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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 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Self-Organized Stress Distributions in Polycrystalline Materials [Dissertation]

Understanding stress distributions in solid materials is complicated by the fact that most materials are polycrystalline in nature, with each crystal having an elastically anisotropic reaction to force. This study is to gain a better understanding on how external forces placed on a polycrystal are related to internal reactions within and between the grains. The hypothesis is that the stress distribution in porous to fully dense materials are self-organized based on strong contacts between and within the individual grains created by force chains. Force chains, commonly known in loaded granular materials, and could be the phenomenon that connect micro to macro deformation. Scale bridging measurements conducted through Raman spectroscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, and Digital Image Correlation will be used to create stress maps, modulus maps, and elastic strain maps across a variety of geological and pharmaceutical polycrystals. When possible, the resulting maps will be compared to current homogenization schemes and a full field models. Finite element modeling will be used to assess whether the patterning seen in the experimental map is a reasonable approximation based on the orientation data of the samples used. A minimum of three publications is projected to be accomplished focusing each on a different method to experimentally test and analyze stress distributions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

What are the Principles Controlling Biomimetic Heteropolymer Secondary Structure? (Final Technical Report)

The goal of the project was to develop improved theories to understand how nonbiological oligomers could be designed to cooperatively fold into 3D structures. These studies would lay the groundwork for materials made of such molecules, making it possible to create controlled and ordered materials for electron transport, efficient protein-like catalysts that work under extreme conditions, and sensors with highly-specific chemical responsiveness. Two different simulation thrusts were investigated, one focused on programs to identify stable low energy folded structures at a coarse-level of description of oligomers, and another to calculate thermodynamics of such oligomers. We used these theories to answer several specific questions about what properties of oligomers lead to cooperative transitions, and to identify how oligomer knots could serve as secondary structure elements. We also carried out significant collaborative investigation with Dr. Samuel Gellman (UW-Madison, National Academy of Sciences member) on stability for foldamers of interest to them. Only one of the experimentally tested foldamers stably folded, which was indicated by simulations as being the most likely to fold. Finally, we developed new theoretical descriptions of foldamers, showing how cooperativity was determined primarily by the entropy difference between the folded and unfolded state. The research did not answer all questions laid out in the original proposal but laid the groundwork for later efforts to design folded oligomers materials with high switchability.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Bioblendstocks to Optimize Mixing Controlled Compression Ignition (MCCI) Engines

In this project, a team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, the University of Maine, and Mainstream Engineering developed an integrated process for the product of bioblendstocks to optimize mixing controlled compression ignition (MCCI) engines. The objective was to improve the energy density, sooting propensity, and cetane number of base diesel fuel while maintaining cold weather behavior. The process converts woody biomass (e.g. sawmill residues) into bio-oil through selective fast pyrolysis; the bio-oil is then selectively upgraded to form selectively oxygenated, minimally-branched hydrocarbons using non-noble metal catalysts in combination with metal-catalyzed hydrogenation. Advanced predictive models, in conjunction with existing property databases, and experimental testing are used to evaluate overall bioblendstock properties and their impact on base diesel fuel. An iterative, targeted upgrading approach was implemented to optimize the proposed bioblendstock’s properties. Assessment methodologies included techno-economic analysis, life-cycle assessment, property testing, and engine testing. Ultimately, the project team successfully produced a viable bioblendstock while identifying critical process points related to scale-up efforts. It was found that producing pyrolysis oils at 500 degrees C and with pine particle sizes of 1-2 mm led to bio-oil with a higher yield (of approximately 45 wt%) and rich amounts of aromatic alcohols. The resultant pyrolysis oil was then upgraded using a sequence of mild hydrotreating, followed by catalytic etherification and esterification, followed by another final mild hydrotreating to produce a blendstock containing saturated species with a limited, but non-zero, amount of oxygen. The aromatic alcohols produced by pyrolysis were especially helpful in this regard, as the resulting bicycloethers and derivatives exhibited high cetane numbers. While most bulk properties of the bioblendstock met or exceeded targeted thresholds, viscosity and cloud point notably fell outside the expected range; this could be addressed by blending limits and/or through the use of additives that are commonplace in current refinding practices. Identification of a bioblendstock that can be produced economically at scale while improving the performance and emissions characteristics of internal combustion engines positively affects the economy by boosting domestic fuel production and the environment by decreasing harmful emissions and increasing efficiency.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Methodology for Simulating Supercritical CO2 Heat Transfer Experiments Using Machine Learning Models

In an effort to support the growth of supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycles in the energy industry, this study seeks to train a machine learning model to mirror experimental data to inform future efforts and design features for both sCO2 heat exchangers and sCO2 turbine thermal management. There is a need for large amounts of experimental testing as there is less established literature about sCO2 used as a working medium in these cycles, as well as due to the influx of novel heat transfer designs presented by the advent of additive manufacturing.

