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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 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Demand Response in Residential Energy Code: Technical Brief

As buildings account for over 75% of U.S. electricity use, effectively managing their loads can greatly facilitate the transition towards a clean, reliable grid. Grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEBs) combine efficiency and demand flexibility with smart technologies and communication to provide occupant comfort and productivity while serving the grid as a distributed energy resource (DER). In turn, GEBs can play a key role in ensuring access to an affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern U.S. electric power system. Their national adoption could provide $\$$100-200 billion in U.S. electric power system cost savings over the next two decades. The associated reduction in CO 2 emissions is estimated at 6% per year by 2030 (DOE 2021). Building codes represent standard design practice in the construction industry and continually evolve to include advanced technologies and innovative practices. Historically, national model energy codes establish minimum efficiency requirements for new construction (ICC 2020). Expanding codes to support GEB capabilities is a pivotal step towards realizing demand flexibility in support of a clean grid by addressing capabilities to improve interoperability between smart building systems, the grid, and renewable energy resources. Realizing GEBs requires buildings with automated demand response (DR) capabilities that enable standardized communication with or control of, subject to explicit consumer consent, energy smart appliances or home energy management systems. This is achieved through direct or indirect (i.e., via an aggregator) communication between appliances and the electric grid. Energy codes can also support DR communication standardization and advance the deployment of building-integrated DERs such as energy storage, generation, and electric vehicles (EVs). Incorporating automated DR capabilities in energy codes provides many benefits to the consumers. Specifically, it aligns building electric load demand with intermittent renewable energy source availability, decreases peak load on the electric grid, allows buildings to respond to utility price signals, supports electrical network reliability and market growth of products and processes aligned with clean economic growth. The incorporation of DR into the model residential energy codes was considered for both the 2021 and 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) code development cycles. The approved DR measures in the 2021 cycle were removed in response to appeals (ICC 2020). Updated language was presented for consideration again for the 2024 IECC, where it was negotiated and again approved, and again removed in response to appeals (ICC 2024). This resulted in many sections, including sections on demand responsive controls, being moved to the credits options or an appendix as a voluntary application. This technical brief updates the proposed DR components such that they can be considered by states and local governments for direct incorporation into their codes, as well as for future IECC energy code development. The proposal refinements are intended to support consistency in approach and provide a degree of certainty for building owners, designers, contractors, manufacturers, and building and fire safety professionals. The scope of this technical brief includes three strategies for DR in residential buildings: 1) smart thermostats with demand-responsive control, 2) electric water heating incorporating demand-responsive controls and communication and 3) grid Integrated solar and energy storage systems.

2021 IECC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Managing Increased Electric Vehicle Shares on Decarbonized Bulk Power Systems

Transportation electrification and power sector decarbonization - the convergence of these two trends present a complex planning problem requiring realistic, region-specific modeling and analysis to ensure that both can happen rapidly and cost effectively. This project, funded through the U.S. Department of Energy's Vehicle Technologies Office, models the evolution of the U.S. bulk power system (through 2050) in response to large-scale EV charging across all on-road vehicle segments. We will assess the opportunity and value of demand-side flexibility (i.e., "smart" charging) for reducing energy costs, increasing renewable generation shares, and managing future EV loads on the bulk power system. Overall, this study aims to provide an improved understanding of least-cost solutions for managing EV load growth on the grid and will make high-resolution EV load data sets publicly available for further analysis.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY PLANNING, POLIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Investigation of pedestal parameters and divertor heat fluxes in small ELM regimes in DIII-D

Abstract Divertor heat flux and its correlation with pedestal parameters within various small edge localized mode (ELM) regimes, including high beta poloidal, type-II and ELMs with negative triangularity H-modes were investigated in DIII-D. The parallel energy fluences of type-II and high beta poloidal small ELM regimes fall below the linear scaling with pedestal electron pressure for type-I ELMs put forward in Eich et al 2017 ( Nucl. Mater. Energy 12 84–90). The negative triangularity of H-mode ELMs follow the Eich scaling for type-I ELMs. The parallel heat flux and total heat loads to the divertor were determined using high-time resolution infrared thermography, while pedestal parameters were obtained through self-consistent kinetic equilibrium reconstructions. Linear regressions for the type-II and high beta poloidal regimes demonstrate that an equivalent 7.5 MA small ELM scenario in ITER would fall below the ~5 MJ m − 2 leading edge melting limit for tungsten (Gunn et al 2017 Nucl. Fusion 57 046025). Utilizing fast thermography, the scrape-off layer power fall-off length for both inter-ELM and intra-ELM was determined and compared to the Eich scaling with poloidal magnetic field in Eich et al (ASDEX Upgrade Team and JET EFDA Contributors 2013 Nucl. Fusion 53 093031). Except for the high beta poloidal scenario, all the small ELM regimes during both inter- and intra-ELM periods had power fall-off lengths ( λ q ) larger then would be expected from the B pol , MP − 1 scaling associated with type-I ELMs, signifying their potential in managing heat loads and offering a solution for core–edge integration.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Intelligent industrial demand response to increase grid flexibility and reliability: A review

