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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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DOE OSTI2026

Queued Up: 2026 Edition, Characteristics of Power Plants Seeking Transmission Interconnection As of the End of 2025 [Slides]

Electric transmission system operators (ISOs, RTOs, or utilities) require proposed power plants seeking to connect to the transmission grid to undergo a series of impact studies before they can be built. This process establishes what new transmission equipment or upgrades may be needed before a project can connect to the system and assigns the costs of that equipment. The lists of projects in this process are known as “interconnection queues”. In collaboration with https://www.interconnection.fyi. Berkeley Lab compiled, aggregated, and cleaned interconnection queue data from >50 transmission grid operators (7 ISO/RTOs and 50 non-ISO balancing areas), which collectively represent ~98% of currently installed U.S. electric generating capacity.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI1988

Nuclear Safety [Vol. 29, No. 1, January-March 1988]

Nuclear Safety is a review journal that covers significant developments in the field of nuclear safety. Its scope includes the analysis and control of hazards associated with nuclear energy, operations involving fissionable materials, and the products of nuclear fission and their effects on the environment. Primary emphasis is on safety in reactor design, construction, and operation; however, the safety aspects of the entire fuel cycle, including fuel fabrication, spent-fuel processing, nuclear waste disposal, handling of radioisotopes, and environmental effects of these operations, are also treated. Table of Contents for this issue follows. THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT: 1 Core History and Nuclide Inventory of the Chernobyl Core at the Time of Accident by Gerald Kirchner and Cornelius C. Noack; GENERAL SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: 6 Nonprescriptive Nuclear Safety Regulation: The Example of Loss of Offsite Power by M. W. Golay, V. P. Manno, and C. Vlahoplus, Jr., 20 Nuclear Power Safety Goals in Light of the Chernobyl Accident by C. Whipple and C. Starr; ACCIDENT ANALYSIS: 29 Containment Loads from Severe Accidents—U.S. Program by W. Kerr and M. K. Dey; PLANT SAFETY FEATURES: 36 Safety Characteristics of Modern High-Temperature Reactors: Focus on German Designs by W. Kröger, H. Nickel, and R. Schulten; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: 49 Radiation Hormesis and Nuclear Safety by C. C. Congdon; OPERATING EXPERIENCES: 58 Evaluation of Nonradiological Water Chemistry at Power Reactors by Harvey Zibulsky, James J. Kottan, Walter J. Pasciak, Mary Ann Castrogivanni, and Sujit Banerjee, 64 Reactor Shutdown Experience Compiled by J. W. Cletcher, 67 Operating U.S. Power Reactors Compiled by E. G. Silver; RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: 85 General Administrative Activities Compiled by E. G. Silver, 94 Reports, Standards, and Safety Guides by D. S. Queener, 100 Status of Power-Reactor Projects Undergoing Licensing Review Compiled by E. G. Silver, 103 Proposed Rule Changes as of Sept. 30, 1987; ANNOUNCEMENTS: 5 Northwestern University Short Course on Radiation Safety, 28 International Approach to Nuclear Safety (After Three-Mile Island and Chernobyl), 57 RPI Short Course on Modern Developments in Boiling Heat Transfer and Two-Phase Flow, 107 20th DOE/NRC Nuclear Air Cleaning Conference, 110 Third International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Power Plant Thermal Hydraulics and Operations, 108 The Authors, 111 Indexes to Nuclear Safety, Volume 28.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Simulating hindered grain boundary diffusion using the smoothed boundary method

Abstract Grain boundaries can greatly affect the transport properties of polycrystalline materials, particularly when the grain size approaches the nanoscale. While grain boundaries often enhance diffusion by providing a fast pathway for chemical transport, some material systems, such as those of solid oxide fuel cells and battery cathode particles, exhibit the opposite behavior, where grain boundaries act to hinder diffusion. To facilitate the study of systems with hindered grain boundary diffusion, we propose a model that utilizes the smoothed boundary method to simulate the dynamic concentration evolution in polycrystalline systems. The model employs domain parameters with diffuse interfaces to describe the grains, thereby enabling solutions with explicit consideration of their complex geometries. The intrinsic error arising from the diffuse interface approach employed in our proposed model is explored by comparing the results against a sharp interface model for a variety of parameter sets. Finally, two case studies are considered to demonstrate potential applications of the model. First, a nanocrystalline yttria-stabilized zirconia solid oxide fuel cell system is investigated, and the effective diffusivities are extracted from the simulation results and are compared to the values obtained through mean-field approximations. Second, the concentration evolution during lithiation of a polycrystalline battery cathode particle is simulated to demonstrate the method’s capability.

