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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,189 records · Page 66
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Pilot Unit Testing at NCCC of Sorbent based CO2 Capture

TDA Research, Inc. is developing a new CO2 sorbent (alkalized alumina) technology for post-combustion CO2 capture. In this DOE sponsored project (DE-FE0012870), TDA constructed a pilot-scale skid, which was installed and tested at National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC). It was designed to process coal derived flue gas equivalent to 0.5 MWe of power generation. The pilot test data shows that TDA’s process can achieve 90% capture rate and 95% CO2 purity (the performance target) for both coal and natural gas (NG) flue gases. The techno-economic analysis (TEA) for a 550-MWe supercritical coal fired power plant with CO2 capture shows that the capture cost for TDA’s process is $34.9/tonne CO2 captured, which meets DOE’s goal of $40/tonne and is 17.1% less than the DOE baseline Case 12 (an amine solvent technology).

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Quantification of Residual Water in Spent Fuel Dry Storage Canisters Using Mass Spectrometry

The purpose of this report is to document updates on the apparatus to simulate commercial vacuum drying procedures at the Nuclear Energy Work Complex at Sandia National Laboratories. Validation of the extent of water removal in a dry spent nuclear fuel storage system based on drying procedures used at nuclear power plants is needed to close existing technical gaps. Operational conditions leading to incomplete drying may have potential impacts on the fuel, cladding, and other components in the system during subsequent storage and disposal, such as fuel degradation; cladding corrosion, embrittlement, or breaching; and the creation of a flammable environment via radiolysis of water. A general lack of data suitable for model validation of commercial nuclear canister drying processes necessitates well-designed investigations of drying process efficacy and water retention. Scaled tests that incorporate relevant physics and well-controlled boundary conditions are essential to provide insight and guidance to the simulation of prototypic systems undergoing drying processes. This report documents details on the quantification of residual water in the Advanced Drying Cycle Simulator (ADCS), an apparatus built to simulate commercial drying procedures and quantify the amount of residual water remaining in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel assembly after drying. The ADCS was constructed with a prototypic 17×17 PWR fuel skeleton and waterproof heater rods to simulate decay heat. The ADCS is outfitted with thermocouples to measure the thermal response of the ADCS to simulated decay heats and internal helium fill pressures relevant to commercial drying procedures. The ADCS is also instrumented with pressure transducers to measure the pressures and vacuum levels observed during simulated commercial drying. The most unique instrumentation used for quantifying residual water in the ADCS is a Hiden Analytical HPR-30 mass spectrometer (MS), which measures gas compositions of the ADCS internal free volume, based on partial pressures calculated from relative proportions of gas molecules detected by the MS. This report details the methodology used to implement MS measurements in quantifying residual water in the ADCS. This methodology includes the calibration of the HPR-30 MS to a Buck Research Instruments CR-4 chilled mirror hygrometer, which itself is calibrated to a NIST-traceable standard. Data collected by both the MS and the chilled mirror hygrometer from water/helium mixtures ranging from 150 to 500,000 ppmv water in helium were used to generate calibration curves, establishing a source of verification of MS measured water contents. Details regarding water content measurement uncertainties are included in this report, defining the accuracy and verifiability of the HPR-30 MS in measuring residual water content in simulated dry storage canister environments.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Characterization of Large Batch 14YWT Heat (NFA-2) for JOYO Irradiations (Rev.1)

The development and deployment of advanced cladding materials in advanced reactors requires the collection of relevant performance data for each cladding concept. Novel cladding concepts typically undergo significant innovation and iteration over the course of their development, and intention should be given to providing a snapshot of present performance. Thus, a modern heat of the nanostructured ferritic alloy (NFA) 14YWT is produced using state-of-the-art procedures for impurity minimization combined with thermomechanical processing methods designed to optimize fracture toughness, tensile strength, and ductility. This new heat of 14YWT, NFA-2, will provide the Advanced Fuels Campaign with adequate material for upcoming irradiation and mechanical testing campaigns. This report outlines procurement of new gas atomized 14YWT powder, production of four new bars of 14YWT, and subsequent mechanical and microstructural property characterization.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Mathematical Optimization of NGCC Solvent-based Carbon Capture Processes to Explore High Capture Designs

