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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 OSTI2021

Cold ion beam in a storage ring as a platform for large-scale quantum computers and simulators: Challenges and directions for research and development

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the possibility of constructing a large-scale storage-ring-type ion-trap system capable of storing, cooling, and controlling a large number of ions as a platform for scalable quantum computing (QC) and quantum simulations. In such a trap, the ions form a crystalline beam moving along a circular path with a constant velocity determined by the frequency and intensity of the cooling lasers. In this paper, we consider a large leap forward in terms of the number of ions that serve as qubits in QC, from fewer than 100 available in state of the art linear ion-trap devices today to an order of 10 5 crystallized ions in the storage-ring setup. This new trap design unifies two different concepts: the storage rings of charged particles and the linear ion traps used for QC and mass spectrometry. In this paper, we use the language of particle accelerators to discuss the ion state and dynamics. We outline the differences between the above concepts, analyze challenges of the large ring with a revolving chain of ions, and propose goals for the research and development required to enable future quantum computers with 1000 times more qubits than available today. The challenge of creating such a large-scale quantum system while maintaining the necessary coherence of the qubits and the high fidelity of quantum logic operations is significant. Performing analog quantum simulations may be an achievable initial goal for such a device. Quantum calculations and simulations of complex quantum systems will move forward both the fundamental science and the applied research. Nuclear and particle physics, many-body quantum systems, lattice gauge theories, and nuclear structure calculations are just a few examples in which a large-scale quantum simulation system will become a very powerful tool to move forward our understanding of nature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

H- ion source research and development at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory

The U.S. Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) is a state-of-the-art neutron scattering facility delivering the world's most intense pulsed neutron beams to a wide array of instruments which are used to conduct investigations in many fields of science and engineering. Neutrons are produced by spallation of liquid Hg due to bombardment of short (~1µs), intense (~35 A) pulses of protons delivered at 60 Hz from a storage ring which is fed by a high-intensity, 1 GeV H- LINAC. This facility has operated almost continuously since 2006, with ion source performance increasing over those years, and currently providing 50-60 mA of H- ions with a duty-factor of 6% for maintenance-free runs of ~120 days with near 100% availability. Ion source research and development at ORNL has played a key role in enabling and supporting these achievements: this report provides some historical highlights of this effort, describes our current ion source testing facilities, discusses the goals of the program and finally provides a snapshot of some of our ongoing R&D activities. In particular, we have recently simplified and improved the reliability of the plasma ignition gun for the external antenna ion source which is discussed in detail.

Welton, Robert F.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Aligning lithium metal battery research and development across academia and industry

Successful integration of metallic lithium anodes into secondary batteries could enhance energy density and enable new forms of electrified transportation. However, the outlook for widespread lithium metal adoption in energy storage devices remains mixed. This comes in part from existing gaps in our understanding of the relationships connecting the initial state of lithium, its evolution with cycling, and end-of-life state. It remains important to develop standardized protocols for material and cell characterization, cycling performance, safety, and recycling procedures for lithium metal-based batteries. In February 2023 a cohort of scientists and engineers from academia, national laboratories, and industry gathered to converge on a list of critical challenges and action items to provide better understanding of lithium metal evolution and to enhance academic, governmental, and industrial partnerships to address these challenges. Here, we highlight the major discussion topics revolving around the manufacturing of lithium metal, its related metrology and integration into battery form factors, and best practices testing its electrochemical performance relevant to automotive applications. We introduce a power-controlled discharge testing protocol for research and development cells, in alignment between major automotive stakeholders, that may reveal lithium metal battery dynamics closer to practical driving behavior.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Charting a Path for Research and Development of Reliability and Resilience in South Asia's Power Sector

The power sector in South Asia faces several trends with the potential to impact its reliability and resilience. Rapidly increasing demand, coupled with an increasing reliance on variable renewable resources and the circular linkages with climate change points to an increasing need to understand the extent of climate impacts on both the electricity load and the electricity generation. These larger shifts are also coupled with opportunities near the grid edge that could have a large impact on system planning and operations, such as electrification of the transport sector, increased reliance on buildings to serve a broader set of loads and be flexible resources for utilities, more efficient use of industrial and agricultural loads, and growth in distributed energy resources such as rooftop solar and batteries. It is critical that as this transformation takes place that expectations for reliability and resilience of the grid continue to increase in the region. The South Asia Group for Energy (SAGE), composed of USAID, the US Department of Energy, and three national laboratories, has been tasked with providing an overview of the research and development resources necessary to understand the upcoming challenges for the power system as it pertains to reliability and resilience. This discussion paper identifies some of the key trends and connections that are important for power sector reliability and resilience and provides a starting point for eliciting feedback from power sector stakeholders about their experiences and needs.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Materials and Fuels Complex FY-22 – FY-26 Five-Year Mission Strategy

