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ARM Aerosol Measurement Science Group 2024 Strategic Planning Workshop Report

This report summarizes the results of the 2024 Strategic Planning Workshop conducted by the Aerosol Measurement Science Group (AMSG) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility. The objective of this workshop was to provide ARM facility guidance through specific recommendations relating to aerosol science for a period of five years. The AMSG primary focus of this workshop was to help advance strategic external partnership engagement for ARM’s aerosol measurement program. The workshop was held July 9-10, 2024 at the University of Utah. This was the third such workshop since the AMSG was chartered in 2015 to enhance coordination of ARM observations of aerosols and atmospheric trace gases with the needs of ARM users.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Progress Report on SFR Metallic Fuel Data Qualification

This report summarizes the progress of SFR metallic fuel qualification related activities, which are focused on providing quality assurance relevant information applicable to experiments irradiated during the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) program. An overview of the metallic fuel performance data and the associated databases, including the EBR-II Fuels Irradiation & Physics Database (FIPD), Out-of-Pile Transient Database (OPTD), and TREAT Experimental Relational Database (TREXR) is included. The legacy data in the databases, including as-built, post-irradiation examination (PIE), operating parameters, and out-of-pile experiment post-test data are introduced. The SFR metallic fuel Quality Assurance Program Plan (QAPP) and its implementation to qualify these legacy data is described in detail. Important PIE data QA documents and the specifications of seven types of PIE measurements (contact profilometry, laser profilometry, neutron radiography, gamma scan, fission gas release fission gas chemistry, and metallography) are provided. Examples of the implementation of the QAPP to qualify each of those types of PIE data are provided.

Mo, Kun [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonn↗

Intro to HPC Bootcamp: Engaging New Communities Through Energy Justice Projects

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is a long-standing leader in research and development of high-performance computing (HPC) in the pursuit of science. However, we face daunting challenges in fostering a robust and diverse HPC workforce. Basic HPC is not typically taught at early stages of students' academic careers, and the capacity and knowledge of HPC at many institutions are limited. Even so, such topics are prerequisites for advanced training programs, internships, graduate school, and ultimately for careers in HPC. To help address this challenge, as part of the DOE Exascale Computing Project's Broadening Participation Initiative, we recently launched the Introduction to HPC Training and Workforce Pipeline Program to provide accessible introductory material on HPC, scalable AI, and analytics. We describe the Intro to HPC Bootcamp, an immersive program designed to engage students from underrepresented groups as they learn foundational HPC skills. Here, the program takes a novel approach to HPC training by turning the traditional curriculum upside down. Instead of focusing on technology and its applications, the bootcamp focuses on energy justice to motivate the training of HPC skills through project-based pedagogy and real-life science stories. Additionally, the bootcamp prepares students for internships and future careers at DOE labs. The first bootcamp, hosted by the advanced computing facilities at Argonne, Lawrence Berkeley, and Oak Ridge National Labs and organized by Sustainable Horizons Institute, took place in August 2023.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

An Innovative Approach to Bridge a Skill Gap and Grow a Workforce Pipeline: The Computer System, Cluster, and Networking Summer Institute

Sustainable and effective computing infrastructure depends critically on the skills and expertise of domain scientists and of committed and well-trained advanced computing professionals. But, in its ongoing High Performance Computing (HPC) work, Los Alamos National Laboratory noted a persistent shortage of well-prepared applicants, particularly for entry-level cluster administration, file systems administration, and high speed networking positions. Further, based upon recruiting efforts and interactions with universities graduating students in related majors of interest (e.g., computer science (CS)), there has been a long standing skillset gap, as focused training in HPC topics is typically lacking or absent in undergraduate and in even many graduate programs. Given that the effective operation and use of HPC systems requires specialized and often advanced training, that there is a recognized HPC skillset gap, and that there is intense global competition for computing and computational science talent, there is a long-standing and critical need for innovative approaches to help bridge the gap and create a well-prepared, next generation HPC workforce. Our paper places this need in the context of the HPC work and workforce requirements at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and presents one such innovative program conceived to address the need, bridge the gap, and grow an HPC workforce pipeline at LANL. The Computer System, Cluster, and Networking Summer Institute (CSCNSI) completed its 10th year in 2016. The story of the CSCNSI and its evolution is detailed below with a description of the design of its Boot Camp, and a summary of its success and some key factors that have enabled that success.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

