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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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DOE OSTI2024

Summary of a Workshop on Integrating Energy Equity into Power System Planning and Operation

On November 29 and 30, 2023, the Energy Systems Integration Group convened a one-and-a-half-day workshop in Arlington, Virginia, to improve knowledge and practices for integrating energy equity considerations into power system planning and operation. Workshop participants were invited to discuss approaches for integrating energy equity aspects into models and tools and to explore possible pathways for enhanced technical practices. Participants included utility planning and modeling practitioners, social science and energy justice academics, representatives from energy and environmental justice nongovernmental organizations, non-profits, consumer advocates, and representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy, national labs, and other government agencies. This report summarizes the discussion points and outcomes of the workshop, which prioritized the technical aspects of incorporating the challenges and solutions identified by electricity-futures stakeholders and communities. These technical activities include the fundamental grid structure and hardware, detailed modeling approaches that benchmark energy system performance and justify future investments, and engineering designs and limitations for potential solutions to meet energy equity goals in communities.

energy equity↗
DOE OSTI2022

CondiDiag1.0: a flexible online diagnostic tool for conditional sampling and budget analysis in the E3SM atmosphere model (EAM)

Abstract. Numerical models used in weather and climate prediction take into account a comprehensive set of atmospheric processes (i.e., phenomena) such as the resolved and unresolved fluid dynamics, radiative transfer, cloud and aerosol life cycles, and mass or energy exchanges with the Earth's surface. In order to identify model deficiencies and improve predictive skills, it is important to obtain process-level understanding of the interactions between different processes. Conditional sampling and budget analysis are powerful tools for process-oriented model evaluation, but they often require tedious ad hoc coding and large amounts of instantaneous model output, resulting in inefficient use of human and computing resources. This paper presents an online diagnostic tool that addresses this challenge by monitoring model variables in a generic manner as they evolve within the time integration cycle. The tool is convenient to use. It allows users to select sampling conditions and specify monitored variables at run time. Both the evolving values of the model variables and their increments caused by different atmospheric processes can be monitored and archived. Online calculation of vertical integrals is also supported. Multiple sampling conditions can be monitored in a single simulation in combination with unconditional sampling. The paper explains in detail the design and implementation of the tool in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) version 1. The usage is demonstrated through three examples: a global budget analysis of dust aerosol mass concentration, a composite analysis of sea salt emission and its dependency on surface wind speed, and a conditionally sampled relative humidity budget. The tool is expected to be easily portable to closely related atmospheric models that use the same or similar data structures and time integration methods.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Floating Wind Array Ontology and Modeling Framework

While there are many tools for designing and modeling a single floating turbine, array level design and modeling has much more to consider. Designing floating wind arrays requires a coupled approach considering many variables, from bathymetry to installation and maintenance to failure and risk analysis. With all of these considerations, an array-level modeling tool is needed to quickly evaluate array designs. The Floating Array Model (FAModel) tool developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory was created to fill this gap in low-fidelity array modeling. FAModel is a python framework created to streamline holistic low-fidelity floating wind modeling for array-level analysis. FAModel integrates site data and models with a variety of open-source modeling tools developed by NREL, including FLORIS, RAFT, MoorPy, and anchor capacity models. The integration of these tools allows users to quickly and holistically design an array by considering forces, area analysis, visualization, annual energy production, failure modeling, and component costs.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

A control-inspired approach for energy transition planning under uncertainty

As the global carbon footprint continues to grow, many countries are implementing carbon emission reduction policies which have incentivized the expansion of low-carbon and renewable technologies. However, the speed and scale of deployment falls short of that needed to meet climate goals. Energy system models serve as key tools for guiding investment decisions and helping policymakers evaluate the effects of various policies on the development of an energy system. This study focuses on the energy system of the United States and builds upon prior work by incorporating more geographic granularity to account for the trade of commodities and addresses transmission congestion through electricity price adjustments. Furthermore, real-world characteristics, such as delays in constructing new liquid fuel production and electricity generation facilities, are integrated using a sequential decision-making approach that better reflects how decisions can be updated as uncertainties unfold. Results demonstrate that stochastic programming combined with sequential decision-making produces energy transition pathways that are robust to multiple uncertain futures. Additionally, considering real-world characteristics significantly impacts the deployment of renewable technologies and the ability to meet carbon emission reduction goals while also reliably meeting demand. These findings highlight the importance of accounting for uncertainty and real-world characteristics to avoid overly optimistic projections in energy system planning.

