SEARCH · Search NASA
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.
The Federal Energy Management Program's (FEMP's) Federal Smart Buildings Accelerator team identified many smart campus best practices already in place, along with several new goals for the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Gaithersburg campus.
Fusion energy represents a transformative opportunity to deliver a safe, plentiful, and carbon-free source of reliable primary power. In recent years, fusion research and development have accelerated significantly, particularly within the US, driven by decades of foundational public investment. Notably, in 2024 the US Department of Energy (DOE) established a comprehensive Fusion Energy Strategy aimed at collaborating with industry partners to enable the deployment of fusion power plants and grid integration by the 2030s. This strategy is chiefly implemented through the DOE Office of Science (SC) Fusion Energy Sciences program. This project was initiated to identify potential approaches for the Office of Environment, Safety, and Health (NA-ESH-12) within DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration to begin engagement with the fusion community on future accountable material needs. The goal of the project is to inform and influence the supply of and demand for accountable nuclear materials as fusion energy is developed and commercialized. NA-ESH-12 must proactively engage with the fusion community regarding the production and management of accountable nuclear materials. Given the complexity and scale of materials required for research, pilot projects, and eventual commercial reactors, early coordination is vital. The project’s objective is to provide insights that will shape the supply and demand landscape for critical nuclear materials, ensuring that DOE is prepared to effectively support fusion energy development and commercialization. In FY 2025, an initial limited review was conducted to identify the status of the fusion energy community’s progress toward full-scale energy production and the need for accountable nuclear material. This included communications with SC, NA-ESH-12, Savannah River National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and attending the Rutgers University–sponsored Supply Chain Workshop: Scaling the Fusion Industry and the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Ninth DEMO Programme Workshop. The review to date indicates that the amounts of tritium, lithium-6, and deuterium required by the fusion industry will be dependent on fuel type, breeding technology, blankets, and R&D improvements. One concern is that the commercial sector does not have a sufficient supply chain to meet the demand for development and commercialization for fusion energy production. The supply and demand estimates for these materials should be routinely reviewed as fusion technologies mature.
The Energy to Communities (E2C) peer-learning cohort program provides technical assistance to groups of 15 community entities around a common energy topic over the course of 6 months. Every month, participants join a virtual meeting where they hear from experts and exchange strategies and best practices with their peers. This cohort, "Successful Energy Project Implementation" will explore common challenges in implementing energy projects and learn strategies to turn project plans into reality. Each participant will focus on a local energy project or priority as a cornerstone for their learning throughout the series.This presentation overviews the basics of developing electric mobility projects with emphasis on leveraging the right tools to advance technical scoping and program design.
Approximately 100 graphite-reflected highly enriched uranium (HEU, 93.14 wt % 235 U) metal annular and cylindrical critical experiments were performed in the early 1960s at the Oak Ridge Critical Experiments Facility (ORCEF). This report presents details from experiment logbooks, experimental data sheets and the author's memory for 44 HEU metal (93.14 wt % 235 U) critical assemblies with graphite reflectors varying from 10 to 19 in. thick, outside diameters varying from 7 to 15 in., inside diameters varying from 7 to 13 in. and critical HEU metal masses varying from 20.4 to 69.0 kg. The data from the 44 experiments described in this report are acceptable for use as criticality safety benchmark experiments for the International Criticality Safety Evaluation Program (ICSBEP) once the uncertainty analysis on the measured k eff is completed. Based on previous ICSBEP benchmarks with this HEU metal at ORCEF, the uncertainties in the measured k eff are expected to be as low as ±0.0004. Preparation of this report is part of an effort at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to document more than 15 undocumented series of critical and subcritical experiments enumerated in Critical and Subcritical NEA Benchmark Possibilities for Measurements at ORCEF and Other US DOE Facilities (Mihalzo, ORNL/TM-2019/1188, 2019) and performed by ORNL at ORCEF and other US Department of Energy critical experiments facilities. More than 500 operational days of critical facility time were used, not including setup and dismantlement time. This documentation for a part of one series of graphite reflected highly enriched uranium metal critical experiments, that used 50 operational days of ORCEF time, was performed using funding received from the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy’s Nuclear Energy University Programs at the University of Tennessee Nuclear Engineering Department. This documentation was also supported by the Nuclear Criticality, Radiation Transport, and Safety programs at ORNL.