REopt: Enabling Renewable Energy, Storage, and Combined Heat and Power

Deployment of distributed energy resources including combined heat and power (CHP), photovoltaics (PV), and battery storage is growing as building and campus owners seek to reduce energy costs and increase resilience to grid outages. While deployment of a single technology is widespread, integrated systems of multiple technologies are also becoming more common to provide maximum economic and resilience benefits. To accelerate deployment, decision makers require tools to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of these integrated systems. This paper presents a framework for optimizing the size and dispatch strategy of CHP with PV and battery storage to minimize life-cycle cost of energy. The modeling methodology is presented, with a particular focus on the linearization of cost and performance metrics required for implementation in a mixed integer linear program. A case study is used to examine the technical and economic viability of integrated CHP, PV, and battery systems, compared to CHP-only or PV+battery storage systems. In the case study we show how the integrated systems can provide increased economic and resilience benefits compared to single technologies on their own. The case study presented shows the combined CHP, PV, and battery system resulted in a 7% lower life cycle cost than CHP only, and a 22% lower life cycle cost than PV+battery storage. The life cycle emissions for CHP, PV, and battery storage resulted in a 24% reduction than CHP only and a 17% increase than PV+battery storage.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Achievements and Ongoing Challenges for advanced CFD Boiling Closure Model Development using Physical Insights from Validation-Oriented High-Fidelity Boiling Experiment

The fundamental understanding of the boiling-associated heat transfer, including sliding bubble effect, is still challenging despite the intensive research for decades in both experimental and computational boiling research communities. One of the main difficulties of boiling experiment come from the fact that direct observation of the underlying principle through experiment is very difficult due to the high complexity of the boiling phenomenon. Also, since the heat transfer characteristics associated with boiling is the result of non-linear interaction of various physical parameters coupled to each other, it is challenging to find the relationship between the parameters for modeling. This paper discusses the authors’ past and ongoing boiling research under CASL (Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors) program, including the efforts to overcome the difficulties of boiling measurement and model development. In particular, we focus on describing the major achievements, lessons learnt, and ongoing challenges for the CFD boiling closure model development based on the high-fidelity subcooled flow boiling experiment at Texas A&M University (TAMU). The major research achievements discussed through this paper include (i) novel boiling measurement strategy and high-fidelity validation data production, (ii) dedicated effort to identify the critical measurement issues in boiling experiment, (iii) new physical insight into sliding bubble heat transfer mechanisms, and (iv) new boiling closure model development. Discussion is also made on the ongoing challenges for the boiling closure model development and the future research plan based on the lessons learnt.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Panel Session 51: Idaho Transuranic Waste Challenges, Solutions and Implications for the Future (3/5)

This panel focused on the retrieval, characterization, treatment, certification, and shipping of transuranic (TRU) waste at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site, Idaho, USA. The INL began receiving TRU waste from offsite generators (primarily the Rocky Flats Plant in Colorado, USA) beginning in 1954. Until 1970, the INL Site disposed of barrels, boxes, and other debris in a shallow, unlined landfill. Beginning in 1970, the INL Site began storing TRU waste on an asphalt pad, which was then covered with several feet of soil. This practice continued until the late 1980's at which time a large air support building was erected over the waste. In the mid-to-late 1990's, the air support building was removed and a massive building was constructed over the entire dirt mound. Contractors retrieved the waste from the early 2000's through February 2017 to support an Idaho Settlement Agreement milestone that required the retrieval of 65,000 cubic meters of TRU waste and removal from Idaho. This panel focused on the Idaho Transuranic Waste Challenges, Solutions and Implications for the Future. The Idaho Transuranic Waste Program includes buried and stored waste retrieval and processing of contact- and remote-handled transuranic waste. Over the duration of the program, the Idaho site has conducted targeted retrieval of buried waste from the 1950's and 1960's; designed, permitted, built, operated, and completed the mission of a facility to process 65,000 cubic meters of waste; and shipped more than 57,000 cubic meters of waste to WIPP. Presentation proposed: Transuranic Waste Challenges and Solutions (Hoss Brown, Fluor Idaho, LLC (USA), John McCoy, Fluor Idaho, LLC (USA), James Malmo, US DOE (USA), Doug Pruitt, Department of Energy Idaho Field Office (USA), Kenneth Princen, US DOE (USA))

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Characterization of the GEM chambers for the SBS/BB Front Tracker at JLAB HallA