Materials Science↗
DOE OSTI2026

The Synthesis and Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization of Energetic Norbornene Materials

Energetic norbornenes are promising candidates toward the development of new energetic polymers due to the synthetic versatility of norbornene ring-opening metathesis polymerizations used in commercial applications. We report the synthesis of two energetic norbornene materials that can be made in two steps with modest yields, containing either trinitroethanol or fluorodinitroethanol substituents. The norbornene monomers were then polymerized, and the polymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), contact angle measurements, and proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies ( 1 H and 13 C{ 1 H} NMR). Additionally, small-scale safety data consisting of electrostatic discharge (ESD), friction (FS), and impact (IS) sensitivities were measured for the norbornene monomers and their resulting polymers. These analyses revealed that energetic norbornene materials are relatively insensitive and have densities comparable to that of TNT (1.47–1.81 g·cm –3 ).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Transforming Windows from Energy Liabilities to Zero-Energy Assets: Next-Generation Solutions for Buildings

Windows have traditionally contributed to a building's HVAC load, but they can also become a source of net energy gain or even operate as zero-energy components. For heating applications, highly insulating windows can harness more solar heat than the energy lost through them, transforming windows from energy liabilities to assets. Dynamic glazings provide further benefits by regulating solar heat gain, reducing cooling loads in summer and heating demands in winter. This simulation study focuses on developing the next generation of zero-energy windows (ZEW) for residential new construction. Through annual energy simulations across climate zones 1-8, ZEW performance benchmarks were established based on current code-level buildings, and we've identified the regions where meeting ZEW standards are most achievable. This work evaluates both static and dynamic window technologies, assessing their effects on annual energy use and cost. Key findings demonstrate that ZEW performance is achievable across diverse climate zones, with specific regional requirements. Most climate zones from 3-8 can achieve ZEW with specific configurations, while some warm climates (1-2) appear challenging for ZEW implementation. Climate zones 4-6 consistently allow for zero energy window implementation, offering multiple pathways through either static or dynamic window technologies. Colder climate zones (7-8) ZEW products allow for higher SHGC values while requiring low U-values.

Yu, Lili↗
DOE OSTI2025

A rigorous framework for an improved Messinger/Myers model of ice accretion under conditions of variable property and unsteady aircraft icing

We analyse the Messinger/Myers model by critically evaluating simplifying assumptions through a rigorous formulation of the rime ice accretion process. We explore the effects of both constant and variable ice density and thermal conductivity, along with the effects of sublimation from the ice surface. The effects of key factors such as droplet impact rate, ambient temperature relative to the freezing temperature and the temperature difference between the ambient air and the airfoil surface are examined. Under these varying conditions, the present rigorous formulation is used to assess the significance of unsteady effects, variable ice properties and sublimation. We observe that the Myers model performs remarkably well in certain icing situations and analyse the reasons for this strong performance. We also show that partially relaxing the model’s assumptions can lead to poorer performance. The Myers model can lead to overprediction of ice surface temperature and correspondingly underprediction of transition time under conditions of relatively weak sublimation and surface cooling. A modified Myers model is presented, which can be used to recover near-perfect results under widely varying icing conditions of relevance. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Heat and mass transfer in frost and ice’.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2026

Advanced LiFSI-LiPF6 Electrolyte for Wide-Temperature and Thermally Stable Lithium-Ion Batteries

