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At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Error field detection and correction studies towards ITER operation

In magnetic fusion devices, error field (EF) sources, spurious magnetic field perturbations, need to be identified and corrected for safe and stable (disruption-free) tokamak operation. Within Work Package Tokamak Exploitation RT04, a series of studies have been carried out to test the portability of the novel non-disruptive method, designed and tested in DIII-D (Paz-Soldan et al 2022 Nucl. Fusion62 126007), and to perform an assessment of model-based EF control strategies towards their applicability in ITER. In this paper, the lessons learned, the physical mechanism behind the magnetic island healing, which relies on enhanced viscous torque that acts against the static electro-magnetic torque, and the main control achievements are reported, together with the first design of the asynchronous EF correction current/density controller for ITER.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Gas-Gap Calorimeter Sizing and Rating Tools for Heat Pipe Experimentation

Effective gas-gap calorimeter sizing and rating tools are required to design calorimeters that enable well-defined operating conditions, high cooling powers, and accurate calorimetry. The present report describes two tools utilizing Microsoft Excel and MathWorks MATLAB that enable the sizing and rating of gas-gap calorimeters with a He-Ar binary gas mixture in the gap. The Excel tools are two easy-to-use spreadsheets for calculating heat pipe operating temperature or He-Ar mole fractions given the required inputs. The MATLAB tool includes similar models with more robust solution algorithms along with sub-options for full-vacuum, static gas-gap, and forced circulation in the gas-gap. The accuracy of the developed tools were demonstrated by comparing with existing work in literature. The MATLAB tool was used for a parametric study to determine the gas-gap thickness, coolant gap thickness, coolant flow rate, and coolant inlet temperatures for the testing of a 3/4 in outer diameter heat pipe up to powers of 10 kW and temperatures of 1,000°C. The effects of heat pipe and calorimeter inner shell surface emissivities were investigated, considering the inability to control or accurately measure surface emissivities in most applications. It was found that controlling the He-Ar mole fractions provides a wide operating range for gas-gap thicknesses around ~ 0.042--0.090 in (~ 1.07--2.29 mm) for a surface emissivity range of 0.4--0.8, since conduction heat transfer is a significant fraction of the heat transfer across the gas-gap. In addition, it was found that turbulent flow in the coolant gap is needed at high input powers to prevent shell temperatures from approaching the boiling temperature of the water coolant. The parametric study resulted in choosing stainless steel tubes with an outer diameter and thickness of 1 x 0.065 in as the inner shell, and a 1-1/2 x 0.156 in as the outer shell of the calorimeter. Overall, this report presents the necessary information for the sizing and rating of gas-gap calorimeters with He-Ar mixtures for the testing of high-temperature heat pipes (~ 500--1,000°C).

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Wind Power as a Virtual Synchronous Generator (WindVSG)

This project investigated the theory, implemented it in hardware, and validated the Wind as a Virtual Isochronous Generator (WindVSG) concept by combining the advantages of modern dynamic inverter technologies with static, dynamic, and transient electromechanical properties of synchronous machines. During this project we demonstrated how to control the inverters of wind turbine generators (wind alone or in parallel with other GFM sources, such battery energy storage) so that wind power behaves like a synchronous machine-based power plant with a conventional prime mover. For this purpose, testing was conducted at NLR ARIES facility with real 2.5 MW wind-turbine generator operating in GFM mode under dynamic and transient conditions. The team also developed models and conducted simulations for GFM wind power to evaluate stability impacts of GFM operation on power grid. This report describes efforts by the NLR team working in collaboration GE Vernova during 3-year project.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Experimental test of model predictive control in a variable air volume system