The present thesis discusses the main aspects and results of the ongoing SBS-GEM development, production and test, according to the following structure: - In chapter 1 the theoretical and experimental importance of nucleon electromagnetic form factors is described. Furthermore, the discrepancy of ep scattering data obtained about the FFs ratio between the Rosenbluth separation method and the polarization transfer method is highlighted and, therefore, the Super Bigbite Program at JLab is introduced. - In chapter 2 the experimental apparatus of the SBS project is described, focusing on the main components of the spectrometers involved; the Super Bigbite Spectrometer for the hadron arm and the BigBite spectrometer for the electron arm. - Chapter 3 describes the SBS/BB front tracker and the motivation on the GEM technology choice. In addition, the main features and advantages of the technology used are also described. - Chapter 4 describes the commissioning of the GEM trackers at JLab. The whole iter of the GEM modules is presented, from the assembly in clean-room to the characterization tests with cosmic rays performed at JLab. - In chapter 5 a new method of analyzing the signals extracted from the strips of GEM modules is introduced. This study goal is the real-time suppression of noisy data by mean of innovative A.I. techniques.

Re, Leonard Giuseppe↗

Cyber Informed Engineering (CIE) Curriculum Guide

The Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE) Curriculum Guide provides a framework, guidance, and resources for incorporating CIE into university-level engineering programs and related educational activities. A key goal of this guide is to help institutions deliver CIE focused education to produce future engineers and technicians who meet the nation’s infrastructure needs. To accommodate a broad range of educational goals and approaches, this guide outlines several practical integration strategies, links to resources that can accelerate CIE adoption, and offers perspectives from partner academic institutions on the various implementation strategies.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Smart Grid Integration Laboratory

The initial federal funding for the Colorado State University Smart Grid Integration Laboratory is through a Congressionally Directed Project (CDP), DE-OE0000070 Smart Grid Integration Laboratory. The original program requested in three one-year increments for staff acquisition, curriculum development, and instrumentation all which will benefit the Laboratory. This report focuses on the initial phase of staff acquisition which was directed and administered by DOE NETL/ West Virginia under Project Officer Tom George. Using this CDP funding, we have developed the leadership and intellectual capacity for the SGIC. This was accomplished by investing (hiring) a core team of Smart Grid Systems engineering faculty focused on education, research, and innovation of a secure and smart grid infrastructure. The Smart Grid Integration Laboratory will be housed with the separately funded Integrid Laboratory as part of CSU's overall Smart Grid Integration Center (SGIC). The period of performance of this grant was 10/1/2009 to 9/30/2011 which included one no cost extension due to time delays in faculty hiring. The Smart Grid Integration Laboratory's focus is to build foundations to help graduate and undergraduates acquire systems engineering knowledge; conduct innovative research; and team externally with grid smart organizations. Using the results of the separately funded Smart Grid Workforce Education Workshop (May 2009) sponsored by the City of Fort Collins, Northern Colorado Clean Energy Cluster, Colorado State University Continuing Education, Spirae, and Siemens has been used to guide the hiring of faculty, program curriculum and education plan. This project develops faculty leaders with the intellectual capacity to inspire its students to become leaders that substantially contribute to the development and maintenance of Smart Grid infrastructure through topics such as: (1) Distributed energy systems modeling and control; (2) Energy and power conversion; (3) Simulation of electrical power distribution system that integrates significant quantities of renewable and distributed energy resources; (4) System dynamic modeling that considers end-user behavior, economics, security and regulatory frameworks; (5) Best practices for energy management IT control solutions for effective distributed energy integration (including security with the underlying physical power systems); (6) Experimental verification of effects of various arrangements of renewable generation, distributed generation and user load types along with conventional generation and transmission. Understanding the core technologies for enabling them to be used in an integrated fashion within a distribution network remains is a benefit to the future energy paradigm and future and present energy engineers.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

FY2011 Oak Ridge National Laboratory Annual Progress Report for the Power Electronics and Electric Machinery Program

