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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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Report of the 2025 Workshop on Next-Generation Ecosystems for Scientific Computing: Harnessing Community, Software, and AI for Cross-Disciplinary Team Science

This report summarizes insights from the 2025 Workshop on Next-Generation Ecosystems for Scientific Computing: Harnessing Community, Software, and AI for Cross-Disciplinary Team Science, which convened more than 40 experts from national laboratories, academia, industry, and community organizations to chart a path toward more powerful, sustainable, and collaborative scientific software ecosystems. To address urgent challenges at the intersection of high-performance computing (HPC), AI, and scientific software, participants envisioned agile, robust ecosystems built through socio-technical co-design—the intentional integration of social and technical components as interdependent parts of a unified strategy. This approach combines advances in AI, HPC, and software with new models for cross-disciplinary collaboration, training, and workforce development. Key recommendations include building modular, trustworthy AI-enabled scientific software systems; enabling scientific teams to integrate AI systems into their workflows while preserving human creativity, trust, and scientific rigor; and creating innovative training pipelines that keep pace with rapid technological change. Pilot projects were identified as near-term catalysts, with initial priorities focused on hybrid AI/HPC infrastructure, cross-disciplinary collaboration and pedagogy, responsible AI guidelines, and prototyping of public-private partnerships. This report presents a vision of next-generation ecosystems for scientific computing where AI, software, hardware, and human expertise are interwoven to drive discovery, expand access, strengthen the workforce, and accelerate scientific progress.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Toyota Highlander FCHV (CRADA CRD-12-00469 Final Report)

This project relates to the loan of four Toyota Mirai FCEV-adv vehicles to NLR to provide a load (vehicles to fill with hydrogen) to our fueling station research facility to study hydrogen fueling infrastructure performance using 700 bar precooled hydrogen at ESIF’s Hydrogen Infrastructure Testing and Research Facility (HITRF) facility.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Wound-Field Synchronous Machine-System Integration toward 8X Power Density and Commercialization

In support of VTO's Electric Drive R&D activity, the Electric Drive Technologies (EDT) Consortium, a multi-disciplinary team of national labs and universities, coordinates and conducts a portfolio of research to advance the state-of-the-art in electric drive technologies. The Consortium established the following strategic goal listed below: (EDT Research Consortium Strategic Goal (compared to 2015 baseline)) A 125K electric traction drive system: (1) 8X power density improvement, or 1/10 the volume (33 kW/L), (2) 1/2 the cost ($\$$3.3/kW), (3) 2X useful life (300,000 miles), and (4) 100 kW/L inverter and a <20,000 rpm, 50kW/L electric motor The objective of this project is to design a Wound Field Synchronous Machine with 8X power density improvement and cost below $\$$3.3/kW.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Device- and System-Level Thermal Packaging for Electric-Drive Technologies (Final Technical Report)

Final Technical ReportThis project aimed to research, develop, and test electric traction drive system technology for use in vehicle applications that are capable of meeting the targets set by the Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Office. The project is categorized into three major thrusts: Bonding interfaces for packaging, thermal management of electric vehicle (EV) power inverters, and electric motor thermal management. Device- and System-Level Thermal Packaging for Electric-Drive Technologies project aimed to develop, analyze, and validate transformative approaches in thermal management and packaging for power electronics and electric motor systems, with the ultimate goal of enhancing power density, efficiency, and reliability in electrified transportation platforms.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2022

National Marine Renewable Energy Center Upgrades - LUPA

The data provided is part of a power take off damping optimization study. The power take off damping coefficient was swept from 0 to approximately 7000 N/m/s during a single regular wave test with a real time control of the motor/generator. The generated power from the LUPA (Lab Upgrade Point Absorber) wave energy converter is reported by the motor drive in watts. The csv files in this submission are the corresponding raw time series outputs for each mode of operation of LUPA (one body heave only, two body heave only, and two body six degrees of freedom). Data comes from testing in the Large WaveFlume (LWF) at the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory in Corvallis, OR.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2022

Automated Production of Optimization-Based Control Logics for Dynamic Facade Systems, with Experimental Application to Two-Zone External Venetian Blinds