For point-source capture, much of the work to date has focused on achieving 90% capture – a somewhat arbitrary target above which parasitic losses to drive carbon capture and compression systems were believed to be too great to be economically justifiable. The recent push for deep decarbonization has caused this target to be revisited, and existing literature is of limited usefulness as most published studies have focused on carbon capture percentages of 90%. In this work, numerous mathematical optimizations were performed between carbon capture targets between 90%-99.8% of a Natural Gas Combined Cycle (NGCC) plant to better understand incremental cost of these systems so they may be compared to other decarbonization technologies, and to inform technical risk associated with targeting higher capture performance for these types of systems.

carbon capture↗
DOE OSTI2023

Machine learning for optimizing the manufacture and operation of intermediate temperature fuel cells

The project developed machine learning and artificial intelligence (ML/AI) methodologies for guiding and accelerating the materials design and processing of new high temperature proton conducing electrode ionomer binders and reinforced membranes for high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC; aka intermediate-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells).

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Design Didn't Prevent These Hazard Exposures

Two recent electrical incidents demonstrate how the design of equipment encouraged electrical workers to take actions that violated NFPA 70E principles. The features that encouraged non-compliant work execution will be described, as well as how the equipment was improved to facilitate safe work practices. Design-stage processes that help identify features that will foster rather than compromise safe work practices will be identified as well.

Mertz, David E. [Fermilab] (ORCID:0009000068872719↗
DOE OSTI2026

Brochure for the DOE Office of Science Workshop on Envisioning Frontiers in AI and Computing for Biological Research

In February of 2025 a joint ASCR/BER workshop was held to identify key transformational research directions for understanding biology using artificial intelligence (AI), digital twins and high-performance (HPC) computational methods to facilitate scientific discovery and innovation in support of the Department of Energy mission. AI technologies offer exciting new groundbreaking methods to analyze large volumes of complex biological data, thereby greatly accelerating the ability to understand, predict, and design biological processes for beneficial purposes. In the laboratory, the bridging of AI-enabled automated experimental technologies, HPC and digital twins will provide potent tools for researchers to explore the fundamental nature of biology and harness its inherent metabolic potential for a variety of beneficial purposes. The focus of this workshop was on how high-performance computational methods can impact this objective by exploring digital twins, foundational models, and data-driven approaches with applications to advance automated laboratory experiments, modeling of complex living systems and engineering new functions into plants and microbial systems relevant to DOE mission. Workshop attendees with expertise in plant science, microbiology, mathematics, computer science, and AI assessed the current state of the science, trends, and AI challenges at the interface of plant and microbial systems biology and computational science to identify opportunities for high-impact research. This collaborative effort capitalized on ASCR's advancements in applied mathematics, computer science, and Exascale systems, and BER's expertise in basic genomics-enabled research on DOE relevant plant and microbial systems. The workshop culminated in four key priority research directions to guide future research and development within DOE Office of Science programs.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

FY24 Development of Improved Grout Waste Forms for Alternative Low Activity Waste Treatment

Since the WTP Low Activity Waste (LAW) Vitrification Facility was not designed to process the entire inventory of Hanford LAW, up to half of the retrieved Hanford LAW will require supplemental immobilization. Immobilizing LAW in a cementitious waste form known as Cast Stone has been investigated as a possible candidate supplemental immobilization technology. In FY21, Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS) tasked Atkins and the Vitreous State Laboratory (VSL) of The Catholic University of America (CUA) to perform testing to evaluate methods for reducing the release of COCs, particularly nitrate, 99Tc, and 129I, from cementitious waste forms made from aqueous LAW derived from Hanford Tank Waste. FY22 work built on the FY21 results and further developed formulations while targeting higher waste loadings. The objective of this work was to perform laboratory-scale testing to further refine the most promising formulation(s) that were identified in the FY23 work. The goal of the refinement was to further reduce the release rates for 99Tc, Cr, 129I, and nitrate while maintaining workability of the fresh grout, and to increase waste loading.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2025

