Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Conservation management”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Bifunctional Asymmetric Fabric with Tailored Thermal Conduction and Radiation for Personal Cooling and Warming

Personal thermal management is emerging as a promising strategy to provide thermal comfort for the human body while conserving energy. By improving control over the heat dissipating from the human body, personal thermal management can provide effective personal cooling and warming. Here, we propose a facile surface modification approach to tailor the thermal conduction and radiation properties based on commercially available fabrics, to realize better management of the whole heat transport pathway from the human body to the ambient. Additionally, a bifunctional asymmetric fabric (BAF) offering both a cooling and a warming effect is demonstrated. Due to the advantages of roughness asymmetry and surface modification, the BAF demonstrates an effective cooling effect through enhanced heat conduction and radiation in the cooling mode; in the warming mode, heat dissipation along both routes is reduced for personal warming. As a result, a 4.6 °C skin temperature difference is measured between the cooling and warming BAF modes, indicating that the thermal comfort zone of the human body can be enlarged with one piece of BAF clothing. We expect this work to present new insights for the design of personal thermal management textiles as well as a novel solution for the facile modification of available fabrics for both personal cooling and warming.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Coexistence Praxis: The Role of Resource Managers in Wolf-Livestock Interactions on Federal Lands

In resource management, new terms are frequently introduced, reflecting ongoing evolution in the theory and practice of ecology and governance. Yet understandings of what new concepts mean, for whom, and what they imply for management on the ground can vary widely. Coexistence—a prominent concept within the literature and practices around human-wildlife conflict and predator management—is one such term: widely invoked and yet poorly defined. While for some coexistence is the latest paradigm in improving human-wildlife relations, the concept remains debated and indeed even hotly contested by others—particularly on the multiple-use public lands of the American West, where gray wolf conservation, livestock production, and the claims of diverse stakeholders share space. The multiple meanings of coexistence present serious challenges for conservation practice, as what the concept implies or requires can be contested by those most central to its implementation. In this study we examine wolf-livestock management—a classic case of human-wildlife conflict—by focusing on the experiences and perspectives of U.S. Forest Service (USFS) managers. We reviewed coexistence's multivalence in the literature, complementing semi-structured interviews conducted with USFS employees on case study forests from across the western states. Through this, we highlight the complexity and multi-dimensionality of the concept, and the unique yet under-explored perspective that resource managers bring to these debates. This work draws on insights from political ecology to emphasize the situatedness of manager practice—taking place within a broader set of relations and contextual pressures—while extending political ecologists' traditional focus on the resource user to a concern with the resource manager as a key actor in environmental conflicts. Through our engagement with the experiences and perceptions of USFS managers, who must balance conservation aims with long-established land uses like livestock grazing, we hope to clarify the various dimensions of coexistence. Our hope is that this work thus increases the possibility for empathy and collaboration among managers and stakeholders engaged in this complex socio-ecological challenge.

Martin, Jeff Vance↗
DOE OSTI2023

Aligning Standards Communities for Omics Biodiversity Data: Sustainable Darwin Core-MIxS Interoperability

The standardization of data, encompassing both primary and contextual information (metadata), plays a pivotal role in facilitating data (re-)use, integration, and knowledge generation. However, the biodiversity and omics communities, converging on omics biodiversity data, have historically developed and adopted their own distinct standards, hindering effective (meta)data integration and collaboration. In response to this challenge, the Task Group (TG) for Sustainable DwC-MIxS Interoperability was established. Convening experts from the Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) and the Genomic Standards Consortium (GSC) alongside external stakeholders, the TG aimed to promote sustainable interoperability between the Minimum Information about any (x) Sequence (MIxS) and Darwin Core (DwC) specifications. To achieve this goal, the TG utilized the Simple Standard for Sharing Ontology Mappings (SSSOM) to create a comprehensive mapping of DwC keys to MIxS keys. This mapping, combined with the development of the MIxS-DwC extension, enables the incorporation of MIxS core terms into DwC-compliant metadata records, facilitating seamless data exchange between MIxS and DwC user communities. Through the implementation of this translation layer, data produced in either MIxS- or DwC-compliant formats can now be efficiently brokered, breaking down silos and fostering closer collaboration between the biodiversity and omics communities. To ensure its sustainability and lasting impact, TDWG and GSC have both signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on creating a continuous model to synchronize their standards. These achievements mark a significant step forward in enhancing data sharing and utilization across domains, thereby unlocking new opportunities for scientific discovery and advancement.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Optimizing Ventilation Using Low-Cost Sensors to Improve Health, Safety, and Energy Efficiency