Model predictive control (MPC) has been widely studied as a promising approach for improving energy efficiency and operational flexibility in buildings, yet its real-world performance for commercial variable air volume (VAV) systems remains insufficiently characterized. In particular, the impacts of model mismatch on control robustness, real-time computational burden, and device-level operation are rarely evaluated using long-term field data. Here, this study presents a comprehensive experimental evaluation of MPC applied to a full-scale VAV system in Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Flexible Research Platform-2 building with constant cooling/heating temperature setpoints and no occupancy. The study offers three key advantages over existing work: (1) it uses a representative building in a full-scale experimental test, capturing realistic system dynamics and complexity; (2) it evaluates a relatively sophisticated MPC formulation using two different optimization solvers (Gurobi and PSO), fully accounting for computational complexity and methodological diversity; and (3) it systematically assesses potential negative impacts on various building devices, benchmark against a well-established baseline, ASHRAE Guideline 36 (G36). To isolate zone- and air-handling-unit–level supervisory control effects, the supply fan was operated with a fixed static pressure setpoint under all strategies, and the trim-and-response static pressure reset in G36 was not enabled. Results show that MPC maintained thermal comfort while improving energy efficiency. Abrupt solar radiation variations degraded performance. Computation times ranged from ∼1 s (Gurobi) to ∼ 70 s (PSO). Compared with G36, MPC achieves 33% energy savings and reduces median reheat coil output by approximately a factor of 5–10 for a representative cooling day under matched weather conditions. However, it increases the maximum discomfort deviation from 0.5 to 1°C and results in a 32% increase in staging frequency. In addition, PSO-based MPC introduced damper oscillations, also affecting actuator longevity.

ASHRAE guideline 36↗
DOE OSTI2024

Distributed Magnetic Field and Temperature Monitoring for Superconducting Radio Frequency Cavities

The overall objective of the proposed Phase I program was to design, construct and demonstrate a fiber optic sensing system capable of providing temperature and magnetic field measurements with an enhanced spatial resolution that can be implemented over a large surface area (cryomodules) to survey superconducting radio frequency cavities and magnets. A magnetic field sensor capable of detecting fluxes on the order of 1 μT is required to detect the distribution of trapped flux on the cavity surface. A unique distributed magnetic field sensor was successfully designed and constructed to demonstrate the detection of magnetic fluxes less than 500 nT. The sensor leveraged the ultra-high sensitivity of Sentek’s picoDAS to measure the magnetostriction induced vibrations in a commercially available Metglas 2605 SC ribbon that was in physical contact with sensing fiber. Static magnetic fields were detected by applying an alternating current a copper wire proximate to the Metglas 2605SC ribbon to create an AC bias magnetic field. In an alternative approach, an AC bias magnetic field was applied to a special magnetic field sensing fiber with Metglas 2605SC cladding successfully detect a magnetic field flux of a 3 μT. Exhaustive testing was performed to characterize the dependency of sensor response on the direction of the applied magnetic field. Although the special sensing fiber based magnetic field sensor did not exhibit an observable dependence on the direction of the magnetic field, the Metglas 2605SC ribbon sensor exhibited a clear directional dependence. A wide variety of polymer materials were evaluated to enhance the temperature response of an FBG based sensor at cryogenic temperatures. The processing and performance challenges provided the motivation to develop a new simple cryogenic temperature sensor that uses a commercially available fiber optic splice protector. The EVA hot melt tube that becomes adhered to the optical fiber and the polyolefin outer tube that shrinks upon heating in the fusion splicer heater provide the high thermal expansion coefficient necessary to impart a significant strain on the FBG when exposed to cryogenic temperatures. The temperature sensitivity (Δ𝜆𝐵𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑔~ 62 𝑝𝑝𝑚/℃) of the FBG-based sensor was on par with the best reported to date. The simple design, use of readily available cost-effective materials, and well-established processing techniques lends this approach to the creation of hundreds to thousands of temperature sensors on one single optical fiber length. The inherently small form factor also allows for co-location with the distributed magnetic field sensor. In preparation for field testing of the prototype sensing system at the Jefferson Labs in potential Phase II program, several different cable designs were evaluated to package the sensors. The preliminary successful demonstration of fully functional sensing cables provides the foundation for subsequent development efforts to advance the Technology Readiness Level of the technology. The technical feasibility of the proposed approach was successfully demonstrated in this Phase I effort.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Laser Shock Modeling Archival Discussion

