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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 1,549 records · Page 86
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Gas reservoir and a method to supply gas to plasma tubes

A reservoir for storing and supplying a portion of a reservoir gas into a gas-filled tube is presented. The reservoir includes a first vessel having a thermally conductive surface, a meshed vessel having a lid, and placed inside the first vessel to form a cavity between the meshed vessel and the first vessel, at least one tray placed inside the meshed vessel to divide an inner space of the meshed vessel into a plurality of compartments, a sorbent material placed inside the plurality of compartments in the meshed vessel, a temperature control device positioned such that a first portion of the temperature control device is in physical contact with at least a portion of the thermally conductive surface, and a change in the temperature of the temperature control device changes the temperature of the sorbent material, wherein the reservoir gas is retained by the sorbent material at the storage temperature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Impact of Behind-the-Meter Heterogeneous Distributed Energy Resources on Distribution Grids: Preprint

The increasing integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) on the electric grid brings new challenges and opportunities for utility grid operations. With the rapid deployment of DERs, there is emerging interest in integrating these controllable devices with utility operations at all levels for monitoring and management. Different types of DERs such as Photovoltaics (PV), energy storage, electric vehicles (EVs), etc. have varying effects on the grid based on how and where they are deployed. Again, the DER deployment and its impact are network-dependent, while the traditional electric grids were not designed to host DERs. To understand the challenges with increasing behind-the-meter (BTM) DERs and to identify the needs in deploying advanced controls, a comprehensive grid impact study is indispensable. This paper investigates the impacts of integrating a mix of DERs in the utility distribution network in Colorado, U.S. Firstly, BTM DERs at the residential scale including distributed PV; battery energy storage systems (BESS); heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) load; electric water heater (EWH) load; and EVs are modeled. The impacts of integrating these resources on the distribution network are evaluated by conducting time-series simulations for different scenarios considering different days to capture the worst-case conditions. Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to generate the realistic EV charging profile. The voltage issues, substation transformer loadings, and critical nodes in the network are identified with the incorporation of uncoordinated EV charging loads and other DER in the network. This analysis helps visualize the DER impact on the grid, identify the challenges, and provides an insight into the new distribution management and control needs to enable reliable and resilient distribution grid operations. Additionally, further analysis is performed to estimate the daily residential electricity cost with the inclusion of DERs under time-of-use tariffs. The result shows the daily residential electricity cost reduced by 20:7% on average with DERs compared to the case without DERs.

27 ARPA - Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy↗
DOE OSTI2023

Devices and systems for material transportation

Various embodiments relate to devices for transporting high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU). A device may include at least one section, wherein each section of the at least one section includes a number of storage tubes. Each storage tube, which is configured to receive and hold a container, extends from adjacent a first end of the section toward a second, opposite end of the section. Each section further includes a number of flux traps, wherein each storage tube of the number of storage tubes is at least partially surrounded by a flux trap of the number of flux traps Associated systems are also disclosed.

Eidelpes, Elmar F.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF): World-Class Systems Integration Capabilities and Research

The Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF), located at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) South Table Mountain campus, is a world-renowned user facility for research and development of modern, advanced, and clean energy technologies. ESIF is distinguished by its continuously evolving, highly integrated systems that span throughout the building, connecting research capabilities across multiple laboratories and test areas. The primary ESIF research systems include: [1] data, cyber, and control networks, [2] research electrical distribution buses (REDB), [3] thermal integration infrastructure, and [4] hydrogen systems. The data, cyber, and control networks provide monitoring, control, communication, automation, visualization, and time series data storage and tagging capabilities for research projects and ESIF systems, including facility safety functions. The REDB system consists of four dedicated AC and DC electrical power networks that can connect devices located across the facility through versatile, automatic circuit configuration to support complex power electronics experiments up to the megawatt-scale. The thermal integration infrastructure consists of three temperature-conditioned water loops that provide heating and cooling interfaces and capabilities for thermal energy research. The hydrogen systems provide megawatt-scale hydrogen production, drying, compression, high-pressure storage, and delivery to laboratory end uses, including hydrogen fuel cell vehicle fueling. The ESIF research systems interconnect and extend throughout the various lab areas of the facility to create elaborate networks composed of diverse technologies for cutting-edge research. The ESIF capabilities are operated and stewarded by the ESIF Research Operations group, who also actively upgrade and advance the systems to ensure they remain ahead of anticipated research - enabling the success of many pioneering energy integration projects. The poster, created by members of the ESIF Research Operations team, highlights and summarizes the four core integrated systems at ESIF. The poster was first presented at the internal NREL Energize Forum on May 13th, 2024, and received the "Best Poster" award.

