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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Application Table: A Bridge Connecting the Designing “With-the-Material” and “the-Material”

Over the last few decades, advances in high-performance computing, new material characterization methods, and, more recently, an emphasis on integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) have been a catalyst for multiscale modeling and simulation-based design of materials and structures in the aerospace industry. In 2016 NASA sponsored a 2040 Vision study (which appeared in 2018) to define the potential 25-year future state required for integrated multiscale modeling of materials and systems (e.g., load-bearing structures) to accelerate the pace and reduce the expense of innovation in future aerospace and aeronautical systems. The study envisions a cyber-physical-social ecosystem comprised of experimentally verified and validated (V & V) computational models, tools, and techniques, along with the associated digital tapestry, that impacts the entire supply chain to enable cost-effective, rapid, and revolutionary design of “fit-for-purpose” materials, components, and systems. Consequently, the development of a robust information management system that incorporates (across the full life cycle) both experimental (real data) and virtual data resulting from the application of various simulation tools (at single or multiple length scales), therefore enabling the virtual design and optimization of materials throughout their processing – internal structure – property – performance envelope, has become critical. This need is also fueled by the demands for higher efficiency in material testing; consistency, quality, and traceability of data; product design; engineering analysis; as well as control of access to proprietary or sensitive information. This is particularly true when attempting to merge ICME practices with recent additive manufacturing technology which will enable production of the resulting 2040 Vision material and structural designs. At NASA Glenn Research Center we are exploring the future of material science through the use of novel characterization methodologies, high performance computing, and recently an emphasis on integrated computational materials engineering (ICME). Herein, recent efforts to incorporate an Application Table within NASA Glenn Research Center’s ICME Granta MI database is presented. The goal is to provide a place where material and structural application information/requirements can be linked so as to marry the “design the-material” and the “design-with-material” paradigms and thereby enable application-driven design and optimization of materials and structures by providing a central location that links material processing at various length scales to the application’s performance requirements. This paper discusses the specifics of this Application Table as well as best practices and key principles for the development of a robust materials information management system to enable the 2040 Vision integrated materials and structures ecosystem. Furthermore, it presents the intended role of the Application Table in the future of ICME design of “fit-for-purpose” materials, showing the need for a well-established framework that can successfully bridge the gap between the design “the material” and design “with-the-material” paradigms.

Materials↗
NASA NTRS2008

Space Transportation System Availability Requirements and Its Influencing Attributes Relationships

It is essential that management and engineering understand the need for an availability requirement for the customer's space transportation system as it enables the meeting of his needs, goal, and objectives. There are three types of availability, e.g., operational availability, achieved availability, or inherent availability. The basic definition of availability is equal to the mean uptime divided by the sum of the mean uptime plus the mean downtime. The major difference is the inclusiveness of the functions within the mean downtime and the mean uptime. This paper will address tIe inherent availability which only addresses the mean downtime as that mean time to repair or the time to determine the failed article, remove it, install a replacement article and verify the functionality of the repaired system. The definitions of operational availability include the replacement hardware supply or maintenance delays and other non-design factors in the mean downtime. Also with inherent availability the mean uptime will only consider the mean time between failures (other availability definitions consider this as mean time between maintenance - preventive and corrective maintenance) that requires the repair of the system to be functional. It is also essential that management and engineering understand all influencing attributes relationships to each other and to the resultant inherent availability requirement. This visibility will provide the decision makers with the understanding necessary to place constraints on the design definition for the major drivers that will determine the inherent availability, safety, reliability, maintainability, and the life cycle cost of the fielded system provided the customer. This inherent availability requirement may be driven by the need to use a multiple launch approach to placing humans on the moon or the desire to control the number of spare parts required to support long stays in either orbit or on the surface of the moon or mars. It is the intent of this paper to provide the visibility of relationships of these major attribute drivers (variables) to each other and the resultant system inherent availability, but also provide the capability to bound the variables providing engineering the insight required to control the system's engineering solution. An example of this visibility will be the need to provide integration of similar discipline functions to allow control of the total parts count of the space transportation system. Also the relationship visibility of selecting a reliability requirement will place a constraint on parts count to achieve a given inherent availability requirement or accepting a larger parts count with the resulting higher reliability requirement. This paper will provide an understanding for the relationship of mean repair time (mean downtime) to maintainability, e.g., accessibility for repair, and both mean time between failure, e.g., reliability of hardware and the system inherent availability. Having an understanding of these relationships and resulting requirements before starting the architectural design concept definition will avoid considerable time and money required to iterate the design to meet the redesign and assessment process required to achieve the results required of the customer's space transportation system. In fact the impact to the schedule to being able to deliver the system that meets the customer's needs, goals, and objectives may cause the customer to compromise his desired operational goal and objectives resulting in considerable increased life cycle cost of the fielded space transportation system.