Grabowski, Owen↗
DOE OSTI2024

Cool GTL for the Conversion of Biogas to Jet Fuel

Cool GTL is a new process under development for conversion of biogas from digestors or CO2 +H2 to high quality drop in jet fuel. Cool GTL is designed to be a streamlined simplified low cost process which can be cost effective for small scale biogas applications. Cool GTL has the advantage that it uses a high activity bi-reforming catalyst, in a streamlined electric reformer design, to make the synthesis gas for a high conversion slurry fischer Tropsch process followed by a trailing wax cracking reactor. In this way high quality jet fuel can be directly produced. Recent experimental test data will be presented showing product quality. The life cycle analysis LCA will also be presented as well.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Design of Novel Hot Gas Component for Gas Turbine Engines Enabled by Materials and Additive Manufacturing Process Development

This CRADA project was the result of a project award under FOA-DOE-0001980. The overarching FOA project team consisted of researchers from Carpenter Technology Corporation (CTC), Solar Turbines Incorporated (Solar), Pennsylvania State University (PSU), University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB), and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Evaluations were conducted on two high-γ’ superalloys that were designed by CTC and the UCSB. One alloy named GammaPrint-700 (GP-700) is a cobalt-base superalloy. The other alloy named GammaPrint-1100 (GP-1100) is a nickel-base (Ni-base) superalloy. PSU provided expertise and experimental testing of the thermal performance of AM micro-cooling architectures. ORNL provided expertise with the AM superalloy materials characterization and AM processing science. Solar provided turbine component design expertise. The focus of this CRADA report is to document the efforts between ORNL and CTC towards the development of superalloys designed for AM. The project goal was to use an AM processable high-temperature superalloy and design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) techniques to design an efficient turbine component (i.e. a turbine tip shoe) with enhanced cooling features that can only be fabricated through additive manufacturing (AM). The efficiencies of existing combined heat and power (CHP) engines are capped by both component design and materials limitations. However, AM of a tip shoe component from a γ’strengthened superalloy offers the design flexibility to increase the efficiency and power of an industrial gas turbine. This project brought about advancements in the DfAM tip shoe design space and in the area of high temperature superalloys processable through laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) AM. State of art computation design tools were utilized to optimize unique cooling features into a tip shoe component design. A two-prong materials development approach was taken to support development of the AM tip shoe geometry. The first approach centered on investigating the processability and the appropriate process science for the industry standard high-γ’ nickel-base (Ni-base) superalloy Mar-M247. This superalloy is typically cast and considered non-weldable by traditional welding standards. In the course of this work, the alloy was not deemed feasible for process scale-up due to significant cracking issues during printing. The second approach focused on the development and evaluation of a novel cobalt-base superalloy, GammaPrint™-700 (GP-700 and a Ni-base superalloy, GammaPrint™-1100 (GP-1100) designed to mitigate the significant AM processing issues with Mar-M247. The processability of these two alloys were investigated through electron beam melting (EBM) binder-jet AM (BJAM), and LPBF as a risk mitigation for manufacturability. To be considered a candidate material for down-selection to proceed to full-scale AM tip shoe engine testing trials, the high temperature creep rupture strength was required to achieve at a minimum, a Larsen Miller Parameter (LMP) increase of 10.9% over the baseline material LPBF AM Hastelloy X.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Environmental Compatibility Issues for Ni-Based Alloys in Direct-Fired Supercritical CO2 Power Cycles

Direct-fired supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power cycles offer potential for high-efficiency power generation from natural gas and other fossil fuels with built-in carbon capture. Ni-based superalloys are the leading candidates for the hottest portions of these systems, where they must endure long-term exposure to high-temperature, high-pressure, high-velocity, impure CO2-rich environments. Herein we describe results of various experimental testing campaigns conduced at NETL showing that under such conditions, several simultaneously occurring degradation modes may be active including surface oxidation, alloy carburization, and oxide volatilization. It will be shown that the rates of degradation can be strongly affected by the alloy composition, impurities in the CO2, manufacturing method (wrought vs additive), and other factors. The influence of these factors in controlling alloy degradation are discussed in the context of potential compatibility issues for components in real sCO2 systems, such as compact heat exchangers. Finally, as a potential remedial measure, ongoing work involving protective coatings suitable for complex geometries is presented.