The purpose of this discussion is to provide archival information related to the Laser Shock finite element modeling effort. As discussed in Laser Shock System, Assessing bond strength in layered materials (see Section 8.0), the Laser Shock System creates a high-amplitude shockwave on the frontside of a structure (i.e. an aluminum 6061-T6 plate for this discussion) via a high-energy pulsed laser. The shock wave is monitored on the back surface of the structure as a velocity time history. It is a compressive wave as it comes to the back surface but reflects as a tensile wave. If a bond exists in the structure and the reflected tensile wave exceeds its interface threshold stress, then bond rupture occurs. The desire of the Laser Shock effort is to establish (with multiple tests) an ultimate bond strength which can be used for fuel plate design calculations. In this process, the finite element modeling effort is the catalyst to mimic the Laser Shock tests and provide the damage information at the bond that is useful for fuel plate design calculations.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dynamic response of a freely rotating butterfly valve in the advanced test reactor − dynamic coefficients modeling

Here, in evaluating the water hammer issue pertaining to the primary-coolant-regulating butterfly valve in the Advanced Test Reactor, the dynamic fluid body interaction (DFBI) approach was implemented in the analysis covered in Part I. Although DFBI modeling accurately and simultaneously solved the dynamic motion of the valve’s disk along with the flow field of the surrounding fluid, it shed little light on the reason behind such motion. For Part II, the reacting torque of the fluid on the disk was decomposed into representations of the dynamic coefficients in terms of stiffness, damping, and added mass. These were evaluated via simulations with steady-state static (stiffness), constant angular speed (damping), and variable angular speed (added mass) disks. Substituting the dynamic coefficients into Newton’s second law enabled the response trajectories to be obtained. Stable (by average) and unstable equilibrium positions and thrust tendencies of the valve were determined based on the stiffness coefficient (or static torque), the response amplitude was dampened or enlarged by the damping coefficient (minorly affected by added mass), and the response frequency was altered by the damping and added mass coefficients. Although the dynamic coefficient approach renders slightly different trajectories, due to the averaging effect of the torque in comparison to the DFBI method, the overall trend of the response aligns with the DFBI simulation, thus confirming the conclusion in Part I that a fix to the current butterfly valve is necessary.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Xanthos-Lake Dataset