Rhodes, Russel E.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Development of the Well-to-Wake Life Cycle Assessment Model for Marine Fuels in R&D GREET 2025

The Marine analysis capabilities in the 2025 Research and Development Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies (R&D GREET) have been updated to incorporate the latest findings from the Fourth International Maritime Organization (IMO) GHG Study.1 To support these updates and enhance user flexibility, the former single marine module used in previous R&D GREET versions has been split into two workbook tabs: The Marine_Fuel tab, which covers the fuel-cycle, and the Marine_Trip tab, which covers the trip-cycle. In the Marine_Fuel tab, fuel cycle results for 39 marine fuels are available—assuming a slow speed diesel engine—and can be seen in Appendix A. However, there are options for changing feedstocks for multiple fuels, ability to view results with or without pilot fuels for fuels such as methanol and ammonia, and carbon capture options. All these combinations make the number of total possible pathways over one hundred. For each pathway, life cycle emission results are divided into feedstock, conversion, and combustion categories, along with pilot fuel supply chain emissions for fuels used in dual fuel engines. In the newly created Marine_Trip tab, users can view the life cycle emissions of using these fuels from a trip perspective. Compared to R&D GREET 2024, 16 new types of vessels are added in R&D GREET 2025. Examples of results assuming the default size for each vessel type are available in Appendix A. Additional information categories on vessels are included such as vessel size, main propulsion type, engine power rating, combustion cycle, etc. based on the Fourth IMO GHG Study. Operational mode of the trip, fuel consumption, and load calculation were updated based on the report. The fuel consumption calculation also incorporates low-load adjustment, speed–power correction, weather correction, and fouling correction factors. Furthermore, fuel consumption in boilers or steam turbines is also added for the first time, besides fuel use in main propulsion engines and auxiliary engines. This effort makes the R&D GREET Marine capabilities more robust than before. Users will be able to estimate fuel consumption more accurately for more diverse choices of vessel categories, vessel sizes, and energy converters.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Techno‐economic, environmental, and social measurement of clean energy technology supply chains

Abstract In addition to the criteria of reliability and cost, clean energy technologies, such as wind, solar, and batteries, need to strive to a higher standard of environmental and societal benefit along their entire supply chain. This means additional performance metrics for these technologies should be considered, such as embodied energy, embodied carbon, recycled content and recyclability, environmental impact of material sourcing, impact on land and ecosystems, materials recovery at end of life, and production through quality nonexploitive jobs with community benefit. Many commercial and emerging energy technologies have not yet been explicitly evaluated based on these environmental and social performance metrics, which presents multiple opportunities for researchers and analysts. In this paper, we review the importance and current limitations of techno‐economic and life‐cycle assessment models for research design and manufacturing decisions. We explore emerging manufacturing modeling options that could improve environmental and social performance and how they could be used to help guide research. Even with the deployment of low‐carbon energy‐generation technologies, the future of a successful clean energy transition requires collaboration between researchers, advanced manufacturers, independent standards and tracking organizations, local communities, and national governments, to ensure the financial, environmental, and social sustainability of the entire supply and manufacturing process of energy technologies.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS1994

The life cycles of intense cyclonic and anticyclonic circulation systems observed over oceans