The primary goal of this research is to devise a system that produces controllers for complex fenestration systems that perform nearly as well as Model Predictive Control but at a level of cost and implementation complexity that rivals simple heuristic controls. To this end, a cloud-based automated controller production system has been set up for a motorized external Venetian blind device, with a simple web interface that can be used by non-experts. The computation cost per controller is in the range of a few dollars, and the control logic is simple enough to be implemented on small and cheap distributed controllers. The web interface allows the user to specify some details of their particular building and window configuration, including orientation, latitude, interior geometries, and lighting and HVAC system parameters. Upon submittal, a cloud-based system configures the necessary files and commands, and then runs thousands of optimizations with them. Once the calculations are finished, the system produces a lookup table and interpolation-based controller scripts that can be used on a simple and cheap distributed controller. This paper describes the underlying models and optimization processes. It also describes the resulting control logics for two cases tested at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Advanced Windows Testbed Facility: illuminance maximization subject to glare constraints; and lighting + HVAC energy minimization. The performance of the model-based controllers produced by the automated web-based system are compared to a heuristic ‘block beam’ controller in physical experiments at the Testbed. The experimental results are supplemented by simulation experiments with the same configuration as the Testbed. The results show the illuminance maximizing controller significantly outperforms the heuristic controller in terms of glare avoidance, and also outperforms it in terms of hours of daylight autonomy. The energy minimizing controller also outperforms the heuristic controller. This paper also discusses how the web-based system may be extended to consider other configurations, such as electrochromic windows and thermally massive HVAC systems. Potential roles for this type of system within the building design and construction industry are discussed.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

OpenFacadeControl: enabling integration of automated facades with other building systems

Automated facades are, for the most part, still considered as separate from other building systems throughout the design, installation, commissioning, operation, and maintenance cycle. This takes place despite the fact that their energy and comfort performance are deeply interlinked with the operation of lighting and HVAC systems. Over the last two decades, research has shown that there are significant advantages from operating facades as an integrated system with the rest of the building. Nevertheless, significant barriers prevent this type of integration becoming more common. One of them is the lack of a platform that is inexpensive to implement and that easily allows the practical implementation of integrated control algorithms across fenestration and other building systems, using a variety of communications protocols. This is particularly challenging when automated facades are installed in existing buildings, where interaction with legacy building systems that were installed over the past lifetime of the building can require a high degree of interoperability. OpenFacadeControl (OFC) is an open-source controls framework aimed at unified control of facades and other building systems, including the sharing of third-party sensor information. Through leveraging the Volttron controls platform, it allows the integration of systems and sensors that are manufactured by different companies and that use different communications protocols into an ensemble that functions as a single system. OFC is designed to enable integrated control algorithms of varying degrees of complexity, ranging from simple, heuristic controls to more sophisticated approaches like model-predictive control. Use of a research version to test advanced lighting and shading strategies in a full-scale experimental testbed has demonstrated the ease of deploying advanced control solutions using OpenFacadeControl. This paper presents the structure of OpenFacadeControl and a demonstration case showing the use of OFC in laboratory tests of advanced lighting and fenestration controls that coordinated motorized shades communicating via the BACnet building communications standard and lights communicating via internet-protocol-based application programming interface (API), based on the readings of a shared light level sensor communicating via a different API.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2020

Study of Energy Saving Analysis for Different Industries

This study analyzes the energy consumption and saving performance in the industries in the U.S.A. All energy assessments implemented were for facilities whose annual energy consumptions were less than 9,000,000 kWh (small- and medium-sized industries) that belong to the manufacturing industries with Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes ranging from 2000 to 3999 in addition to SIC codes starting with 49. In this study, assessments are classified based on the SIC codes with recommendations analysis for each classification to get a better idea of what recommendations were suggested in each major industrial sector, knowing that 68 assessments were made, and their SIC ranged from 14 to 49. In addition, this study could be considered as a guide for energy engineers and other personnel involved in the energy assessment process. The information investigated can give a better prediction for composing better energy-demanding industries and minimizing energy consumption. More than 61 energy assessments were conducted for manufacturing facilities and analyzing the data gathered and processed. Through the research, the Fabricated Metal industry achieved the highest average kWh savings and cost savings within the industries studied in this study. According to the average gigajoule (GJ) savings, the fabricated metal industry ranked second within the studied industries. Conversely, Food and Kindred Products achieved the highest GJ energy savings within the studied industries. Overall, lighting, motors, compressors, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) were the most contributing industries in a total of 547 recommendations.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Ferroelectric materials toward next-generation electromechanical technologies