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL), through its designated mission of advancing innovative nuclear energy solutions, is actively engaged in the research, development, demonstration and deployment of advanced nuclear technology. Key to the success of INL’s mission is the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC), the only complex in the U.S. that hosts a world-class assemblage of facilities, capabilities and instruments for handling, testing, and characterizing nuclear fuel and radioactive materials. Driven by its mission/vision of “Engineering and Experiments that Drive the World’s Nuclear Energy Future,” MFC is at the center of INL’s – and indeed the Department of Energy’s – advanced nuclear technology development initiatives, providing essential capabilities such as research-scale high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel production, reactor demonstration facilities, post-irradiation examination, and transient irradiation testing. Furthermore, MFC provides an ideal environment for test beds that are utilized for research, development and demonstration (RD&D) activities on used fuel treatment, nuclear non-proliferation, forensics, and nuclear power sources used for space exploration missions conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between National Energy Technology Laboratory and Birla Carbon U.S.A., Inc. [Final Report]

NETL researchers collaborated with Birla Carbon, U.S.A., to leverage NETL's patented catalyst work on methane decomposition to develop a cost-effective process for production of hydrogen and valuable carbon from natural gas. This process is cost-effective, energy efficient and environmentally friendly with minimal CO 2 mitigation costs. The objectives of the project include evaluation of effect of feed gas composition of natural gas on the performance, lowering the catalyst production cost and to conduct cost analysis for a process.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between National Energy Technology Laboratory and Birla Carbon U.S.A., Inc. [Abstract]

NETL researchers will be collaborating with Birla Carbon, U.S.A., Inc. (Birla Carbon) to leverage NETL's patented catalyst work on methane decomposition to commercialize an efficient and a cost-effective process for production of hydrogen and valuable carbon from natural gas. This catalytic methane decomposition is a promising technology, however, finding an appropriate catalyst to perform all the functions has been a challenge. NETL has developed a suitable catalyst for the process which has shown promising results. The heat required for this endothermic catalytic decomposition process is provided by combustion of a portion of the hydrogen. This process is cost effective, energy efficient, and environmentally friendly with minimal CO 2 mitigation costs. The objectives of the project include evaluation of the effect of feed gas composition on the performance, reduction of the catalyst production cost, and conduction of an in-depth large-scale cost analysis for a process suitable for applications at Birla Carbon.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Solar Radiometer Instrumentation Evaluation: Cooperative Research and Development (Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-16-00619)

The purpose and intent of this agreement is to evaluate newly manufactured thermopile pyranometers and spectroradiometers. The purpose also extends to provide a framework for Participant to conduct research to improve and develop new radiometric devices and application in the future. The overall objective is to provide more accurate, site-specific, long-term, continuous measurements of the solar resources needed by industry to increase the deployment and improve the operations of photovoltaic and concentrating solar power plants. This CRADA addresses the needs for proven solar irradiance measurement to validate resource assessment models and generate high quality data used for site selection, energy system design, deployment, maintenance, and operation. This work will be conducted at NREL and Participant facilities. This project will place instrumentation at the NREL Solar Radiation Research Laboratory (SRRL) in cooperation with EKO Instruments, USA. Participant instruments will be deployed for the purpose of evaluation under controlled conditions. The scope of the project will be a 3 years-long segmented comparison of the instruments vs. other NREL baseline instruments with a well-characterized history. These evaluations will include planned improvements to instruments as well as extensions of future instrument applications. The final evaluation will be a written report similar to the work done by Wilcox and Myers (see http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/44627.pdf).

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Blockchain Research and Development Activities Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and Utility Sector