capabilities↗
DOE OSTI2015

Considerations for NSLS-II Synchrotron Radiation Protection When Operating Damping Wigglers at Low Machine Energy

The NSLS-II storage ring vacuum chamber, including frontends (FE) and beamlines (BL), is protected from possible damage from synchrotron radiation (SR) emitted from insertion devices (IDs) by a dedicated active interlock system (AIS). The system monitors electron beam position and angle and triggers a beam dump if the beam orbit is outside of the active interlock envelope (AIE). The AIE was calculated under the assumptions of 3 GeV beam energy and ID gaps set to their minimum operating values (i.e. “fully closed”). Recently it was proposed to perform machine studies that would ramp the stored beam energy significantly below the nominal operational value of 3 GeV. These studies may potentially include the use of NSLS-II damping wigglers (DWs) for electron beam emittance reduction and control. These DWs have the minimum operating gap of g min =15 mm with the corresponding peak magnetic field B 0 =1.8 T. During regular machine operations or studies at 3 GeV, DWs are usually held at this minimum gap (thus maximum field), or, alternatively, they are fully opened to the gap of 150 mm, which corresponds to a negligible residual magnetic field. However, any intermediate values of wiggler gap can be easily set through the control system with micron level precision, so wiggler fields in the range of 0< B < B 0 can be precisely set and maintained. For the low energy studies two likely modes of DW operation must be considered: 1) the maximum allowable wiggler filed is proportional to the storage ring energy, B ( E )= B 0 E /E 0 ; and 2) the maximum allowable wiggler field (and thus the minimum allowable gap) is energy independent and is equal to its nominal 3 GeV value of 1.8 T (i.e. wiggler gap is fixed at 15 mm). The aim of this technical note is to consider the synchrotron radiation protection (SRP) implications of DW use during low energy machine studies, when DWs are operated in either of these two modes. For consistency with earlier SRP documents we will quote all the powers and power densities at the nominal NSLS-II design beam current of 500 mA, even though the low energy studies will be done at significantly lower beam currents, hence the SR power will be proportionally smaller.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Semiconductor: Supply Chain Deep Dive Assessment

In February 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order (EO) 14017, “America’s Supply Chains,” directing seven executive agencies to evaluate the resilience and security of the nation’s critical supply chains and to craft strategies for six industrial bases that underpin America’s economic and national security. See Sec. 3(b) of E.O. 14017. As part of the one-year response to EO 14017, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through the national laboratories, conducted evaluations of the supply chains that encompass the Energy Sector Industrial Base, with a particular focus on technologies required to decarbonize the U.S. by 2050. This report focuses on one of these technologies, semiconductors, both conventional and wide bandgap (WBG) power electronics (PE). As noted in the 100-Day report, conventional semiconductors are a keystone technology that are essential for the operation of nearly every electronic device, including those that are critical to decarbonization, such as electric vehicles (EVs), industrial and building applications, and electricity generation and end use. In addition, power electronics have been applied to industrial equipment to improve energy efficiency and enhance controllability. Power electronics have also been used to improve the reliability of data centers and critical infrastructure, including the stabilization of the electric grid while subjected to disturbances. Increasingly, power electronics are being used to integrate renewable energy and battery storage systems, enabling new grid services and the development of microgrids. It is estimated that 30% of the electricity used in the U.S. passes through power electronic devices, and studies suggest that this number could reach 80% as power electronics are deployed in more markets. Nearly all forms of electrified transportation will depend on power electronics. Power electronic systems utilize high-capacity semiconductor devices at their core. The continued growth in power electronics depends on sustained innovation in the semiconductor industry.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Additive Manufacturing of Thermal Energy Storage Composites with Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials Supported in a Multipolymer Matrix

