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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 OSTI2022

Design and Optimization of Structured Multi-Functional Trapping Catalysts for Conversion of Hydrocarbons and NOx from Diesel and Advanced Combustion Engines

Oxides of nitrogen in the form of nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) commonly referred to as NOx, is one of the two chemical precursors that lead to ground-level ozone, a ubiquitous air pollutant in urban areas. A major source of NOx is generated by equipment and vehicles powered by diesel engines, which have a combustion exhaust that contains NOx in the presence of excess O 2 . Vehicular emission control catalysts are ineffective in eliminating CO, hydrocarbons, and NO x during engine cold-start when exhaust temperatures are below 200°C. The objective of the project was to develop and demonstrate a multi-functional, catalyzed trap that enables vehicles with advanced combustion strategies to meet Tier 3 emissions standards while achieving the 150 °C challenge for sustained co-oxidation of HCs and CO and ≥90% NO trapping and release during warmup. Specifically, the multi-functional Lean HC+NOx (LHCNT) was developed for application in the exhaust aftertreatment of conventional diesel engines and engines having low temperature combustion (LTC) regimes. Activities included the design and synthesis of adsorbents and catalysts, screening and evaluation. Passive NOx absorbers (PNA), hydrocarbon (HC) traps, and oxidation catalysts (OC) were evaluated for use in series or as integrated devices. Predictive tools were developed utilizing the characterization and analysis of these materials, and an emission system was designed and optimized utilizing the catalyst systems. Microkinetic models were developed for the PNA for the simple NO-only feed and complex feed containing CO, H 2 , and model hydrocarbons (ethylene and dodecane). A first-principles, mechanistic-based model of the PNA was developed which utilized molecular-scale estimates (density functional theory) of energy barriers, mechanistic-based kinetics and realistic treatments of the flow and transport processes. Two new oxidation catalysts were developed (PdCu alloy, mixed copper-ceria-cobalt oxide), both of which significantly lessened the detrimental inhibition by CO on hydrocarbon and NO oxidation. A method for lessening the detrimental impact of CO on PNA activity was developed that involves use of an oxidation catalyst upstream of the PNA. The SwRI Ectolab TM burner system was applied to evaluate the baseline PNA material and confirmed performance comparable to the benchflow PNA studies using simulated exhaust. Spatially-resolved mass spectrometry (SpaciMS) was used to measure the transient spatial profiles of reacting species spanning the length of a three-function LHCNT containing PNA, HCT, and OC. The findings from this study provide diesel vehicle and catalyst companies valuable information to develop more cost effective emission control catalysts which helps to expand the use of more fuel efficient diesel power. The fundamental modeling and experimental tools and findings from this project can be applied to catalyst technologies used in the energy and chemical industries. The project led to 14 publications in the peer-reviewed literature with 2 additional currently under review. Finally, the project also led to training of several doctoral students who were placed in research jobs in industry and academia. Specifically, Mugdha Ambast (UH) has joined Cummins, Kevin Gu (UVa) has joined GM, and Abhay Gupta (UH) is to join Caterpillar.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Atomic Layer Deposition for Enhanced Reactivity, Stability, and Sulfur Tolerance of Hydrogenation Catalysts

NREL is located in the beautiful scenic Colorado, but it has a dirty secret. It is among one the top 10 worst U.S. cities for hazardous air pollution, particularly in Denver. The Denver metro area has been out of compliance with EPA's limits on ozone pollution for decades and it's gotten so bad that at the end of last year the EPA moved our designation from moderate non-obtainment to serious non-obtainment. There's a lot of work that needs to be done in Denver and around the world to reduce air pollution in urban areas.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2022

An optimization framework for the network design of advanced district thermal energy systems

In this work, a topology optimization framework for district thermal energy systems is presented. The framework seeks to address the questions, for a given district, "What is the best subset of buildings to connect to a district thermal energy system, and by what network should they be connected, to minimize life cycle cost?" A particle swarm optimization approach is validated to address the selection of the subset of buildings, and a graph theory-based heuristic is validated for selection of the network topology for any candidate subset of buildings. The framework is applied to a prototypical urban district for illustrative purposes. Additionally, modeling of prototypical districts revealed reductions in source energy use intensity for heating and cooling of 21-25% through the use of advanced district energy systems relative to code-compliant, building level systems. The framework identifies solutions with life cycle cost values 14% to 72% lower than that of base case scenarios based on conventional design approaches, depending on the base case scenario selected. Analysis of the search space indicates that topology optimization facilitates reductions in life cycle cost, source energy use intensity, and carbon emissions.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2023

