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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
NASA NTRS2016

Some Impacts of Risk-Centric Certification Requirements for UAS

This paper discusses results from a recent study that investigates certification requirements for an unmanned rotorcraft performing agricultural application operations. The process of determining appropriate requirements using a risk-centric approach revealed a number of challenges that could impact larger UAS standardization efforts. Fundamental challenges include selecting the correct level of abstraction for requirements to permit design flexibility, transforming human-centric operational requirements to aircraft airworthiness requirements, and assessing all hazards associated with the operation.

Neogi, Natasha A.↗
DOE OSTI2022

C3F: Collaborative Container-based Model Coupling Framework

Solving complex real-world grand challenge problems requires in-depth collaboration of researchers from multiple disciplines. Such collaboration often involves harnessing multiscale and multi-dimensional data and combining models from different fields to simulate systems. However, the progress on this front has been limited mainly due to significant gaps in domain knowledge and tools that are typically employed in silos of the domains. Researchers from different fields face considerable barriers to understanding and reusing each other’s data/models in order to collaborate effectively. For example, in solving the global sustainability problems, researchers from hydrology, climate science, agriculture, and economics need to run their respective models to study different components of the global and local food, energy and water systems while, at the same time, need to interact with other researchers and integrate the results of one model with another. Developing this kind of model coupling workflow calls for (1) a large amount of data being processed and exchanged across domains and organizations, (2) identifying and processing the output of one model to make it ready for integration into another model, (3) controlling the workflow dynamically so that it runs until a certain convergence condition or other criteria is met, and (4) close collaboration among the modelers to explore, tune, and test the configuration and data transformation needed to link the models. We have developed C3F, a flexible collaborative model coupling framework to help researchers accelerate their model integration and linking efforts by leveraging advanced cyberinfrastructure such as high-performance computing and virtual containers. In this paper, we describe our experience and lessons learned in developing this cyberinfrastructure solution to support the linking of Water Balance Model (WBM) and SIMPLE-G agricultural economic model in an NSF funded INFEWS project and a DOE-funded Program on Coupled Human and Earth Systems (PCHES) to study the implications of groundwater scarcity for food-energy-water systems. The C3F model coupling framework can be extended to facilitate other model linkages as well.

containerization↗
DOE OSTI2023

Synthetic Biology Toolbox for Nitrogen-Fixing Soil Microbes

The soil environment adjacent to plant roots, termed the rhizosphere, is home to a wide variety of microorganisms that can significantly affect the physiology of nearby plants. Microbes in the rhizosphere can provide nutrients, secrete signaling compounds, and inhibit pathogens. These processes could be manipulated with synthetic biology to enhance the agricultural performance of crops grown for food, energy, or environmental remediation, if methods can be implemented in these nonmodel microbes. A common first step for domesticating nonmodel organisms is the development of a set of genetic engineering tools, termed a synthetic biology toolbox. A toolbox comprises transformation protocols, replicating vectors, genome engineering (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9), constitutive and inducible promoter systems, and other gene expression control elements. Furthermore, this work validated synthetic biology toolboxes in three nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria: Azotobacter vinelandii, Stutzerimonas stutzeri (Pseudomonas stutzeri), and a new isolate of Klebsiella variicola. All three organisms were amenable to transformation and reporter protein expression, with several functional inducible systems available for each organism. S. stutzeri and K. variicola showed more reliable plasmid-based expression, resulting in successful Cas9 recombineering to create scarless deletions and insertions. Using these tools, we generated mutants with inducible nitrogenase activity and introduced heterologous genes to produce resorcinol products with relevant biological activity in the rhizosphere.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Electrochemically recovered struvite matches conventional fertilizers in soil nutrient supply