energy systems↗
DOE OSTI2020

Energy Consumption and Cost Reduction of Future Light-Duty Vehicles through Advanced Vehicle Technologies: A Modeling Simulation Study Through 2050

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) and Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) aim to develop sustainable, affordable and efficient technologies for transportation of goods and people. Translating investments in advanced transportation component technologies and powertrains to estimate vehicle-level fuel savings potential is critical for understanding DOE’s impact. In this work, we simulated technologies funded by VTO and HFTO for light duty vehicles. The simulations were performed across: Multiple powertrain configurations (i.e., conventional, power-split, extended-range electric vehicle, battery electric drive, and fuel-cell vehicles), Vehicle classes (i.e., compact car, midsize car, small sport utility vehicle [SUV], midsize SUV, and pickup trucks); and Fuels (i.e., gasoline, diesel, hydrogen, and battery electricity). These various technologies are assessed for six different timeframes: laboratory years 2015, 2020, 2025, 2030, and 2045. A delay of 5 years is assumed between laboratory year and model year (year technology is introduced into production). Finally, uncertainties are included for both technology performance and cost aspects by considering two cases: Low case, aligned with DOE technology manager estimates of expected original equipment manufacturer (OEM) improvements based on regulations, business as usual; and High case, aligned with aggressive technology advancements based on R&D targets developed through support by VTO & HFTO. These scenarios are not intended as predictions of future performances. The energy and cost impact of different technologies were estimated using Autonomie (www.autonomie.net), Argonne vehicle system simulation tool. Autonomie is a state-of-the-art vehicle system simulation tool used to assess the energy consumption, performance and cost of multiple advanced vehicle technologies across classes (from light to heavy duty), powertrains (from conventional to HEVs, FCEVs, PHEVs and BEVs), components and control strategies. Autonomie is packaged with a complete set of vehicle models for a wide range of vehicle classes, powertrain configurations and component technologies, including vehicle level and component level controls. These controls were developed and calibrated using dynamometer test data. Autonomie has been used to support a wide range of studies including analyzing various component technologies, sizing powertrains components for different vehicle requirements, comparing the benefits of powertrain configurations, optimizing both heuristic and route based vehicle energy control and predicting transportation energy use when paired with a traffic modeling tool such as POLARIS. This report documents the assumptions and estimates the vehicle-level energy consumption benefits and associated technology costs for the various types of light duty vehicles. All details of vehicle assumptions and simulation results are available in the spreadsheets accompanying this report.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2026

MCP-enabled agentic AI workflow for building energy modelling: framework and use cases

Traditional building energy modelling workflows remain labor-intensive and error-prone, requiring specialized expertise that limits broader adoption. This paper introduces a novel Model Context Protocol (MCP)-enabled framework that connects AI assistants to EnergyPlus through MCP, a standardized interface for tool invocation and context management. Two complementary integration paradigms are presented and compared: conversational integration, where users interact through natural language while an AI assistant orchestrates MCP tools on demand, and agentic workflow integration, where specialized agents coordinate autonomously to complete multi-step tasks. Using an experimental testbed for residential buildings, the end-to-end workflows are demonstrated. The conversational approach reduced typical inspection and modification tasks from 1-2 h to under 15 min, while maintaining full transparency through visible tool invocations. The agentic approach automated parametric analysis. These demonstrations establish MCP as a foundational layer for AI-assisted building energy modelling, enabling natural language interactions with simulation tools while preserving professional oversight and decision-making authority.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

The Virtual Test Bed (VTB) repository: a library of multiphysics reference reactor models using NEAMS tools