Demonstration of Ego Vehicle and System Level Benefits of Eco-Driving on Chassis Dynamometer

Eco-Driving with connected and automated vehicles has shown potential to reduce energy consumption of an individual (i.e., ego) vehicle by up to 15%. In a project funded by ARPA-E, a team led by Southwest Research Institute demonstrated an 8-12% reduction in energy consumption on a 2017 Prius Prime. This was demonstrated in simulation as well as chassis dynamometer testing. The authors presented a simulation study that demonstrated corridor-level energy consumption improvements by about 15%. This study was performed by modeling a six-kilometer-long urban corridor in Columbus, Ohio for traffic simulations. Five powertrain models consisting of two battery electric vehicles (BEVs), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), and two internal combustion engine (ICE) powered vehicles were developed. The design of experiment consisted of sweeps for various levels of traffic, penetration of smart vehicles, penetration of technology, and powertrain electrification. The large-scale simulation study consisted of doing approximately 96,000 powertrain simulations. A sophisticated clustering scheme was built and utilized to down select representative traces for each scenario from the simulation study for vehicle testing on a chassis dynamometer. Furthermore, this paper provides a summary of individual ego vehicle testing as well as a comprehensive overview of the method utilized for down selecting representative traces from large scale simulation studies that can be used to quantify corridor level benefits. Vehicle test results along with corresponding analyses are presented.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2022

A General Route to Flame Aerosol Synthesis and In Situ Functionalization of Mesoporous Silica

Mesoporous silica is a versatile material for energy, environmental, and medical applications. In this work, for the first time, we report a flame aerosol synthesis method for a class of mesoporous silica with hollow structure and specific surface area exceeding 1000 m 2 /g -1 . We show its superior performance in water purification, drug carrier, and thermal insulation. Moreover, we propose a general route to produce mesoporous nanoshell supported nanocatalysts by in situ decorating active nanoclusters, including noble metal (Pt/SiO 2 ), transition metal (Ni/SiO 2 ), metal oxide (CrO 3 /SiO 2 ), and alumina support (Co/Al 2 O 3 ). As a prototypical application, we perform dry reforming of methane using Ni/SiO 2 , achieving constant 97% CH 4 and CO 2 conversions for more than 200 hours, dramatically outperforming MCM-41 supported Ni catalyst. This work provides a scalable strategy to produce mesoporous nanoshells and proposes an in situ functionalization mechanism to flexible catalysts design for many reactions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Sensor Placement Optimization Study for the Built Environment: Operational Use Cases

Systems of fixed-position radiation sensors can provide information that assists emergency responders following nuclear and radiological incidents. State, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) government agencies that implement systems of fixed-position sensors are faced with numerous decisions regarding sensor selection, quantity, and placement. To develop guidance on implementation of radiation detection systems, we simulated the release of radioactive material in an urban environment using a combination of three models: the Weather Research Forecasting (WRF), Quick Urban and Industrial Complex (QUIC), and Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) models. We then evaluated the performance of several hypothetical sensor systems. The small number of simulations we conducted are not sufficient to generate definitive design guidance for radiation sensor systems, but we did identify trends that would be of interest to emergency planners. For a scenario that releases 1000 curies of Cs-137, radiation detectors were needed at 500-meter intervals to have a high likelihood of event detection and to estimate source location and plume detection. We also noted that optimal detector altitude varied with distance to the source. We recommend additional research in this area be conducted to support developing sensor placement guidelines that expand on a range of locations, isotopes, activity levels, and different weather conditions. Original simulation strategies included a range of environments, additional radioisotopes (Am241 and AmBe), and a larger selection of sensor types. These types of expansions would support SLTT guidance on sensor system recommendations.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2020