Ferroelectric materials have been widely used in various electromechanical devices, from ultrasonic transducers and actuators to mechanical energy harvesters. The key performance metrics of these devices, such as sensitivity, efficiency, and bandwidth of ultrasonic transducers, are largely determined by the piezoelectric properties. This Review highlights recent research progress in improving the piezoelectricity of ferroelectric materials and offers potential strategies for further enhancement to meet the ever-increasing demands for high-performance piezoelectric devices and systems. Here, it provides insights into the future development of ferroelectrics to address the increasing demands of emerging applications, including photoacoustic imaging and piezoelectric fans and motors in integrated circuit–enabled electronic devices. Additionally, it emphasizes the need to consider environmental impacts across the entire life cycle of ferroelectrics, from sourcing and manufacturing to usage and disposal.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

North America’s Potential for an Environmentally Sustainable Nickel, Manganese, and Cobalt Battery Value Chain

The Detroit Big Three General Motors (GMs), Ford, and Stellantis predict that electric vehicle (EV) sales will comprise 40–50% of the annual vehicle sales by 2030. Among the key components of LIBs, the LiNixMnyCo1−x−yO2 cathode, which comprises nickel, manganese, and cobalt (NMC) in various stoichiometric ratios, is widely used in EV batteries. This review reveals NMC cathodes from laboratory research. Furthermore, this study examines the environmental effect of NMC cathode production for EV batteries (including coating technologies), encompassing aspects such as energy consumption, water usage, and air emissions. Although gaps persist in NMC cathode environmental assessments (NMC111, NMC532, NMC622, and NMC811), limited life cycle assessments “(LCA)” have been conducted. Most available data originate from Asia (primarily China), accounting for 85% of the production of EV LIB cathode materials. The concept of battery passports for data collection on LIB components has been proposed to facilitate material traceability as a system for ensuring a sustainable supply chain for critical minerals. The automotive industry’s shift to electrification necessitates a sustainable supply chain from mine to vehicle end-of-life. As the critical mineral supply moves from Asia to North America, environmentally friendly industrial methods must be studied to provide this supply chain direction.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Optimization of Application-Driven Development of In Vitro Neuromuscular Junction Models

Neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) are specialized synapses responsible for signal transduction between motor neurons (MNs) and skeletal muscle tissue. Malfunction at this site can result from developmental disorders, toxic environmental exposures, and neurodegenerative diseases leading to severe neurological dysfunction. Exploring these conditions in human or animal subjects is restricted by ethical concerns and confounding environmental factors. Therefore, in vitro NMJ models provide exciting opportunities for advancements in tissue engineering. In the last two decades, multiple NMJ prototypes and platforms have been reported, and each model system design is strongly tied to a specific application: exploring developmental physiology, disease modeling, or high-throughput screening. Directing the differentiation of stem cells into mature MNs and/or skeletal muscle for NMJ modeling has provided critical cues to recapitulate early-stage development. Patient-derived inducible pluripotent stem cells provide a personalized approach to investigating NMJ disease, especially when disease etiology cannot be resolved down to a specific gene mutation. Having reproducible NMJ culture replicates is useful for high-throughput screening to evaluate drug toxicity and determine the impact of environmental threat exposures. Cutting-edge bioengineering techniques have propelled this field forward with innovative microfabrication and design approaches allowing both two-dimensional and three-dimensional NMJ culture models. Many of these NMJ systems require further validation for broader application by regulatory agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and the general research community. In this summary, we present a comprehensive review on the current state-of-art research in NMJ models and discuss their ability to provide valuable insight into cell and tissue interactions.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Load Composition Analysis in Support of the NERC Load Modeling Task Force. 2019-2020 Field Test of the Composite Load Model

In 2015, NERC’s reliability standards were revised to require the use of dynamic load models in transmission planning studies. To comply with the standards, planners must use load models that explicitly represent the dynamic behavior of the different constituents of load at each load bus within their transmission planning models. The most important of these constituents are motor-driven and power electronics-based loads. Collectively, these representations are known as composite load models. In anticipation of the compliance date for the new standards, NERC’s Load Modeling Task Force (LMTF), in 2019, initiated a field test of composite load models involving the regional reliability planning entities. In support of the field test, DOE and BPA researchers developed region-specific composite load models that could be assigned to each non-industrial load bus in the planning models for each of the North American interconnections. Separate models were developed for each hour of a summer peak day, a winter peak day, and a spring light-load day. This report is the technical documentation for the load composition analysis that was conducted to develop these non-industrial composite load models.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Precise Motion Control of Hybrid Hydraulic Electric Architecture (HHEA)