With the next generation of nuclear reactors under development, modeling and simulation (MS) tools are being developed by the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program in order to support their design, licensing, and future operation. Mirroring the physical test beds currently under construction (i.e., EBR-II and ZPPR), the Virtual Test Bed (VTB) was launched by the National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) in collaboration with NEAMS to support the advanced reactor community. This collaborative effort, which involves multiple teams at both Idaho National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory aims to use NEAMS tools to model a wide range of reactor designs. Those models are automatically tested to ensure their continued functionality as the tools are further developed. Examples are extensively documented, each acting as a tutorial for applying the relevant NEAMS tools to that reactor design. Currently, five advanced reactor types (with a total of eight specific design variants) are simulated by a variety of different models. These models range from steady-state, core multiphysics simulations to integrated plant analysis during loss-of flow transients. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Assembling Multiphysics Nuclear Reactor Simulations Using the MOOSE Framework

The Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) [1] is an open-source, parallel finite element framework which provides the foundation for many advanced modeling and simulation tools developed under the Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) Program [2] for the analysis of advanced reactors. The MOOSE framework provides the common foundational capability on which many NEAMS codes for reactor analysis are built. The MOOSE framework also includes several systems to assemble unique workflows and couplingamong MOOSE-based applications. In particular, the MultiApp and Transfer Systems are widely used to assemble different MOOSE-based or MOOSE-wrapped physics applications together to perform loosely or tightly coupled multiphysics simulations. The National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) Virtual Test Bed (VTB) [3] hosts publicly available nuclear reactor multiphysics simulation examples which leverage MOOSE’s MultiApp System to meet the modeling needs of different reactor types. The flexibility and robustness of coupling provided by MOOSE permits rapid development of coupled physics models for a wide range of reactor types and events

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

The Virtual Test Bed (VTB) Repository: A Library of Multiphysics Reference Reactor Models using NEAMS Tools

With the next generation of nuclear reactors under development, modeling and simulation (M&S) tools are being developed by the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program in order to support their design, licensing, and future operation. Mirroring the physical test beds currently under construction (i.e., EBR-II and ZPPR), the Virtual Test Bed (VTB) was launched by the National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) in collaboration with NEAMS to support the advanced reactor community. This collaborative effort, which involves multiple teams at both Idaho National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory aims to use NEAMS tools to model a wide range of reactor designs. Those models are automatically tested to ensure their continued functionality as the tools are further developed. Examples are extensively documented, each acting as a tutorial for applying the relevant NEAMS tools to that reactor design. Currently, five advanced reactor types (with a total of eight specific design variants) are simulated by a variety of different models. These models range from steady-state, core multiphysics simulations to integrated plant analysis during loss-of-flow transients.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Mapping the Opportunity Space to Model the Circular Economy Using Tools Funded by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

An increasing rate of material consumption and a growing population mean that the Earth's supply of natural resources is witnessing an unsustainable and unprecedented demand. This forces us to find solutions that ensure the availability of resources for sustenance of our society in the years to come. Actors from various backgrounds are addressing these challenges from their own perspectives: engineers are developing efficient manufacturing processes, designers are creating lightweight and durable products, educators are incorporating sustainable thinking in their curricula, policymakers are finding interdisciplinary solutions that benefit society at large, etc. Circular economy (CE) is one such approach to resource use that aims to move away from the linear material use framework of "take-make-waste" to a more circular and interdependent system where product, material and resource use is maximized to avoid unnecessary social, economic, and environmental costs. The purpose of this report is to explain how to approach evaluating the circular economy and to help researchers identify existing tools that can be used or that can serve as starting points for their research needs.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2025

