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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

2024 University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez Civic Innovation Challenge Study

# 2024 University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez Civic Innovation Challenge Study The 2024 University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC) Study provided insight into the travel patterns and associated energy consumption of participants. Study results helped researchers identify opportunities for the development of shared mobility strategies—such as collaborative ride-sharing programs—that could address the mobility needs of rural communities in Puerto Rico. The Civic Innovation Challenge is a multiagency, federal government research and action competition that funds ready-to-implement, research-based pilot projects that have the potential for scalable, sustainable, and transferable impact on community-identified priorities. ## Data Collection Agency The University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez conducted the study. ## Survey Methodology The study was conducted in Spanish. Data collection was enabled via the open-source [NREL OpenPATH platform](https://www.nrel.gov/transportation/openpath). The resulting dataset consists of partially automated travel diaries—combining sensed and surveyed data reflecting patterns of multimodal, end-to-end, individual human mobility—as well as demographic and socioeconomic information from the 31 participants. ## Survey Records, Data, and Documentation Survey records include 31 participants. The total number of trips was 1,373 and the total non-air-miles traveled was approximately 8,260.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

Pathways to a Sustainable Aviation Ecosystem: Flight DNA: An Anonymized Aviation Data Tool and Repository

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has deep experience developing secure, national data repositories, which it augments with analysis, technology and market expertise, high-performance computing, and innovative data visualization. By adapting the architecture of existing mobility databases (i.e., Fleet DNA, the Transportation Secure Data Center, the National Fuel Cell Technology Evaluation Center), NREL can build a powerful aviation data clearinghouse - Flight DNA - that helps stakeholders navigate the web of pitfalls and possibilities generated by new aviation technologies.

aviation↗
DOE OSTI2022

Meeting sustainable aviation fuel policy targets through first generation corn biorefineries

This paper investigates options to produce low carbon and renewable aviation fuel through existing commercial first generation biorefineries, which could be strategic given the rapid growth of the electric vehicle market for personal mobility. We evaluate the environmental impact of retrofitting a first generation biorefinery to produce aviation fuel through chemical process simulation. The analysis investigates the potential for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and displacing fossil fuel (petroleum-based jet kerosene) in the aviation fuel industry through using corn feedstocks in dry grind biorefineries to convert sugars to 1,4-dimethylcyclooctane (DMCO), which qualifies as renewable jet-A fuel blend and is infrastructure compatible. Further, the average life cycle GHG emissions for a baseline case and a scenario with carbon capture and storage (CCS) of fermentative CO 2 are 36 and 5g CO 2 e/MJ DMCO, respectively. Investment in CCS at the biorefinery and adoption of crop best management practices on farms are essential for mitigating the risks of induced land use change GHG emissions for existing corn biorefineries. DMCO as a low-carbon aviation fuel could be a strategic fuel product for retrofitting existing corn dry grind facilities. For aviation fuel supply, corn dry grind facilities could displace about 12% of jet fuel demand in the near term, which would meet sustainable aviation fuel policy targets. We conclude that corn-to-DMCO shows promise for near-term low-carbon fuel markets in the aviation industry and as a bridge to developing biomass-based jet fuel in the future.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Learnings From the 2022 NREL Partner Forum: Research Needs for Energy Infrastructure

During the 2022 Partner Forum at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), stakeholders and experts from across aviation came to the whiteboard to outline common goals, align interests, understand technologies, and discuss steps for safely and seamlessly decarbonizing aviation. Attendees identified challenges, strategies, and needed research on aviation fuels, infrastructure, and aircraft. Initial insights, strategies, and high-level suggestions from a focused infrastructure workshop are summarized below, including potential barriers and synergies for achieving bold decarbonization goals.