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced in May 2011 a new cooperative research effort comprising DOE, the U.S. Council for Automotive Research (composed of automakers Ford Motor Company, General Motors Company, and Chrysler Group), Tesla Motors, and representatives of the electric utility and petroleum industries. Known as U.S. DRIVE (Driving Research and Innovation for Vehicle efficiency and Energy sustainability), it represents DOE's commitment to developing public-private partnerships to fund high risk-high reward research into advanced automotive technologies. The new partnership replaces and builds upon the partnership known as FreedomCAR (derived from 'Freedom' and 'Cooperative Automotive Research') that ran from 2002 through 2010 and the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles initiative that ran from 1993 through 2001. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL's) Power Electronics and Electric Machines (PEEM) subprogram within the DOE Vehicle Technologies Program (VTP) provides support and guidance for many cutting-edge automotive technologies now under development. Research is focused on developing revolutionary new power electronics (PE), electric motor (EM), and traction drive system technologies that will leapfrog current on-the-road technologies. The research and development (R&D) is also aimed at achieving a greater understanding of and improvements in the way the various new components of tomorrow's automobiles will function as a unified system to improve fuel efficiency. In supporting the development of advanced vehicle propulsion systems, the PEEM subprogram has enabled the development of technologies that will significantly improve efficiency, costs, and fuel economy. The PEEM subprogram supports the efforts of the U.S. DRIVE partnership through a three phase approach intended to: (1) identify overall propulsion and vehicle related needs by analyzing programmatic goals and reviewing industry's recommendations and requirements and then develop the appropriate technical targets for systems, subsystems, and component R&D activities; (2) develop and validate individual subsystems and components, including EMs and PE; and (3) determine how well the components and subsystems work together in a vehicle environment or as a complete propulsion system and whether the efficiency and performance targets at the vehicle level have been achieved. The research performed under this subprogram will help remove technical and cost barriers to enable the development of technology for use in such advanced vehicles as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in HEVs (PHEVs), battery electric vehicles, and fuel-cell-powered automobiles that meet the goals of the VTP. A key element in making these advanced vehicles practical is providing an affordable electric traction drive system. This will require attaining weight, volume, efficiency, and cost targets for the PE and EM subsystems of the traction drive system. Areas of development include: (1) novel traction motor designs that result in increased power density and lower cost; (2) inverter technologies involving new topologies to achieve higher efficiency with the ability to accommodate higher temperature environments while achieving high reliability; (3) converter concepts that use methods of reducing the component count and integrating functionality to decrease size, weight, and cost; (4) new onboard battery charging concepts that result in decreased cost and size; (5) more effective thermal control through innovative packaging technologies; and (6) integrated motor-inverter traction drive system concepts. ORNL's PEEM research program conducts fundamental research, evaluates hardware, and assists in the technical direction of the VTP Advanced Power Electronics and Electric Motors (APEEM) program. In this role, ORNL serves on the U.S. DRIVE Electrical and Electronics Technical Team, evaluates proposals for DOE, and lends its technological expertise to the direction of projects and evaluation of developing technologies. ORNL also executes specific projects for DOE. DOE's continuing R&D into advanced vehicle technologies for transportation offers the possibility of reducing the nation's dependence on foreign oil and the negative economic impacts of crude oil price fluctuations. It also supports the Administration's goal of deploying 1 million PHEVs by 2015.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Vibrational Signatures of Electronic Properties in Renewable-Energy Catalysis

The objective of this research program is to discover and develop new approaches for ab initio computational simulations of molecular motion. Specifically, this program aims to decipher the connection between the underlying electronic structure and the accordant molecular vibrations in reactive ions and radicals for renewable-energy purposes. Recent experimental progress in ion sources and optical spectroscopies has unearthed considerable new inner-sphere detail for these complexes, but the connection between these spectral signatures and mechanistic information often remains elusive, to the continued frustration of experimentalists. For this purpose, new anharmonic vibrational frequency methods, along with a publicly deployed software package, will be developed. Working closely with committed experimental collaborators, this conceptual and computational framework will be used to explain the results of new spectroscopy experiments, focusing specifically on the inner-shell mechanisms of renewable-energy catalysis. The oxidation half of catalytic water-splitting chemistry will be a central focus, along with fundamental studies of the manner in which strong ions and radicals activate solvent as a chemical species. The resulting products of the research program will include openly available software and algorithms for the ab initio simulation of challenging vibrational spectra, as well as critical mechanistic insight into energy-focused catalytic processes that are opaque to other existing analytical techniques.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Smart, Connected Manufactured Housing Solutions through High-Performance Design. Final CRADA report