This article provides an in-depth analysis of blockchain research in the energy sector, focusing on projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and comparing them with industry-funded initiatives. A total of 110 funded activities within the U.S. power industry were successfully tracked and mapped into a newly developed categorization framework. This framework is designed to help research agencies to systematically understand their funded portfolio. Such characterization is expected to help them make effective investments, identify research gaps, measure impact, and advance technological progress to meet national goals. In line with this need, the proposed framework proposes a 2-D categorization matrix to systematically classify blockchain efforts within the energy sector.Under the proposed framework, the Energy System Domain serves as the primary classification dimension, categorizing use cases into 30 distinct applications. The second dimension, Blockchain Properties, captures the specific needs and functionalities provided by Blockchain technology. The aim was to capture blockchain’s applicability and functionality: where and why blockchain? Principles behind the selection of the viewpoint dimensions were carefully defined based on consensus obtained through the Blockchain for Optimized Security and Energy Management (BLOSEM) project. The mapped results show that activities within the Grid Automation, Coordination, and Control (31.8%), Marketplaces and Trading (25.5%), Foundational Blockchain Research (19.1%), and Supply Chain Management (17.3%) domains have been actively pursued to date. The three leading specific use case applications were identified as Transactive Energy Management for Marketplaces and Trading, Asset Management for Supply Chain Management, and Fundamental Blockchain for Foundational Blockchain Research. The Marketplaces and Trading and Retail Services Enablement domains stood out as being favored by industry by a factor greater than 2 (2.3 and 2.6, respectively), yet there seemed to be little to zero investment from DOE. Approximately 76% of the total projects prioritized Immutability, Identity Management, and Decentralization and/or Disintermediation compared to Asset Digitization and/or Tokenization, Automation, and Privacy and/or Anonymity. The greatest discrepancies between DOE and industry were in Asset Digitization and/or Tokenization and Automation. The industry efforts (36% in Asset Digitization/Tokenization and 22% in Automation) was 14 times and 2.4 times, respectively, more intensive than the DOE-sponsored efforts, indicating a significant discrepancy in industry versus government priorities. Overall, quantifying DOE-sponsored projects and industry activities through mapping provides clarity on portfolio investments and opportunities for future research.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Modeling Capabilities to Quantify the Benefits of DERMS (Cooperative Research and Development Final Report)

The funds-in under the CRADA will fund a team of National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers to participate in Energy I-Corps (formerly known as Lab-Corps). Energy I-Corps pairs teams of researchers with industry mentors for an intensive two-month training where the researchers define technology value propositions, conduct customer discovery interviews, and develop viable market pathways for their technologies. FedIMPACT, LLC and its affiliate IP Group, Inc., will evaluate the work completed at Energy I-Corps to determine whether it would like to pursue further commercialization and development of related technologies and background intellectual property.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Retiring environmental risks of marine renewable energy devices: The “habitat change” case

The installation, presence, operation, and decommissioning of marine renewable energy (MRE) devices inevitably alters the surrounding ocean habitats. These changes may include direct effects on the benthos from the installation or removal of foundations and anchors, changes in community composition on and near devices, artificial reef effects, and indirect effects such as alteration of the food web or facilitation of non-native, invasive species dispersal. Although there is no expectation that MRE devices affect marine environments differently than other anthropogenic ocean uses, regulators and stakeholders continue to have questions about potential negative impacts to species and habitats from development. Research studies and survey reports that inform our understanding of habitat changes related to MRE devices and associated equipment were compiled into an evidence base, sorted into categories of effects, and evaluated by a group of international experts to assess potential risk to habitats and biota from small numbers of MRE devices, as well as to identify knowledge gaps. These gaps were organized by category and divided up by relevance to consenting, research, or project development and monitoring responsibilities. Identifying these “known unknowns” allows for study design and collaboration from various perspectives to fill the knowledge gaps. Distribution of the evidence base and remaining uncertainties and knowledge gaps to the MRE community, coupled with new research, will help advance the MRE industry while resolving concerns about the potential risks of habitat change for small numbers of devices.

Hemery, Lenaig G.↗
DOE OSTI2025

LDRD 2024 Annual Report: Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program Activities

One fundamental question underlying all living organisms is the need to understand their hierarchical organizations and physical changes with the necessary spatial and temporal resolutions under physiological or pathological conditions. This is a multi-scale challenge requiring imaging from sub-nanometers to micrometers in a cellular context. While individual imaging techniques are available, there is a critical need to integrate them into a workflow capability. Our objective is to develop an integrated multi-disciplinary and multi-scale bioimaging capability at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). The capability expands BNL’s existing facility operation program in bioimaging and positions BNL in a leadership position in bioimaging research. The capability also addresses the grand challenges of the Department of Energy (DOE) science programs for national bioenergy sustainability and security.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2025

BatteryPro: A Python Toolkit for Battery Data Analysis and Machine Learning Predictions