The work over the past six months has focused on the October/November 1985 blocking case study noted in the last progress report. A summary of the results of this effort is contained in the attached preprint papers for the Symposium on the Life Cycles of Extratropical Cyclones. Using this case study as a model, Ph.D. student Anthony Lupo is now initiating the multiple-case diagnosis by first examining two more fall 1985 blocking episodes. In addition, two secondary efforts have been completed, as summarized in the attached M.S. thesis abstracts. Both studies, which were primarily funded by a fellowship and a teaching assistantship, complement the objectives of this study by providing diagnoses of additional cyclone cases to serve as a comparative base for the pre-blocking cyclones to be studied in the multiple-case blocking diagnosis.

Smith, Phillip J.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Assessment of Benefits of Solid-State Advanced Manufacturing Processes for Nuclear Energy Products

The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technology (AMMT) program develops cross cutting technologies in support of a broad range of nuclear reactor technologies and maintains U.S. leadership in materials and manufacturing technologies for nuclear energy applications. This overall project provides the U.S. Department of Energy a critical feasibility study comparison of three solid-state processes to other AM processes, thereby providing the feasibility of the solid-state processes examined to manufacture 316H SS and ODS steel components: • Fused-filament fabrication (FFF): This work provides an initial evaluation of the impact of powder morphology and sizes on the FFF process, and the feasibility and adaptability for different material systems, to use FFF for ODS steels and 316 SS. • Shear-assisted processing and extrusion (ShAPE): Specifically for this portion of the project on ShAPE tube forming, the objectives will be to determine the feasibility to direct tube forming of high tensile strength steel tubing, specifically for ODS steel to determine the effect of the patented extrusion process on the dispersoids of the ODS material. Additionally, as often ODS powders are mechanically alloyed and therefore more platelike or angular, this feasibility was to explore the impact on the optimization process and initial feasibility of direct tube forming. • Cold spray and friction stir additive manufacturing as a stretch goal: Bulk and near net shape manufacturing processes for high-temperature, high-strength alloys are needed. Additionally, cold spray techniques can be applied in-situ at the operational level for repair and can provide multiple benefits to the nuclear industry. These tasks aim to provide information to show benefits of cold spray during the full life cycle, namely research and development, product manufacturing, and repair to mention a few key points.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
NASA NTRS1983

Mechanical design of a low concentration ratio solar array for a space station application

This paper describes a preliminary study and conceptual design of a low concentration ratio solar array for a space station application with approximately a 100 kW power requirement. The baseline design calls for a multiple series of inverted, truncated, pyramidal optical elements with a geometric concentration ratio (GCR) of 6. It also calls for low life cycle cost, simple on-orbit maintainability, 1984 technology readiness date, and gallium arsenide (GaAs) of silicon (Si) solar cell interchangeability. Due to the large area needed to produce the amount of power required for the baseline space station, a symmetrical wing design, making maximum use of the commonality of parts approach, was taken. This paper will describe the mechanical and structural design of a mass-producible solar array that is very easy to tailor to the needs of the individual user requirement.

Biss, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Cloud-to-ground lightning activity in mesoscale convective complexes

An analysis of the evolution of cloud-to-ground lightning discharges attending convective storms in mesoscale convective systems was conducted in the framework of the mesoscale convective complexes (MCCs) life cycle. The lightning discharge data were acquired by a commercially available lightning detection and location system. Peak rates averaged 42/min for the MCCs analyzed; these rates are comparable to the highest observed rates within other mesoscale storm systems and are greater than 20 times the rates previously observed in isolated thunderstorms. Lightning damage occurs with half of the MCCs and is most frequent between the development and the mature phases of the MCC life cycle. The most active period is also characterized by the greatest average number of discrete strokes and largest fraction of multiple-stroke discharges. The total cloud-to-ground lightning activity and maximum flashing rate do not appear to be directly related to either the size of the cloud shield or total duration of the MCC.