alloy oxidation↗
DOE OSTI2025

Preliminary Design of Engineering-Scale Salt Accident Analysis Facility to Support Molten Salt Reactor Licensing

Systems-level nuclear accident analysis codes for reactor licensing must be validated using experimental data that represent behaviors expected during actual full-scale accidents. Some behaviors may arise from coupled processes and only manifest at large scales. This report presents the preliminary design of the Salt Accident Analysis Facility (SAAF, pronounced “safe”), which is an experimental test facility to be constructed at Argonne that can be used to conduct integrated salt accident tests at an engineering scale. The measurement capabilities of the SAAF are based on previously developed methods and will provide the representative datasets that are needed to support molten salt reactor (MSR) licensing. Details of the design, the processes to be quantified, the measurement techniques for quantifying the processes, the variables that can be adjusted to simulate different accident scenarios, and operational considerations are presented herein. This report provides stakeholders the opportunity to give feedback on the test facility capabilities and planned analyses before it is constructed.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Design of Novel Hot Gas Component for Gas Turbine Engines Enabled by Materials and Additive Manufacturing Process Development

This CRADA project was the result of a project award under FOA-DOE-0001980. The overarching FOA project team consisted of researchers from Carpenter Technology Corporation (CTC), Solar Turbines Incorporated (Solar), Pennsylvania State University (PSU), University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB), and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Evaluations were conducted on two high-γ’ superalloys that were designed by CTC and the UCSB. One alloy named GammaPrint-700 (GP-700) is a cobalt-base superalloy. The other alloy named GammaPrint-1100 (GP-1100) is a nickel-base (Ni-base) superalloy. PSU provided expertise and experimental testing of the thermal performance of AM micro-cooling architectures. ORNL provided expertise with the AM superalloy materials characterization and AM processing science. Solar provided turbine component design expertise. The focus of this CRADA report is to document the efforts between ORNL and CTC towards the development of superalloys designed for AM. The project goal was to use an AM processable high-temperature superalloy and design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) techniques to design an efficient turbine component (i.e. a turbine tip shoe) with enhanced cooling features that can only be fabricated through additive manufacturing (AM). The efficiencies of existing combined heat and power (CHP) engines are capped by both component design and materials limitations. However, AM of a tip shoe component from a γ’strengthened superalloy offers the design flexibility to increase the efficiency and power of an industrial gas turbine. This project brought about advancements in the DfAM tip shoe design space and in the area of high temperature superalloys processable through laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) AM. State of art computation design tools were utilized to optimize unique cooling features into a tip shoe component design. A two-prong materials development approach was taken to support development of the AM tip shoe geometry. The first approach centered on investigating the processability and the appropriate process science for the industry standard high-γ’ nickel-base (Ni-base) superalloy Mar-M247. This superalloy is typically cast and considered non-weldable by traditional welding standards. In the course of this work, the alloy was not deemed feasible for process scale-up due to significant cracking issues during printing. The second approach focused on the development and evaluation of a novel cobalt-base superalloy, GammaPrint™-700 (GP-700 and a Ni-base superalloy, GammaPrint™-1100 (GP-1100) designed to mitigate the significant AM processing issues with Mar-M247. The processability of these two alloys were investigated through electron beam melting (EBM) binder-jet AM (BJAM), and LPBF as a risk mitigation for manufacturability. To be considered a candidate material for down-selection to proceed to fullscale AM tip shoe engine testing trials, the high temperature creep rupture strength was required to achieve at a minimum, a Larsen Miller Parameter (LMP) increase of 10.9% over the baseline material LPBF AM Hastelloy X.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Fused Deposition Modeling Additive Manufacturing of Carbonized Structures via Waste-Enhanced Filaments

This report details the development, characterization, and use of coal-enhanced composite materials in additive manufacturing applications. High coal loading formulations—containing up to 70 wt.% coal—were successfully extruded and processed using commercially available 3D printers. Extensive experimental testing was conducted to assess the mechanical, thermal, and microstructural properties of the composites. In parallel, multi-scale computational modeling was employed to elucidate atomistic interactions and evaluate the effects of printing-induced defects on structural performance. Large-scale printability trials demonstrated the feasibility of fabricating complex components for tooling and construction applications, including wind turbine blade molds and modular wall sections. Techno-economic analyses demonstrated the cost-effectiveness and scalability of coal-enhanced composites for large-scale additive manufacturing applications such as wind turbine blade tooling.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2025