OC7 Phase I Definition Document

The Offshore Code Comparison Collaboration 7 (OC7) project is organized under the International Energy Agency Wind Technology Collaboration Programme Task 56 with an objective to evaluate and enhance the predictive accuracy of engineering-level modeling tools used in the design of offshore wind energy systems. Phase I of OC7 is focused on improving the models and modeling practices of hydrodynamic viscous loads on floating offshore wind turbine platforms. In alignment with this goal, Work Package 1.1 of OC7 Phase I is formulated to investigate the modeling of hydrodynamic viscous loads on several different geometric components commonly encountered with floating offshore wind platform designs, including cylindrical columns, heave plates, and rectangular pontoons. Work Package 1.1 also explores the dependence of hydrodynamic coefficients on the sea state to drive toward practical guidance on how these coefficients can be selected or adjusted for different conditions. This report outlines the motivation and objectives behind each subphase of OC7 Phase I, along with the necessary technical specifications and load case definitions to guide the project participants. It also serves as an important part of the project documentation for future modelers who would like to reproduce this work or make use of the data and information generated from the OC7 project.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

USAID Haiti Training Session #1: Engage Orientation [Slides]

Welcome to Engage! Engage is a capacity expansion modeling tool supported by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and based on the Calliope open-source capacity expansion model developed by the ETH Zurich University, maintained at the TU Delft University. Engage is an accessible (free, open-access, web-hosted) and flexible web-based energy system planning application for rapid multiple-energy-form energy system scenario exploration. Its cloud-based, collaborator-sharable data model, intuitive interface and visualization capabilities facilitate collaboration and communication among teams, with experts, and among diverse stakeholder groups exploring energy system implications at from district to national-scale models. This training series was developed under USAID to empower Haitian stakeholders to explore modeling scenarios in Engage to develop a Haiti Energy Master Plan. This training series includes a general overview of how Engage works along with tailored exercises that target Haiti's specific energy needs, such as modeling the capacity expansion of the bulk power system, fuel scarcity challenges, the development of microgrids, and the economic viability of transmission strategies. See NREL/PR-7A40-89366 for the French translation of this document.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

USAID Haiti Training Session #2: Introduction to Engage [Slides]

Welcome to Engage! Engage is a capacity expansion modeling tool supported by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and based on the Calliope open-source capacity expansion model developed by the ETH Zurich University, maintained at the TU Delft University. Engage is an accessible (free, open-access, web-hosted) and flexible web-based energy system planning application for rapid multiple-energy-form energy system scenario exploration. Its cloud-based, collaborator-sharable data model, intuitive interface and visualization capabilities facilitate collaboration and communication among teams, with experts, and among diverse stakeholder groups exploring energy system implications from district to national-scale models. This training series was developed under USAID to empower Haitian stakeholders to explore modeling scenarios in Engage to develop a Haiti Energy Master Plan. This training series includes a general overview of how Engage works along with tailored exercises that target Haiti's specific energy needs, such as modeling the capacity expansion of the bulk power system, fuel scarcity challenges, the development of microgrids, and the economic viability of transmission strategies. See NREL/PR-7A40-89369 for the French translation of this document.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

USAID Haiti Training Session #3: Capacity Expansion [Slides]

Welcome to Engage! Engage is a capacity expansion modeling tool supported by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and based on the Calliope open-source capacity expansion model developed by the ETH Zurich University, maintained at the TU Delft University. Engage is an accessible (free, open-access, web-hosted) and flexible web-based energy system planning application for rapid multiple-energy-form energy system scenario exploration. Its cloud-based, collaborator-sharable data model, intuitive interface and visualization capabilities facilitate collaboration and communication among teams, with experts, and among diverse stakeholder groups exploring energy system implications from district to national-scale models. This training series was developed under USAID to empower Haitian stakeholders to explore modeling scenarios in Engage to develop a Haiti Energy Master Plan. This training series includes a general overview of how Engage works along with tailored exercises that target Haiti's specific energy needs, such as modeling the capacity expansion of the bulk power system, fuel scarcity challenges, the development of microgrids, and the economic viability of transmission strategies. See NREL/PR-7A40-89365 for the French translation of this document.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Session de formation de l'USAID en Haiti n1: Orientation de l'outil Engage [Slides]