This report focuses on HVAC, domestic hot water, and miscellaneous electric loads via voluntary opportunities that may arise from partnerships with utilities, as well as future US Environmental Protection Agency ENERGY STAR and DOE Zero Energy Ready Manufactured Home programs. Phase I of this project has begun the technical dialogue toward developing an implementation plan among DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Clayton Manufactured Homes, and US Department of Housing and Urban Development Code manufactured housing stakeholders. These activities have focused on delivering high-performance design through integration of technology. Project tasks include the following: Identifying baseline energy analysis resources opportunities from a variety of DOE and utility stakeholders; Developing a smart home and business solution by leveraging existing utility programs working with Smart Homes Partners resources such as ACE IoT Solutions, Google Nest, and Ecobee; Developing improved smarter ventilation systems with industry ventilation partners such as the Madison Group; Developing improved building science QA/QC testing equipment with manufacturers such as The Energy Conservatory, and supporting other feasible concepts vetted under DOE’s Advanced Buildings Collaborative with Slipstream, reinventing HVAC in manufactured housing; and, Developing smart home short- and long-term viable technical solutions in coordination with Clayton Manufactured Homes in new and/or revitalized community scales for future Phase II prototype demonstrations, which may include design (and perhaps construction) of single-section homes targeting rental property developers and multi-section homes targeting low- to middle-income affordable housing community developers Given the ongoing US Department of Energy (DOE) rulemaking activities, baseline energy analysis assessments of envelope prescriptive and Uo (i.e., the overall thermal energy efficiency of the home in British thermal units per square foot of exterior heat loss/gain surfaces) measures were removed from the scope of Phase I of this project.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

High-burnup boiling water reactor steady-state operating conditions and fuel performance analysis

The primary operational costs for existing nuclear reactors are plant operation costs, maintenance costs, and fuel costs, all of which are influenced by the materials used and the design of the reactor core. Optimizing core design parameters—including burnup limits and enrichment levels—can lengthen cycles, reduce outages, reduce reload batch fractions and spent fuel storage requirements, and lower maintenance and operating expenses, thereby enhancing economic viability. Furthermore, developing higher-fidelity tools to simulate these parameters enables better identification of the available margin, improves overall plant safety, and improves the understanding a given plant’s responses to accident scenarios. Here, in the US, much of the research and development focus has traditionally been on pressurized water reactors (PWRs), but boiling water reactors (BWRs) comprise approximately one-third of the US reactor fleet. Modeling and simulation advances for BWRs and PWRs—particularly those achieved through the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program—are crucial to the long-term viability of the light–water reactor industry. A key research area of the high burnup and increased enriched fuel initiative is focused on addressing issues related to postulated loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) scenarios. NEAMS has dedicated significant effort to enhancing tools to better support BWRs. A current focus is showcasing the BWR framework for high-burnup LOCA analysis. This high-fidelity steady-state analysis is a first step toward demonstrating a best-estimate, pin-by-pin high-burnup BWR LOCA analysis to assess full-core cladding rupture behavior for a representative BWR. The objective of this effort is to provide a modeling capability that will help elucidate and provide a best-estimate evaluation for cladding rupture susceptibility in BWRs. This modeling capability could then be used to prevent and/or mitigate cladding ruptures in postulated accident scenarios without penalizing operational parameters. Additionally, the results of this work will help identify strategies for finding additional margins or potentially limiting cladding ruptures through core design optimizations to enable more efficient core designs.