The rapid transition toward renewable energy has introduced challenges in grid stability due to the intermittency of non-dispatchable sources like solar and wind. Industrial Demand Response (IDR) offers a promising, cost-effective solution that adjusts energy consumption patterns to align with supply, increases renewable utilization, and reduces costs. This review provides an updated analysis of IDR, sorting technologies into five categories: energy storage, scheduled energy usage, operational flexibility, on-site generation, and intelligent operations. Energy storage solutions, while requiring little flexibility, often have the longest payback periods. While slightly better, on-site generation also has longer payback periods, ranging from 5 to 20 years or more. Scheduled energy usage, operational flexibility, and intelligent operations allow significant peak reduction at lower capital costs but require greater flexibility. While 15–20 % peak reduction is within the range of all five categories, scheduled energy use and on-site energy generation are shown to have reductions of up to 70–80 % in select scenarios. Combining multiple IDR strategies from these five categories maximizes both financial and operational benefits. Synergistic approaches are shown to enhance grid stability while reducing costs. As the grid evolves, IDR will enable a more flexible, renewable-powered future that will benefit industrial facilities and the broader energy system.

Demand flexibility↗
DOE OSTI2026

Modeling and Experimental Validation of a Direct-Contact Counter-Flow Fluidized Bed Heat Exchanger for Thermal Energy Storage (TES) Applications

Particle-based thermal energy storage (TES) systems are an emerging energy storage technology. The technological advances have reduced costs, making TES more competitive and reliable in the marketplace but an efficient and reliable operation is heavily dependent on coherent heat transfer between air to particles or vice versa. The particle-based TES technologies provide an intermediate system that can store energy for short (0-10 h), long (10-200 h) and seasonal (> 200 h) timescales. The TES systems store energy by converting electricity to thermal energy; electricity can be directly sourced intermittent generation technologies and/or the grid, helping manage peak loads and other mismatches in supply and demand. The overall efficiency of the TES system depends on the performance of system components (particle storage silos and particle transfer mechanism etc.). The particle heat exchanger is one of the key system components that affects the system efficiency. The pressurized fluidized bed heat exchanger (PFB HX) performance is challenging to predict due to the chaotic behavior of particle and fluid interaction. This research presents a computational study of a novel direct-contact, counter-flow and air-to-particles PFB HX, that contributes in advancing the particle-based long-duration TES technologies. For the current analysis an unsteady Eulerian-Eulerian CFD model was developed and validated against experiments performed at the National Laboratory of the Rockies for two particle sizes (600 ..mu..m and 825 ..mu..m ). Following validation, parametric simulations were conducted to evaluate the effects of interphase drag models (Syamlal-O'Brien and Gidaspow), particle size, bed height and the influence of a frictional-viscosity term on hydrodynamics and heat transfer between the air & particles. The key findings from the analysis are: (1) for the studied operating window Syamlal-O'Brien provides superior agreement with measured gas temperatures (errors generally < 10%) while Gidaspow shows large deviations for the coarse particle case; (2) model predictions are most sensitive in the lower 0.2 m above the air distributor where bubble initiation and local mixing dominate interphase heat transfer; (3) representation of the distributor (number of inlet ports) materially affects predicted local mixing and temperature stratification; and (4) the Eulerian-Eulerian framework reproduces bulk thermal trends but shows regime dependent limitations for coarse particles, motivating mesoscale informed closures for scale-up analysis for future studies. These results provide validated guidance for drag selection and distributor design in particle-based thermal energy storage applications. Collectively, the validated model and parametric results quantify key drivers of PHB-HX performance and provide practical guidance for design and optimization. The results provide confidence in the model predictability and provide a step forward to improve on heat exchange performance. The demonstrated performance and modeling approach support the deployment and further development of this novel PHB-HX concept for robust, particle-based long-duration thermal energy storage systems.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

A cell-centered AMR-ALE framework for 3D multi-material hydrodynamics. Part I: Lagrangian and indirect Euler AMR algorithms