Goodman, S. J.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Life Cycle Analysis of Natural Gas Supply Chain and End Use Applications in the United States

Natural gas (NG) plays a crucial role in current and future energy systems in the United States due to its abundance and affordability. In this study a life cycle analysis of the NG supply chain in the United States was conducted using Argonne's R&D GREET model, examining stages from recovery to distribution using reported field data processed and documented by National Energy Technology Laboratory. Supply chain emissions were evaluated across multiple spatial scales, including national average, overall regional production, region-to-region, and basin-to-region scenarios. The GHG intensity of the U.S. average NG supply chain was estimated at 10.3 kg CO 2 e/MMBtu (lower heating value), with a range across regions from 7.8 kg CO 2 e/MMBtu (Northeast) to 15.1 kg CO 2 e/MMBtu (Pacific). The analysis further assessed how upstream NG emissions influence the life cycle GHG emissions of key end-use applications, including electricity generation (0.044–0.086 kg CO 2 e/kWh from upstream NG in combined cycle facilities), hydrogen production (1.04–2.20 kg CO 2 e/kg H 2 for steam methane reforming [SMR] and 1.06–2.23 kg CO 2 e/kg for autothermal reforming [ATR]), and transit bus operation utilizing compressed natural gas fuel (0.19–0.37 kg CO 2 e/mile) and hydrogen fuel (0.12–0.25 kg CO 2 e/mile for hydrogen produced in SMR and ATR).

compression↗
DOE OSTI2024

Fluoro‐Ethylene‐Carbonate Plays a Double‐Edged Role on the Stability of Si Anode‐Based Rechargeable Batteries During Cycling and Calendar Aging

Abstract The energy storage density of Li‐ion batteries can be improved by replacing graphite anodes with high‐capacity Si‐based materials, though instabilities have limited their implementation. Performance degradation mechanisms that occur in Si anodes can be divided into cycling stability (capacity retention after repeated battery cycles) and calendar aging (shelf life). While cycling instabilities and improvement strategies have been researched intensively, there is little known about the underlying mechanisms that cause calendar aging. In this work, multiple electron microscope techniques are used to explore the mechanism that governs calendar aging from the sub‐nanometer‐to‐electrode scale. Plasma focused ion beam tomography is used to create 3D reconstructions of calendar aged electrodes and revealed the growth of a LiF‐rich layer at the interface between the copper current collector and the silicon material, which can lead to delamination and increased interfacial impendence. The LiF layer appeared to derive from the fluoro‐ethylene‐carbonate electrolyte additive, which is commonly used to improve cycling stability in Si‐based systems. The results reveal that additives necessary to improve cycling stability can cause performance degradation over the long‐term during calendar aging. The results show that high performing, stable systems require careful design to simultaneously mitigate both cycling and calendar aging instabilities.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Cost-optimal evaluation of centralized and distributed microgrid topologies considering voltage constraints

Optimal design of hybrid renewable mini-grids requires both economic and power quality considerations. Existing modeling approaches address these considerations via separate or loosely coupled models. Here, we extend REopt—a techno-economic optimization model developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory—to consider both within a single model. REopt formulates the design problem as a mixed-integer linear program that solves for a site's optimal technology mix, sizing, and operation to minimize life cycle cost. REopt has traditionally assumed a single node system. In the work presented here, we expand the REopt platform to consider multiple connected nodes with associated voltage constraints. In order to do this, we model power flow using a fixed-point linear approximation method. Additionally, we then use the model to explore design considerations of mini-grids in Sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, we evaluate under what combinations of transmission line distance and capacity it is technically viable and economically preferable to build multiple isolated mini-grids versus an interconnected, centralized system.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2026

The influence of iron incorporation on the microstructure and crystal chemistry of UO 2 fuel

The incorporation of dopants into UO 2 is of interest for both doped advanced fuel and nuclear forensics research. Suitable forensics dopants, or taggants, for nuclear fuels are ones that do not adversely affect the performance of the parent material while still being traceable during key stages of the fuel’s life cycle. In this paper, we present our efforts to understand the effects of doping UO 2 with Fe 2 O 3 under multiple parameters, such as Fe concentration (0–3000 wppm), sintering temperature (1673 K, 1773 K, and 1973 K), sintering time (2–12 h), and atmosphere (reducing and inert). Here, we investigated densification behavior, microstructure evolution, and lattice defects based on the geometric densities, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractograms, and Raman spectra. The effect of Fe on the microstructure and crystal chemistry of UO 2 is very complex, especially at the intermediate temperature (1773 K), where we found that densification kinetics are enhanced and that lattice contraction occurs for doping concentrations greater than 1000 wppm Fe.