Additive manufacturing (AM) techniques to directly integrate phase change materials (PCMs) are of interest for efficient thermal energy storage (TES) architectures. Complex, high surface-to-volume ratio composites embedded with PCM can improve thermal management with reduced material waste for customizable device fabrication. Reducing feature sizes of TES-integrated heat exchangers using AM can increase heat transfer without thermal conductivity enhancement. Here, composite AM materials containing 60 wt% microencapsulated phase change materials (MEPCM) are fabricated using off-the-shelf printers at common speeds and resolutions. High MEPCM loading in filaments is achieved with powder extrusion using two polymers, thermoplastic-polyurethane (TPU) and polycaprolactone (PCL), that mediate flexibility and rigidity for effective extrusion and printing without filament fracture or buckling. Furthermore, with PCL and TPU at 20 wt% each and 60 wt% MEPCM (P 20 T 20 M 60 ), smooth, form-stable filaments are consistently printed. Powder-based extrusion displays negligible damaging effects on the MEPCM. Printed P 20 T 20 M 60 demonstrates 105 J/g of energy storage with no degradation through 250 thermal cycles, within 5% of the theoretical storage enthalpy. Combining PCL/TPU shows good interfacial adhesion between print layers and produces high surface area objects, like 15% gyroids, and dense, 100% infilled pucks. Prints are also scalable to a 900 cm 3 honeycomb heat exchanger with an estimated 9 Wh energy storage.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2018

NanoStructured bulk thermoelectric generator for efficient power harvesting for self-powered sensor network

The goal of the Nuclear Energy Enabling Technology Research Project is to develop efficient and reliable thermoelectric (TE) generators for self-powered wireless sensor nodes (WSNs) for nuclear applications. The power harvesting technology has crosscutting significance to all United States Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy research and development programs, as it will enable self-powered WSNs in multiple nuclear reactor designs and spent fuel storage facilities using thermal energy available in a nuclear power plant or spent fuel storage facility. This project addresses an important technology gap that exists in truly realizing WSNs due to the need for cables to connect to external power supplies and develop TE power harvesting devices to deliver sufficient power to drive the WSNs. The outcomes of the project will lead to significant advancement in sensors and instrumentation technology, reducing cost, improving monitoring reliability, and therefore enhancing safety. The self-powered WSNs could support the long-term safe and economical operation of all reactor designs and fuel cycle concepts, as well as spent fuel storage and many other nuclear science and engineering applications. The research is based on recent breakthroughs in high-performance nanostructured bulk (nanobulk) half-Heusler and bismuth telluride thermoelectric materials that enable high-efficiency and high-power-density direct heat-to-electricity conversion over a wide temperature range. The nanobulk TE materials that the research team has already developed yield up to a 50% increase in the TE figure of merit, ZT, compared with state-of-the-art bulk counterparts. In addition to increased efficiency, the nanostructured materials are of potentially enhanced radiation tolerance due to the increased interface densities at the nanoscale grain boundaries that serves as efficient sinks to annihilate radiation-induced, freely-migrating structural defects. This report summarizes major technical results the team achieved in this three-year project, with a focus on the results obtained in the third year of the project. The report includes results on thermoelectric materials fabrication and optimization, irradiation effect on thermoelectric materials performance, thermoelectric device simulation, fabrication and testing, wireless sensor node system simulation, and the demonstration of a wireless sensor node powered by thermoelectric generators.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

Research and Experiment on the Key Technologies of the Spent Fuel Storage in HTR-PM - 18486

High Temperature Reactor demonstration project of China (HTR-PM) is one of the major national science and technology projects, some key technologies for the design and operation of the demonstration project are formed to research according to the main technology. The spent fuel storage system is one of the main systems of the HTR-PM. In order to solve the technical problems related to the operation of spent fuel, several experiments have been conducted, including: spent fuel loading, getting back, spent fuel canister hoisting, storage well cover hoisting, storage canister drop and so on. In the study process, the test facility has been set up to carry on the operation and the experiment verification to ensure the reliability and safety of the spent fuel storage system. Spent fuel storage system undertakes spent fuel receiving, spent fuel canister transfer, storage, lifting and other functions in HTR-PM, the project research need to solve several major technical problems related to the spent fuel operation, which mainly include: Develop the transportable spent fuel canister for HTR-PM, the canister is corrosion resistance, impact resistance, and is in subcritical condition when loaded with fuel. Develop the spent fuel canister hoister, which could hoist the spent fuel canister safely and reliably. Develop the spent fuel storage well cover hoister, which could hoist the well cover safely and reliably. Study the small probability of the spent fuel canister in extreme condition of canister hoist falling accidents, to ensure the radiation protect safety and residual heat removal safety of the canister in case of the canister drop when lifting. Develop the spent fuel charging device and return device, which could load the spent fuel elements into the spent fuel canister, and could take out the fuel elements from the canister. The key technology and equipment of the spent fuel storage system in HTR-PM would be solved through the research of the project. Project research is very important for the implementation and safe operation of the HTR-PM project. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Vacancy structures and melting behavior in rock-salt GeSbTe