Air is the primary carrier of hazards within a space, whether it be hazardous byproducts of laboratory research activities or airborne pathogens. As a result, building ventilation is a primary defense against unseen airborne hazards. Critical laboratory facilities require effective mitigation of exposure to research-related, airborne hazards, providing a proving ground for effective ventilation strategies that optimize safety of occupants and reduce energy use. The heart of smart laboratory building operation is dynamic, analytics-based ventilation, which requires an in-depth intimate knowledge of building environmental conditions achieved through contaminant-detection systems. Unfortunately, currently many contaminant-detection solutions are expensive, elaborate systems that raise barriers for building managers. Through the successful deployment of a novel low-cost, modular sensor technology, we have developed a demand-control ventilation protocol effective in improving safety and reducing energy in critical laboratory environments. In this article, we will highlight best practices and lessons learned through this deployment that can be applied beyond laboratories. This article describes a low-cost sensor to support providing a safe, healthy building environment and reduce energy use through effective and efficient ventilation.

dynamic management of indoor air quality↗
DOE OSTI2024

Best Practices for Plug Load Management Using a Building Energy Management System

The University of California San Diego (UCSD) successfully integrated PLCs with their BEMS, which resulted in 66% energy savings over one week across 25 plug loads (K. Chia et al. 2023). UCSD documented each step of this effort, highlighting best practices along the way, in their 10-page brief, "Best Practices for Plug Load Management Using a Building Energy Management System" (also referred to as "brief" in this document). This fact sheet provides highlights and key takeaways from UCSD's brief. The reader is encouraged to read UCSD's full brief if they wish to move forward with implementing PLC integration with their BEMS.

Building Energy Management System Integration↗
DOE OSTI2022

The lay of the land: What we know about non-operating agricultural and absentee forest landowners in the U.S. and Europe

While non-operating agricultural and absentee forest landowners across the U.S. and Europe are an important group of landowners, our understanding of them remains relatively limited. In this paper, we conduct a systematic literature review on these landowners to encapsulate a current lay of the land in terms of what we know about these landowners and move the dialogue on this topic forward. Eighty-one articles are identified in our search of empirical literature. For each of the landowner types, we discuss their demographics and the three primary themes that emerged related to land management: participation in land management decisions, attitudes regarding land use and ownership, and resource needs in working with these landowners. For agricultural non-operating landowners, we find limited participation in land management decisions, particularly among women, a variety of individual and social factors play a role in involvement, and while they have pro-conservation attitudes, implementation of conservation practices is more limited. Absentee forest landowners we find are more willing to use management plans, yet less willing to engage in active management and risk reduction. These landowners have a range of attitudes regarding land use, with studies highlighting recreation, conservation, and profit motivations. In conclusion, our review concludes with identifying specific needs for more research and outreach on these landowners.

