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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 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Structural insights into RNA cleavage by a novel family of bacterial RNases

Abstract Processing of RNA is a key regulatory mechanism for all living systems. Escherichia coli protein YicC belongs to the well-conserved YicC family and has been identified as a novel ribonuclease. Here, we report a 2.8-Å-resolution crystal structure of the E. coli YicC apo protein and a 3.2-Å-cryo-EM structure of YicC bound to an RNA substrate. The apo YicC forms a dimer of trimers with a large open channel. In the RNA-bound form, the top trimer of YicC rotates nearly 70° and closes the RNA substrate inside the cavity to form a clamshell-pearl conformation that resembles no other known RNases. The structural information combined with mass spectrometry and biochemical data identified cleavage on the upstream side of an RNA hairpin. Mutagenesis studies demonstrated that the previously uncharacterized domain, DUF1732, is critical in both RNA binding and catalysis. These studies shed light on the mechanism of the previously unexplored YicC RNase family.

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology↗
DOE OSTI2025

Plant Reload Optimization (prlo)

The PRLO framework is built on a modular and extensible architecture that tightly couples advanced evolutionary optimization algorithms with nuclear fuel depletion solvers (i.e., nuclear physics neutronics code). It supports exploring complex, high-dimensional design spaces constrained by user-specified operational, safety, and economic constraints. Objectives such as minimizing fresh fuel enrichment, flattening radial and axial power distributions, and maximizing discharge burnup are evaluated. PRLO’s equilibrium cycle optimization capability enables the identification of core configurations that maintain fuel cycle sustainability over extended planning horizons. Its integration with the RAVEN platform facilitates optimization of loading patterns or fuel shuffling schemes across multiple cycles. The interface with SIMULATE, a licensed industry-standard nodal code developed by Studsvik, ensures accurate neutronic and thermal-hydraulic feedback for reactor core design. PRLO’s automated workflow engine supports iterative design refinement, enabling utilities to streamline core design processes and meet evolving performance and regulatory targets.

Kim, Junyung [Idaho National Laboratory] (00090005↗
DOE OSTI2020

Functional Requirements for the Modeling and Simulation of Advanced (Non-LWR) Reactor Mechanistic Source Term

A number of industry vendors are leading a resurgence in advanced reactor development. As the assurance of public safety from the accidental release of radionuclides to the environment is central to regulatory licensing and the reactor design process, the development of a mechanistic source term (MST) assessment has been identified by the advanced reactor industry as a foremost priority. In contrast to historic light-water reactor (LWR) source term analysis efforts, an MST attempts to realistically model the release and transport of radionuclides from the source to the environment for specific scenarios, while accounting for retention or transmutation phenomena and associated uncertainties. This work seeks to aid in the development of MST modeling and simulation tools by performing a preliminary identification of functional requirements for the major advanced reactor types.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Integrated Off-Gas System Tests on the DM1200 Melter with RPP-WTP LAW Sub-Envelope C1 Simulants (Final Report)

The report documents melter and off-gas performance results obtained on the DM1200 during processing of LAW Sub-Envelope Cl feed. The principal objectives of the DM1200 melter testing were to demonstrate suitable processing and production rates for LAW Cl feed; characterize the glass product for elemental composition, the presence of organic compounds, and TCLP response for metals; and measure destruction and removal efficiencies (DREs) for organic compounds across the melter and off-gas treatment components. The feed was spiked with organic compounds for part of the testing duration. Data were collected for both process engineering needs and to support regulatory activities. The data needed for regulatory support were collected using EPA methods and independent data analyses and data checking were performed.

