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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
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DOE OSTI2024

Ultrafast High Voltage Kicker System Hardware for Ion Clearing Gaps

Jefferson Lab (JLab) will collaborate with Radiabeam, LLC in a DOE SBIR Phase II Project (DOE Grant No. DE-SC0019684, title: “Ultrafast High Voltage Kicker System Hardware for Ion Clearing Gaps”) to develop and test a MHz high voltage nanosecond kicker system that enables the time structure required by the ion traps for high current electron beam cooling. High current (in particular energy recovery) linac based electron cooling facilities for medium to high energy bunched proton or ion beams are of great interest for the recently funded Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) to which Jefferson Lab plays a critical role. The successful execution of this project will enable the capability to mitigate the ion trapping effect and circumvent a major obstacle preventing reliable operation of the crucial cooling facilities.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

High-Power Targetry R&D for Next-Generation Accelerator Target Facilities

Beam-intercepting devices such as beam windows and particle-production targets are critical components of accelerator target facilities for High Energy Physics (HEP) experiments. The high-power, pulsed structure of the particle beams used for these experiments leads to thermal shock and high-cycle fatigue in addition to radiation damage resulting from the accumulated particle fluence. This can lead to degradation of the target system s mechanical and thermal properties; considerably reducing their lifetimes and presenting substantial challenges to reliable operation of multi-MW class facilities. Recently several major accelerator facilities have been forced to operate at reduced power levels due to target survivability concerns. Furthermore, at Fermilab it is planned to increase the neutrino production beam power up to 2.4 MW in coming years. Therefore, timely R&D on the irradiated behavior of target system materials is critical to efficient operation of accelerator facilities and full utilization of recent accelerator power upgrades for HEP research. This talk will begin with an overview of high-power targetry, and the significant challenges presented by beam power increases expected for future HEP experiments. We will then cover several past materials irradiation studies that have been completed by the High-Power Targetry R&D group at Fermilab and its collaborators on common accelerator and target materials such as graphite, beryllium, titanium, and tungsten. Finally, we will conclude with a discussion of two novel materials investigations under way within the group; high-entropy alloys for beam window applications, and electrospun nanofibers to serve as particle production targets.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Glass Formulation and Testing with RPP-WTP HLW Simulants (Final Report)

This report presents the results from HLW glass formulation work that was conducted at the Vitreous State Laboratory of The Catholic University of America during Part B1 of the RPP-WTP Project (formally known as TWRS-P) in support of the Privatization contractor, BNFL, Inc. Glass formulation development is required to provide data that are essential for design of the vitrification facility in the near term and for safe and reliable operation of that facility in the longer-term. These data also form the bases from which contractually and technically acceptable immobilized high-level waste (IHLW) products will be devised. Glass formulation therefore impacts many aspects of the vitrification facility design, overall process economics, and contractual compliance. As an integral part of the overall system design, development of glass formulations requires input from many sources including tank waste characterization, pretreatment process definition, flow sheet development, and processing schedules. Accordingly, the glass formulation effort must be responsive to new information as the facility design basis evolves.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

RaDIATE Collaboration for Material Studies

In the recent past, major accelerator facilities have been limited in beam power not by their accelerators, but by the beam intercepting device survivability. As next-generation accelerator target facilities (High Energy Physics, Spallation Sources, …) become increasingly more powerful and intense, high power target systems face key technical challenges. Beam-intercepting devices such as beam windows and secondary particle-production targets are continuously bombarded by high-energy high-intensity pulsed proton beams to produce secondary particles. Energy deposition from the primary beam induces near instantaneous heating (thermal shock) and microstructural changes (radiation damage) in the beam-intercepting materials. Both thermal shock and radiation damage ultimately degrade the performance and lifetime of targets and have been identified as the leading cross-cutting challenges of high-power target facilities. In order to operate reliable beam-intercepting devices in the framework of energy and intensity increase for next generation accelerators, the RaDIATE collaboration (Radiation Damage In Accelerator Target Environment) managed by Fermilab, brings together existing expertise in nuclear material and accelerator targets from 20 international institutions to execute a coordinated strategy for high power targetry R&D. This collaboration is generating new and useful materials data for application within the accelerator and the fission/fusion communities. I will give an overview of the RaDIATE R&D program and the achievement in the last few years on material studies in support of High Power Targetry development, including results obtained from irradiation test, development of novel materials and the prospective towards future irradiation campaign. A highlight will be given to the results in collaboration with our colleagues from J-PARC.