We report precision measurements on cumulants (𝐶 𝑛 ) and factorial cumulants (𝜅 𝑛 ) of (net) proton number distributions up to fourth order in Au + Au collisions over center-of-mass energies $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 7.7–27 GeV from phase II of the Beam Energy Scan program at RHIC. (Anti)protons are selected at midrapidity (|𝑦| < 0.5) within a transverse momentum range of 0.4 < 𝑝 𝑇 < 2.0 GeV/𝑐. Relative to various noncritical-point model calculations and peripheral collision 70%–80% data, the net proton 𝐶 4 /𝐶 2 measurement in 0%–5% collisions shows a minimum around 19.6 GeV for significance of deviation at ∼2–5𝜎. A minimum in 𝐶 4 /𝐶 2 with respect to a noncritical baseline is expected to be a characteristic feature of the signature associated with a critical point in the QCD phase diagram. In addition, deviations from noncritical baselines around the same collision energy region are also seen in proton factorial cumulant ratios, especially in 𝜅 2 /𝜅 1 and 𝜅 3 /𝜅 1 . As a result, dynamical model calculations including a critical point are called for in order to understand these precision measurements.
Life-Cycle Cost Analysis Framework for Water Efficiency Measures: Guidance Designed for Federal Agencies (hereafter referred to as “this report”) provides a technical framework for federal agencies to conduct a life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) for water efficiency projects in accordance with 42 U.S.C. § 8253. This report leverages insights from the 2023 report, PNNL-34006, Water and Wastewater Annual Price Escalation Rates for Selected Cities Across the United States: 2023 Edition (Unger et al. 2023). The primary objective of this report is to provide a framework to assist federal agencies with evaluating the full economic impact of water efficiency projects by assessing both initial investments and long-term operational benefits. An LCCA can provide a comprehensive view of all costs associated with a water efficiency project, including initial investment, ongoing operations and maintenance (O&M), and eventual disposal or replacement, ensuring the most cost-effective solution is selected. The LCCA methodology outlined in this report enables users to compare base case scenarios with potential alternatives using a standardized present value approach. It incorporates key cost components such as energy, water and wastewater, installation, O&M, and equipment replacement. Additionally, the framework introduces relevant evaluation metrics, such as the net savings and the savings-to-investment ratio, to ensure that water efficiency measures are economically justified over the lifespan of the project. To support practical application, this report also describes various water efficiency strategies that may be analyzed using an LCCA, including plumbing retrofits, irrigation upgrades, alternative water use, and cooling system improvements. By applying this framework, federal agencies can ensure compliance with regulatory mandates while maximizing the return on investment and contributing to resilient water management practices. The information provided in this report is aligned with the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) life-cycle cost (LCC) methodology, as conveyed in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Handbook 135 (Kneifel and Webb 2022). This report is intended to provide relatively high-level guidance, acting as a complement to, rather than a substitute for, that resource.
This fact sheet identifies opportunities for integration of alternative fuel vehicles in public and private fleets in rural areas, and was developed through the U.S. Department of Energy's Communities Local Energy Action Program (Communities LEAP). The project engaged community stakeholders, fleet operators, and local officials across ten rural counties in western Alabama to explore opportunities for expanding access to alternative transportation fuels. Guided by a regional coalition and supported by the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), the effort emphasized challenges and related potential technical solutions. The fact sheet highlights different applications of alternative fuel vehicles and provides a framework for selecting the vehicle technology that meets a given stakeholder's needs.
