advantage of TFP to fabricate primary, highly loaded structure and integrate features such as metallic fasteners. The project focused principally on the use of high strength carbon fiber, such as T700, and the use of aerospace epoxy resin matrix to primarily support development of new composite applications in vehicle, aerospace, and industrial markets. This project applied previously developed analytical tools to predict the performance of TFP produced parts. This work focused on developing the pipeline to characterize material in order to accurately predict component performance when modifying the TFP print paths and stitch density. This focused on experimental characterization via standardized ASTM testing, alongside experimental testing of more representative service components by testing curved beam strength, beam shear performance, a large scale TFP lug, and ultimately designing a fully TFP clip bracket that reduced weight and cost compared to a traditional metallic component. The new knowledge gained from this program included: 1) development and demonstration of novel analytical tools applied to analysis of TFP preforms; 2) development and demonstration of a building block approach using coupons and sub-elements to optimize the design of a more complex component; 3) demonstration that optimized fiber orientation using TFP can exceed performance of conventional textile composite materials and can open new applications currently limited to metallic components; 4) Demonstration of performance and cost benefits of the TFP process as compared to metallic and conventional textile composites. Recommendations for follow-on work include development of design allowables to assess the impact of high temperature/moisture exposure or saturation during loading, tracking the impact of stitching needle wear on the performance of parts and ability to stitch thicker preforms, using TFP preforms as local reinforcement at areas of bearing or complex loading, and topology optimization of components by tow steering. The expertise developed during the course of this project can be leveraged to provide commercial engineering design and fabrication services using TFP. UDRI is in the process of formalizing their partnership with Spintech, who will serve as the commercialization partner for this technology and provide molding services and deliver finished components to the end user. UDRI will continue to produce the preforms until the economics allow Spintech to procure its own TFP equipment or lease UDRI equipment, at which point UDRI will step away from manufacture and serve as the engineering and design lead on product development.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2005

An XML Representation for Crew Procedures

NASA ensures safe operation of complex systems through the use of formally-documented procedures, which encode the operational knowledge of the system as derived from system experts. Crew members use procedure documentation on the ground for training purposes and on-board space shuttle and space station to guide their activities. Investigators at JSC are developing a new representation for procedures that is content-based (as opposed to display-based). Instead of specifying how a procedure should look on the printed page, the content-based representation will identify the components of a procedure and (more importantly) how the components are related (e.g., how the activities within a procedure are sequenced; what resources need to be available for each activity). This approach will allow different sets of rules to be created for displaying procedures on a computer screen, on a hand-held personal digital assistant (PDA), verbally, or on a printed page, and will also allow intelligent reasoning processes to automatically interpret and use procedure definitions. During his NASA fellowship, Dr. Simpson examined how various industries represent procedures (also called business processes or workflows), in areas such as manufacturing, accounting, shipping, or customer service. A useful method for designing and evaluating workflow representation languages is by determining their ability to encode various workflow patterns, which depict abstract relationships between the components of a procedure removed from the context of a specific procedure or industry. Investigators have used this type of analysis to evaluate how well-suited existing workflow representation languages are for various industries based on the workflow patterns that commonly arise across industry-specific procedures. Based on this type of analysis, it is already clear that existing workflow representations capture discrete flow of control (i.e., when one activity should start and stop based on when other activities start and stop), but do not capture the flow of data, materials, resources or priorities. Existing workflow representation languages are also limited to representing sequences of discrete activities, and cannot encode procedures involving continuous flow of information or materials between activities.