Pellemoine, Frederique↗
DOE OSTI2024

Site-specific Design Case Study for Wet Waste Hydrothermal Liquefaction and Biocrude Upgrading to Hydrocarbon Fuels

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a thermal process that converts wet biomass to renewable hydrocarbon fuel blendstocks (i.e., renewable naphtha, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)). It can utilize a wide range of pure and blended wet feedstocks, including sewage sludge from water resource recovery facilities (WRRF), food and agriculture wastes, algae, fats, oils and greases (FOG) and blends of dry and wet wastes/feedstocks. Historically, techno-economic analysis (TEA) and annual state of technology (SOT) assessments with standard economic assumptions used by the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) were conducted for the wet waste HTL pathway leveraging experimental data collected from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL) continuous flow reactor systems. The objective of the SOT assessment has been to guide and track progress of BETO’s HTL research and development (R&D) toward reduced cost and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the pathway. However, gaps exist between BETO’s traditional SOT updates and the needs of key external stakeholders that – if addressed – will accelerate technology adoption. This Business Case Study aims to bridge this gap by providing an updated design, TEA, and LCA based on PNNL’s FY23 R&D with added analyses and information that provide enhanced relevance for stakeholders of the HTL technology. This includes specific siting, regional wet waste resource inventory and transportation cost analyses, fuel market information, sustainable fuel policy impacts, economic metrics of net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions analysis, and statistical analysis of cost and technical uncertainties of the HTL plant design. The study focuses on the “Detroit combined statistical area (CSA)” region for siting of a wet waste HTL plant adjacent to the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) facility with guidance from industry participants. Regional resource and siting analyses were conducted to identify feedstock availability, scale, and cost, as well as a beneficial site location. TEA with detailed rigorous capital cost estimation for the specific site application was conducted to evaluate the key economic metrics of most value to industrial partners. These include total capital investment, operating costs, minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) of the biocrude and fuel blendstock, and NPV and internal rate of return IRR with sustainable fuel credits. Life cycle analysis was conducted to evaluate the supply chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the wet waste HTL process as compared with petroleum derived diesel. This study is also informed by years of R&D and process de-risking learnings and was conducted with a basic engineering HTL plant design and costing that akin to a “first-of-a-kind” plant economics. This differs from our conventional “nth plant ” SOT assessments. Specifically, the HTL process model has been updated with more operationally reliable methods for feed heating and phase separations. Further, we have implemented additional spare equipment for redundancy, a more rigorous installed equipment cost estimation approach, and additional costs associated with feed formatting and delivery, building, piping and site development. An Excel-based cost sheet based on the basic engineering design is also released alongside the report that allows users to conduct customized TEA with their own feed composition and financial assumptions.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Investigation of the Challenges of Offshore Wind in Ultradeep Water

Floating offshore wind technology allows offshore wind energy systems to be deployed in water depths that are inaccessible with conventional fixed bottom technology. Several floating offshore wind energy pilot projects have demonstrated reliable operation of the technology in water depths between 200 m and 300 m. Building on that experience, commercial-scale projects are being developed in areas out to 1,300 m depths. In some regions there is substantial resource potential for wind energy generation in even deeper waters, however, increasing depths may introduce new challenges for installation, maintenance, and repair. In this report, we consider technical, environmental, and economic challenges for floating offshore wind energy in ultradeep water, defined here as depths between 1,300 m and 3,000 m.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Workshop Report: Rural Electric Cooperative Distributed Energy Resource Business Model Development Workshops

The United States' energy future is being shaped by decades of technology innovation, rapidly changing consumer requirements, and governmental focus on securing reliable, low-cost energy sources. With expanded electrification and increased emphasis on grid reliability coupled with the heightened complexity and risks associated with transmission infrastructure, the use of distributed energy resources (DERs) is more commonly being considered a safe, efficient, and cost-effective way to maintain grid resilience and reliability. Amidst improvements in performance, decreasing costs, and unprecedented federal policy support for DERs, electric cooperatives are considering new opportunities to use these assets to ensure secure and reliable operations for millions of customers. In light of these developments, a series of workshops were held to collaborate on the development of business models for DERs in rural electric cooperative ecosystems. The first workshop was held July 11, 2024, at the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association Inc. headquarters in Westminster, Colorado (hereafter referred to as the "Tri-State Workshop"). The second workshop was hosted by PNGC Power on Oct. 9, 2024, in Portland, Oregon (hereafter referred to as the "PNGC Power Workshop"). These workshops convened representatives from G&Ts, distribution cooperatives,2 the energy industry, the financial community, the U.S. government, national and regional organizations, and national laboratories to share perspectives on the unique needs, challenges, and opportunities that they face as DERs are further integrated into the grid. The workshops were designed to address the following objectives: (1) develop the enabling attributes of electric cooperative DER business models, (2) explore pathways for generating community benefits from these assets, and (3) identify technical challenges and market risks for DERs in rural electric cooperative service territories. This report outlines key findings and major themes identified by workshop participants that federal agencies, G&Ts, distribution cooperatives, and other entities can consider to advance electric cooperative DER business models.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Fast and robust strategies for large-scale mixed-integer SCOPF