advanced air mobility↗
DOE OSTI2023

Alternative Fuel Vehicle Usage and Owner Demographics in New York State

With mounting concerns over climate change and the environmental impact of fossil fuels, the United States has witnessed a growing interest in alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). In 2021, approximately 1.5 million battery EVs (BEVs), 0.8 million plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs), and 5.5 million hybrid EVs (HEVs) were registered in the United States. In the state of New York, a total of 51,900 BEVs, 44,600 PHEVs, and 221,600 HEVs were registered in 2021. The current report presents the results of an analysis of AFV adoption patterns in New York State and the rest of the United States based on data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS). Overall, the report reveals the demographics and mobility factors (e.g., household income, homeownership, and trip length) that contribute to the adoption of AFVs. This study provides insights that can inform policy decisions aimed at promoting sustainable transportation solutions.The 2017 NHTS data showed that the percentage of households owning at least one AFV is lower in New York City compared with that in other regions of New York State. From the NHTS samples, of the 25 households that owned at least one BEV in New York State, 15 households (60%) lived within a 5-mile radius, based on the great circle distance, of the nearest charging station, and 23 households (92%) lived within a 10-mile radius of the nearest charging station. Furthermore, among the 40 households in New York State that own at least one PHEV, 48% (19 households) lived within a 5-mile radius of the closest EV charging station, and 83% (33 households) lived within a 10-mile radius of the nearest charging station. The rest of the United States had a higher percentage of households that own at least one AFV compared with that of New York State. A comparison was made between EV adoption levels using NHTS and EValuateNY, which is a tool that gathers statistics on the electric car market in New York State. The estimates obtained from New York State household samples in NHTS were slightly lower than the data provided by EValuateNY. In New York State and the rest of the United States, households with higher incomes tended to have a higher proportion of AFV ownership compared with those with lower incomes. For example, households in New York State earning $\$ $150,000 or more had an approximately 6% share of owning at least one AFV, which was markedly higher than those earning less than $\$ $100,000 (less than 3%). Additionally, homeowners in New York State and the rest of the United States also exhibited a significantly higher share of AFV ownership compared with that of renters. In New York State, households that own at least one AFV tended to travel farther and had longer travel times compared with their counterparts without an AFV. In terms of households with at least one AFV, households with HEVs tended to have more person trips, longer person miles of travel, and more vehicle miles traveled, resulting in longer travel times than that of households with BEVs or PHEVs. Notably, households with AFVs had a slightly lower share of family and personal business trips but a higher share of social and recreational trips compared with households without AFVs. Additionally, households with at least one AFV tended to have a slightly higher share of walking trips than their counterparts without an AFV. However, the comparisons were not statistically significant. These travel patterns observed in New York State were consistent with those observed in other regions of the United States.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Production of hydrogen peroxide in an intra-meander hyporheic zone at East River, Colorado.

The traditionally held assumption that photo-dependent processes are the predominant source of H 2 O 2 in natural waters has been recently questioned by an increasing body of evidence showing the ubiquitiousness of H 2 O 2 in dark water bodies and in groundwater. In this study, we conducted field measurement of H 2 O 2 in an intra-meander hyporheic zone and in surface water at East River, CO. On-site detection using a sensitive chemiluminescence method suggests H 2 O 2 concentrations in groundwater ranging from 6 nM (at the most reduced region) to ~ 80 nM (in a locally oxygen-rich area) along the intra-meander transect with a maxima of 186 nM detected in the surface water in an early afternoon, lagging the maximum solar irradiance by ~1.5 h. Our results suggest that the dark profile of H 2 O 2 in the hyporheic zone is closely correlated to local redox gradients, indicating that interactions between various redox sensitive elements could play an essential role. Due to its transient nature, the widespread presence of H 2 O 2 in the hyporheic zone indicates the existence of a sustained balance between H 2 O 2 production and consumption, which potentially involves a relatively rapid succession of various biogeochemically important processes (such as organic matter turnover, metal cycling and contaminant mobilization). More importantly, this study confirmed the occurrence of reactive oxygen species at a subsurface redox transition zone and further support our understanding of redox boundaries on reactive oxygen species generation and as key locations of biogeochemical activity.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗
DOE OSTI2022

Record >10 MV/cm mesa breakdown fields in Al 0.85 Ga 0.15 N/Al 0.6 Ga 0.4 N high electron mobility transistors on native AlN substrates