Off-highway heavy-duty vehicles have been long-standing users of hydraulic systems for power transmission and control. However, traditional hydraulic systems suffer from significant energy losses which lead to increased operating costs and a larger carbon footprint due to higher CO2 emissions. Improving the efficiency of these mobile machines is crucial not only for reducing their environmental impact but also for saving billions of dollars in operating costs. Currently, the state-of-the-art Load Sensing Architecture uses throttling valves for control, which significantly reduces its efficiency and does not recuperate energy from over-running loads. Researchers have developed several architectures such as Common Pressure Rail systems, Displacement Control, STEAM, and Electrohydraulic Architecture to improve the efficiency of off-road mobile machines. However, each of these architectures has its drawbacks. To increase system efficiency and take advantage of electrification benefits, our research group has developed a novel Hybrid Hydraulic-Electric Architecture (HHEA). The HHEA can significantly improve efficiency, decrease the size of electrical components, and maintain control performance. This new architecture has the potential to revolutionize the off-highway mobile machine industry and lead to a more sustainable future. The HHEA uses a set of common pressure rails to provide the majority of power to the actuators via power-dense hydraulics and uses electric motors for precise control and power modulation. In the context of off-road mobile machines, energy savings are undoubtedly important but it is equally important to consider the machines’ ability to perform tasks with precision and accuracy according to given commands. Therefore, precise motion control is of utmost importance to maintain the utility of Hybrid Hydraulic-Electric Architecture (HHEA). The HHEA presents a unique challenge to motion control due to the discrete pressure changes that occur when the system switches between selected pressure rails. These changes are made to minimize system inefficiencies or to keep the system within the torque capability of the electric motor. Hence, it is important to solve the motion control challenges for HHEA. This thesis aims at developing an effective motion control strategy for HHEA. The dissertation presents a two-tiered control strategy for HHEA, comprising a high-level and a low-level controller. The primary responsibility of the high- level controller is to optimize energy efficiency by making informed pressure rail selections. On the other hand, the low-level controller is focused on achieving precise motion control of the HHEA, which is crucial for realizing the desired reference trajectories. To achieve this, the low-level controller utilizes a passivity-based backstepping integral controller as the nominal control, which handles the motion control between two pressure rail switches. Additionally, a separate least norm controller is utilized as a transition controller to manage motion control during pressure rail transitions. The effectiveness of the combined control strategy is demonstrated through experiments conducted on two hardware-in-the-loop testbeds. Furthermore, the HHEA is installed on the boom and stick actuators of a backhoe arm to build a Human-in-the-Loop system that a human operator can control. A real-time rail switching algorithm is developed to determine pressure rail switching based on present duty cycle information from the operator. Modifications have been made to the human-machine interface to achieve more intuitive control. Modifications include performing control in the task-oriented coordinates, incorporating pressure feedback to enhance control with physical interaction, and using velocity field control to simplify multi-degree-of-freedom tasks and to enable novice operators to perform them with reduced risk, improved efficiency, and productivity. The research in this dissertation makes significant contributions to the field of off-road mobile machine control, providing a novel and effective control strategy for the HHEA, and demonstrating the potential for simplified machine operation.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2020

Blackstart of Power Grids with Inverter-Based Resources

This paper presents the findings of our investigation into inverter-based resource-(IBR-) driven blackstart of electric grids. Four potential black-start configurations with different setups are presented. To evaluate the technical feasibility of IBR-driven black start in the four configurations, a behavioral model of inverters that mimics current-limited inverter operation is developed using variable resistors in the MATLAB Simulink/Simscape environment. The inverter model is connected to an induction motor through transformers and a transmission line to simulate its startup. Simulation results show that even with the limited current supply capability of inverters because of their physical constraints, IBRs can black-start a motor under certain conditions. Results also show that by using soft-start techniques, such as ramped supply voltage, inrush currents can be reduced, thereby expanding the conditions under which IBRs can provide black-start support. Simulation results with different scenarios lead to discussions and key takeaways that could be valuable for further IBR-driven black-start research.