The Xanthos-Lake v1.0 dataset provides the input data, trained machine-learning models, and simulation outputs needed to characterize lake water balance, snow and ice conditions, and mixing-layer temperature within the Xanthos global hydrological modeling framework. The dataset supports lake representation across a wide range of lake sizes and hydroclimatic conditions by combining xLSIM, a basin-specific machine-learning emulator of lake snow, ice, ice-cover fraction, and mixing-layer temperature, with the Xanthos-Lake water-balance model. The archive contains NetCDF datasets used to train and evaluate xLSIM, trained model weights, processed meteorological and lake-property inputs, and basin- and lake-category-specific simulation outputs. These materials are organized into four primary data groups, described below. Snowice_model_inputs: Contains the NetCDF input data used to train xLSIM. The xLSIM machine-learning framework uses three lake-based datasets. The meteorological forcing dataset provides monthly relative humidity, specific humidity, surface wind speed, maximum and minimum air temperature, downward longwave and shortwave radiation, snowfall, surface air pressure, and total precipitation. Lake surface area is included as an additional static predictor. The target-state dataset provides lake ice thickness, snow depth, snow cover, and lake mixing-layer temperature, while a companion lake-surface dataset provides the lake ice-cover fraction. Before training, ice thickness and snow depth are converted from meters to centimeters, mixing-layer temperature is converted from kelvin to degrees Celsius and constrained to nonnegative values, and ice-cover fraction is converted from a fraction to a percentage. The predictor variables are normalized using statistics calculated across the selected lakes and time steps. Snowice_model_outputs: Contains the NetCDF outputs generated by xLSIM. For each basin, xLSIM produces a file containing observed and predicted lake-state variables for the training, validation, and testing periods. The modeled variables include lake ice thickness, snow depth, snow cover, mixing-layer temperature, and lake ice-cover fraction. For basins without a sufficiently persistent snow-and-ice signal, the emulator predicts only mixing-layer temperature. The outputs also include training and validation loss histories, the selected model configuration, identifiers of the lakes used in training, and SHAP-based feature-importance information at the global, lake, and seasonal-regime levels. The trained machine-learning model weights are provided separately within the dataset archive. Together, these files support model evaluation and subsequent coupling with the Xanthos-Lake water-balance framework. XanthosLAKES: Contains the NetCDF input data used by the Xanthos-Lake framework. Monthly meteorological inputs include relative and specific humidity, downward shortwave and longwave radiation, mean, maximum, and minimum air temperature, wind speed, precipitation, snowfall, and surface air pressure. Static lake-property datasets provide lake identifiers, geographic locations, surface area, volume, mean depth, elevation, drainage area, fetch, outlet-routing information, and associated Xanthos grid-cell attributes. Separate bathymetric datasets provide the coefficients of the area–depth and volume–depth relationships for each aggregated lake unit. GLEV-based records provide observed lake surface area and evaporation data used to initialize lake states, define reference conditions, and calibrate and evaluate the model. Xanthos-Lake Outputs: Contains the basin- and lake-category-specific NetCDF outputs generated by Xanthos-Lake. Monthly variables include lake surface area, storage volume, outlet discharge, evaporation rate, evaporation volume, lake–groundwater exchange, lake inflow, ice thickness, snow depth, snow-cover fraction, ice-cover fraction, and mixing-layer temperature. The files also contain lake-specific calibration and validation statistics, including normalized root-mean-square error, mean absolute error, Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency, Kling–Gupta efficiency, and percent bias. Stored calibrated and derived parameters include the weir discharge coefficient, fractional freeboard, groundwater exchange coefficient, reference water level, corresponding reference surface area and storage volume, weir-width adjustment factor, and the fraction of routed inflow entering the lake. Basin identifiers, lake category, simulation period, calibration and validation periods, and parameter-schema information are retained as NetCDF metadata.

Abeshu, Guta [Pacific Northwest National Laborator↗
DOE OSTI2025

Charge density waves and pinning by lattice anisotropy in 214 cuprates

The detection of static charge density waves (CDWs) in La 2-x ⁢Sr x ⁢CuO 4 (LSCO) with x ~ 0.12 at relatively high temperatures has raised the question of what lattice feature pins the CDWs. Some recent structural studies have concluded that some form of monoclinic distortion, indicated by the appearance of certain weak Bragg peaks (type M peaks) at otherwise forbidden positions, are responsible for CDW pinning. Here, as a test of this idea, we present neutron diffraction results for a single crystal of La 2-x ⁢Ba x CuO 4 (LBCO) with x = 1/8, which is known to undergo two structural transitions on cooling, from high-temperature tetragonal (HTT) to low-temperature orthorhombic (LTO) near 240 K, involving a collective tilt pattern of the corner-sharing CuO 6 octahedra, and from LTO to low-temperature tetragonal (LTT) near 56 K, involving a new tilt pattern and the appearance of intensity at peaks of type T. We observe both type M and type T peaks in the LTT phase, while the type M peaks (but not type T) are still present in the LTO phase. Given that CDW order is observed only in the LTT phase of LBCO, it is apparent that the in-plane Cu-O bond anisotropy associated with the octahedral tilt pattern is responsible for charge pinning. We point out that evidence for a similar, but weaker, bond anisotropy has been observed previously in LSCO and should be responsible for CDW pinning there. In the case of LBCO, the monoclinic distortion may help to explain previously reported magneto-optical evidence for gyrotropic order.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Optimizing Alabama’s CO 2 Storage in Shelby County (Project OASIS): Task 4.0 Deliverable – Geologic Analysis Report