This project develops scalable, computationally efficient algorithms to solve realistic large-scale power system optimization problems, including systems with more than 8,000 buses, as part of a larger series of competitions run by ARPA-E. These problems are critical because the secure and reliable operation of the power grid is becoming increasingly challenging, especially under conditions of increased uncertainty and variability. The economic feasibility of our methods is high, given that they are purely software-based solutions designed to operate power grids more efficiently. The technical effectiveness balances heuristics and approximations to provide a trade-off between speed and accuracy.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2025

High-Speed and High-Quality Field Welding Repair Based on Advanced Non-Destructive Evaluation and Numerical Modeling

Creep strength-enhanced ferritic (CSEF) steels such as Grade 91 (9Cr-1Mo-V) and Grade 92 (Fe-9Cr-2W-0.5Mo) steels are widely used in the fossil-fuel-fired and nuclear power plants. The weld integrity of these steels is crucial for power plants' safe and reliable operations. Due to harsh service conditions, the steel weld can become susceptible to environmental degradation. Field welding repair is used to restore the degraded weld’s performance where a controlled temper-bead welding technique is commonly used to temper the freshly formed martensite during welding. However, knowledge of weld repairability is limited and experimental trial and error optimization to achieve desired microstructure and joint properties is expensive and time-consuming. Many existing computational models, e.g., finite element models, are limited to solving heat conduction equation and ignoring convective heat transfer due to molten metal flow. These models can result in over-prediction of peak temperatures of weld pool and heat-affected zone (HAZ), which in turn can affect the accuracy of tempering prediction. Moreover, these finite element models require an input of the deposit profiles in advance and thus limits the usability of these models. Here, a molten pool-based, multi-pass multi-layer model has been developed based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach with the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method. The model calculates the bead formation, thereby eliminating the need for pre-determined bead profiles required by finite element models. For computational efficiency, a coordinate system attached to the moving heat source is utilized. A subroutine is developed to convert the temperature profiles in the reference frame stationary to the heat source to that stationary to the workpiece. The converted thermal cycles are then imported into a microstructure model to compute the tempering kinetics and resultant hardness using a Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov (JMAK), and modified Grange-Baughman parameter. The modeling approach is first developed and validated on single- and multi-pass deposition of stainless steel filler metal onto a SA-533 high strength steel substrate. The models are then applied to a multi-pass V-groove repair weld of Grade 91 steel plate as well as directed energy deposition of Grade 92 steel. Non-destructive characterization of microstructures was performed on Grade 91 and 92 steel welds. Two welding processes, cold metal transfer (CMT) and flux-cored arc welding (FCAW), were investigated for the Grade 91 steel weld samples. For the Grade 92 weld samples, three different heat inputs (low, medium, and high) of gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) were utilized to replicate traditional field welding processes. The non-destructive evaluation (NDE) method used for this research was immersion ultrasonic testing (UT) using a micro-resolution ultrasonic imaging methodology specifically designed to operate in the through-transmission configuration operating at 20 MHz of frequency. The system used a focused ultrasonic beam spot size diameter between 250-300 μm, and a 6 μm laser vibrometer spot size for detection, to produce highly defined images with longitudinal and mode-converted shear waves. From the micro-resolution ultrasonic C-scan images, three microstructural regions, i.e., weld metal (WM), HAZ, and base metal (BM), were clearly identifiable. Various levels of ultrasonic amplitudes distributed over the three regions were correlated with electron beam backscattered diffraction (EBSD) images using grain size, grain boundaries, and dislocation densities. The results showed that areas with relatively higher ultrasonic amplitude levels were associated with smaller grains and higher dislocation densities, while areas with lower amplitude levels were associated with larger grains and lower dislocation densities. In addition, ultrasonic velocity data obtained across the three different weld microstructural regions of Grade 91 test samples were correlated with optical metallographic images and hardness measurements. The results showed distinctive decreases in ultrasonic velocity and hardness over the HAZ region, where weld failures often occur during service.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Scalable Data Center Capacity for DOE's AI Prototype: A Rapidly Available Gigawatt Data Center for DOE