Ge-Sb-Te alloys have been widely used in optical/electrical memory storage. Because of the extremely fast crystalline-amorphous transition, they are also expected to play a vital role in next generation nonvolatile microelectronic memory devices. However, the distribution and structural properties of vacancies have been one of the key issues in determining the speed of melting (or amorphization), phase-stability, and heat-dissipation of rock-salt GeSbTe, which is crucial for its technological breakthrough in memory devices. Using spherical aberration-aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and atomic scale energy-dispersive X-ray mapping, we observe a new rock-salt structure with high-degree vacancy ordering (or layered-like ordering) at an elevated temperature, which is a result of phase transition from the rock-salt phase with randomly distributed vacancies. First-principles calculations reveal that the phase transition is an energetically favored process. Furthermore, molecular dynamics studies suggest that the melting of the cubic rock-salt phases is initiated at the vacancies, which propagate to nearby regions. The observation of multi-rock-salt phases suggests another route for multi-level data storage using GeSbTe.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Metal chalcogenides for pseudocapacitive applications

A synthetic metal dichalcogenide having a highly defected nanocrystalline layered structure, wherein layer spacing is larger than in perfect crystals of the same material, wherein the defected structure provides access to interlayer crystals of the same material, and wherein the defected structure facilitates a pseudocapacitive charge storage mechanism. The metal dichalcogenide is receptive to intercalation of ions such as Li ions, Na ions, Mg ions, and Ca ions, and does not undergo a phase transition upon intercalation of Li ions, Na ions, Mg ions, or Ca ions. The metal dichalcogenide can be used, for example, as a component of an electrode that also includes a carbon derivative, and a binder, which are intermixed to form the electrode. The resultant composite electrode is highly porous and highly electronically conductive, and is suitable for use in devices such as symmetric capacitors, asymmetric capacitors, rocking chair batteries, and other devices.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Evaluation and Demonstration of Intrusion Detection for Spent Fuel Storage Facilities

The IAEA recommends dual containment and surveillance (C/S) systems for difficult to access or difficult to measure spent fuel storage areas. However, many storage areas have limitations that prevent traditional secondary C/S systems, such as radiation levels too high for inspectors to apply individual Tamper Indicating Devices (TID) or have physical impedances to the use of TIDs. Recent developments in C/S technology include Laser Curtain for Containment (LCCT) technology implemented at Atucha-1 power plant in Argentina. The LCCT is a new approach to perimeter-wide C/S and the IAEA has granted provisional approval for its use as one of two required C/S systems. This proposal focuses on investigating and testing new and evolving completely passive (or ultra-low power) tamper indicating systems that will provide backup C/S to the LCCT even during power outages. An investigation of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) technology will be conducted to identify readily available options. Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) fibers will also be investigated. OSL fibers are a passive technology that can measure radiation dose by knocking an electron into a metastable state where it remains until the fiber is interrogated with light. The goal of this project would be to investigate COTS technologies that can be used in low or no power scenarios for radiation detection as well as test and evaluate OSL technology, which can operate passively in no power scenarios. Limitations for each technology will be determined and documented in an effort to determine the best technology for spent fuel storage monitoring.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2018

Automated defect detection in spent nuclear fuel using combine Cerenkov and Gamma Emission Tomography data

Spent fuel monitoring and characterization has been a pillar of safeguards and nuclear facility monitoring for many years. The Digital Cerenkov Viewing Device (DCVD) has been used since the 1980s as a method of defect detection in spent fuel. In recent years, the accounting of large quantities of spent fuel before storage has renewed interest in this relatively quick and inexpensive method. This has an impact not only in safeguards, but also in for nuclear power facilities, as accounting can be a long and arduous process. Additionally, the DCVD demonstrates limited accuracy in more complex cases such as substitution of a fuel rod with steel, or a partial defect detection. A second method, Gamma Emission Tomography (GET) has been explored as an improved defect detection method, but is much more expensive and invasive than DCVD. This work identifies deficiencies in both methods, and proposes a combination of data gathered from each method to address these deficiencies for improved spent fuel characterization. Initial results are promising, showing 97% detection of a single missing fuel rod when the data types are combined, versus approximately 50% and 70%respectively for DCVD and GET data on their own. Finally, these classification results are obtained with algorithms derived from facial recognition and applied to this problem, yielding unique accuracy in near real-time while also maintaining the information barrier between output and measurement desired in safeguards.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Recent Progress in Biomass–Derived Electrode Materials for High Volumetric Performance Supercapacitors