Project OASIS (Optimizing Alabama’s CO 2 Storage in Shelby County) is a geologic and reservoir characterization study designed to evaluate deep saline formations for potential long-term carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) storage in central Alabama near the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) and Alabama Power’s Plant Gaston. The project centers on the Cambro-Ordovician Knox Group and underlying strata such as the Conasauga and Rome Formations, which were investigated through the drilling of two stratigraphic test wells to obtain electronic well logs, core, and sidewall core plugs. These data provide direct measurements of porosity, permeability, and lithologic variability critical for reservoir characterization. Complementing the well program, a limited 2D seismic survey was acquired to help select the site for Westover #2, and a more regional Seismic Exchange (SEI) seismic survey was licensed and interpreted to define structural and stratigraphic frameworks in a new Static Earth Model (SEM), map reservoir continuity, and identify potential sealing intervals. Integrated with geologic and reservoir modeling, these datasets form the basis for evaluating storage capacity, injectivity, and containment.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Nanohybrid of Cu2O-Ti3C2Tx as a Silver-Free MXene Sorbent for Iodine Gas Capture from Nuclear Waste

The capture of volatile radioiodine from nuclear fuel reprocessing off-gas streams remains a critical challenge due to the high volatility, long half-life of 129I, and biological uptake of iodide from the environment. Although silver-based sorbents provide strong iodine chemisorption, their high cost and regulatory classification as mixed radioactive-hazardous waste motivate the development of alternative materials. Here, we report a silver-free Cu2O-Ti3C2Tx MXene hybrid for iodine gas capture at 150 °C. Structural and compositional analyses confirm the formation of Cu2O nanoparticles on Ti3C2Tx nanosheets and their subsequent conversion to thermodynamically stable CuI upon static iodine gas exposure, achieving an iodine mass loading of up to 1115 mg/g. These results demonstrate the potential of Cu2O-Ti3C2Tx MXene as a copper-based alternative to silver sorbents for elevated-temperature iodine gas capture.

iodine gas capture↗
DOE OSTI2026

One Earth Energy Static and Dynamic Reservoir Modeling

This report presents the static and dynamic reservoir modeling conducted for the CarbonSAFE Phase III Illinois Storage Corridor project to assess the feasibility of commercial-scale CO 2 storage in the Mt. Simon Sandstone at the One Earth Energy (OEE) site in McLean County, Illinois. Three-dimensional geocellular models of the Mt. Simon storage complex were developed in Petrel ® by integrating petrophysical log data, core analyses, and seismic surveys from the OEE #1 stratigraphic test well and two nearby wells, with multiple model versions created as new data became available. Dynamic reservoir simulations, performed using Landmark's Nexus software, progressed through three phases (preliminary, sensitivity, and UIC Class VI permit studies) evaluating injection scenarios across varying rates, well orientations, permeability models, and multi-well configurations. Results demonstrate that commercial-scale storage is feasible: three injection wells spaced approximately one mile apart can store a total of 90 million tonnes of CO 2 over 20 years, producing a combined plume with an equivalent radius of 3.2 miles and a maximum pressure-front-defined Area of Review of 178 mi 2 at the end of injection that diminishes to 34 mi 2 after 50 years of post-injection monitoring. Sensitivity analyses indicate that a 20% change in porosity or permeability yields approximately a 7% change in AoR radius, and that perforating the high-permeability arkosic zone minimizes the pressure front compared to injection in the upper Mt. Simon Sandstone.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Real-Time Wave Energy Converter Control Using Instantaneous Frequency