Simpson, Richard C.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Application of Ionic Liquids for the Recycling and Recovery of Technologically Critical and Valuable Metals

Population growth has led to an increased demand for raw minerals and energy resources; however, their supply cannot easily be provided in the same proportions. Modern technologies contain materials that are becoming more finely intermixed because of the broadening palette of elements used, and this outcome creates certain limitations for recycling. The recovery and separation of individual elements, critical materials and valuable metals from complex systems requires complex energy-consuming solutions with many hazardous chemicals used. Significant pressure is brought to bear on the improvement of separation and recycling approaches by the need to balance sustainability, efficiency, and environmental impacts. Due to the increase in environmental consciousness in chemical research and industry, the challenge for a sustainable environment calls for clean procedures that avoid the use of harmful organic solvents. Ionic liquids, also known as molten salts and future solvents, are endowed with unique features that have already had a promising impact on cutting-edge science and technologies. This review aims to address the current challenges associated with the energy-efficient design, recovery, recycling, and separation of valuable metals employing ionic liquids.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Understanding interactions between biomolecules and two-dimensional nanomaterials using in silico microscopes

We report two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials such as graphene are increasingly used in research and industry for various biomedical applications. Extensive experimental and theoretical studies have revealed that 2D nanomaterials are promising drug delivery vehicles, yet certain materials exhibit toxicity under biological conditions. So far, it is known that 2D nanomaterials possess strong adsorption propensities for biomolecules. To mitigate potential toxicity and retain favorable physical and chemical properties of 2D nanomaterials, it is necessary to explore the underlying mechanisms of interactions between biomolecules and nanomaterials for the subsequent design of biocompatible 2D nanomaterials for nanomedicine. The purpose of this review is to integrate experimental findings with theoretical observations and facilitate the study of 2D nanomaterial interaction with biomolecules at the molecular level. We discuss the current understanding and progress of 2D nanomaterial interaction with proteins, lipid membranes, and DNA based on molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. In this review, we focus on the 2D graphene nanosheet and briefly discuss other 2D nanomaterials. With the ever-growing computing power, we can image nanoscale processes using MD simulation that are otherwise not observable in experiment. We expect that molecular characterization of the complex behavior between 2D nanomaterials and biomolecules will help fulfill the goal of designing effective 2D nanomaterials as drug delivery platforms.

2D nanomaterials↗
DOE OSTI2014

Recycled water reuse permit renewal application for the materials and fuels complex industrial waste ditch and industrial waste pond

This renewal application for the Industrial Wastewater Reuse Permit (IWRP) WRU-I-0160-01 at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) Industrial Waste Ditch (IWD) and Industrial Waste Pond (IWP) is being submitted to the State of Idaho, Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). This application has been prepared in compliance with the requirements in IDAPA 58.01.17, Recycled Water Rules . Information in this application is consistent with the IDAPA 58.01.17 rules, pre-application meeting, and the Guidance for Reclamation and Reuse of Municipal and Industrial Wastewater (September 2007). This application is being submitted using much of the same information contained in the initial permit application, submitted in 2007, and modification, in 2012. There have been no significant changes to the information and operations covered in the existing IWRP. Summary of the monitoring results and operation activity that has occurred since the issuance of the WRP has been included. MFC has operated the IWP and IWD as regulated wastewater land treatment facilities in compliance with the IDAPA 58.01.17 regulations and the IWRP. Industrial wastewater, consisting primarily of continuous discharges of nonhazardous, nonradioactive, routinely discharged noncontact cooling water and steam condensate, periodic discharges of industrial wastewater from the MFC facility process holdup tanks, and precipitation runoff, are discharged to the IWP and IWD system from various MFC facilities. Wastewater goes to the IWP and IWD with a permitted annual flow of up to 17 million gallons/year. All requirements of the IWRP are being met. The Operations and Maintenance Manual for the Industrial Wastewater System will be updated to include any new requirements.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Additive Manufacturing: A New Paradigm for the Next Generation of High-Power-Density Direct-Drive Electric Generators: Preprint