The multilaboratory Gigawatt Data Center working group was commissioned to identify approaches to rapidly establish federal data centers with scalable capacities up to 1,000 MW. These state-of-the-art facilities will serve as hubs for interdisciplinary collaboration, industry partnerships, and transformative applications of artificial intelligence. The proposed strategic shift includes facilitating multilaboratory collaboration, prioritizing operational efficiency, expanding public–private partnerships, optimizing investments, ensuring long-term contractual flexibility, supporting open science and secure data enclaves, and exploiting high-speed national networks. Owing to their extensive experience and best practices, the US Department of Energy national laboratories are uniquely positioned to lead this initiative. We recommend conducting a feasibility analysis to rapidly identify the optimal sites for this initiative, and the effort will likely involve private industry for design, construction, financing, and operational integration. We also propose establishing multiple geographically diverse sites to ensure energy resilience, high operational reliability, and a diverse user base, thereby effectively addressing the nation’s critical needs.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

RaDIATE Collaboration Thermal shock studies

As next-generation accelerator target facilities (High Energy Physics, Spallation Sources, ... ) become increasingly more powerful and intense, high power target systems face key technical challenges, such as radiation damage and thermal shock. Those ultimately degrade the performance and lifetime of targets and have been identified as the leading cross-cutting challenges of high-power target facilities. In order to operate reliable beam-intercepting devices in the framework of energy and intensity increase for next generation accelerators, the RaDIATE Collaboration (Radiation Damage In Accelerator Target Environment), established in 2012 and managed by Fermilab, brings together existing expertise in nuclear material and accelerator targets from 20 international institutions, including CERN, to execute a coordinated strategy for high power targetry R&D. In this context, several thermal shock studies were performed at CERN's HiRadMat (High-Radiation to Materials) facility, that took a key step towards improving our knowledge on target damage tolerance. The first experiment HRMT-24, supported by EURCARD2 and completed in 2015, successfully validated the Johnson-Cook strength model developed at SwRI on beryllium S200FH (used for beam window material), providing a better confidence in simulating the thermal shock response of current and future S200FH beryllium components. HRMT-43, supported by ARIES and completed in 2018, tested various materials (Be, C, SiC, Si, Ti and ceramic nanofiber). It was a first and unique test which included pre-irradiated specimens from high energy proton beam irradiation to identify thermal shock response differences between non-irradiated and previously irradiated materials. Real-time measurement of dynamic thermomechanical response of graphite helped to benchmark numerical simulations.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Testing and Expertise for Marine Energy (TEAMER) Program Support: MRE Dynamic Seals Performance Investigation (CRADA Final Report)

This TEAMER project allows NREL to use and augment a custom special-purpose testing system to perform accelerated-life testing of rotating seals for use in the Marine Renewable Energy (“MRE”) industry. The requirements of this industry are different from most applications including marine, and relevant performance information is lacking. In order to achieve low costs with extremely effective and reliable operation over long periods deployed underwater, more study of the best seals and arrangements of seals must be performed. By developing a rigorous framework for such testing, NREL hopes to greatly improve understanding of the relevant factors and provide significant data to the industry. Further, this work can inform standards developments for this critical component of MRE systems, leading to maturation and improved acceptance of the industry in commerce.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2025

A simplified approach for creep damage and remaining life calculation for materials surveillance in advanced reactors

High temperature reactor materials will experience a combination of mechanical degradation caused by creep and fatigue and environmental degradation caused by neutron irradiation and, in some cases, exposure to corrosive coolants. A materials surveillance program is one option for ensuring the safe, reliable operation of key reactor components under these conditions. Such a program would monitor the degradation in key material properties over time, using this data to predict how changes in the material properties affect components performance. This could then be used to make plant operational decisions and support eventual plant license extensions. Past work de-scribes such a material surveillance program based on passively actuated mechanical test articles that impose creep-fatigue type loading on test materials driven only by changes in temperature, for example those experienced by components under standard operating cycles. This report focuses on two aspects of the proposed material surveillance program: how to design the test articles to mimic the mechanical response of the corresponding component and how to use ex-situ test data to deter-mine the amount of damaged experienced by the test article (and hence the corresponding compo-nent) in service. Specifically, this report derives and validated simplified methods for both tasks, replacing earlier, more complicated approaches based on simulating the test article response and finding the best specimen design or current damage via complex numerical optimization. The sim-plified methods for each task developed here can be implemented in spreadsheet software and are simple enough for practical use in future operating plants. This report derives the methods (one for sizing and two options for damage inference), verifies the simplified approaches versus more so-phisticated methods, and compares the results of applying the simplified methods to previous re-sults using the complex numerical optimization approach. The report also provides a worked sam-pled problem applying the simplified techniques to a realistic high temperature reactor component.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