FY22 Development of Improved Grout Waste Forms for Supplemental Low Activity Waste Treatment

About 54 to 56 million gallons of radioactive mixed waste is currently stored in underground tanks at the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hanford site in the State of Washington. This waste will be separated into low- and high activity waste fractions, which will then be vitrified respectively into Immobilized Low Activity Waste (ILAW) and Immobilized High Level Waste (IHLW) products for subsequent disposal. The ILAW product will be disposed of in an engineered facility at the Hanford site while the IHLW product is designed for acceptance into a national deep geological disposal facility for high level nuclear waste. Treatment of the tank waste will take place in the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP), which is under construction. However, since the WTP Low Activity Waste (LAW) Vitrification Facility was not designed to process the entire inventory of Hanford LAW, up to half of the retrieved Hanford LAW will require supplemental immobilization. Immobilizing LAW in a cementitious waste form known as Cast Stone has been investigated as a possible candidate supplemental immobilization technology

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2025

Comparative Analysis of HEATNETS for Geothermal Network Performance

Thermal energy networks (TENs), also known as 5th generation district energy systems, or more specifically geothermal networks when exchanging heat with geothermal boreholes, are an important technology for decarbonization. In these networks an ambient loop connects buildings and thermal sources, such as a borehole field, to exchange energy and maintain a desired loop temperature. Water-source heat pumps are used at the buildings to connect to the ambient or thermal loop to meet to the building heating and cooling loads and maintain comfort. A semi-transient, reduced-order technical model and techno-economic model, called HEATNETS, has been developed at NREL that captures the flow of energy around a TEN. In this work, a comparison of the HEATNETS technical model and a well-known coding platform used for modeling geothermal networks, TRNSYS, has been completed for a proposed geothermal network as a verification and validation process. Hourly data provided from the TRNSYS simulation included building loads, pumping power, heat pump power, temperature entering and leaving the borehole field, and mass flow rates. The hourly borehole temperatures were used to create a linear regression model utilized in HEATNETS to estimate the borehole field heat exchange. The building loads and mass flow rates were direct inputs to HEATNETS while the pumping power, heat pump power, borehole temperatures, and coefficients of performance were all simulated and calculated by HEATNETS, allowing for direct comparison of the thermal energy transfer HEATNETS considers the full process from design inputs to economic outputs and can provide modeling options for high-level initial system design and operational optimization. This study focuses on a validation of HEATNETS using results from TRNSYS. HEATNETS is not intended to replace other modeling tools, but this work demonstrates, via a comparison with an industry standard code, that HEATNETS can be a unique, high-level and rapid modeling tool for estimating the performance of a full geothermal network system.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Microwave-Assisted Dehydroaromatization of Flare Gas: Reactor Modeling, Plant-Wide Simulation and Economic Feasibility Analysis

Flaring is widely practiced in the oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors to ensure safety during upsets and maintenance but emits large amounts of GHGs, causing energy and economic losses. In the U.S., about one-third of Bakken gas (~250 MMSCFD) and ~100 MMSCFD from Eagle Ford are flared. Recovering this gas is essential for sustainability. Existing recovery methods—compression and reinjection (EOR), conversion to NGL, LNG/CNG, GTL, and GTW—are often limited by flowrate, composition, and variability, especially in unconventional wells. This study develops a microwave-assisted dehydroaromatization (DHA) process to convert flare gas into benzene, toluene, ethylene, and naphthalene. A laboratory reactor model is scaled up into a modular plant-wide system. Techno-economic (TEA) and life-cycle (LCA) analyses evaluate performance and sustainability, with sensitivity studies on plant capacity, electricity cost, and catalyst price confirming strong economic potential.