A new optimized LiFSI–LiPF6 dual-salt controlled-solvation electrolyte (E-DS) is demonstrated to enable practical graphite||LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 cells (˜4.0 mAh cm?²) to achieve exceptional performance and safety under extreme conditions. By optimizing anion coordination with the smaller, more dissociating FSI? anion, the E-DS forms ultrathin, dense, and inorganic-rich electrode/electrolyte interphases that dramatically suppress solvent decomposition, transition-metal dissolution, and surface reconstruction compared to the conventional LiPF6/carbonate electrolyte. Consequently, E-DS cells deliver >78% capacity retention after 300 cycles at 60 °C, retain fast discharging capacity at 30 °C, and operate effectively at -20 °C. Most strikingly, fully charged full cells with E-DS, even under overcharging to 4.8 V, show a lower heat evolution in stable formulations — transforming a traditionally unstable high-voltage/high-temperature configuration into an intrinsically safe state. This work establishes a new benchmark for carbonate-containing electrolytes, simultaneously achieving high energy density, fast-discharging capability, wide-temperature operation (-20 to 60 °C), and outstanding thermal safety in nickel-rich lithium-ion batteries.

electrode/electrolyte interphase↗
DOE OSTI2026

Hybrid Power Purchase Agreements for Flexible 24/7 Energy Delivery – A Comprehensive Review of Current Practices and Research Pathways

Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) are becoming increasingly preferred among large energy consumers, such as data centers, to secure cost-effective energy and meet accelerating demand growth. Traditionally, variable renewable energy (VRE)-based PPAs operate on a pay-as-produced basis, balancing supply and demand for a relatively longer duration (e.g., annually). However, the focus is shifting toward matching supply and demand on an hourly basis to fully meet energy needs. This shift requires the integration of flexible energy resources, such as hydropower, thermal generation, and energy storage, to complement VRE sources like wind and solar, forming the foundation for 24/7 PPA. This work contributes by: (i) reviewing emerging market trends and current practices in PPA procurement, supported by data on PPA prices and technology portfolios; (ii) synthesizing the existing literature on modeling approaches for contract pricing, quantities, hybrid resource procurement, and risk management in 24/7 PPA design, while identifying key research gaps; and (iii) proposing an integrated 24/7 PPA design framework along with two contracting mechanisms from the perspectives of both PPA providers and consumers. The proposed framework highlights critical modeling challenges, risk-allocation issues, and future research opportunities for 24/7 PPA design.

24/7↗
DOE OSTI2025

CASM Monte Carlo: Calculations of the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of complex multicomponent crystals

Monte Carlo techniques play a central role in statistical mechanics approaches that connect macroscopic thermodynamic and kinetic properties to the electronic structure of a material. This paper describes the implementation of Monte Carlo techniques for the study of multicomponent crystalline materials within the Clusters Approach to Statistical Mechanics (CASM) software suite, and demonstrates their use in model systems to calculate free energies and kinetic coefficients, study phase transitions, and construct phase diagrams from first principles. Many crystal structures are complex, with multiple sublattices occupied by differing sets of chemical species, along with the presence of vacancies or interstitial species. This imposes constraints on concentration variables, the form of thermodynamic potentials, and the values of kinetic transport coefficients. The framework used by CASM to formulate thermodynamic potentials and kinetic transport coefficients accounting for arbitrarily complex crystal structures is presented and demonstrated with examples of increasing complexity. Additionally, an overview of the capabilities of the CASM software specific to Monte Carlo methods is given, and a new CASM software package is introduced, casm-flow, which helps automate the setup, submission, management, and analysis of Monte Carlo simulations.

Cluster expansion↗
DOE OSTI2026

Technoeconomic Analysis Round Robin of a Retrofit of the Ivanpah Concentrating Solar Plant with a Molten-Salt System with Thermal Energy Storage

While the fidelity of technoeconomic analysis (TEA) models for concentrating solar thermal systems has improved in recent years, there is a lack of consensus on the specific inputs used to forecast performance of a newly built tower system due to a lack of validations and post-mortems available to the public. This effort is a joint initiative between multiple international organizations to validate and compare their TEA models. The specific case study is a proposed retrofit of one unit of the Ivanpah Solar Energy Generating System to include molten-salt storage, replacing the steam generation system with a molten-salt receiver, salt-to-steam heat exchanger train, and new balance of plant while keeping the existing steam turbine, solar field, and interconnection in place, using plant data for calibration. This manuscript discusses several of the agreed-upon assumptions for this study as well as a preliminary analysis from prior work that motivates the study.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI1991

Nuclear Safety [Vol. 32, No. 1, January-March 1991]