absentee↗
DOE OSTI2020

Sensitive Resources Assessment and Forest Analysis for the Proposed Versatile Test Reactor, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a leading institution in advanced materials, supercomputing, neutrons, and nuclear science. As a research laboratory managed by UT-Battelle, LLC for DOE, ORNL has national priorities in energy, security, and scientific discovery that necessitate facility improvements and expansions. DOE is also committed to environmental stewardship. The laboratory is located on the ~32,000-acre (~13,000-ha) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), much of which is categorized as a National Environmental Research Park (NERP) and a state Wildlife Management Area. DOE works with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), US Department of Agriculture, and other agencies to serve as an effective steward of the ORR. Accordingly, project managers must conform to environmental regulations, agreements, and policies at the federal, state, and institutional levels. Per 40 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) 1508.14, potential effects on research and science education also represent potential effects of federal actions on the NERP, and impacts on, e.g., deer harvest, must be considered on the Oak Ridge Wildlife Management Area when other aspects of the human environment are affected. The United States currently has no fast neutron testing capability to support advanced nuclear research and development. The proposed Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) will take advantage of current investments by the US government and private industry in nuclear reactors to expedite the design and construction process, using proven technology to create a world-class scientific infrastructure. The VTR will take advantage of fast neutrons provided by this proven technology, along with a capability to rapidly insert, conduct, and remove state-of-the-art experiments. An advantage of the VTR is that it can support future innovations in experimental capabilities without modifying the facility. The VTR will support progress in a variety of science and technology areas, including testing and qualification of advanced reactor fuels; testing and qualification of innovative structural materials; testing of innovative components and instruments; validation of advanced modeling and simulation tools; and versatility for future technical missions. Through proven technology, the VTR can take advantage of existing reactor designs and operating experience to reduce the risk, cost, and time for design and construction. The top available resources of DOE laboratories, industry, and universities will be used to expedite reactor design and construction toward developing the scientific infrastructure that affords a strong testing capability that can be sustained over many years. This report summarizes current knowledge of natural and cultural resources primarily within the VTR construction area. At the time of this report, the proposed VTR site design includes a construction area of ~150.4 acres (~69.9 ha), which contains an ~51.3-acre (~20.8-ha) operations area, located within forested natural areas of the ORR. The primary goal of the work presented here was to evaluate potential effects on sensitive resources that might result from development and construction activities associated with VTR. In addition to on-the-ground surveys during spring and summer 2020 by the ORNL Natural Resources Management Program and Aquatic Ecology Group staff, this report makes use of historical (pre-1995) and contemporary (1995 to present) data from additional confirmed sources (e.g., TDEC). Likewise, forest conditions were compiled from a 2011 forest inventory and supplemented with limited ground observations in 2020. The individuals who obtained and compiled the data presented here are familiar with and routinely assess sensitive resources on the ORR. Anyone who references this report must consider that the timing of surveys did not permit a complete delineation of the resources that will be affected. If the VTR project proceeds, additional surveys will be required to account for the seasonal patterns of various threatened and endangered species. Data deficiencies and potential resources that likely went undetected are indicated where possible. Accordingly, this report should facilitate more environmentally sound decisions during planning and 2 development of the VTR site, provide a foundation for further assessment of sensitive and cultural resources, and help project managers better address regulatory guidance and DOE policies on sustainable development in compliance with, for example, the US Endangered Species Act (ESA), Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), Tennessee Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act of 1985, Tennessee Nongame and Endangered or Threatened Wildlife Species Conservation Act of 1974, several federal and state regulations regarding aquatic resource protection, and site-specific policies as outlined in various ORR management plans developed by ORNL and TWRA for DOE.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2026

A Guide for Creating a Building-Level Action Plan to Manage Refrigerants in Buildings

The Guide for Creating a Building-Level Action Plan to Manage Refrigerants in Buildings has been developed in response to stakeholder feedback and interest received during the Better Buildings Managing Refrigerants Working Group. This guide includes best practices and a step-by-step guide to create a plan to manage their organization's refrigerants. Stakeholders were interested in guidance for refrigerant management to help reduce costs and protect efficiency of equipment, to mitigate risk related to increased maintenance and operational budgets, and to manage costs of using legacy refrigerants.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2020