dehydroaromatization↗
DOE OSTI2024

High performance heat exchangers for next generation hybrid cooler (CRADA Final Report)

The evaporative cooling process has been successfully deployed in multiple energy conversion processes such as power generation, process cooling, heating, ventilation & cooling (HVAC), and commercial and industrial refrigeration. The heat exchanger is a very common yet extremely critical component of such systems. The device is important since the performance of the overall cooling system heavily relies on the thermal-hydraulic efficiency of the heat exchanger. The possible wet operation as evaporative cooling heat exchanger complicates the issue. Indeed, based on the hybrid nature of operation (fully dry, partially wet, fully wet) the efficiency can vary significantly and can cause performance variation for the whole system. Understanding the importance of the issue, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Contractor) and Baltimore Aircoil Company (Participant) propose an activity focused on the analysis of the existing heat exchanger technology used in air and evaporative cooling processes and design, development and demonstration of a novel heat exchanger design based on porous materials. The potential candidates include metallic wire meshes and metal foams carefully designed for the proposed application. Prior research has indicated that these materials have great potential for deployment in thermal systems, particularly heat sinks and heat exchangers. It is expected that the successful completion of the project will lead to novel heat exchanger technology for hybrid systems (capable of dry and wet operation) by exploring newly emerging materials and their potential for heat transfer application. The overall goal is to develop a next generation heat exchanger technology which can be deployed in evaporative cooling systems. The impact of the such development is significant since, it will not only make the overall system highly efficient but will also, reduce the total refrigerant charge in the heat exchanger, a critical aspect for the deployment of refrigerants with lower Global Warming Potential (GWP).

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2020

CACTI Radar b1 Processing: Corrections, Calibrations, and Processing Report

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility deployed a large number of instruments to a region nearby the Sierra de Córdobas mountains in Argentina as part of the Cloud, Aerosol, and Complex Terrain Interactions (CACTI) field campaign (1). During this campaign, four radars were installed at a site outside of Villa Yacanto as shown in Figure 1. As part of a post-campaign effort to improve the usability of these data, a significant activity was undertaken towards the calibration, correction, and improvement of the data quality of these radar datastreams. This process in ARM nomenclature is referred to as generating a “b1” datastream. While these “b1” standards may imply different corrections or standards for various ARM instruments, for radars it refers to a datastream that has been calibrated (and cross-calibrated), including a serious effort to deliver the highest-quality (well-characterized) data possible. This report details (i) the status/quality of the original “a1” (raw) data, (ii) the corrections and calibrations that are applied to generate these b1 datastreams, (iii) the details of the applied algorithms and how radar offset/calibration numbers were determined for the eventual corrections, and (iv) the new and flexible plug-in-based processing system designed during CACTI for radar b1 activities (current, future) that interfaces with ARM’s Data Integrator (ADI) and high-performance computing (HPC) system.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Form Follows Function (F3): A framework for community-based energy resilience planning in the Midwest

This is the final technical report for the Form Follows Function (F3) grant project led by the City of Duluth, MN. F3 was an innovative two-year initiative that created a replicable, human-centered energy resilience planning process specifically designed for smaller, cold-climate communities in the Midwest. F3 demonstrated both systems-level government planning and community-based research techniques to inform renewable investments and community preparedness strategies.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Sapphire Substrate Trenching to Advance Superconducting High-Coherence Quantum Devices

Achieving longer coherence times in superconducting qubits is essential for advancing quantum information processing and enabling scalable quantum computing. This work presents an innovative fabrication strategy focused on sapphire trenching of the substrate of superconducting high-coherence quantum devices, developed by the SQMS Nanofabrication Taskforce in collaboration with the materials characterization team. In this talk, we present a method to efficiently and consistently trench into the sapphire substrate, without compromising the surface roughness or profile of the etched sapphire. In the literature, trenching in the substrate has been shown to decrease losses, unwanted coupling and thermal stress. Sapphire’s strong covalent bonds make it harder to etch compared to silicon, yet it is more favorable for high-coherence quantum devices due to its lower dielectric losses. This innovative technique opens new possibilities for superconducting qubit fabrication: we fabricated high coherence qubit chips on sapphire substrates with trenching, to demonstrate that it will help pushing towards higher coherence times. By integrating this work with ongoing junction process optimization, design innovation, materials characterization and exploration, we outline a clear pathway toward transmon coherence times reaching millisecond scales and beyond.