Capps, Nathan [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL↗

Expanding the Field of Climate Finance

Over the past twenty-one years, the Financial Innovations Roundtable (FIR), located at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire, has worked to address problems related to access to capital for low- and moderate-income consumers and communities. Since 2014, the event has been co-hosted by the Federal Reserve Board. The FIR works with a range of financial institutions, government agencies, foundations, and trade associations to access their expertise for problem-solving discussions. The 2020 FIR focused on the expanding field of climate finance and was co-hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and The Climate Safe Lending Network. The event was originally slated to be in-person in San Francisco in May 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic and shifted to an online event hosted November 16‒17, 2020. A significant amount has happened in 2020 on climate finance, racial justice, the economy, and COVID-19. The shocks and stresses of climate change are creating risks in low- and moderate-income communities as well as in the financial sector broadly. The 2020 FIR offered an opportunity to discuss the challenges and opportunities banks and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) face as they address these risks and how these institutions can help increase individual, institutional, and community-wide resilience. The program explored new and modified products that address climate risk in communities and how those products can be scaled. Conversations focused around: • The progress that has been made in the climate finance field and the challenges that lie ahead for financial institutions’ climate impact and climate-related risk. • Promising opportunities to decarbonize investments and finance low-carbon technology and infrastructure. • How lenders, insurers, housing organizations, and the public sector can work together to reduce housing instability due to climate-related factors and increase the climate-resilience of homes and neighborhoods. • Solutions to help communities address a wide range of related issues, including home weatherization and disaster preparation, home insurance loss, and climate gentrification and displacement. • Discussing lessons learned from other sectors such as renewable energy in order to design both people-based and place-based finance solutions that promote racial and economic inclusion. 1 • The need for all financial institutions to acknowledge that climate risks and racial inequity are systemic risks affecting their bottom line. • The role that bank regulators can play in promoting collaboration across the financial sector and in leading by example with regard to climate finance. • Mapping out concrete action-item initiatives including policy and industry pathways to climate safe lending as well as building a financing platform to provide clean energy to low-income communities. • More broadly, in order to systemically address climate risks, we will need to work together as a range of stakeholders across sectors and collaborate on shared goals and projects.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

FY2014 Propulsion Materials R&D Annual Progress Report

The Propulsion Materials Program actively supports the energy security and reduction of greenhouse emissions goals of VTO by investigating and identifying the materials properties that are most essential for continued development of cost-effective, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly next-generation heavy and light-duty powertrains. The technical approaches available to enhance propulsion systems focus on improvements in both vehicle efficiency and fuel substitution, both of which must overcome the performance limitations of the materials currently in use. Propulsion Materials Program activities work with national laboratories, industry experts, and VTO powertrain systems (e.g., Advanced Combustion Engines [ACE], Advanced Power Electronics and Electrical Machines [APEEM], and fuels) teams to develop strategies that overcome materials limitations in future powertrain performance. The technical maturity of the portfolio of funded projects ranges from basic science to subsystem prototype validation. Projects within a Propulsion Materials Program activity address materials concerns that directly impact critical technology barriers within each of the above programs, including barriers that impact fuel efficiency, thermal management, emissions reduction, improved reliability, and reduced manufacturing costs. The program engages only the barriers that result from material property limitations and represent fundamental, high-risk materials issues.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

FY2016 Propulsion Materials Annual Progress Report

The Propulsion Materials Program actively supports the energy security and reduction of greenhouse emissions goals of VTO by investigating and identifying the materials properties that are most essential for continued development of cost-effective, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly next-generation heavy and light-duty powertrains. The technical approaches available to enhance propulsion systems focus on improvements in both vehicle efficiency and fuel substitution, both of which must overcome the performance limitations of the materials currently in use. Propulsion Materials Program activities work with national laboratories, industry experts, and VTO powertrain systems (e.g., Advanced Combustion Engines and Fuels) teams to develop strategies that overcome materials limitations in future powertrain performance. The technical maturity of the portfolio of funded projects ranges from basic science to subsystem prototype validation. Projects within a Propulsion Materials Program activity address materials concerns that directly impact critical technology barriers within each of the above programs, including barriers that impact fuel efficiency, thermal management, emissions reduction, improved reliability, and reduced manufacturing costs. The program engages only the barriers that result from material property limitations and represent fundamental, high-risk materials issues.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

FY2015 Propulsion Materials Annual Report

The Propulsion Materials Program actively supports the energy security and reduction of greenhouse emissions goals of VTO by investigating and identifying the materials properties that are most essential for continued development of cost-effective, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly next-generation heavy and light-duty powertrains. The technical approaches available to enhance propulsion systems focus on improvements in both vehicle efficiency and fuel substitution, both of which must overcome the performance limitations of the materials currently in use. Propulsion Materials Program activities work with national laboratories, industry experts, and VTO powertrain systems (e.g., Advanced Combustion Engines [ACE], Advanced Power Electronics and Electrical Machines [APEEM], and fuels) teams to develop strategies that overcome materials limitations in future powertrain performance. The technical maturity of the portfolio of funded projects ranges from basic science to subsystem prototype validation. Projects within a Propulsion Materials Program activity address materials concerns that directly impact critical technology barriers within each of the above programs, including barriers that impact fuel efficiency, thermal management, emissions reduction, improved reliability, and reduced manufacturing costs. The program engages only the barriers that result from material property limitations and represent fundamental, high-risk materials issues.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