Nuclear Safety is a review journal that covers significant developments in the field of nuclear safety. Its scope includes the analysis and control of hazards associated with nuclear energy, operations involving fissionable materials, and the products of nuclear fission and their effects on the environment. Primary emphasis is on safety in reactor design, construction, and operation; however, the safety aspects of the entire fuel cycle, including fuel fabrication, spent-fuel processing, nuclear waste disposal, handling of radioisotopes, and environmental effects of these operations, are also treated. Table of Contents for this issue follows. GENERAL SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: 1 The Safety Review and Approval Process for Space Nuclear Power Sources, G. L. Bennett; 19 Report on the American Nuclear Society International Topical Meeting: "The Safety, Status, and Future of Non-Commercial Reactors and Irradiation Facilities", E. G. Silver; 35 Book Review: Fission Product Transport Processes in Reactor Accidents, Proceedings to the International Centre tor Heat and Mass Processes T. S. Kress; 38 Fast Reactor Technology in the 1990s: A Summary of the 1990 International Fast Reactor Safety Meeting, A. E. Levin; ACCIDENT ANALYSIS: 56 Effects of Chemical Phenomena on LWR Severe Accident Fission Product Behavior, A. P. Malinauskas and T. S. Kress; CONTROL AND INSTRUMENTATION: 65 Technical Note: Safety Parameter Display Systems—10 Years Later, R. J. Eckenrode; 68 Potential Application of Neural Networks to the Operation of Nuclear Power Plants, R. E. Uhrig; DESIGN FEATURES: 80 Twenty-First DOE/NRC Nuclear Air-Cleaning Conference, R. R. Bellamy, D. W. Moeller, and M. W. First; 91 Impact of an Apparent Radiation Embrittlement Rate on the Life Expectancy of PWR Vessel Supports, R. D. Cheverton, G. C. Robinson, W. E. Pennell, and R. K. Nanstad; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: 103 Technical Note: The Impact of Offsite Factors on the Safety Performance of Small Nuclear Power Plants, Yu. D. Baranaev and A. N. Viktorov; WASTE AND SPENT FUEL MANAGEMENT: 109 Activities Related to Waste Management, Compiled by E. G. Silver; OPERATING EXPERIENCES: 118 Reactor Shutdown Experience, Compiled by J. W. Cletcher; 121 Selected Safety-Related Events, Compiled by G. A. Murphy; 123 Operating U.S. Power Reactors, Compiled by E. G. Silver; RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: 140 General Administrative Activities, Compiled by E. G. Silver; 150 Reports, Standards, and Safety Guides, D. S. Queener; 155 Status of Power-Reactor Licensing Activities, Compiled by E. G. Silver; 157 Proposed Rule Changes as of Sept. 30, 1990; ANNOUNCEMENTS: 79 MIT Offers Summer Program on Nuclear Power Reactor Safety; 108 Harvard School of Public Health Offers Several Short Courses; 139 Short Course and Workshop on Nuclear Criticality Safety at University of New Mexico; 160 SCK/CEN Announces Training Course on Emergency Planning and Response; 161 The Authors; 164 Indexes to Nuclear Safety, Volume 31

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Accelerating actinium-225 purification by high-pressure ion chromatography

Actinium-225 (t1/2 = 9.92 days) is an important radioisotope for targeted alpha therapy applications. The limited supply obtained through the decay of thorium-229 has motivated accelerator-based production routes, including irradiation of thorium targets. Irradiated targets can produce useful quantities of actinium-225, but the product requires final purification from chemically similar lanthanide contaminants. This work describes an automated high-pressure ion chromatography method for this final polishing step. The method uses a reusable strong-acid cation-exchange column bearing sulfonic acid functional groups. α-Hydroxyisobutyric acid (α-HIBA), adjusted to pH 4.3 with lithium hydroxide, complexes and elutes lanthanides, a dilute hydrochloric acid matrix-exchange step removes residual α-HIBA, and concentrated hydrochloric acid then elutes retained actinium(III). The protocol purified actinium-225 to >99% radiopurity across tracer-level samples and samples containing >150 µCi (5.6 MBq) of activity. A 10 min, 0.1 M hydrochloric acid matrix exchange substantially reduced organic eluent carryover, and in-line sodium iodide detection enabled real-time monitoring of actinium and lanthanide elution. The developed method can be completed in <1 h and provides a basis for automated purification workflows for accelerator-produced actinium-225.