This fact sheet presents key findings and challenges identified by stakeholders through an initiative supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Communities Local Energy Action Program (Communities LEAP). The project engaged community stakeholders, fleet operators, and local officials across ten rural counties in western Alabama to explore opportunities for expanding access to alternative transportation fuels. Guided by a regional coalition and supported by the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), the effort emphasized challenges and related potential technical solutions. The fact sheet highlights transportation priorities identified by participants, outlines barriers unique to rural contexts, and summarizes resources developed by NLR subject matter experts to help local entities address these challenges.
An Alabama community coalition received technical assistance through the U.S. Department of Energy's Communities Local Energy Action Program (LEAP) to expand awareness of alternative transportation fuels through stakeholder engagement efforts. Phase 1 of the project centered on outreach, relationship-building, and the identification of community priorities. Through two workshops held in October and December 2024, the coalition engaged over 120 stakeholders - including county commissioners, school district representatives, and public and private fleet operators. These sessions included presentations from technical experts and industry partners, as well as a vehicle showcase and structured discussions to assess stakeholder needs and concerns. This report summarizes these efforts and identifies three key priority areas for Phase 2 of the project.
The Energy to Communities (E2C) program is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-funded technical assistance program designed to provide technical support to communities transitioning to clean energy and more sustainable energy economies. One offering under E2C is the "Expert Match" technical assistance program, through which DOE national laboratories and other partners provide 40–60 hours of technical support on a topic where expert assistance is critical to the community making an informed clean energy decision.
As part of the SEIN Round 3 program, a diverse group of energy stakeholders in Texas set out to develop and pilot new pathways to increase rooftop solar adoption at no upfront cost to lowincome households. One potentially promising pathway we identified involved combining funding from existing utility and federal programs promoting weatherization and energy efficiency. Our objective was to demonstrate pilot projects that equitably deployed rooftop solar to properties owned or rented by families in disadvantaged communities. Our goal was to create a clear path for lowincome households to achieve electricity bill relief and to access clean energy by leveraging existing utility energy efficiency programs with existing federal resources, such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and/or U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) funding in Texas. This has been attempted in a few other states with varying degrees of success, but not yet in Texas.
Here, we employ the SMASH transport model to provide event-by-event initial conditions for the energy-momentum tensor and conserved charge currents in hydrodynamic simulations of relativistic heavy-ion collisions. We study the fluctuations and dynamical evolution of three conserved charge currents (net baryon, net electric charges, and net strangeness) with a four-dimensional lattice-QCD-based equation of state, NEOS-4D, in the hydrodynamic phase. Out-of-equilibrium corrections at the particlization are generalized to finite densities to ensure the conservation of energy, momentum, and the three types of charges. These theoretical developments are integrated within the X-SCAPE code as a unified framework for studying the nuclear matter properties in the Beam Energy Scan program.
This work presents a Bayesian inference study for relativistic heavy-ion collisions in the beam energy scan program at the BNL Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider. The theoretical model simulates event-by-event (3+1)-dimensional [(3+1)D] collision dynamics using hydrodynamics and hadronic transport theory. We analyze the model's 20-dimensional posterior distributions obtained using three model emulators with different accuracy and demonstrate the essential role of training an accurate model emulator in the Bayesian analysis. Our analysis provides robust constraints on the quark-gluon plasma's transport properties and various aspects of (3+1)D relativistic nuclear dynamics. By running full model simulations with 100 parameter sets sampled from the posterior distribution, we make predictions for p T -differential observables and estimate their systematic theory uncertainty. Here, a sensitivity analysis is performed to elucidate how individual experimental observables respond to different model parameters, providing useful physics insights into the phenomenological model for heavy-ion collisions.