Here, tremendous efforts have been spent on the development of electrical energy storage (EES) systems with high volumetric performance in the past few years due to the evergrowing demand of miniaturized, portable electronic devices, and electric vehicles. Among all the EES devices, supercapacitors with electrode materials derived from biosources have attracted special attention due to their eco-friendliness, natural abundance, their intrinsic porous structures as well as their renewable and sustainable features. However, the relatively low packing densities make their specific volumetric capacitance intrinsically low, which has largely limited their further application in the supercapacitors. To address these issues, various promising approaches ranging from structural manufacture to compositional design are applied and significant breakthroughs are witnessed in recent years. In this progress report, key factors influencing the volumetric performance of biomass-derived electrode materials are systematically discussed with a particular focus spanning from fundamental to operational aspects. This work provides insights into the development of high-volumetric-performance biomass-derived supercapacitors by comprehensively summarizing recent advances in the rational structural design and fabrication. Perspectives regarding the future challenges and promising research directions on the design of next-generation EES devices are also provided.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Band tail recombination in polymer:fullerene organic solar cells

Recombination through band tail localized states is studied analytically and by measurement of the forward-bias dark current as a function of temperature in three different organic bulk-heterojunction solar cells. The Shockley-Read-Hall mechanism is analyzed for the specific case of recombination between mobile carriers and an exponential distribution of localized band tail states. The analysis gives a simple relation between the dark current ideality factor and the band tail slope. Assumptions of the model are verified by numerical drift-diffusion modeling. Diode current-voltage measurements give good agreement with the analytical model, confirming that the band tail recombination mechanism applies to at least some organic solar cells. Deep traps provide a secondary recombination channel in some devices.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Mean-field control for efficient mixing of energy loads

In this work, we pose an engineering challenge of controlling an ensemble of energy devices via coordinated, implementation-light, and randomized on/off switching as a problem in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. We show that mean-field control with nonlinear feedback on the cumulative consumption, assumed available to the aggregator via direct physical measurements of the energy flow, allows the ensemble to recover from its use in the demand response regime, i.e., transition to a statistical steady state, significantly faster than in the case of the fixed feedback. Moreover when the nonlinearity is sufficiently strong, one observes the phenomenon of “super-relaxation,” where the total instantaneous energy consumption of the ensemble transitions to the steady state much faster than the underlying probability distribution of the devices over their state space, while also leaving almost no devices outside of the comfort zone.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Design and Implementation of Automated Characterization of T-type based Power Module for PV Inverter Reliability Assessment

Reliability of power electronics holds the key for future power and energy systems since it is essential for system integration with renewables and energy storage systems. Variation of power module characteristics over the converter’s operational lifetime is a critical indicator to assess its reliability. Device characterization consists of different steps to collect, process, and visualize results, which is usually time-consuming, especially for power modules based on a non-phase-leg configuration, such as T-type circuits, widely applied for PV inverters. To reduce the time, ensure repeatability, and guarantee consistency, an automated test bench can be helpful. This paper focuses on a T-type-based power module and proposes a unique characterization platform and corresponding automation procedure and implementation. Considering the major characterization difference between T-type power modules over the conventional phase-leg power module, first, the special consideration for static characterization is highlighted. Second, the unique dynamic characterization design associated with the T-type power module is described. Finally, the automation of the power module characterization and the test platform is presented along with results and special considerations.

Siraj, Ahmed↗
DOE OSTI2019

PSL-AC-CP-1102-004-03: Electrostatic Discharge Simulator Kit Model 930D and Associated Current-Viewing Resistor (V.04)

This document provides instructions for calibrating the Electro-Tech (ETS) electrostatic discharge (ESD) simulator, Model 930D. The calibration shall meet the ± 5% specification for resistance and capacitance as specified in MIL-STD-331C 2009 newer. A series of direct measurements of the Device Under Test (DUT) output at 25 kV using a calibrated LeCroy HDO 6104 oscilloscope (or equivalent 1 MΩ) input impedance storage oscilloscope) are recorded through the 500-pF capacitor, 500-Ω resistor, and a 1-Ω Current Viewing Resistor (CVR). The certified value of the DUT's 25 kV output is calculated using Ohms Law and the certified system resistance and capacitance described in this procedure. Read this document in its entirety before proceeding with the calibration.

42 ENGINEERING↗