Crystallography↗
NASA NTRS2015

Project Morpheus: Lean Development of a Terrestrial Flight Testbed for Maturing NASA Lander Technologies

NASA's Morpheus Project has developed and tested a prototype planetary lander capable of vertical takeoff and landing that is designed to serve as a testbed for advanced spacecraft technologies. The lander vehicle, propelled by a Liquid Oxygen (LOX)/Methane engine and sized to carry a 500kg payload to the lunar surface, provides a platform for bringing technologies from the laboratory into an integrated flight system at relatively low cost. In 2012, Morpheus began integrating the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) sensors and software onto the vehicle in order to demonstrate safe, autonomous landing and hazard avoidance. From the beginning, one of goals for the Morpheus Project was to streamline agency processes and practices. The Morpheus project accepted a challenge to tailor the traditional NASA systems engineering approach in a way that would be appropriate for a lower cost, rapid prototype engineering effort, but retain the essence of the guiding principles. This paper describes the tailored project life cycle and systems engineering approach for the Morpheus project, including the processes, tools, and amount of rigor employed over the project's multiple lifecycles since the project began in fiscal year (FY) 2011.

Devolites, Jennifer L.↗
DOE OSTI2020

PV O&M Cost Model [SWR-21-14]

This tool presents a method for calculating costs associated with the operation and maintenance (O&M) of photovoltaic (PV) systems. The tool compiles details regarding the cost and frequency of multiple O&M services to estimate annual O&M costs ($/year) for each year of an analysis period, the net present value ($) of life cycle costs accumulated over the analysis period, and the reserve account amount ($) that might be required to fund unexpected repairs. The reserve account includes parts inventory and is important for providing a source of funds to make repairs quickly and avoid lost production. This method allows a detailed selection of services to perform based on system size, market served (e.g., residential, commercial, or utility), type and configuration of system components (e.g., micro-, string, or central inverter), and site and environmental conditions (e.g., pollen, bird populations) which is an improvement over simple per unit valuations of O&M costs ($/kW/year). This model also distinguishes costs that vary from year to year and increase at different rates over time as modeled by heuristic failure distributions (e.g., Weibull or Lognormal distribution) based on actuarial data for many of the services.

Walker, Andy↗
DOE OSTI2020

Model of Operation-and-Maintenance Costs for Photovoltaic Systems

This article presents a method for calculating costs associated with operation and maintenance (O&M) of photovoltaic (PV) systems. It compiles details regarding the cost and frequency of multiple O&M services to estimate annual O&M costs ($\$$/year) for each year of an analysis period, the net present value ($\$$) of life cycle costs accumulated over the analysis period, and the reserve account amount ($\$$). Here we show that this method is an improvement over the previous averaged or levelized per-unit ($\$$/kW/year) valuations for estimating PV O&M costs, because it allows a detailed selection of services to perform based on system size, market served (e.g., residential, commercial, or utility), type and configuration of system components (e.g., micro-, string or central inverter) and site and environmental conditions (e.g., snow, pollen, bird populations). This model also distinguishes costs that vary from year to year and increase at different rates over time because of heuristic failure distributions (e.g. Weibull or Lognormal distribution) based on actuarial data for many of the services. This cost model was created by the PV O&M Working Group of researchers and industry, sponsored by DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office, and has been published in an on-line version hosted by SunSpec Alliance at apsuite.sunspec.org. A spreadsheet version is included with this paper as supplementary material.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

LightMAT - Continuous fiber malleable thermoset composites with sub-1-minute dwell times; validation of impact performance and evaluation of the efficacy of the compression forming process (CRADA 409 Final Report)