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for agriculture, yet global reliance on finite phosphorite reserves raises concerns about long-term food and nutrient security. Struvite (MgNH 4 PO 4 ·6H 2 O), a mineral recovered from municipal wastewater, represents a sustainable and circular source of P, but uncertainty remains regarding its nutrient availability relative to conventional fertilizers. This study evaluated the fertilizer value and environmental safety of electrochemically recovered struvite (RecoP) in comparison with diammonium phosphate (DAP), triple superphosphate (TSP), and rock phosphate (RockP). Nutrient availability, potential contaminant concentrations, and soil P and nitrogen (N) dynamics were assessed using standardized chemical analyses and an 8-week incubation experiment across three soils with contrasting soil types. RecoP contained 14.7% citrate-soluble P, significantly greater than RockP and comparable to DAP and TSP. Across all soils, RecoP increased both readily available and moderately labile P pools (p < 0.01), matching the performance of conventional fast-release fertilizers. Despite containing approximately half the total of DAP, RecoP stimulated nitrification rates that were 2.2 times greater than the control and exceeded those of TSP, suggesting that fertilizer-derived N bioavailability, rather than total N loading, governed microbial N transformation responses. Concentrations of potentially toxic elements in RecoP were consistently well below US Environmental Protection Agency regulatory limits thresholds. Collectively, these results indicate that RecoP functions as a readily available source of both P and N, comparable to widely used conventional fertilizers, while meeting environmental safety standards. RecoP therefore represents a viable component of sustainable nutrient management strategies that support P recycling and agricultural productivity.

Kharal, Sudarshan [Ohio Univ., Athens, OH (United ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Effect of pressure cycling and compression rate on the bcc-hcp transition in an FeNi alloy

Here, we investigate the body-centered cubic (bcc) to hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phase transition in Fe-10wt. %Ni alloy, combining pressure cycling and fast compression with time-resolved synchrotron x-ray diffraction in a dynamic diamond anvil cell. Three pressure cycles were conducted with compression rates ranging from 0.1 to nearly 10 3 GPa/s. During the first cycle with the slowest compression, the observed orientations in the bcc and hcp phases are consistent with the Burgers mechanism, followed by c-axis rotation of the hcp phase consistent with {$10$ $\bar{1}2$} twinning. During the following cycles with fast compression at 10 2 –10 3 GPa/s, the hcp phase exhibits negligible c-axis rotation with a nearly constant c/a ratio of ∼1.61 up to ∼30 GPa, indicating suppression of plastic deformation (especially, twinning) due to sample confinement from the gasket. Notably, the onset pressure of the transition decreases with additional pressure cycling and faster compression, which normally leads to over-pressurization. This suggests that defects or shear induced from the pressure cycling reduces the transition kinetics even during fast compression. These insights into the deformation and transition behavior in an FeNi alloy under multiple dynamic loading cycles can offer guidance for future design of advanced structural alloys and improve our understanding of planetary core processes.

FeNi alloy↗
DOE OSTI2023

Rapid and robust squashed spore/colony PCR of industrially important fungi

Fungi have been utilized for centuries in medical, agricultural, and industrial applications. Development of systems biology techniques has enabled the design and metabolic engineering of these fungi to produce novel fuels, chemicals, and enzymes from renewable feedstocks. Many genetic tools have been developed for manipulating the genome and creating mutants rapidly. However, screening and confirmation of transformants remain an inefficient step within the design, build, test, and learn cycle in many industrial fungi because extracting fungal genomic DNA is laborious, time-consuming, and involves toxic chemicals. In this study we developed a rapid and robust technique called “Squash-PCR” to break open the spores and release fungal genomic DNA as a template for PCR. The efficacy of Squash-PCR was investigated in eleven different filamentous fungal strains. Clean PCR products with high yields were achieved in all tested fungi. Spore age and type of DNA polymerase did not affect the efficiency of Squash-PCR. However, spore concentration was found to be the crucial factor for Squash-PCR in Aspergillus niger, with the dilution of starting material often resulting in higher PCR product yield. We then further evaluated the applicability of the squashing procedure for nine different yeast strains. We found that Squash-PCR can be used to improve the quality and yield of colony PCR in comparison to direct colony PCR in the tested yeast strains. The developed technique will enhance the efficiency of screening transformants and accelerate genetic engineering in filamentous fungi and yeast.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Advancing How We Learn from Biodesign to Mitigate Risks with Next-Generation Genome Engineering