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

Optimizing cost-effective and benchmarked industry standards to quantify nutrient bioextraction by seaweed

Interest in the utility of seaweed farms to mitigate coastal eutrophication, or nutrient loading, has grown commensurate with the recent rise of the farmed seaweed industry in the U.S. But economic valuation of this ecosystem service remains elusive in part because of challenges in quantifying this spatiotemporally variable biological process with reproducible and comparable metrics. Regulatory bodies that permit wastewater discharge or lease area for aquaculture farms require water quality testing and reporting of dissolved total nitrogen (N) in nearshore marine environments. These metrics must meet EPA standards for testing and reporting (e.g., Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen - TKN). However, these metrics are inherently highly variable over space and time in dynamic nearshore systems, and expensive to evaluate with sufficient breadth to constrain this variance, creating a critical bottleneck to direct quantification of farmed seaweed net uptake rates in situ.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Software Quality Assurance Plan ANSYS LSDYNA Version 2023R1

ANSYS Inc. develops and markets engineering simulation software and services used in the aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, electronics, biomedical, energy, defense, and many other industries. ANSYS is dedicated to engineering simulation and is the world’s leading software provider. ANSYS was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. ANSYS provides an engineering analysis tool combining structural, thermal, computational fluid dynamics, acoustic and electromagnetic simulation capabilities. ANSYS LS-DYNA is the most used explicit simulation program capable of simulating the response of materials to short periods of severe loading. Its many elements, contact formulations, material models, and other controls can be used to simulate complex models with control over all the details of the problem. ANSYS LS-DYNA has a vast array of capabilities to simulate extreme deformation problems using its explicit solver. Engineers can tackle simulations involving material failure and look at how the failure progresses through a part or through a system. Models with large amounts of parts or surfaces interacting with each other are also easily handled, and the interactions and load passing between complex behaviors are modeled accurately. Using computers with higher numbers of CPU cores can drastically reduce solution times. In addition, many consulting firms and hundreds of universities use ANSYS for analysis, research, and educational purposes. ANSYS is recognized worldwide as one of the most widely used and capable programs of its type. ANSYS has successfully passed over 100 customer quality system audits against American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) NQA-1 and 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B, since the company was founded, over 60 of which have been since 1997. ANSYS has successfully passed over 100 International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 assessments. ANSYS design analysis software is the first created within a quality system with ISO 9001 certification, which is the internationally accepted quality standard. Product development, testing, maintenance, and support processes also meet the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) quality requirements, as they have for nearly four decades. ANSYS staff perform more than 60,000 software verification tests before releasing each new product. ASME NQA-1-2012 (Subpart 2.7 is specific to software) is the industry- and NRC-accepted approach (consensus standard) for meeting 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B, requirements.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2022

The Complete Genome Sequence and Structure of the Oleaginous Rhodococcus opacus Strain PD630 Through Nanopore Technology

Rhodococcus bacterial strains are characterized by wide metabolic versatility and extraordinary resistance to environmental stresses. The high versatility and adaptability of Rhodococcus strains is partly related with large and complex genomes (up to 10.1 Mbp) including high genetic redundancy and the presence of several circular and linear (mega)plasmids, which harbour peculiar catabolic and biosynthetic genes. Within Rhodococcus genus, R. opacus strain PD630 is considered a model oleaginous strain for its ability to produce and accumulate lipids (mostly triacyglycerols, TAGs) using different carbon sources, including low-cost and renewable resources such as lignocellulose. Notably, under specific growth conditions, this strain is capable of accumulating up to 80% of its cellular dry weight in TAGs; that is a rare feature in the prokaryotic and eukaryotic kingdoms. Multi-omic approaches have been applied to obtain system-level information about metabolic and regulatory pathways involved in these biosynthetic processes. Novel molecular tools for genome editing (CRISPR/Cas9 and recombineering) have been recently developed highlighting the possible utilization of R. opacus PD630 as synthetic biology platform for lipids production.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Syncytia in Fungi

Filamentous fungi typically grow as interconnected multinucleate syncytia that can be microscopic to many hectares in size. Mechanistic details and rules that govern the formation and function of these multinucleate syncytia are largely unexplored, including details on syncytial morphology and the regulatory controls of cellular and molecular processes. Recent discoveries have revealed various adaptations that enable fungal syncytia to accomplish coordinated behaviors, including cell growth, nuclear division, secretion, communication, and adaptation of the hyphal network for mixing nuclear and cytoplasmic organelles. In this review, we highlight recent studies using advanced technologies to define rules that govern organizing principles of hyphal and colony differentiation, including various aspects of nuclear and mitochondrial cooperation versus competition. We place these findings into context with previous foundational literature and present still unanswered questions on mechanistic aspects, function, and morphological diversity of fungal syncytia across the fungal kingdom.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1998