Wave Energy Converters (WECs) rely on effective Power Take-Off (PTO) control strategies to maximize energy absorption under dynamic sea conditions. Traditional hydrodynamic modeling techniques may require computationally intensive convolution calculations, making real-time control implementation challenging. This paper presents an alternative approach by leveraging instantaneous frequency estimation to dynamically adjust PTO damping in response to varying wave frequencies. Two real-time frequency estimation methods are explored: the Hilbert Transform (HT) and Phase-Locked Loop (PLL). The Hilbert Transform method provides accurate frequency tracking but introduces a delayed response due to its dependence on causal data. Conversely, the PLL approach demonstrates strong potential in frequency tracking but requires careful gain tuning, particularly in complex sea states. Comparative evaluations across multiple test cases—including sinusoidal variations, amplitude steps, frequency step changes, and real-world JONSWAP spectrum waves—highlight the strengths and limitations of each method. The two different PTO control techniques across the various frequency estimation methods were tested under real-sea states using a state-space model of a point-absorbing Wave Energy Converter. The Capture Width Ratio (CWR) is used as a performance metric, with results showing that the HT achieves a 10.6% improvement, while the PLL estimation yields a 0.9% improvement relative to the fixed parameter control baseline. These results highlight the effectiveness of real-time frequency estimation in improving energy absorption compared to static control parameters.

WEC control↗
DOE OSTI2024

Summer 2024 INL Intern Poster Session Submission - Brian Schumitz

This LRS submission is my poster for the INL Intern Poster Session, Summer 2024. Abstract: The Software Engineering and Cybersecurity Lab (SECL) at Montana State University has developed PIQUE, a system for evaluating software quality. PIQUE's adaptability allows for language-specific static-analysis operations, including a model for assessing cloud microservice ecosystems. These ecosystems often rely on Docker for efficient deployment and management of containerized services. Our research focuses on evaluating the network quality within these microservice ecosystems. To automate this process, we're utilizing Snort, an open-source intrusion detection system renowned for its ability to detect and log network traffic. By leveraging Snort's customizable rules, we aim to construct comprehensive testing methods for measuring and quantifying the network quality based on traffic between Docker containers. This research aims to enhance the overall security and reliability of cloud microservice ecosystems by providing automated and robust quality evaluation mechanisms, ultimately contributing to the advancement of software engineering practices in these environments

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Booster cavity damper redesign for PIP-II

A new Higher Order Mode (HOM) damper was designed and is undergoing testing for the Booster accelerator cavity at Fermilab. In anticipation of the PIP-II upgrade, it was discovered that the higher intensity of PIP-II may cause beam instability due to an excited mode at 106 MHz. This unfortunately corresponds with the cavity’s 2nd order harmonic mode, which will sweep from 86-105.7 MHz. The new damper is a modification of an existing damper that was designed to reduce an existing static HOM at 83 MHz, with the new design intending to cover the 2nd order HOM as well. The existing damper uses an inductive coupling loop to extract RF energy from the cavity which then goes through a filter in order to reflect the fundamental frequency back into the cavity while passing HOMs to a dump load. The new damper intends to replace the filter portion of the system with a wider band variant while also changing the topology from a coaxial cable loop filter to a componentized PCB-based design. Primary design challenges include bandwidth coverage, impedance matching of the various modes, long term thermal and mechanical stability, radiation hardness, and high voltage handling. Initial designs achieved the desired damping but were found to quickly succumb to destructive arcing due to the voltages present. More finalized designs intend to address this problem through circuit design modifications as well as the use of hardier components.