2025 Continuing Incubator Final Report: Active Hybrid Mooring

This project advanced the development of an active hybrid mooring system integrating experimental testing with numerical simulation to capture complex mooring dynamics not feasible in existing wave basins, including deep-water and shared mooring interactions. Verification testing of the complete hybrid system yielded good agreement in mooring tension and platform translation responses, though discrepancies in platform pitch response indicate that further refinement may be needed in future work.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

Numerical investigation of the AP1000 response following loss-of-coolant accident using PCTRAN and CFD to support R&D of SMRs

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) present a promising solution for the future of sustainable energy, offering advantages such as reduced waste generation, advanced passive safety features, and potential cost efficiencies. Ongoing research focuses on the design and development of SMRs, addressing challenges through numerical simulations and experimental test data. Given that many next-generation reactors are first-of-a-kind (FOK), current operational reactors serve as valuable benchmarks for understanding various thermal-hydraulic phenomena during postulated design basis accidents (DBAs), including loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCA), main steam line breaks (MSLB), and steam generator tube ruptures (SGTR). This study employs the AP1000 model Personal Computer Transient Analyzer (PCTRAN) to simulate reactor responses to small-break LOCA scenarios, specifically analyzing break sizes of 2 and 10 inches. Additionally, ANSYS FLUENT software is utilized to assess containment responses to large-break LOCAs, focusing on the quantification of decay heat removal via natural convection. Verification of the PCTRAN results is achieved using Westinghouse data, with CFD results corroborating the findings. The outcomes demonstrate strong agreement with Westinghouse data, confirming the accuracy of the simulations.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Aerodynamic Characterization of 3D Scanned Wind Turbine Blades Using Experimental and Computational Methods

This study presents an aerodynamic characterization of 3D scanned wind turbine blades using both experimental and computational methods. The research was conducted by Gulf Wind Technology and Sandia National Laboratories. The primary objective was to investigate the aerodynamic impacts of leading-edge manufacturing defects on wind turbine blades. The study utilized the Stratasys NEO 800 3D Printer for high-precision manufacturing and the GWT Accelerator Wind Tunnel for experimental testing. Computational simulations were performed using COMSOL Multiphysics to model the wind tunnel and analyze flow characteristics and OpenFOAM to study the aerodynamic impacts of leading-edge defects. OpenFAST was used to estimate how these defects can lead to revenue losses for wind farm operators as high as 6%. The results demonstrated significant aerodynamic performance variations due to defects, with detailed analysis provided through wind tunnel and CFD data. The findings contribute to the understanding of defect impacts on wind turbine blade performance and offer insights for future design improvements.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Heat Transfer of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide in 3D-Printed Tubes with Internal Ribs and Yttria Stabilized Zirconia Coating

This technical report describes measurements performed in NETL’s Heat Exchanger Experimental Test (HEET) facility using supercritical carbon dioxide as the working fluid. 3D printed tubes with internal ribs and yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) exterior coatings were employed in the heat exchanger. Heat transfer and friction factor enhancements from the internal ribs were characterized over a range of flow conditions. Additionally, the thermal resistance from the YSZ coating was characterized for both a freshly applied coating and a coating subjected to thermal aging.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Integration and Demonstration of Monitoring, Modeling, and Prediction of DV-1 Amendment Performance at the Bench Scale: DV-1 Amendment Demonstration

During fiscal years 2024 and 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hanford Field Office commissioned Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to conduct applied research aimed at reducing the cost, time, and uncertainty associated with in situ treatment of vadose zone contaminants at the Hanford Site. This report outlines the integration of three key research efforts into a meso-scale demonstration designed to advance field-scale solutions that aim to (1) optimize the delivery of chemical amendments to contaminated soils, (2) reduce uncertainty in amendment delivery performance assessment using advanced monitoring techniques, and (3) provide real-time insights into when and where amendment-induced precipitation reactions occur in the subsurface. To achieve these objectives, the tank-scale (~ 1 cubic meter) Geophysical Imaging of Flow and Transport (GIFT) system was developed. GIFT enables experimental testing of amendment delivery while incorporating automated multi-modal monitoring approaches, including pressure measurements, direct fluid sampling, and remote time-lapse geophysical imaging. The data generated from these monitoring techniques will serve as inputs for a generative artificial-intelligence-driven digital twin – a numerical simulation model designed to honor observed data while quantifying uncertainty in simulation accuracy. Using this simulator, researchers will refine an amendment injection strategy to maximize delivery efficiency within a low-permeability soil zone. Monitoring data will be interpreted through simulated outputs to enhance understanding of the injection process. The efficacy of this integrated approach will be evaluated through direct sampling at the conclusion of the experiment.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2025