The ultra-wide bandgap of Al-rich AlGaN is expected to support a significantly larger breakdown field compared to GaN, but the reported performance thus far has been limited by the use of foreign substrates. In this Letter, the material and electrical properties of Al 0.85 Ga 0.15 N/Al 0.6 Ga 0.4 N high electron mobility transistors (HEMT) grown on a 2-in. single crystal AlN substrate are investigated, and it is demonstrated that native AlN substrates unlock the potential for Al-rich AlGaN to sustain large fields in such devices. We further study how Ohmic contacts made directly to a Si-doped channel layer reduce the knee voltage and increase the output current density. High-quality AlGaN growth is confirmed via scanning transmission electron microscopy, which also reveals the absence of metal penetration at the Ohmic contact interface and is in contrast to established GaN HEMT technology. Two-terminal mesa breakdown characteristics with 1.3 μm separation possess a record-high breakdown field strength of ~11.5 MV/cm for an undoped Al 0.6 Ga 0.4 N-channel layer. The breakdown voltages for three-terminal devices measured with gate-drain distances of 4 and 9 μm are 850 and 1500 V, respectively.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dynamic Interfacial Architectures: Cruciferin‐Stabilized Oil/Water Interfaces for Sustainable Emulsions

Stabilizing oil-water interfaces in emulsions by plant-based proteins provides sustainable and tunable ways for designing emulsions with specific properties, for food, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals. Cruciferin, a protein from rapeseed, has great potential as green emulsifier, but details about its structure and mobility at oil-water interfaces are largely unknown. Here, these properties are studied with small angle neutron and x-ray scattering, and neutron spin echo spectroscopy, analyzed by atomistic modelling of scattering curves and coarse-grained modelling, to gain insight into interface coverage, and molecular conformation and mobility at the interface. Cruciferin assumes trimeric conformations at the interface, as in solution, but with its protrusions from the central core of the subunits (“arms”) more compressed. Interfacial mobility is only marginally lower than in solution, indicating the arms still transiently extend and preserve a network, for the first time revealing the mechanism how cruciferin forms highly elastic 2d gel-like oil-water interfaces, as observed in macroscopic rheology. The high interfacial mobility may help in self-repairing non-stabilized interfacial fractions, reducing coalescence. These findings provide a deeper molecular level understanding of proteins at oil-water interfaces, which can stimulate development of new plant-based emulsion products, and contribute to the global protein transition.

cruciferin↗
DOE OSTI2025

Electron transport in a tokamak scrape-off layer: impact of toroidal nonuniformities of divertor targets

An analysis of electron dynamics is carried out in the tokamak scrape-off layer (SOL) region. Small non-axisymmetric perturbations of the divertor target sheath potential affect electron drift orbits in the SOL and may lead to non-ambipolar electron radial transport. The resulting rates of electron convection, diffusion, and mobility are calculated analytically, and the analytic results are compared with direct numerical simulations of electron drift orbits. The proposed mechanism of non-ambipolar electron transport may be relevant to the sustainment of the SOL plasma quasi-neutrality in the ‘heuristic’ model of the SOL width (Eich et al 2011 Phys. Rev. Lett. 107 215001).

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Self‐Healable Poly(ionic liquid) Copolymers Driven by Polar and Dipolar Forces

Abstract Commodity aliphatic and aromatic acrylic‐based copolymers self‐heal due to ubiquitouskey‐and‐lock,ring‐and‐lock, andfluorophilic‐σ‐lockvan der Waals (vdW) interactions. However, the role of these interactions in the presence of covalently copolymerized ionic liquid (IL) is not known. This study is driven by the hypothesis that covalently incorporated cation–anion pairs to form poly(ionic liquid) copolymers (PILCs) can perturb inter‐ or intra‐chain vdW interactions reflected in mechanical and electrical responses. To test this hypothesis, we synthesized a series of PILCs comprising of pentafluorostyrene (PFS) and imidazolium‐based IL monomers with variable‐length aliphatic tails (methyl and butyl). Using a combination of 2D 1 H‐ 1 H and 19 F ‐ 19 F NOESY NMR and FTIR measurements supplemented by molecular dynamic (MD) simulations, these studies demonstrate that preferentially alternating/random PILCs topologies facilitate self‐healing. The introduction of cation–anion moieties modifies thefluorophilic‐σ‐lockinteractions and, along with longer aliphatic tails ─(CH 2 ) 3 CH 3 covalently attached to the imidazolium cation, enhances cation‐anion mobility, thus faster recovery from mechanical damage occurs. These findings underline how precise control over dipolar and ionic interactions through copolymer composition enables self‐healing in PILCs. These insights may open pathways for designing sustainable, mechanically resilient materials for applications in energy storage and energy harvesting.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Value of Motorcycle Electrification in Mexico City