Polymeric materials are commonplace in the natural gas infrastructure as distribution pipes, coatings, seals, and gaskets. Under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy HyBlend program, one of the means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is with replacing natural gas, either partially or completely, with hydrogen. This approach makes it imperative that we conduct near-term and long-term materials compatibility research in these relevant environments. Insights into the effects of hydrogen and hydrogen gas blends on polymer integrity can be gained through both ex-situ and in-situ analytical methods. Our work represented here highlights a study of the behavior of pipeline polyethylene (PE) materials, including HDPE (Dow 2490 and GDB50) and MDPE (Ineos and legacy Dupont Aldyl A), when exposed to hydrogen by means of in-situ X-ray scattering and ex-situ Raman spectroscopy techniques. Samples were tested in ex-situ hydrogen and argon gas environments and in-situ hydrogen environments to identify differences due to permeation and solubility of these gases. These methods complemented each other because Raman spectroscopy could capture permanent effects after materials were removed from gaseous environments, and in-situ X-ray scattering analysis collected real-time data to elucidate the impact of the gas environment on polymer microstructure. Data collected revealed that the aforementioned polymers did not show significant changes in crystallinity and microstructure under the exposure conditions tested. Our findings from these studies will help establish real-time effects caused by hydrogen gas transport through pipeline polyethylenes by way of its influence on polymer structure and chemistry, which is directly related to pipeline mechanical strength and longevity of service.
Herein we review recent theoretical developments relevant to heavy-ion experiments carried out within the Beam Energy Scan program at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Our main focus is on the description of the dynamics of systems created in heavy-ion collisions and establishing the necessary connection between the experimental observables and the QCD phase diagram.
The NMDC is a sustainable data discovery platform that promotes open science and shared-ownership across a broad and diverse community of researchers, funders, publishers, societies, and other collaborators. The NMDC aims to enable multi-omic microbiome research to accelerate scientific discovery. The NMDC is a Department of Energy funded program that is a collaboration between 3 National Laboratories: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).
This report details an assessment of the hazards and safety impacts related to front-end operations of molten salt reactors (MSR) as well as an assessment of existing safety guidance. Publicly available information was evaluated to make recommendations to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for guidance development and information gathering needs. Five different MSR technologies were evaluated along with information from 1960’s about the Atomic Energy Commission programs for the Aircraft Reactor Experiment and Molten Salt Reactor Experiment. Primary areas of evaluation include fuel cycle facilities, transportation and at reactor fuel mixing operations up to reactor startup. In general, there was difficulty synthesizing publicly available information due to the early stage of the MSR development and proprietary information associated with the reactor technology companies analyzed. There are a few specific recommendations from this report. One overarching paradigm shift that the NRC needs to evaluate is the possibility of collocating fuel cycle facilities with operating MSRs. Although there is no specific prohibition to this in the NRC regulations, the collocation of the fuel cycle facilities with the operating MSR presents a novel approach compared to the light water reactor baseline. More guidance and research into thorium operations and regulation is needed. The hazards associated with the stability of stored fuel constituents need to be evaluated. Some reactor fuel cycles use beryllium, and its use and the associated hazards need further analysis. NRC-approved designs for transportation packages for shipping molten salt fuels and factory-built and fueled reactors are not available.
The overall objective of this research is to understand how light interacts with topological insulator (TI) films and layered structures. Unlike normal materials, the electrons in TI films are trapped at the top and bottom surfaces of the film. These electrons have unusual properties, including low mass and high velocity. Light shining on these trapped electrons will excite electron density waves, called plasmons, which inherit the unusual properties of the electrons. This project aims to understand how these plasmons interact with each other and how the plasmon properties change as the film dimensions change. By controlling the physical properties of the films, the optical response of the film can also be controlled. In addition to single TI films, the project will also investigate the properties of stacks of TI films layered with normal insulating films. Stacking these materials results in multiple layers of trapped electrons whose plasmons can interact in ever more complex ways. After these interactions are understood, we can begin to engineer complex TI structures to obtain designer optical phenomena in the far-infrared and THz, wavelength ranges of interest for environmental monitoring and chemical sensing. This research directly addresses DOE Grand Challenges, including understanding how properties of matter emerge from complex electronic correlations and learning how to control these properties as well as the mission of the Basic Energy Sciences program to understand and control matter at the electronic/atomic level.