Garattoni, S. [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Sapphire Substrate Trenching to Advance Superconducting High-Coherence Quantum Devices

Achieving longer coherence times in superconducting qubits is essential for advancing quantum information processing and enabling scalable quantum computing. This work presents an innovative fabrication strategy focused on sapphire trenching of the substrate of superconducting high-coherence quantum devices, developed by the SQMS Nanofabrication Taskforce in collaboration with the materials characterization team. In this talk, we present a method to efficiently and consistently trench into the sapphire substrate, without compromising the surface roughness or profile of the etched sapphire. In the literature, trenching in the substrate has been shown to decrease losses, unwanted coupling and thermal stress. Sapphire’s strong covalent bonds make it harder to etch compared to silicon, yet it is more favorable for high-coherence quantum devices due to its lower dielectric losses. This innovative technique opens new possibilities for superconducting qubit fabrication: we fabricated high coherence qubit chips on sapphire substrates with trenching, to demonstrate that it will help pushing towards higher coherence times. By integrating this work with ongoing junction process optimization, design innovation, materials characterization and exploration, we outline a clear pathway toward transmon coherence times reaching millisecond scales and beyond.

Garattoni, S. [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2026

PACT Center: Perovskite PV Accelerator for Commercializing Technologies (Final Technical Report)

The Perovskite PV Accelerator for Commercializing Technologies (PACT) center was established in July 2021 as a national resource to accelerate the commercialization of perovskite photovoltaic (PV) technology in the United States. Since its inception, PACT has been led by Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia) in partnership with the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), formerly known as NREL. From FY20-FY23, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), CFV Labs, Black & Veatch (B&V), and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) were part of the project team. LANL brought expertise in perovskite PV device designs and processing, CFV Labs (now GroundWork Renewables) provided initial indoor and outdoor measurement hardware technology, B&V led the initial effort on perovskite PV bankability, and EPRI worked on reviewing testing standards, identifying commercialization gaps, and helping to run PACT’s Industry Advisory Board, a group including representatives from commercial testing labs, independent engineering firms, insurance companies, state regulators, and electric utilities. To source perovskite PV module samples, PACT contracted with the University of North Carolina (UNC), the University of Toledo, the University of Washington, and SLAC/Stanford University to provide a steady stream of research-grade perovskite mini modules, enabling protocol development in advance of commercial module availability. The project period ran from July 1, 2021, through December 31, 2025, including a No Cost Extension. Starting in FY25, the project was continued as a Core Capability in the Lab Call portfolio and continues at a reduced budget with only Sandia and NLR as funded recipients. Notably, starting in FY25 PACT expanded its scope beyond MHP modules to accept all emerging PV mini module technologies for testing, including organic PV (OPV) and all-thin-film tandems, with the aim of supporting commercialization across the broader emerging PV ecosystem. With this change in scope the program was renamed the PV Accelerator for Commercializing Technologies, dropping perovskite from the name.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Monolithic Integration of Lateral HV Power MOSFET with LV CMOS for SiC Power IC Technology

This paper reports the design and process flow for monolithic integration of lateral high voltage (HV) power MOSFET with low voltage (LV) CMOS circuits for SiC Power IC technology. The reported devices and circuits are fabricated on a N-/N+ 4H-SiC substrate at 150mm, production grade- Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) Hillview fabrication facility located in San Jose. Here, the static performance characteristics of HV NMOS and LV CMOS are reported. For future high temperature applications, the static performances are fully characterized and are reported up to 200oC. Finally, to validate the fabricated CMOS, a 5-stage ring oscillator is also demonstrated.

4H-SiC↗