Local and city governments worldwide are looking to adopt emerging technologies and mobility approaches, such as electric vehicles, as they pursue their environmental and economic goals. Commercially available electric vehicles include buses, automobiles, motorcycles, and other two-wheelers. Electrifying transportation is critical to achieve urban sustainability, but it also raises challenges for private and public actors. Jurisdictions across countries are seeking to answer big questions, including how the transportation sector can be electrified, what impacts are priorities, and how such impacts can be obtained.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Optimizing the electron transport chain to sustainably improve photosynthesis

Abstract Genetically improving photosynthesis is a key strategy to boosting crop production to meet the rising demand for food and fuel by a rapidly growing global population in a warming climate. Many components of the photosynthetic apparatus have been targeted for genetic modification for improving photosynthesis. Successful translation of these modifications into increased plant productivity in fluctuating environments will depend on whether the electron transport chain (ETC) can support the increased electron transport rate without risking overreduction and photodamage. At present atmospheric conditions, the ETC appears suboptimal and will likely need to be modified to support proposed photosynthetic improvements and to maintain energy balance. Here, I derive photochemical equations to quantify the transport capacity and the corresponding reduction level based on the kinetics of redox reactions along the ETC. Using these theoretical equations and measurements from diverse C3/C4 species across environments, I identify several strategies that can simultaneously increase the transport capacity and decrease the reduction level of the ETC. These strategies include increasing the abundances of reaction centers, cytochrome b6f complexes, and mobile electron carriers, improving their redox kinetics, and decreasing the fraction of secondary quinone–nonreducing photosystem II reaction centers. I also shed light on several previously unexplained experimental findings regarding the physiological impacts of the abundances of the cytochrome b6f complex and plastoquinone. The model developed, and the insights generated from it facilitate the development of sustainable photosynthetic systems for greater crop yields.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Exploring decarbonization pathways for USA passenger and freight mobility

Abstract Passenger and freight travel account for 28% of U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions today. We explore pathways to reduce transportation emissions using NREL’s TEMPO model under bounding assumptions on future travel behavior, technology advancement, and policies. Results show diverse routes to 80% or more well-to-wheel GHG reductions by 2050. Rapid adoption of zero-emission vehicles coupled with a clean electric grid is essential for deep decarbonization; in the median scenario, zero-emission vehicle sales reach 89% for passenger light-duty and 69% for freight trucks by 2030 and 100% sales for both by 2040. Up to 3,000 terawatt-hours of electricity could be needed in 2050 to power plug-in electric vehicles. Increased sustainable biofuel usage is also essential for decarbonizing aviation (10–42 billion gallons needed in 2050) and to support legacy vehicles during the transition. Managing travel demand growth can ease this transition by reducing the need for clean electricity and sustainable fuels.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Can Common Pool Resource Theory Catalyze Stakeholder-Driven Solutions to the Freshwater Salinization Syndrome?

Freshwater salinity is rising across many regions of the United States as well as globally, a phenomenon called the freshwater salinization syndrome (FSS). The FSS mobilizes organic carbon, nutrients, heavy metals, and other contaminants sequestered in soils and freshwater sediments, alters the structures and functions of soils, streams, and riparian ecosystems, threatens drinking water supplies, and undermines progress toward many of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. There is an urgent need to leverage the current understanding of salinization’s causes and consequences–in partnership with engineers, social scientists, policymakers, and other stakeholders–into locally tailored approaches for balancing our nation’s salt budget. In this feature, we propose that the FSS can be understood as a common pool resource problem and explore Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom’s social-ecological systems framework as an approach for identifying the conditions under which local actors may work collectively to manage the FSS in the absence of top-down regulatory controls. We adopt as a case study rising sodium concentrations in the Occoquan Reservoir, a critical water supply for up to one million residents in Northern Virginia (USA), to illustrate emerging impacts, underlying causes, possible solutions, and critical research needs.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Use of Shared Automated Vehicles for First-Mile Last-Mile Service: Micro-Simulation of Rail-Transit Connections in Austin, Texas