Many applications of physics and engineering involve wide ranges of time and spatial scales. The numerical simulation of localized small scales such as shock waves and material interfaces requires a large number of computational cells in these regions. For these applications, Lagrangian and Arbitrary-Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) related methods are engaging since the moving mesh feature naturally brings mesh cells on shock discontinuities and material interfaces are carefully captured. In addition, Adaptive-Mesh-Refinement (AMR) strategies aim to optimize computational resources by concentrating finer mesh cells only in areas of interest while using coarser cells elsewhere. A key but challenging AMR requirement consists in efficiently distributing the computational effort to achieve high accuracy without the prohibitive computational costs associated with uniformly fine grids. Here, in this document, the coupling of the p4est AMR library with a cell-centered Lagrangian scheme is presented with the goal to perform reliable 3D Lagrangian-AMR and indirect Euler-AMR multi-material simulations. In particular, it is shown that starting from a 3D indirect ALE code, the memory management and load balancing requirements can be delegated to an external library (here the p4est library) to unlock ALE-AMR capabilities. First, we present a strategy to transcribe the octant-based connectivity of the 3D AMR framework with that of an unstructured mesh of polygonal cells used in Lagrangian hydrodynamics. Then, we show how refinement and coarsening operations must be adapted to the particular Lagrangian framework to ensure the conservation of volume during those steps. Finally, several numerical test cases are presented that demonstrate the capabilities of the Lagrangian-AMR and indirect Euler-AMR algorithms.

3D cell-centered Lagrangian numerical scheme↗
DOE OSTI2026

Insights into the mechanisms of NH3 inhibition on Cu-CHA SCR catalysts

This work elucidates the atomic-scale mechanism behind ammonia (NH3) inhibition during the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO? on Cu-CHA catalysts, a key issue limiting low-temperature emission control. Using SCR kinetic analysis, operando electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT), we demonstrate that NH3 inhibition primarily slows the oxidation half-cycle (OHC), while the reduction half-cycle (RHC) remains unaffected. DFT simulations reveal that excess NH3 substantially increases the diffusion barrier for CuI ions, hindering formation of essential CuII-oxo dimer intermediates and thus suppressing OHC kinetics. Operando EPR studies confirm that this inhibition strongly depends on operating temperature and catalyst Cu loading. Our findings highlight strategies to counteract NH3 inhibition, including optimizing Cu loading, precisely managing NH3:NO feed ratios, and enhancing CuI ion mobility through tailored catalyst design and operational adjustments, thereby advancing the efficiency of emission control technologies in automotive applications.

Deka, Dhruba Jyoti↗
DOE OSTI2026

Turbulence-Driven Edge-Localized-Mode-Free High-Confinement Mode with Divertor Detachment in a Metal-Wall Tokamak

We report the first demonstration of a minute-scale, edge-localized-mode-free high-confinement plasma regime compatible with divertor partial detachment and enhanced pedestal performance in a metal-wall tokamak, the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak. This regime is enabled by a newly identified mechanism: during divertor partial detachment, reduced ionization and enhanced pumping in a closed divertor lead to less cooling of the pedestal by recycling neutrals and seeding impurities, resulting in an increased pedestal temperature gradient, which excites high-frequency broadband turbulence. Gyrokinetic simulations identify the high-frequency broadband turbulence as a temperature-gradient-driven trapped electron mode (𝜂 𝑒 -TEM), which drives outward transport of particles and heat, thereby maintaining the edge-localized-mode-free state. This pedestal regime is particularly promising for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, where the anticipated lower density gradient, reduced E×B shear, and lower collisionality in the pedestal will further facilitate 𝜂 𝑒 -TEM excitation. The achieved integrated scenario with a detached divertor and turbulence-dominated pedestal thus offers a compelling solution for managing heat loads and metal impurity sources for long-pulse high-performance operation in future fusion reactors.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Distributed Automatic Generation Control Considering DPV Using T&D Dynamic Co-Simulation

The increasing adoption of distributed energy resources (DERs) over the last decade warrants a reconsideration of control of generation resources. This paper proposes a distributed Automatic Generation Control (AGC) using transmission-and-distribution (T&D) dynamic co-simulation framework for the efficient DPV frequency regulation services. The co-simulation framework allows AGC units to exchange the information for distributed AGC, based on their adopted communication network topology. As a result, a cost-effective automatic generation control is achieved with DPV and conventional generators. The proposed distributed AGC is based on the gossip algorithm in which the neighboring AGC units share the relevant local information with each other and updates their share of AGC regulation signal. Distributed photovoltaics (DPV) unit contribute to AGC response based on their headroom capacity via DER aggregators. The algorithm is tested on IEEE-14 bus transmission system under conditions of generation failure and random load variation to observe effective frequency regulations service offered by DPVs and other AGC units. The study shows that DPV can effectively participate in AGC with the proposed distributed control framework.

automatic generation control↗
DOE OSTI2025

OpenSAMPL

OpenSAMPL (Open Synchronization Analytics and Monitoring PLatform) is a Python framework for processing, loading, and managing clock probe time series data and metadata from different vendors.