In the last decade, the unprecedented simplicity and flexibility of the CRISPR-Cas system has made it the dominant transformative tool in gene and genome editing. However, this democratized technology is both a boon and a bane, for which we have yet to understand the full potential to investigate and rewrite genomes (also named “genome biodesign”). Rapid CRISPR advances in a range of applications in basic research, agriculture, and clinical applications pose new risks and raise several biosecurity concerns. In such a fast-moving field of research, we emphasize the importance of properly communicating the quality and accuracy of results and recommend new reporting requirements for results derived from next-generation genome engineering.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1991

The consequences of global biomass burning

Global biomass burning encompasses forest burning for land clearing, the annual burning of grasslands, the annual burning of agricultural stubble and waste after harvests, and the burning of wood as fuel. These activities generate CO2, CH4 and other hydrocarbons, CO, H2, NO, NH3, and CH3Cl; of these, CO, CH4 and the hydrocarbons, and NO, are involved in the photochemical production of tropospheric O3, while NO is transformed to NO2 and then to nitric acid, which falls as acid rain. Biomass burning is also a major source of atmospheric particulates and aerosols which affect the transmission of incoming solar radiation and outgoing IR radiation through the atmosphere, with significant climatic effects.

Levine, Joel S.↗
NASA NTRS2001

An Approach to Application Validation of Multispectral Sensors Using AVIRIS

High-resolution multispectral data are becoming widely available for commercial and scientific use. For specific applications, such as agriculture studies, there is a need to quantify the performance of such systems. In many cases, parameters such as GSD and SNR can be optimized. Data sets with varying GSD's for the Landsat ETM+ bands were produced to evaluate the effects of GSD on various algorithms and transformations, such as NDVI, principal component analysis, unsupervised classification, and mixture analysis. By showing that AVIRIS data can be used to simulate spaceborne and airborne multispectral platforms over a wide range of GSD, this research can be used to assist in band selection and spatial resolution specifications for new sensors and in optimization of acquisition strategies for existing multispectral systems.

Warner, Amanda↗
NASA NTRS2019

Anthropogenic Control over Wintertime Oxidation of Atmospheric Pollutants

Anthropogenic air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NO(x) = NO + NO(2)), sulfur dioxide (SO(2)), and volatile organic compounds (VOC), among others, are emitted to the atmosphere throughout the year from energy production and use, transportation, and agriculture. These primary pollutants lead to the formation of secondary pollutants such as fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) and ozone (O(3)) and perturbations to the abundance and lifetimes of short-lived greenhouse gases. Free radical oxidation reactions driven by solar radiation govern the atmospheric lifetimes and transformations of most primary pollutants and thus their spatial distributions. During winter in the mid and high latitudes, where a large fraction of atmospheric pollutants are emitted globally, such photochemical oxidation is significantly slower. Using observations from a highly instrumented aircraft, we show that multi-phase reactions between gas-phase NO(x) reservoirs and aerosol particles, as well as VOC emissions from anthropogenic activities, lead to a suite of atypical radical precursors dominating the oxidizing capacity in polluted winter air, and thus, the distribution and fate of primary pollutants on a regional to global scale.

Haskins, J. D.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Data and scripts associated with “Riverine dissolved organic matter transformations increase with watershed area, water residence time, and Damköhler numbers in nested watersheds” (v2)