NFE-24-10417: Durability and Life-time Energy Performance Enhancement of Vapor Compression Systems

This project investigated the use of a Centrifugal Particle Separation (CPS) system to improve the durability and operational reliability of outdoor heat exchangers in vapor-compression based heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) systems. The developed method introduced a novel dust and fouling mitigation approach by integrating an ambient air pre-cleaner that employs centrifugal forces to remove particulate matter from incoming air before it reaches the heat exchanger. By reducing the accumulation of dust and debris on coil surfaces, the CPS system aims to lower maintenance requirements and extend equipment lifespan. The project specifically involves coupling a centrifugal air pre-cleaner with a single-zone ductless mini-split system and evaluating its effectiveness in maintaining cleaner coil surfaces. Additionally, the study examined the impact of CPS integration on system energy performance. Through controlled experimental testing and performance monitoring, this work seeks to validate CPS-based air pre-cleaning as a practical, efficient solution for mitigating outdoor coil dust accumulation and fouling in both residential and commercial HVACR applications.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2025

Energy-Efficient Selective Removal of Metal Ions from Mining Influenced Waters (MIW) Using H-Bonded Organic-Inorganic Framework (HOIFS) (CRADA Final Report)

The work developed a hydrogen-bonded organic–inorganic framework (HOIF), specifically zinc imidazole salicylaldoxime supramolecule (ZIOS), for selective Cu removal and recovery from acidic mining-impacted waters (AMD), with emphasis on scalable synthesis, membrane integration, durability in real AMD (RAMD), mechanistic understanding, and recovery/regeneration pathways. This research breaks new ground in selective resource recovery from AMD waters – no other sorbents can operate reliably in this pH range. This project is unique in what it has delivered and is of general use to the public for projects relating to critical materials recovery.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

R&D Program for HEP High-Power Targets at Fermilab

A high-power target system is a key beam element to complete future High Energy Physics (HEP) experiments. In the recent past, major accelerator facilities have been limited in beam power not by their accelerators, but by the beam intercepting device survivability. The target must then endure high power pulsed beam, leading to high cycle thermal stresses/pressures and thermal shocks. The increased beam power will also create significant challenges such as corrosion and radiation damage that can cause harmful effects on the material and degrade their mechanical and thermal properties during irradiation. This can eventually lead to the failure of the material and drastically reduce the lifetime of targets and beam intercepting devices. In order to operate reliable beam-intercepting devices in the framework of energy and intensity increase projects of the future, it is essential to develop a strong R&D program and have synergy with various expertise. After presenting the high power targetry challenges facing next generation multi-MW accelerators, we will give an overview of Fermilab’s R&D program in support of High Power Targetry development. The RaDIATE collaboration (Radiation Damage In Accelerator Target Environment), managed by Fermilab, also draws on existing expertise in related fields to execute a coordinated strategy for high power targetry R&D between the 14 international member institutions.

Pellemoine, Frederique [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2026

A Review of Distributed Wind Interconnection Technology and Standards

The objectives of this report are to discuss the uniqueness of power converters in distributed wind (DW), identify challenges in complying with existing standards, prioritize technological innovations to facilitate interconnection of DW energy systems, and, where necessary, propose potential clarifications or revisions to standards. This report evaluates IEEE 1547-2018, IEEE 1547.1-2020, and UL 1741 SB standards and their implications for DW. A standards review and interviews of DW industry stakeholders were conducted to identify challenges in the application of current standards to DW. The study concludes with a combination of recommendations of pathways towards facilitating DW product commercialization and DW interconnection, which draws on participation from multiple stakeholders in the space. These solutions can continue to be explored to improve DW standards compliance, improve the applicability of the standards to DW, reduce certification testing barriers, and ensure the safe and reliable operation of DW energy resources and electric power systems.

17 WIND ENERGY↗