Prognostic significance of electrical alternans versus signal averaged electrocardiography in predicting the outcome of electrophysiological testing and arrhythmia-free survival

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the accuracy of signal averaged electrocardiography (SAECG) and measurement of microvolt level T wave alternans as predictors of susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias. DESIGN: Analysis of new data from a previously published prospective investigation. SETTING: Electrophysiology laboratory of a major referral hospital. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS: 43 patients, not on class I or class III antiarrhythmic drug treatment, undergoing invasive electrophysiological testing had SAECG and T wave alternans measurements. The SAECG was considered positive in the presence of one (SAECG-I) or two (SAECG-II) of three standard criteria. T wave alternans was considered positive if the alternans ratio exceeded 3.0. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Inducibility of sustained ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation during electrophysiological testing, and 20 month arrhythmia-free survival. RESULTS: The accuracy of T wave alternans in predicting the outcome of electrophysiological testing was 84% (p < 0.0001). Neither SAECG-I (accuracy 60%; p < 0.29) nor SAECG-II (accuracy 71%; p < 0.10) was a statistically significant predictor of electrophysiological testing. SAECG, T wave alternans, electrophysiological testing, and follow up data were available in 36 patients while not on class I or III antiarrhythmic agents. The accuracy of T wave alternans in predicting the outcome of arrhythmia-free survival was 86% (p < 0.030). Neither SAECG-I (accuracy 65%; p < 0.21) nor SAECG-II (accuracy 71%; p < 0.48) was a statistically significant predictor of arrhythmia-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: T wave alternans was a highly significant predictor of the outcome of electrophysiological testing and arrhythmia-free survival, while SAECG was not a statistically significant predictor. Although these results need to be confirmed in prospective clinical studies, they suggest that T wave alternans may serve as a non-invasive probe for screening high risk populations for malignant ventricular arrhythmias.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS1998

Chronic orthostatic intolerance: a disorder with discordant cardiac and vascular sympathetic control

BACKGROUND: Chronic orthostatic intolerance (COI) is a debilitating autonomic condition in young adults. Its neurohumoral and hemodynamic profiles suggest possible alterations of postural sympathetic function and of baroreflex control of heart rate (HR). METHODS AND RESULTS: In 16 COI patients and 16 healthy volunteers, intra-arterial blood pressure (BP), ECG, central venous pressure (CVP), and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) were recorded at rest and during 75 degrees tilt. Spectral analysis of RR interval and systolic arterial pressure (SAP) variabilities provided indices of sympathovagal modulation of the sinoatrial node (ratio of low-frequency to high-frequency components, LF/HF) and of sympathetic vasomotor control (LFSAP). Baroreflex mechanisms were assessed (1) by the slope of the regression line obtained from changes of RR interval and MSNA evoked by pharmacologically induced alterations in BP and (2) by the index alpha, obtained from cross-spectral analysis of RR and SAP variabilities. At rest, HR, MSNA, LF/HF, and LFSAP were higher in COI patients, whereas BP and CVP were similar in the two groups. During tilt, BP did not change and CVP fell by the same extent in the 2 groups; the increase of HR and LF/HF was more pronounced in COI patients. Conversely, the increase of MSNA was lower in COI than in control subjects. Baroreflex sensitivity was similar in COI and control subjects at rest; tilt reduced alpha similarly in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: COI is characterized by an overall enhancement of noradrenergic tone at rest and by a blunted postganglionic sympathetic response to standing, with a compensatory cardiac sympathetic overactivity. Baroreflex mechanisms maintain their functional responsiveness. These data suggest that in COI, the functional distribution of central sympathetic tone to the heart and vasculature is abnormal.