Analyzing battery test data for research & development can be time-consuming since battery tests often run on the order of months to years, generating large volumes of data. BatteryPro is a comprehensive Python package and software designed to facilitate advanced analysis and performance predictions for battery test data. Developed for battery researchers, it supports data types from widely used battery testing instruments, including MACCOR and Biologic cycling systems. The software provides a variety of tools for extracting and plotting key battery parameters such as time, voltage, capacity, current, and pressure. In addition to its extensive data analysis capabilities, BatteryPro features a dedicated machine learning module that employs a Bayesian Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) to predict battery performance and degradation. Users can generate synthetic capacity fade data, calculate fade metrics, and leverage predictive models to forecast long-term battery behavior. The software's graphical user interface (GUI) enhances usability, allowing researchers to upload, merge, and analyze multiple data files with full customizability. The GUI also supports machine learning predictions, enabling users to fit models and make predictions based on selected data and parameters. BatteryPro is built using QtDesigner, scikit-learn, matplotlib, and pandas, ensuring a high level of customization, flexibility, and accuracy in battery data analysis. This tool aims to empower researchers with the ability to perform detailed battery analysis and make informed predictions, ultimately advancing the field of battery research.

25 - ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

CRADA with FedIMPACT, LLC (Project 1): Cooperative Research and Development CRADA Number CRD-17-00713 (Final Report)

The funds-in under the CRADA will fund a team of National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers to participate in Energy I-Corps (formerly known as Lab-Corps). Energy I-Corps pairs teams of researchers with industry mentors for an intensive two-month training where the researchers define technology value propositions, conduct customer discovery interviews, and develop viable market pathways for their technologies. FedIMPACT, LLC and its affiliate IP Group, Inc. will evaluate the work completed at Energy I-Corps to determine whether it would like to pursue further commercialization and development of related technologies and background intellectual property.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between National Energy Technology Laboratory and The Pennsylvania State University (Final Report)

The goal of this research was to investigate the production of carbon products from methane using carbon allotrope seeds. If successful, this would have eliminated the need for a metal catalyst and separation of said catalyst from the carbon product. There was also interest in alternate energy input technologies that could drive this reaction, in particular microwave irradiation. NETL was to provide the expertise and facilities to investigate the potential of microwave irradiation to aid in the conversion process. Unfortunately, protocols put in place to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic precluded on-site research by PSU scientists and made it impossible to execute the research outlined in this CRADA.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2024

PHEV Distribution Grid Integration and Smart Systems Testing: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report

To continue NREL's mission, which includes preparing technologies and markets with "speed and scale," NREL researchers will collaborate with Toyota on plug-in electric vehicle technology. Toyota will provide a collection of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles ("PHEVs" [and ultimately including PEVs], collectively, the "Vehicles") to conduct infrastructure interaction testing at NREL facilities. NREL will use available resources in the Vehicle Testing and Integration Facility (VTIF), its staff parking garage with numerous commercial Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment ("EVSEs"), and its Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) to safely execute research experiments that highlight potential distribution system power quality challenges related to plug-in electric vehicles. The expected outcome of this project is a better understanding of the correlation of individual vehicle power quality attributes to a system of vehicles on a distribution network. The data collected and the simulations conducted will be used to guide future experiments and project development that aid in the deployment of plug-in electric vehicles ("PEV").

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Smart Contract Architectures and Templates for Blockchain-based Energy Markets (V.1.0)

Within the field of Transactive Energy Systems (TES), there is an active need for tools that can support and accelerate the development of these new grid solutions. Among the many tools available, blockchain stands out as a viable instrument that can help researchers develop decentralized, autonomous, and tamper-resistant grid applications. In this work, we explore the use of smart contracts (SCs), a subset of blockchain technology, and analyze their applicability to facilitating the implementation of TES solutions. In particular, we focus on presenting areas of opportunity and potential drawbacks, along with use cases that can benefit from this technology building upon previous research developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and other research organizations. This work builds upon the fundamentals of TES and smart contract technology to develop a series of software templates that can be used by industry to build TES-oriented grid solutions. These templates are intended to be platform agnostic and take into consideration the unique properties of SCs and distributed ledger storage mechanisms to ensure actual code implementations remain aware of the limitations of the technology. The proposed templates have the potential to enable software architects to mix and match components to satisfy their application requirements, thereby reducing the number of resources required to implement blockchain-based solutions. These templates are divided into two main components—data and behavioral models. The data models are intended to help software engineers represent the underlying grid objects along with their properties in a ledger-based storage system. The behavioral models are used to describe the processes and actions that actors within a system must perform to achieve a given outcome such as registering an asset, placing a bid, and performing bid clearances. These two components are documented in a Unified Modeling Language (UML) format and are intended for use in SC-based implementations, with special behavioral considerations to account for the asynchronous properties of the underlying ledger and the typical execution model of smart contracts. Finally, future research ideas and potential extensions to this work are discussed. In particular, known limitations and potential improvements of the developed product are identified and expected to be addressed in future revisions of the template model.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