In-Tank Processing Using Low Temperature Aluminum Dissolution: Year 1 Progress Report

The Hanford Site stores approximately 56 million gallons of radioactive legacy defense waste in underground tanks. This study investigates the feasibility of utilizing in-tank low-temperature aluminum dissolution to favorably alter the transport properties of aluminum-rich southeast quadrant waste sludges, thereby de-risking sludge delivery for Direct Feed of High-Level Waste. Specifically, this study aims to assess the rate and extent of gibbsite dissolution under various conditions, including different particle sizes (~10 to 90 µm), NaOH concentrations (1 to 6 M), and the presence of specific analytes such as NO 2 - , NO 3 - , and other aluminum-rich waste background analytes, using simulated waste solids and liquids. Experimental tests were designed to highlight the impact of aluminum leaching on simulated waste transport properties, quantified by the just-suspended mixing speed (NJS), and were conducted under well-mixed, turbulent conditions, ensuring full suspension of gibbsite particles using an overhead mixer. The results suggest that the presence of NO 2 - and NO 3 - , in conjunction with leaching at relatively low free hydroxide contents, improved transport requirements (i.e., lowered NJS) for pure gibbsite slurries. These findings will inform the design of potential in-tank processing systems, optimizing aluminum dissolution for improved waste management in the Hanford Tank Farms.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2025

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

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

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

Description of FY25 Theory and Simulation Performance Target: Development of an integrated modeling framework for fusion reactor design and assessment

The urgency to deliver fusion power is growing now more than ever, with increasing pressure for both public programs and private companies to meet milestones timelines and overcome significant remaining technical challenges to ensure growth of a nascent fusion industry in time to meet rapidly growing clean energy demands. With incredible advancements in computation and years of investment in fusion model development and validation, integrated modeling is poised to fill a key role in accelerating the timeline to a fusion pilot plant (FPP). Future fusion pilot plants will operate in regimes far beyond current experience, and device design will rely on physics-based prediction and extrapolation. Many concepts will also rely on simulation to assess safety (shielding, tritium management, materials activation and lifetimes), economics and scalability before the decision to build. Importantly, integrated simulation can be used to reveal and solve the complexities of system integration that may otherwise not be apparent in physical components or models developed in isolation. New experimental test facilities that produce relevant conditions to validate and resolve key technical challenges for various subsystems (materials, blankets, fuel cycle, etc.) have been repeatedly called for by the fusion community but are not yet realized. Integrated modeling has an important role in identifying realistic load conditions (thermal, electromagnetic, plasma, neutron and photon loads, etc.) and defining the components and experiments for these test facilities in order to ensure meaningful validation that sufficiently reduces modeling uncertainties and technical risk for the full integrated reactor. The Fusion REactor Design and Assessment (FREDA) SciDAC project is building a component-based integrated modeling framework & data structure to enable self-consistent, multi-fidelity, iterative optimization workflows for the fusion reactor design process. FREDA aims to shorten the time to viable designs by providing a set of flexible workflows to support the various stages of the design process using an integrated model hierarchy, ranging from the simple analytic descriptions to the highest fidelity, theory-based plasma and engineering modeling developed by the fusion and fission communities. These tools are expected to be needed for timely support of FPP design in the milestone program and in the FIRE collaboratives. The plasma simulation backbone of FREDA is IPS-FASTRAN with newly developed coupled Core-Edge Pedestal-SOL (CESOL) workflows, which is being extended to the far-SOL region up to the plasma facing components. FREDA incorporates the FERMI engineering modeling suite and will enable self-consistent evaluation of the thermal shields, limiters, blanket, magnets, and other surrounding structures with predictions of temperatures, erosion, dpa, activation, tritium generation and transport, creep, corrosion, material degradation, etc. Parametric generation of 3D CAD enables rapid iteration of component geometry in response to plasma and loading specifications.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