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for high-power-density direct-drive generators in the wind industry owing to their high reliability, torque per-unit volume, and conversion efficiencies. However, direct-drive wind turbine generators are very large, low-speed electric machines, which pose remarkable design and manufacturing issues that challenge their upscaling potential and cost of implementation. With air-gap tolerance as the main design driver, the need for high stiffness shifts the focus toward support-structure design that forms a significant portion of the generator's total mass. Existing manufacturing processes allow the use of segmented-steel-weldment disk or spoke-arm assemblies that yield stiffer structures per unit mass but tend to be heavier and more expensive to build. As a result, there is a need for a transformative approach to realize lightweight designs that can also facilitate series production at competitive costs. Inspired by recent developments in metal additive manufacturing (AM), we explore a new freedom in the structural design space with a high potential for weight savings in direct-drive generators. This includes the feasibility of using nonconventional complex geometries, such as lattice-based structures as structurally efficient options. Powder-binder jetting of a sand-cast mold was identified as the most feasible AM technology to produce large-scale generator rotor structures with complex geometry. A parametric optimization study was performed and optimized results within deformation and mass constraints were found for each design. The response to the maximum Maxwell stress due to unbalanced magnetic pull was also explored for each design. Further, a topology optimization was applied for each parameter-optimized design to validate results and provide insights into further mass reduction. These novel designs catered for AM are compared in both deflection and mass to conventional rotor designs using NREL's systems engineering design tool, GeneratorSE. The optimized lattice design with a Ubeam truss resulted in a 24% reduction in structural mass of the rotor and 60% reduction in radial deflection. It is demonstrated that additive manufacturing shifts the focus from manufacturability constraints toward lower mass.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Phylum-wide comparative genomics unravel the diversity of secondary metabolism in Cyanobacteria

Cyanobacteria are an ancient lineage of photosynthetic bacteria from which hundreds of natural products have been described, including many notorious toxins but also potent natural products of interest to the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries. Many of these compounds are the products of non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) or polyketide synthase (PKS) pathways. However, current understanding of the diversification of these pathways is largely based on the chemical structure of the bioactive compounds, while the evolutionary forces driving their remarkable chemical diversity are poorly understood. We carried out a phylum-wide investigation of genetic diversification of the cyanobacterial NRPS and PKS pathways for the production of bioactive compounds. 452 NRPS and PKS gene clusters were identified from 89 cyanobacterial genomes, revealing a clear burst in late-branching lineages. Our genomic analysis further grouped the clusters into 286 highly diversified cluster families (CF) of pathways. Some CFs appeared vertically inherited, while others presented a more complex evolutionary history. Only a few horizontal gene transfers were evidenced amongst strongly conserved CFs in the phylum, while several others have undergone drastic gene shuffling events, which could result in the observed diversification of the pathways. In addition to toxin production, several NRPS and PKS gene clusters are devoted to important cellular processes of these bacteria such as nitrogen fixation and iron uptake. The majority of the biosynthetic clusters identified here have unknown end products, highlighting the power of genome mining for the discovery of new natural products.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Wire arc additive manufactured A36 steel performance for marine renewable energy systems

Additive manufacturing has established itself to be advantageous beyond small-scale prototyping, now supporting full-scale production of components for a variety of applications. Despite its integration across industries, marine renewable energy technology is one largely untapped application with potential to bolster clean energy production on the global scale. Wave energy converters (WEC) are one specific facet within this realm that could benefit from AM. As such, wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) has been identified as a practical method to produce larger scale marine energy components by leveraging cost-effective and readily available A36 steel feedstock material. The flexibility associated with WAAM can benefit production of WEC by producing more complex structural geometries that are challenging to produce traditionally. Additionally, for large components where fine details are less critical, the high deposition rate of WAAM in comparison to traditional wrought techniques could reduce build times by an order of magnitude. In this context of building and supporting WEC, which experience harsh marine environments, an understanding of performance under large loads and corrosive environments must be understood. Hence, WAAM and wrought A36 steel tensile samples were manufactured, and mechanical properties compared under both dry and corroded conditions. Here, the unique microstructure created via the WAAM process was found to directly correlate to the increased ultimate tensile and yield strength compared to the wrought condition. Static corrosion testing in a simulated saltwater environment in parallel with electrochemical testing highlighted an outperformance of corroded WAAM A36 steel than wrought, despite having a slighter higher corrosion rate. Ultimately, this study shows how marine energy systems may benefit from additive manufacturing components and provides a foundation for future applications of WAAM A36 steel.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