Non-NASA Center↗
DOE OSTI2024

01-16 DOE Authorization Strategy

DOE-STD-1189-2016 Process Standard – Stage Gates Establishment of Regulatory Requirements Clarity of Path Forward Integration of Safety and Design Reduce Project Risk by Establishing Regulatory Certainty through formal regulatory approvals. Flexibility in risk analysis and presentation methods. ANSI/ANS 15.21, DOE-STD-3009, LMP/TICAP

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Description of the NASA Urban Air Mobility Maturity Levels (UML)

As part of its assessment of the nascent passenger-carrying urban air mobility (UAM)ecosystem, NASA’s UAM Coordination and Assessment Team developed a framework known as the UAM Maturity Level (UML) scale. This framework is intended to have multiple applications including: 1) insight into the likely operational capabilities as a UAM air transportation system develops over time; 2) analysis of technology and regulatory requirements associated with the UAM maturation process; 3) assessment of the current maturity of various segments of the UAM ecosystem; 4) coordination of UAM ecosystem priorities and areas of emphasis; and 5) increasing community and public awareness of UAM and how it may affect mobility in the future. This paper describes the structure of the UML scale and its levels. The paper also describes candidate strategies for advancing between levels, along with associated regulatory gaps and considerations.

Kenneth H Goodrich↗
NASA NTRS2021

Description of the NASA Urban Air Mobility Maturity Level (UML) Scale

As part of its assessment of the nascent passenger-carrying urban air mobility (UAM) ecosystem, NASA’s UAM Coordination and Assessment Team developed a framework known as the UAM Maturity Level (UML) scale. This framework is intended to have multiple applications including: 1) insight into the likely operational capabilities as a UAM air transportation system develops over time; 2) analysis of technology and regulatory requirements associated with the UAM maturation process; 3) assessment of the current maturity of various segments of the UAM ecosystem; 4) coordination of UAM ecosystem priorities and areas of emphasis; and 5) increasing community and public awareness of UAM and how it may affect mobility in the future. This paper describes the structure of the UML scale and its levels. The paper also describes candidate strategies for advancing between levels, along with associated regulatory gaps and considerations.

Urban Air Mobility↗
DOE OSTI2021

Regulatory Implications of Embedded Grid Energy Storage

Electricity is unique among commodities in that its supply chain was developed without a storage component. Every other resource commodity has the ability to store excess quantities built into its supply chain – in the form of granaries, warehouses, reservoirs, etc. This embedded storage creates a buffer for mismatches between supply and demand, stabilizing prices and protecting customers. Recent technological advances in cost-competitive energy storage technologies that are scalable and flexible have made the concept of embedded electrical storage feasible, but several regulatory questions remain. This paper summarizes energy regulatory structures in the U.S. and the implications that they would have for embedded storage on the electric grid. Regulatory challenges for embedded storage include the lack of underlying standards, inclusion in planning processes, ownership models, compensation, and metrics. Two possible pathways forward are explored: an incremental one including regulatory guidance regarding the evaluation of embedded storage in existing planning processes, and a complex one involving the revision of existing reliability standards or the development of a new standard specific to embedded storage.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Unveiling the nanoscale architectures and dynamics of protein assembly with in situ atomic force microscopy

Proteins play a vital role in different biological processes by forming complexes through precise folding with exclusive inter- and intra-molecular interactions. Understanding the structural and regulatory mechanisms underlying protein complex formation provides insights into biophysical processes. Furthermore, the principle of protein assembly gives guidelines for new biomimetic materials with potential applications in medicine, energy, and nanotechnology. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful tool for investigating protein assembly and interactions across spatial scales (single molecules to cells) and temporal scales (milliseconds to days). It has significantly contributed to understanding nanoscale architectures, inter- and intra-molecular interactions, and regulatory elements that determine protein structures, assemblies, and functions. This review describes recent advancements in elucidating protein assemblies with in situ AFM. We discuss the structures, diffusions, interactions, and assembly dynamics of proteins captured by conventional and high-speed AFM in near-native environments and recent AFM developments in the multimodal high-resolution imaging, bimodal imaging, live cell imaging, and machine-learning-enhanced data analysis. These approaches show the significance of broadening the horizons of AFM and enable unprecedented explorations of protein assembly for biomaterial design and biomedical research.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Spatiotemporal 4D Whole-cell Modeling of a Minimal Autotroph Reveals Central Carbon Metabolism Regulated Locally by Protein Megacomplexes via Post-translational Modifications under Light Disturbance