Pieper, Dustin [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Booster Cavity Damper Redesign for PIP-II

A new Higher Order Mode (HOM) damper was designed and tested for the Booster accelerator cavity at Fermilab. In anticipation of the PIP-II upgrade, it was discovered that the higher beam intensity of PIP-II may cause beam instability due to an excited mode at 106 MHz. This unfortunately corresponds with the cavity s 2nd order harmonic mode, which will sweep from 86-105.7 MHz. The new damper is a modification of an existing damper that was designed to reduce an existing static HOM at 83 MHz, with the new design intending to cover the 2nd order HOM as well. The existing damper uses an inductive coupling loop to extract RF energy from the cavity which then goes through a filter in order to reflect the fundamental frequency back into the cavity while passing HOMs to a dump load. The new damper intends to replace the filter portion of the system with a wider band variant while also changing the topology from a coaxial cable loop filter to a componentized PCB-based design. Primary design challenges include bandwidth coverage, impedance matching of the various modes, long term thermal and mechanical stability, radiation hardness, and high voltage handling. Initial designs achieved the desired damping but were found to quickly succumb to destructive arcing due to the voltages present. More finalized designs intend to address this problem through circuit design modifications as well as the use of hardier components.

Pieper, Dustin [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Optimizing Alabama’s CO 2 Storage in Shelby County (Project OASIS): Task 6.0 Deliverable – CarbonSAFE Phase III Readiness

The OASIS CarbonSAFE Phase II Project OASIS (Optimizing Alabama’s CO 2 Storage in Shelby County) is a geologic and reservoir characterization study designed to evaluate deep saline formations for potential long-term carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) storage in central Alabama near the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) and Alabama Power’s Plant Gaston. The project centers on understanding the potential of the Cambro-Ordovician Knox Group and underlying strata such as the Conasauga and Rome Formations for geologic storage of CO 2 . These formations were investigated as part of SECARB-USA (DE-FE0031830) and Project OASIS through the drilling of two stratigraphic test wells to obtain electronic well logs, core, and sidewall core plugs. These data provide direct measurements of porosity, permeability, and lithologic variability critical for reservoir characterization. Complementing the well program, a limited 2D seismic survey was conducted to help select the site for Westover #2 as part of SECARB-USA (DE-FE0031830), and a more regional Seismic Exchange (SEI) seismic survey was licensed and interpreted to define structural and stratigraphic frameworks in a new Static Earth Model (SEM), map reservoir continuity, and to identify potential sealing intervals. Integrated with geologic and reservoir modeling, these datasets form the basis for evaluating storage capacity, injectivity, and containment. While this document endeavors to provide readers with a high-level overview of Project OASIS activities and its suitability for subsequent CarbonSAFE Phases, such as a Phase III effort. Other project deliverables and milestones will provide more details on individual subjects.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Characterization of laser-accelerated proton beams from a 0.5 kJ sub-picosecond laser for radiography applications

Laser-accelerated ion beams show promise for many applications, including high-resolution flash imaging of static or dynamic objects in next-generation radiography to probe materials and plasmas in extreme environments and inertial confinement fusion. To scale up ion beam production for radiography applications, we conducted experiments using sub-picosecond lasers up to 0.5 kJ at the OMEGA-EP facility to characterize proton beams from solid targets, primarily CH/CD sub-micron thin films from which ion beams were also used for static and dynamic radiography for the first time. For standalone sub-micron thin CH films, the highest detected proton energy is in the range of 72–97 MeV. Proton beams with highest energy near or above 60 MeV at full laser energy and similar beam profiles are also measured from low-density CD foams and flat CH foil target of micrometer-scale thickness. The ~ 700–800 nm CH/CD foils achieve the highest ion yield among the targets tested. For sub-micron thin films, the laser prepulse can expand the target and lead to complex interactions, which is simulated using coupled hydrodynamic and two-step kinetic models. Simulations suggest the presence of a micrometer-scale preplasma plateau with near-critical density and further indicate that target normal sheath acceleration, electron heating from Relativistic transparency in the preplasma plateau, and background proton reflection from carbon ion front at the rear side contribute to the resulting proton spectrum from these sub-micron thin targets at various stages. These proton beams show strong potential for radiography and for production of secondary sources.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