Welcome to Engage! Engage is a capacity expansion modeling tool supported by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and based on the Calliope open-source capacity expansion model developed by the ETH Zurich University, maintained at the TU Delft University. Engage is an accessible (free, open-access, web-hosted) and flexible web-based energy system planning application for rapid multiple-energy-form energy system scenario exploration. Its cloud-based, collaborator-sharable data model, intuitive interface and visualization capabilities facilitate collaboration and communication among teams, with experts, and among diverse stakeholder groups exploring energy system implications at from district to national-scale models. This training series was developed under USAID to empower Haitian stakeholders to explore modeling scenarios in Engage to develop a Haiti Energy Master Plan. This training series includes a general overview of how Engage works along with tailored exercises that target Haiti's specific energy needs, such as modeling the capacity expansion of the bulk power system, fuel scarcity challenges, the development of microgrids, and the economic viability of transmission strategies. See NREL/PR-7A40-88835 for the English translation of this document.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Session de formation de l'USAID en Haiti n2: Introduction a l'outil Engage [Slides]

Welcome to Engage! Engage is a capacity expansion modeling tool supported by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and based on the Calliope open-source capacity expansion model developed by the ETH Zurich University, maintained at the TU Delft University. Engage is an accessible (free, open-access, web-hosted) and flexible web-based energy system planning application for rapid multiple-energy-form energy system scenario exploration. Its cloud-based, collaborator-sharable data model, intuitive interface and visualization capabilities facilitate collaboration and communication among teams, with experts, and among diverse stakeholder groups exploring energy system implications from district to national-scale models. This training series was developed under USAID to empower Haitian stakeholders to explore modeling scenarios in Engage to develop a Haiti Energy Master Plan. This training series includes a general overview of how Engage works along with tailored exercises that target Haiti's specific energy needs, such as modeling the capacity expansion of the bulk power system, fuel scarcity challenges, the development of microgrids, and the economic viability of transmission strategies. See NREL/PR-7A40-88836 for the English translation of this document.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Seance de formation de l'USAID en Haiti n3: Expansion des capacites [Slides]

Welcome to Engage! Engage is a capacity expansion modeling tool supported by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and based on the Calliope open-source capacity expansion model developed by the ETH Zurich University, maintained at the TU Delft University. Engage is an accessible (free, open-access, web-hosted) and flexible web-based energy system planning application for rapid multiple-energy-form energy system scenario exploration. Its cloud-based, collaborator-sharable data model, intuitive interface and visualization capabilities facilitate collaboration and communication among teams, with experts, and among diverse stakeholder groups exploring energy system implications from district to national-scale models. This training series was developed under USAID to empower Haitian stakeholders to explore modeling scenarios in Engage to develop a Haiti Energy Master Plan. This training series includes a general overview of how Engage works along with tailored exercises that target Haiti's specific energy needs, such as modeling the capacity expansion of the bulk power system, fuel scarcity challenges, the development of microgrids, and the economic viability of transmission strategies. See NREL/PR-7A40-88837 for the English translation of this document.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

USAID Haiti Training Session #4: Resilience and Power Sector Modeling Part I [Slides]

Welcome to Engage! Engage is a capacity expansion modeling tool supported by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and based on the Calliope open-source capacity expansion model developed by the ETH Zurich University, maintained at the TU Delft University. Engage is an accessible (free, open-access, web-hosted) and flexible web-based energy system planning application for rapid multiple-energy-form energy system scenario exploration. Its cloud-based, collaborator-sharable data model, intuitive interface and visualization capabilities facilitate collaboration and communication among teams, with experts, and among diverse stakeholder groups exploring energy system implications at from district to national-scale models. This training series was developed under USAID to empower Haitian stakeholders to explore modeling scenarios in Engage to develop a Haiti Energy Master Plan. This training series includes a general overview of how Engage works along with tailored exercises that target Haiti's specific energy needs, such as modeling the capacity expansion of the bulk power system, fuel scarcity challenges, the development of microgrids, and the economic viability of transmission strategies. See NREL/PR-7A40-89408 for the French translation of this document.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