Grant, Josh [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL),↗
DOE OSTI2024

LLNL FESP Theory Highlights: August 2024

The 2024 ABOUND SciDAC and BOUT++ combined workshop was held August 5-9 th 2024 at the University of California Livermore Collaboration Center (UCLC) in Livermore. Bringing together leading scientists and researchers from across the globe, this pivotal event focused on advancing plasma physics and boundary plasma dynamics within the context of fusion energy research. Key discussions throughout the meeting highlighted significant advancements in the BOUT++ framework, including enhanced simulations of small Edge Localized Modes (ELMs) and the initiation of integrating the integration of the 5D GEM gyrokinetic turbulence core code with the 2D SOLPS-ITER boundary transport code. These developments are crucial for managing heat loads in fusion reactors and supporting the longevity of plasma-facing components. The event also featured a session on Inter-SciDAC Collaborations, where principal investigators from multiple U.S. FES SciDAC tokamak projects explored opportunities for cross-collaboration. Additionally, the meeting showcased cutting-edge advancements in GPU acceleration and AI/ML technologies, poised to drive the next generation of fusion research. In his closing remarks, Dr. Xueqiao Xu emphasized the importance of the collaborative efforts and discussions that took place, noting their potential to shape future breakthroughs in fusion energy. The event underscored the global nature of the BOUT++ collaboration, with contributions from over 57 institutions worldwide. The 2024 BOUT++ and ABOUND Joint Hybrid Meeting continues to drive forward the research and innovations needed to achieve fusion energy, setting the stage for future collaboration and discovery.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

An Integrated Paradigm for the Management of Delivery Risk in Electricity Markets: From Batteries to Insurance and Beyond

If power systems transition to integrate higher amounts of variable renewable energy sources, storage technologies, and distributed energy resources (DERs), new risk management frameworks are necessary to ensure cost-effective and reliable power system operations. Projects funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Performance-based Energy Resource Feedback, Optimization, and Risk Management (PERFORM) program aim to contribute new risk management frameworks by developing methods to quantify and manage risk at grid asset and system levels. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) led a PERFORM project in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), kWh Analytics, Packetized Energy, and Imperial Consultants (ICON). The project addressed two challenges related to risk management in electricity markets: managing net load imbalances and flexibility from DERs. This final technical report presents a list of project accomplishments, activities, and outputs.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS1976

The characteristics of the planned National Transonic Facility

The National Transonic Facility is a high Reynolds number transonic wind tunnel designed to satisfy the research and development needs of NASA, DOD, and industry. The facility design incorporates the cryogenic approach to achieving high Reynolds numbers with manageable model loads. By using temperature as a test variable, a unique capability to clearly separate aeroelastic, Reynolds number, and Mach number effects will be possible. This capability will open new horizons in transonic aerodynamic research. The tunnel design including unique features and operating envelopes is described. A brief overview of the general operating arrangement and the schedule for facility construction is presented.

Mckinney, L. W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Performance results of Grumman prototype Space Station Space Erectable Radiator System ground test articles

The paper addresses individual-radiator performance results of the prototype Space Erectable Radiator System (SERS) in both ambient and thermal vacuum environments. The radiator design utilizing a two-phase fluid loop is outlined, along with SERS design requirements, radiator panel hardware, and whiffletree clamp hardware providing a dry-contact interface of the SERS panel with the heat exchanger of the thermal bus. It is observed that throughout integrated thermal-bus tests, SERS panels managed the load demands whether interfacing with twin condensers, in parallel-flow configuration, or with shear-flow condensers, in a cross-flow configuration. It is found that the insulation losses in the integrated and stand-alone test points are approximately 2 to 6 pct. The motorized whiffletree clamp is seen as performing satisfactorily during remote operations as well as maintaining 28,800-lb force throughout the test duration without requiring further adjustments.

Gisondo, Francine↗
NASA NTRS1991

Probabilistic load simulation: Code development status

The objective of the Composite Load Spectra (CLS) project is to develop generic load models to simulate the composite load spectra that are included in space propulsion system components. The probabilistic loads thus generated are part of the probabilistic design analysis (PDA) of a space propulsion system that also includes probabilistic structural analyses, reliability, and risk evaluations. Probabilistic load simulation for space propulsion systems demands sophisticated probabilistic methodology and requires large amounts of load information and engineering data. The CLS approach is to implement a knowledge based system coupled with a probabilistic load simulation module. The knowledge base manages and furnishes load information and expertise and sets up the simulation runs. The load simulation module performs the numerical computation to generate the probabilistic loads with load information supplied from the CLS knowledge base.

Newell, J. F.↗