In spite of carbon fiber composite materials’ significant impact on light-weighting, performance, and efficiency in the aerospace industry, adoption of these materials has been slow in high-volume industries such as automotive. Two major barriers to adoption are cost and cycle-time. Current approaches to thermoset composite part production are dependent on in-mold curing of thermosets which are not optimal for high volume, high throughput production due to limitations and inefficiencies associated with the in-mold cure itself. In addition, ancillary activities, such as transport and storage of shelf-life-limited uncured, or B-staged prepreg materials typically necessitate refrigerated transport and storage which significantly impacts the economic and energy costs associated with manufacturing. Furthermore, limited out-life means that trimmings cannot typically be used as they partially cure during initial production leading to high scrap rates (+20% is common). Finally, the need to cure in-mold drives cycle times to multiple minutes in the best cases, and 10’s of minutes to hours in most cases. Mallinda is developing polyimine malleable thermoset prepreg composite materials which have excellent mechanical properties (100 GPa tensile modulus, 2 GPA tensile strength, 2.4% elongation at break) and high operating temperatures (Tg>200°C). At scale, polyimine resins are commensurate in price with commodity epoxy resins. What distinguishes malleable thermoset prepreg from traditional thermoset prepreg materials, is that they are fully cured during Mallinda’s roll-to-roll production of prepreg laminate. This results in 5 key value-differentiating benefits. First, it simplifies manufacturing logistics by enabling ambient transportation and storage, and by significantly extending out-life and shelf-life almost indefinitely. Second, elimination of autoclave curing reduces the economic and energy costs to the customer. Third, scrap rates can be reduced as malleable thermoset prepreg materials are directly reusable. Fourth, the manufacturing consolidation step can be roughly 10x faster than traditional thermosets, because the resin is already cured. Parts can be made via compression forming by the application of heat and pressure to quickly vitrify and consolidate a multilayer part – easily leading to sub 3-minute cycle times (at lab scale we have demonstrated a 20 second dwell time, with room for further optimization). Finally, the closed-loop cradle-to-cradle solution-based recyclability of malleable thermoset composites can also contribute significantly to the future of sustainable lightweight materials. The focus of this project was the development, optimization and validation of malleable thermoset composite materials which exhibit manufacturing cycle times of 3-minute or less, high speed impact performance on par with incumbent technologies, and defect-free consolidation of 3 dimensional parts. Government funding is required on this project because Mallinda is a start-up company whose focus is the development and scale-up of the described technology for introduction to the transportation segment. Unlike incumbent industry players, Mallinda is bringing a completely new and highly relevant malleable thermoset technology to bear on the problem of high throughput composites. As a small business, Mallinda relies on a combination of government R&D funding and private capital to perform development work.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Regulatory Development Challenges and Opportunities for the Safe and Secure Transport of Radioactive Materials

Drafting regulations for transport safety and transport security achieve two separate objectives, which can lead to divergent outcomes. With transport safety, the principle goal is to protect the public and the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation, while in contrast, the principle goal of transport security is to protect the material from malicious actors. While many Member States may have transport safety regulations for radioactive materials, transport security regulatory development is still in its nascent stages globally. Trying to develop harmonized transport safety and transport security regulations could lead to challenges ranging from differences in terminology used in transport safety versus terminology uses in transport security, roles and responsibilities for the variety of stakeholders involved in transport, and finally, the possible role of multiple competent authorities in governing the transport of dangerous goods, which includes radioactive material. While the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is currently developing a process of a methodology for drafting transport security regulations, any process must address both safety considerations and security requirements. (As the most vulnerable part of the life cycle of radioactive materials, the need for harmonized transport safety/transport security regulations is essential.) This paper investigates the regulatory elements of the safety-security interface for nuclear and other radioactive material in transport. Examining challenges including use of terms, the role of multiple competent authorities, and practical challenges involved in the safe and secure transport of radioactive material, the paper analyzes the need for integrated regulatory development for the safe and secure transport of these materials.

Anderson, Kimberly↗