Of impacts, agents, and functions: An interdisciplinary meta-review of smart home energy management systems research

Smart home energy management technologies (SHEMS) have long been viewed as a promising opportunity to manage the way households use energy. Research on this topic has emerged across a variety of disciplines, focusing on different pieces of the SHEMS puzzle without offering a holistic vision of how these technologies and their users will influence home energy use moving forward. This paper presents the results of a systematic, interdisciplinary meta-review of SHEMS literature, assessing the extent to which it discusses the role of various SHEMS components in driving energy benefits. Results reveal a bias towards technical perspectives and controls approaches that seek to drive energy impacts such as load management and energy savings through SHEMS without user or third-party participation. Not only are techno-centric approaches more common, there is also a lack of integration of these approaches with user-centric, information-based solutions for driving energy impacts. Finally, these results suggest future work should investigate more holistic solutions for optimal impacts on household energy use. We hope these results will provoke a broader discussion about how to advance research on SHEMS to capitalize on their potential contributions to demand-side management initiatives moving forward.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2026

Complementary effects of supplemental feeding and straw retention on winter biodiversity in rice agroecosystems

Rice paddies are both major food-production systems and critical winter habitats for wildlife. In the Civilian Control Zone (CCZ) adjoining the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), post-harvest interventions such as supplementary grain feeding and straw retention are promoted through agronomic and conservation incentives. These measures differ in ecological scope: feeding provides direct, concentrated energetic subsidies, whereas straw management alters habitat structure and resource bases. We clarified whether these pathways function in complementary or substitutive ways to support resilient, long-term conservation strategies in rice agroecosystems. Using camera traps, we evaluated the effects of three straw treatments (chopped-straw, whole-straw, straw-removed) and supplemental feeding on winter bird and mammal communities across 48 rice fields in the CCZ. Our results demonstrate that feeding produced strong, localized increases in bird abundance and richness, driven mainly by cranes (Grus japonensis and Antigone vipio) and geese (Anser spp.), with limited effects on Shannon diversity or functional structure. Among non-feeding fields, chopped-straw paddies consistently supported higher richness and Shannon diversity than whole-straw or straw-removed fields, while centroid shifts in taxonomic and functional space were modest. Mammal abundance and diversity were largely insensitive to feeding or straw regimes, varying instead with road and forest distance and regional context. Supplemental feeding and straw retention are therefore not interchangeable tools: feeding concentrates a few avian guilds, whereas chopped-straw retention enhances baseline diversity across farmland. Collectively, our findings suggest integrating low-input straw retention with targeted feeding offers a more robust pathway for sustaining winter biodiversity in rice agroecosystems.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Simulation-based Performance Evaluation of Model Predictive Control for Building Energy Systems

The performance of model predictive control (MPC) can be significantly affected by different choices of controller parameters such as the time intervals for model discretization and control sampling. Due to the lack of a systematic understanding on how these parameters affect control performance, they are usually selected arbitrarily in practice.In this paper, the combined impacts of selected time intervals for model discretization and control sampling on the performance of MPC are comprehensively investigated for the first time through detailed simulations. Specifically, a typical MPC strategy is first designed to improve building operations based on a reduced-order model of building dynamics. Then, the performance of the designed MPC is evaluated against different choices of time intervals for model discretization and control sampling on a simulated office building. The detailed simulation results reveal that the time interval for model discretization has a much greater influence on the performance of MPC than the time interval for control sampling. Although the time interval for control sampling usually receives more attentions in practice, it turns out that the time interval for model discretization affects the prediction performance, cost saving, and computation time simultaneously and more significantly. Therefore, the simulation-based performance evaluation presented here sheds light on the impacts of different time intervals and facilitates their selection for practical applications of MPC to building operations

Huang, Sen↗
DOE OSTI2024

Unlocking aquifer sustainability through irrigator-driven groundwater conservation