Photosynthetic microorganisms rely on multiple pathways in central carbon metabolism to adapt to fluctuating light and energy availability across diel cycles. Mechanistic insight into the regulatory dynamics of this adaptation requires integrating processes spanning disparate timescales, from rapid redox-dependent post-translational modifications (PTMs) to slower changes in protein expression and metabolic pathway usage. To address this complexity beyond genome-based inference and traditional modeling, we develop a whole-cell four-dimensional (3D + time) model of the marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus marinus MED4 that explicitly represents the spatial organization of enzymatic and molecular processes in central carbon metabolism under light perturbation. We employ a perturbation-based research design to experimentally generate time-series, multi-omics measurements that provide molecular descriptors and cryo-ET derived 3D segmented volumes as constraints for this dynamic 4D framework. The integration of experiments and modeling across defined light regimes enables quantitative validation of system-level responses and forecasting under distinct light disturbances. We test the hypothesis that light-dependent redox PTMs regulating the structural assembly of a protein megacomplex, the “dark complex,” modulate metabolic flux at a conserved regulatory node of the Calvin–Benson cycle (CBC) in cyanobacteria. Our model shows that subcellular spatial organization buffers rapid light-induced changes in thylakoid reaction rates, which are followed by redox-PTM-mediated sequestration or release of CBC enzymes in the dark complex, ultimately impacting carbon fixation dynamics within carboxysomes. Comparison with an equivalently parameterized well-mixed stochastic model demonstrates that post-translational regulation not only buffers transcriptional noise and diffusion-driven fluctuations but also stabilizes phenotypic outcomes, underscoring the importance of spatial heterogeneity in phenotypic robustness. This ability to probe adaptive, spatiotemporally resolved mechanisms in photosynthetic machinery and central carbon metabolism addresses a critical gap in genotype-to-phenotype inference and expands modeling and design capabilities for understudied or genetically intractable autotrophs such as P. marinus MED4.

Johnson, Connah G.↗
DOE OSTI2024

State Requirements for Electric Distribution System Planning

Utilities have conducted distribution planning since they first began building and operating electricity systems. But filing these plans for regulatory and stakeholder review is a relatively recent phenomenon. This report summarizes legislative and regulatory requirements for regulated electric utilities to file some type of distribution system plan in 20 U.S. jurisdictions. Some plans focus on expedited cost recovery for certain types of distribution system improvements; other plans focus on investments for grid modernization or distributed energy resources. Increasingly, states are adopting requirements for Integrated Distribution Plans. Such plans provide holistic grid investment strategies that address state and local policies and increasing complexity at the grid edge. The report covers the following topics for distribution system plans, highlighting advanced practices: -State goals and objectives -Procedural requirements -Forecasting loads and distributed energy resources -Hosting capacity analysis -Baseline information requirements -Grid modernization strategy -Grid needs assessment -Non-wires solutions -Reliability and resilience analyses -Stakeholder engagement -Equity -Pilots -Coordination with other planning processes The report includes links to legislation; regulatory requirements, proceedings, and orders; and filed utility plans. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity provided funding support.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Best Practices in Integrated Resource Planning: A guide for planners developing the electricity resource mix of the future

Most states today require regulated electric utilities to file an IRP every 1 to 5 years, and some utilities voluntarily prepare these plans. Planning needs have changed in recent years due to emerging load growth, plant retirements, rising costs, and more extreme weather events – among other factors. In response, Synapse Energy Economics and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory produced a joint report, Best Practices in Integrated Resource Planning: A guide for planners developing the electricity resource mix of the future. The guide offers best planning practices for electricity systems undergoing a major transition, but also contains a wealth of practical guidance to develop technically sophisticated, clearer, more effective, and state-of-the-art electric utility resource plans. The guide is for resource planning professionals and stakeholders involved in resource planning processes. This diverse group includes utility personnel tasked with conducting resource planning and making investment decisions, state regulatory commissions that develop planning guidance and oversee the resource planning process, and stakeholders that represent a wide range of interests—utility consumer advocates, environmental groups, industrial customers, local governments, independent power producers, and many other

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