Gaddis, Kevin [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000183398314)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Evaluating Fracture Behavior of Bioinspired Alumina-YSZ Composites through Static and Dynamic Mechanical Testing

Ceramic materials are known for their high hardness and strength but are limited by low toughness and sudden failure. Inspired by the microstructure of dental enamel, which features undulating rods that promote crack deflection and energy absorption, architected specimens were designed and manufactured. A bespoke ball-on-ring (BoR) testing apparatus measured the static biaxial rupture strength of these bioinspired materials. Additionally, impact testing with spherical steel projectiles assessed their behavior under dynamic conditions. Monolithic alumina specimens were compared to architected alumina reinforced with yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) rods produced via direct ink write 3D printing. BoR tests revealed that monolithic alumina had a Weibull modulus of 10.53 and a characteristic strength of 372.3 MPa, while the composite specimens showed a Weibull modulus of 5.46 and a characteristic strength of 213.3 MPa. Although the composite failed at lower stresses and projectile velocities, it exhibited notable crack deflection and fracture resistance, with cracks being effectively interrupted by the rod inclusions. The composite specimens also resulted in fewer and larger fragments upon impact. Finite element simulations confirmed the effectiveness of the rod structures in enhancing fracture resistance.

Bioinspired materials↗
DOE OSTI2026

Requirements Description of VARPOW

This report presents the modeling and simulation capabilities of Argonne National Laboratory’s VARPOW code that is used in present reactor analysis activities. These capabilities will then be used to establish the set of VARPOW verification tasks necessary to verify VARPOW for usage on commercial projects. A similar approach was taken for the PERSENT, REBUS and DIF3D software packages.

Ramey, Kyle [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Ar↗
DOE OSTI2023

Overcoming the Entropy Penalty of Direct Air Capture for Efficient Gigatonne Removal of Carbon Dioxide

Atmospheric carbon poses an existential threat to civilization via global climate change. Hundreds of gigatonnes of carbon dioxide must be removed from earth’s atmosphere in the next three decades, necessitating a low-cost, energy-efficient process to extract low concentrations of carbon dioxide for conversion to a stable material permanently stored for thousands of years. In this work, the challenge of removing gigatonnes of CO 2 is described via the scale of effort and the thermodynamics of collecting and reducing this diffuse chemical, the accumulation of which imparts a substantial entropy penalty on any atmospheric carbon capture process. The methods of CO 2 reduction combined with upstream direct air capture (DAC) including absorption, membrane separation, and adsorption are compared with biomass torrefaction and permanent burial (BTB). A Monte Carlo model assesses the mass, energy, and economics of the full process of biomass torrefaction from biomass collection and transport to stable carbon burial to determine that 95% of scenarios could remove carbon for less than $200 per CO 2 -tonne-equivalent. Torrefied carbon is further discussed for its long-term stability and availability at the scale required to substantially mitigate the threat of climate change.

biomass↗
DOE OSTI2025

Mechanically Accelerated Depolymerization of Entangled Linear Polymer Melts

Mechanical forces can enhance the chemical depolymerization of synthetic polymers when shear flow accelerates chain scission. To quantify the extent of mechanically-accelerated scission, the effect of simple shear flow (duration and strength) with low Weissenberg and Deborah numbers was investigated by considering the impact of applied work in both simple shear and shear dominated mixed flows. Hydrogenated polyisoprene was chosen as a model linear, entangled system. The conditions (strain amplitude, frequency, and shearing time) necessary to increase chain scission were assessed in the rubbery melt. Shear flow accelerated chain scission at higher temperatures, suggesting an activated process. Isothermal scission versus work curves were superposed by applying shift factors a T,S , whose Arrhenius-like temperature dependence gave an apparent activation energy for chain scission of ~ 110 kJ/mol, which is likely a combination of the activation energy of viscosity and bond energy. This work provides a base for quantifying the impact of shear on depolymerization of polymer melts and highlight the connection between viscous dissipation and scission chemistry.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