Shared fleets of fully automated vehicles (SAVs) coupled with real-time ride-sharing to and from transit stations are of interest to cities and nations in delivering more sustainable transportation systems. By providing first-mile last-mile (FMLM) connections to key transit stations, SAVs can replace walk-to-transit, drive-to-transit, and drive-only trips. Using the SUMO (Simulation of Urban MObility) toolkit, this paper examines mode splits, wait times, and other system features by micro-simulating two fleets of SAVs providing an FMLM ride-sharing service to 10% of central Austin’s trip-makers near five light-rail transit stations. These trips either start or end within two geofenced areas (called automated mobility districts [AMDs]), and travel time and wait time feedbacks affect mode choices. With rail service headways of 15?min, and 15 SAVs serving FMLM connections to and from each AMD, simulations predict that 3.7% of the person-trip-making will shift from driving alone to transit use in a 3?mi?×?6?mi central Austin area. During a 3-h morning peak, 30 SAVs serve about 10 person-trips each (to or from the stations), with 3.4?min average wait time for SAVs, and an average vehicle occupancy of 0.74 persons (per SAV mile-traveled), as a result of empty SAV driving between riders. Sensitivity analysis of transit headways (from 5 to 20?min) and fleet sizes (from 5 to 20 vehicles in each AMD) shows an increase in FMLM mode share with more frequent transit service and larger fleet size, but total travel time served as the biggest determinant in trip-makers’ mode share.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Mobilizing mine lands for biobased decarbonization strategies

Over 163 000 ha of mine lands in Pennsylvania (PA) have the potential to produce willow as a feedstock for renewable energy generation. Each year these lands could produce between 454 000 and 907 000 dry Mg of willow, which can be a feedstock for bioenergy (i.e., biopower) with carbon capture and sequestration (BECCS) or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production. We used a spatially explicit model to explore cost-minimized allocation of willow biomass from abandoned mine lands (AML) to be used for BECCS or SAF production and to abate carbon dioxide. The results suggest that between 454 000 and 907 000 dry Mg of biomass can be produced on AML in PA at costs from $94 to $250 per dry Mg. This AML willow biomass could be combined with other available biomass and aggregated to ten facilities to produce 17.9 TWh of power; alternatively, it could produce 958 million liters of jet fuel, 638 million liters of renewable diesel, and 1.289 billion liters of naphtha, along with 0.735 TWh of electricity. From this analysis, in PA, under the BECCS pathway, up to 36 million Mg per year of CO2 could be abated at costs of up to $134 per Mg; under the SAF pathway, up to 17.5 million Mg per year of CO2 could be abated at costs up to $150 per Mg of CO2. The use of mine land willow as a supplemental feedstock for SAF and BECCS would need strong incentive programs if costs of production are to be comparable with production on agricultural land.

Wahlstrom, Mallory [Pennsylvania State University]↗
DOE OSTI2023

2023 roadmap for potassium-ion batteries

Abstract The heavy reliance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has caused rising concerns on the sustainability of lithium and transition metal and the ethic issue around mining practice. Developing alternative energy storage technologies beyond lithium has become a prominent slice of global energy research portfolio. The alternative technologies play a vital role in shaping the future landscape of energy storage, from electrified mobility to the efficient utilization of renewable energies and further to large-scale stationary energy storage. Potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) are a promising alternative given its chemical and economic benefits, making a strong competitor to LIBs and sodium-ion batteries for different applications. However, many are unknown regarding potassium storage processes in materials and how it differs from lithium and sodium and understanding of solid–liquid interfacial chemistry is massively insufficient in PIBs. Therefore, there remain outstanding issues to advance the commercial prospects of the PIB technology. This Roadmap highlights the up-to-date scientific and technological advances and the insights into solving challenging issues to accelerate the development of PIBs. We hope this Roadmap aids the wider PIB research community and provides a cross-referencing to other beyond lithium energy storage technologies in the fast-pacing research landscape.

Xu, Yang (ORCID:0000000301776348)↗