41 EE - Solar Energy Technologies Office (EE-4S)↗
DOE OSTI2020

Why Wideband Gap Needs Techno-Economics

The wideband gap community when discussing projects antidotally refers to the cost of the technology, frequently noting the higher wideband gap upfront cost in comparison to the incumbent state of art. Other technologies such as photovoltaics have embraced techno-economics analysis (TEA) as a method of analytically articulating the impacts of research advancements on system performance and lifetime costs. Our TEA shows the potential impact of research advancements on Gallium Oxide (Ga2O3) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) wafer manufacturing cost, the impact on the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) when using a SiC based solar inverter, and lastly how the high cost of devices (SiC in this case) can be offset by other system cuts, such as the footprint and cooling reductions in a 1MW variable frequency motor drive. The specific goal is to show analytically the lifetime cost and performance benefits of adopting wideband gap technology whether it is at the device level or it is cumulative benefit though a simplified balance of system.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

CalCharge CRADA000008852 Master Agreement Amendment 1, Battery Consortium – Proprietary Activities

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) is partnering with the California Clean Energy Fund to launch CalCharge, an energy storage innovation accelerator, comprised of emerging and established California companies and related organizations developing battery technologies for the electric/hybrid vehicle transportation, the electric grid and consumer electronics markets. The vision of CalCharge is to accelerate the pace of technology innovation, business growth, and cluster development. Calcharge programs will deliver technology acceleration and technical expertise to the energy storage industry, as well as policy and market development support to strengthen the regional economy. LBNL shall collaborate with CalCharge members on the analysis and testing of battery and energy storage technologies. LBNL’s work will include analysis and testing of external design, examination of materials and components either separately or as a whole, and providing data and observations resulting from each collaboration. LBNL shall maintain and provide access to LBNL specialized facilities for research activities performed by or for CalCharge members. In addition, LBNL will provide expertise for short-term consultation, interpretation of testing data, or to clarify technical obstacles if requested by a Member. Over this time frame, Calcharge partnered with several start-ups to provide analytical resources. Those companies include Halotechnics, ZAF Energy Systems, Volkswagen Group of America, Toyota Motor Corporation, and Ensor Inc.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Blackstart of Power Grids with Inverter-Based Resources: Preprint

This paper presents the findings of our investigation into inverter-based resource- (IBR-) driven blackstart of electric grids. Four potential black-start configurations with different setups are presented. To evaluate the technical feasibility of IBR-driven black start in the four configurations, a behavioral model of inverters that mimics current-limited inverter operation is developed using variable resistors in the MATLAB Simulink/Simscape environment. The inverter model is connected to an induction motor through transformers and a transmission line to simulate its startup. Simulation results show that even with the limited current supply capability of inverters because of their physical constraints, IBRs can black-start a motor under certain conditions. Results also show that by using soft-start techniques, such as ramped supply voltage, inrush currents can be reduced, thereby expanding the conditions under which IBRs can provide black-start support. Simulation results with different scenarios lead to discussions and key takeaways that could be valuable for further IBR-driven black-start research.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Design and Development of a Robotic Exoskeleton Device for use in Glove Boxes - 20374

Glovebox operators in nuclear facilities often operate under radioactive environment and typically perform monotonous, dull and repetitive work. This can result in muscle fatigue leading to increased levels of accidents. Current research work aims in assisting the glovebox operators by designing a novel upper limb exoskeleton device to reduce injuries and increase worker efficiency. Almost none of the commercially available hand and upper body exoskeletons are directly suitable for use in gloveboxes. This explains the novelty of the present work in developing a wearable powered robotic exoskeleton device. The device consists of electronics, motors and spring systems mounted on adjustable plates and is supported by a stationary frame behind the worker. The device is intended to be portable and adjustable according to the operator height. The elbow has a flexion movement assisted with motor control by way of a Bowden cable system. The system is floated on a spring and pulley combination that allows for extra safety and smoothness of operation. The end points are fixed near the pivot points to help minimize unwanted movement/torque. The extension movement of the upper and lower arm are assisted by gravity and a counter spring. The shoulder and upper arm movement are held in a neutral position with a spring system for counter balance allowing small movements within the glovebox. This initial concept considers only the vertical movement of the arm. The abduction and adduction movement will not be assisted or impeded by the over shoulder plate or at the forearm plate allowing for full range of motion. Several glovebox aspects such as the level of task assistance, ergonomic design, minimum hindrance in dexterity/operator movements and tear resistance for hazardous safety reasons will be considered in the design of the exoskeleton. Computer models will be simulated to test the load levels and stress conditions on the exoskeleton to enhance the designs. The exoskeleton focusses on major muscular involvement reduction through weight offset and active assistance with minimal parts and hence the device is derived with several joint links and contains both passive and active joints. The paper details the various stages in the design development and prototype testing of the exoskeleton device. Upon successful prototype device development, human testing will be conducted in a replica of the SRS-235F hot cell facility constructed at FIU-ARC. The final stage of the project will be potential testing/deployment of the exoskeleton device in one of the glovebox facilities in Savannah River Nuclear Waste site. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