Groundwater depletion caused by intensive pumping for irrigated agriculture is a global threat to economies, food security, and ecosystems. Pumping reductions are required to confront this threat, but their implementation is a “wicked” problem due to interlinked hydrological, social, and economic factors. In the US High Plains Aquifer, an irrigator-led conservation effort known as the Sheridan 6 Local Enhanced Management Area (SD-6 LEMA) is a rare example of successful collective action in agricultural-groundwater systems. In its first decade, the area has exceeded water use reduction goals and decreased depletion rates by over 50% without significantly affecting net income. In this Perspective, we highlight factors underlying the SD-6 LEMA’s effectiveness, and identify transferable governance tenets for other groundwater dependent regions striving for sustainable management of groundwater resources. These tenets include flexibility through multi-year allocations, regulatory oversight to support the irrigators’ plans, and a strong scientific foundation for sustainable agricultural-groundwater systems.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

INTERFUEL: FAST -- Fueling Center and EVSE Reporting Process Changes

This presentation presents an overview of coming changes to how federal agencies with motor vehicles will submit required information about fueling centers and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) inventory through the Federal Automotive Statistical Tool (FAST). Historically, information covering these two areas has been provide during two separate data submissions, but is now being consolidated and simplified into a single submission due by December 15 of each year. The presentation provides background on the process, a re-cap of how the information is currently submitted, and describes the new approach for organizations to submit the required information. This presentation is intended for delivery via WebEx/GoToMeeting at the July 8, 2020 meeting of the DOE-sponsored INTERFUEL working group. FAST is a web-based information management tool developed by INL and funded by GSA's Office of Government-wide Policy and DOE's Federal Energy Management Program.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2021

Energy Efficient Waste Heat Coupled Forward Osmosis for Effluent Water Management at Coal-Fired Power Plants

This project sought to evaluate the technical and economic viability of the Aquapod©, a transformational low energy (<200 kJ/kg water) waste heat coupled forward osmosis (FO) technology, to manage effluents, meet cooling water demands, and achieve water conservation in a coal-fired power plant environment. The Aquapod© process is innovative because it is heat-driven, avoids the evaporation of water, and uses no toxic chemicals such as ammonia or amines. The Aquapod© process accomplishes this using an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) coupled FO process. The evaluation revealed that the Aquapod© process offers a pathway to exploit waste heat resources within a power plant to achieve flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater volume reduction and water recovery with minimal pretreatment. Water recovery of 80% from FGD wastewater was achieved with minimal pretreatment, exceeding the project target of 50%. The estimated electrical energy of 2.16 kWh/m 3 of water produced for the Aquapod© process met the project target of < 3.6 kWh/m 3 . The heat required for the process operation was approximately 186 kJ/kg of produced water, which was slightly lower than the project target of 200 kJ/kg. The estimated treatment cost for installing and operating the Aquapod© process in conjunction with a spray dryer evaporator to achieve zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) of the 100 gpm FGD wastewater was $13.24/m 3 over a 30-year lifetime. As a point of reference, this study’s host power plant currently incurs a cost of $3.70/m 3 – $8.87/m3 on a discharged volume basis to discharge its wastewater into the publicly owned treatment works (POTW) after physical-chemical treatment. Therefore, the Illinois power plant would incur an incremental cost increase of $4.37/m 3 – 9.54/m 3 to achieve ZLD using the Aquapod© and spray dryer combination. Ample opportunities exist to further lower the ZLD capital and operating costs in the next design iteration to attain pipe parity at the higher end of the site treatment costs.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2020

Optimal Energy Dispatch of Distributed PVs for the Next Generation of Distribution Management Systems

Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) are being widely adopted by electric utilities for managing and optimizing the operations of their distribution systems. Distributed photovoltaic (DPV) systems with smart inverters can be controlled to adjust active power and reactive power outputs, and they are envisioned to become a part of (centrally or distributed) controllable assets managed by the ADMS for optimizing grid operations. This paper proposes an optimal energy dispatch strategy controlling DPV systems for regulating distribution voltages and achieving conservation voltage reduction. A convex optimization model is proposed with the use of linearized power flow, and the gradient projection algorithm is used to solve the optimal active power and reactive power outputs of smart inverters. The proposed optimal energy dispatch is implemented using an open-source ADMS platform, and simulation results have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed approach on improving distribution grid operations.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Translocation of Long-Term Captive Eastern Box Turtles and the Efficacy of Soft-Release: Implications for Turtle Confiscations

Translocation, the human mediated movement of organisms, is an important tool to conserve wildlife populations, and turtles are commonly subject to this management action. One potential source stock for turtle translocations are animals confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade or otherwise held in captivity. There is limited information, however, on the post-release behavior and survival of these animals. We monitored 26 translocated long-term captive (i.e., former pet) Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) to assess their survivorship, space use, and the effects of soft-release (penning) on site fidelity. We found long-term captives displayed high first-year survivorship (88.5–92.3%) and similar space use to resident turtles, and that soft-release was effective at reducing post-release movements. Furthermore, our study indicates long-term captive turtles may be suitable for release and provides insights for how confiscated turtles may best contribute to conservation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Coordinated Thermal Safety Attack and Defense on EV Battery Management Systems

Battery temperature sensor and battery current sensor data which are key sensing inputs to the Battery Management Controllers in electric vehicles, are vulnerable to possible cyber/ physical manipulation due to known vulnerabilities inherited from CAN bus technology that is used for in-vehicle communications between electronic control units that transfer sensing and control data. In this paper, we first create a simulation that enables us to evaluate impact of cyber physical attacks on electric vehicle battery management system in a controlled environment that violates thermal safety. Specifically, we emulate a Level 3 - DC fast charging system with SAE J1772/CCS, integrated with standard charging controls and thermal safety controls on EVs, and various sensing data flows. Second, we propose a coordinated current and battery temperature attack that has crippling economic, and safety impacts. Third, we quantify the usability, economic and safety impacts of such attacks as a function of the extent of data manipulation. Finally, we propose a physics model driven detection technique to detect presence of such attacks.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Harvest and nitrogen effects on bioenergy feedstock quality of grass-legume mixtures on Conservation Reserve Program grasslands

Perennial grass mixtures established on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands can be an important source of feedstock for bioenergy production. This study aimed to evaluate management practices for optimizing the quality of bioenergy feedstock and stand persistence of grass-legume mixtures under diverse environments. A 5-year field study (2008–2012) was conducted to assess the effects of two harvest timings (at anthesis vs after complete senescence) and three nitrogen (N) rates (0, 56, 112 kg N ha -1 ) on biomass chemical compositions (i.e., cell wall components, ash, volatiles, total carbon, and N contents) and the feedstock energy potential, examined by the theoretical ethanol yield (TEY) and the total TEY (i.e., the product of biomass yield and TEY, L ha -1 ), of cool-season mixtures in Georgia and Missouri and a warm-season mixture in Kansas. The canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was used to investigate the effect of vegetative species transitions on feedstock quality. Although environmental variations (mainly precipitation) greatly influenced the management effect on chemical compositions, the delayed harvest after senescence generally improved feedstock quality. In particular, the overall cell wall concentrations and TEY of the warm-season mixtures increased by approximately 7%. Additional N supplies improved the total TEY of both mixtures by ~1.6–4.2 L ha -1 per 1.0 kg N ha -1 input but likely lowered the feedstock quality, particularly for the cool-season mixture. The cell wall concentrations of cool-season mixture reduced by approximately 3%–6%. The CCA results indicated that the increased legume compositions (under low N input) likely enhanced lignin but reduced ash concentrations. This field research demonstrated that with proper management, grass-legume mixtures on CRP lands can provide high-quality feedstock for bioenergy productions.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