This data package is associated with the publication “Riverine dissolved organic matter transformations increase with watershed area, water residence time, and Damköhler numbers in nested watersheds” submitted to Biogeochemistry by Ryan et al., 2024 (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-024-01169-5). This study aims to investigate fundamental and transferable drivers of dissolved organic matter (DOM) diversity across five nested watersheds within the contiguous United States. DOM diversity was explored using ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS). The samples and the unprocessed FTICR-MS data used in this study are publicly available on the Environmental System Science Data Infrastructure for a Virtual Ecosystem (ESS-DIVE) data repository (see DOIs below). The data for the Willamette, Gunnison, Connecticut, and Deschutes basins were collected as part of a collaboration between the Watershed Rules of Life (WROL) project and Worldwide Hydrobiogeochemistry Observation Network for Dynamic River Systems (WHONDRS). The data for the Yakima River basin (YRB) was collected by the PNNL River Corridor SFA. The raw, unprocessed FTICR-MS data with additional (meta)data can be found at doi:10.15485/1895159 for WROL samples and doi:10.15485/1898912 for YRB samples. This data package contains the processed data used in the associated manuscript. This package also contains ancillary geospatial, hydrological, and geochemical information that supports the interpretation of the FTICR-MS data within Ryan et al., 2024. This data package is associated with the GitHub repository found at https://github.com/WHONDRS-Hub/rcsfa-RC4-WROL-YRB_DOM_Diversity. This data package was originally published August 2024. It was updated January 2025 (modified files). See the change history in the readme more details. At the directory level, the data package is comprised of three folders: (1) data, (2) output, and (3) src; and five additional files including the data dictionary (file ending in "_dd.csv”) and file-level metadata (file ending in “_flmd.csv”). The “src” folder contains the scripts used to process the FTICR data, conduct the analyses, and produce the manuscript figures. The inputs for these scripts are in the “data” folder and the returned outputs in the “output” folder. Inputs include temporal and spatial metadata associated with the sampling efforts, processed FTICR data, and total and normalized putative biochemical transformations per sample. Outputs include cleaned and combined data presented as tables, descriptive statistics, and plots. The file-level metadata file lists all files contained in this data package and descriptions for each. The data dictionary describes the units and definitions for each tabular data column or row header.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1984

Use of satellite data in agricultural surveys

The state-of-the-art of crop surveying by satellite is reviewed with an emphasis on the signature extension problem. Registration and preprocessing procedures are discussed with refereence to: normalization of the radiometric values of each scene for scene-to-scene differences; registration techniques, implemented at the NASA Johnson Space Center, capable of 0.5 pixel root-mean-square error; and current research in this direction. Data transformation and modeling techniques applied to the Landsat MSS images and a solution for the field-to-field variations of the greenness and brightness temporal trajectories are included. Finally, a review of the mixture decomposition method of labeling and estimating the areal proportions is given.

Hall, F. G.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Synchrotron resolved microscale mineralogy and elemental composition of individual plinthic and manganiferous nodules from agricultural soils

Iron and manganese oxides are strong sorbents and elemental scavengers in the environment that can form macroscopic nodules in soils. Despite their importance in the geochemical cycling of nutrients and contaminants, nodules are rarely characterized. When analyzed, they are often combined into bulk samples, obscuring individual characteristics. This study investigates the composition and mineralogy of individual plinthic and manganiferous nodules in soil from cropping systems in the Farming Systems Project in Beltsville, Maryland. Elemental composition indicates the accumulation of contaminants and nutrients, including copper in all nodules and high levels of phosphorus in select nodules. Sequential extractions determine that highly crystalline minerals comprise the nodules, locking away these nutrients and contaminants. Bulk X-ray diffraction (XRD) demonstrated distinct mineralogies in the plinthic and manganiferous nodules, with the former comprised of quartz, goethite, and kaolinite, and the latter consisting of quartz, Mn 2 O 3 , and hematite. Synchrotron and laboratory-based X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping gives critical insight into the elemental distribution within the nodules and elucidates spatial elemental associations, including the coupling of manganese and iron in the manganiferous nodules. XRF maps paired with µXRD provide microscale spatial resolution in mineralogy, which resolved several phases not apparent in bulk XRD, manganese’s association with goethite, and minerals indicative of redox transformations, including magnetite and maghemite. These novel results provide critical insight into the microscale mineralogy and individual elemental composition of plinthic and manganiferous nodules, as well as how they alter bulk soil geochemistry in ways largely unaccounted for in research on soil systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Investigation of N2 adsorption on Fe3O4(001) using ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory

Reactions on iron oxide surfaces are prevalent in various chemical processes from heterogeneous catalysts to minerals. Nitrogen (N2) is known to dissociate on iron surfaces, a precursor for ammonia production in the Haber–Bosch process, where the dissociation of N2 is the limiting step in the reaction under equilibrium conditions. However, little is known about N2 adsorption on other iron-based materials, such as iron oxide surfaces that are ubiquitous in soils, steel pipelines, and other industrial materials. An atomistic description is reported for the binding of N2 on the Fe3O4(001) surface using first principles calculations with ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Two primary adsorption sites are experimentally identified from N2 dissociation on Fe3O4(001). The electronic signatures associated with the valence band region unambiguously show how the electronic structure of magnetite transforms near ambient pressures due to the binding of atomic nitrogen to different surface sites. Overall, the experimental and theoretical results of our study bridge the gap between ultra-high vacuum studies and reaction conditions to provide insight into other nitrogen-based chemistry on iron oxide surfaces that impact the agriculture and energy industries.

Degaga, Gemechis D. (ORCID:0000000205097118)↗
DOE OSTI2022

Turning Food Waste into Biobased Products (CRADA Final Report)

As part of the Cyclotron Road program, the ZestBio project team investigated the production of chemical products from industrial agricultural byproducts and sustainable carbon sources. The goal of the research was to explore methods of manufacturing of new chemical products from renewable carbon that could address growing consumer and regulatory demands for environmentally-friendly and biobased chemicals. Previously, ZestBio and the technical founders developed enzymatic and chemical conversion technologies that transform abundant sugars found in these byproducts into value-adding, high performance chemicals.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2021

Integrate health into decision-making to foster climate action

The COVID-19 pandemic reveals that societies place a high value on healthy lives. Leveraging this momentum to establish a more central role for human health in the policy process will provide further impetus to a sustainable transformation of energy and food systems.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS1976

The tasselled cap - A graphic description of the spectral-temporal development of agricultural crops as seen by Landsat

The time trajectories of agricultural data points as seen in Landsat signal space form a pattern suggestive of a tasselled woolly cap. Most of the important crop phenomena can be described using this three dimensional construct: the distribution of signals from bare soil, the processes of green development, yellow development, and shadowing and harvesting. A linear preprocessing transformation which isolates green development, yellow development and soil brightness is used to reduce the dimension of the signal space. Specific measurable pattern elements of the tasselled cap are used to estimate and correct atmospheric haze and moisture effects.

Kauth, R. J.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Biochar-compost-based controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer intended for an active microbial community

Nitrogen (N) fertilizers in agriculture suffer losses by volatilization of N to the air, surface runoff and leaching into the soil, resulting in low N use efficiency (NUE) (< 50%) and raising severe environmental pollutions. Controlled- release nitrogen fertilizers (CRNFs) can control the release of N nutrients to NUE in crop production. Different methods were used to develop new CRNFs. However, different CRNF technologies are still underdeveloped due to inadequate controlling on N releasing time and/or unsustainable diffusion. The study on the influences of CRNF processing parameters on microbial conditions are lacking when the CRNFs composed of various bio-ingredients such as biochar, composts, and biowaste. The complexity of processing methods, material biodegradability, and other physical properties make current CRNFs of questionable value in agricultural production. This research aims to develop a novel biochar-compost-based controlled-release urea fertilizer (BCRUF) to preserve microbial properties carried by the compost. The BCRUF was synthesized by pelletizing the 50:50 (dry, wt/wt) mixture of biochar and compost. BCRUF was loaded with urea and then spray-coated with polylactic acid (PLA). The releasing time of two types of BCRUFs, coated and uncoated with PLA, for 80% of N release in water was up to 6 h at three different temperatures (4, 23, and 40 °C), compared to conventional urea fertilizer and commercial environmentally smart N (ESN) fertilizer. The releasing time of coated BCRUF for 80% N release in soil was up to 192 h (8 days). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed that no new functional groups were found in the release solution, indicating no new chemical hazards generated. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) tests also verified that its thermal stability could be up to 160 °C. The microbe populations in the BCRUF pellets were reduced after the pelleting and drying processes in BCRUF fabrication, but a few bacteria can endure in the air-drying process. BCRUF pellets soaked in water for 4 days retained some bacteria. The BCRUF showed very promising characteristics to improve NUE and sustainability in agricultural production.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