Lessons Learned from the First Year of Property Remediation - 20475

The Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) is a federal environmental clean-up program. Its mandate is the remediation and local, long-term, safe management of approximately 1.7 million cubic metres of historic low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) in the adjacent communities of Port Hope and Port Granby in Southern Ontario, Canada. The PHAI is being undertaken by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) on behalf of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, a federal Crown corporation. It is currently one of the largest environmental remediation projects in Canada. The safety of workers, the public and the environment while delivering the PHAI compliantly, on time and within budget is CNL's number one priority. The PHAI is being carried out as two projects - the Port Hope Project and the Port Granby Project. The larger of the two PHAI scopes of work - the Port Hope Project - involves the cleanup of approximately 1.2 million cubic metres of historic LLRW from 18 major sites in Port Hope, the construction of an engineered aboveground mound where the waste will be safely contained and the long-term maintenance and monitoring of the facility. Construction of the waste water treatment plant, the first three of four cells in the mound and supporting infrastructure is complete, with construction of the fourth cell in progress. In 2017 with the movement of on-site waste at this facility began and is now complete. Waste excavation and transportation from off-site locations within the community began in 2018; the cleanup of four temporary storage sites is now complete and remediation at several other major sites is underway. The Port Hope Project also includes a survey of the interior and exterior investigation of approximately 4,800 properties, primarily residential, in the urban area of Port Hope for the presence or absence of historic LLRW. The current projection is that approximately 1,250 privately owned residential and commercial properties known as Small-Scale Sites (SSS) will be identified as having waste exceeding the PHAI clean-up criteria. This paper will outline some of the challenges and lessons learned from the first year of SSS remediation including contractual, data and design issues; interaction with and managing expectations of stakeholders; weather, site and structure conditions as well as municipal permitting, resourcing, transportation and remediation verification. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Chapter 13: All-Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing Aircraft (eVTOL) for Sustainable Urban Travel

Increasing urbanization, ground congestion, and greenhouse gas emissions have spurred aircraft pioneers to capitalize on advancements in battery technology, electric motors, software, and other advances to develop all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft intended to save travelers time within densely populated urban regions. This study served as an example for conducting a life-cycle analysis (LCA) of an eVTOL aircraft, analyzing its manufacturing process, its in-life operation as a passenger transportation service between urban locations, and (in part) end-of-life treatment. This case study aims to provide guidance on how to accurately conduct eVTOL LCA, particularly on how to define the problem, how to obtain the right information from engineers inside and outside their own organizations, and what areas to focus on. As LCA results are only as accurate as the assumptions that were made, a more rigorous LCA that includes sensitivity analysis and uncertainty characterization can help further understand the limitations of those assumptions. New technologies such as blockchain may also play an important role in LCA, including the life-cycle inventory and improving confidence intervals. Completing a credible LCA is central to supporting the argument in favor of introducing the new technology. Completing such a study will allow companies to demonstrate to relevant stakeholders the likely impact of their aircraft on the environment by quantifying the operational climate footprint of the aircraft and the manufacturing process used to build it. To this end, this case study also provides examples of how to report and present LCA results, optimizing for communications to non-LCA experts. The LCA can also assist in identifying opportunities to improve the environmental performance at various life-cycle stages, informing decision makers as products and manufacturing processes evolve or are redesigned. Given the nascency of both eVTOL aircraft manufacturing and operations, it is strongly recommended that LCA analysts treat reports on eVTOL aircraft as works-in-progress. As new information is found, design changes are made, and the aircraft or operation gains maturity, it is inevitable that some amendments will need to be made to the LCA. It is suggested that a complete overhaul of the LCA be made every 18-24 months throughout the R&D, design, and operational scale-up phases of the project.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2024

High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries with High Stability Derived from Titanium-Oxide- and Sulfur-Loaded Carbon Spherogels

This study presents a novel approach to developing high-performance lithium-ion battery electrodes by loading titania-carbon hybrid spherogels with sulfur. The resulting hybrid materials combine high charge storage capacity, electrical conductivity, and core-shell morphology, enabling the development of next-generation battery electrodes. We obtained homogeneous carbon spheres caging crystalline titania particles and sulfur using a template-assisted sol-gel route and carefully treated the titania-loaded carbon spherogels with hydrogen sulfide. The carbon shells maintain their microporous hollow sphere morphology, allowing for efficient sulfur deposition while protecting the titania crystals. By adjusting the sulfur impregnation of the carbon sphere and varying the titania loading, we achieved excellent lithium storage properties by successfully cycling encapsulated sulfur in the sphere while benefiting from the lithiation of titania particles. Without adding a conductive component, the optimized material provided after 150 cycles at a specific current of 250 mA g -1 a specific capacity of 825 mAh g -1 with a Coulombic efficiency of 98%.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Provider Perspectives: Identification and Follow-up of Infants who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Objective Without timely screening, diagnosis, and intervention, hearing loss can cause significant delays in a child's speech, language, social, and emotional development. In 2019, Texas had nearly twice the average rate of loss to follow-up (LFU) or loss to documentation (LTD; i.e., missing documentation of services received) among infants who did not pass their newborn hearing screening compared to the United States overall (51.1 vs. 27.5%). We aimed to identify factors contributing to LFU/LTD among infants who do not pass their newborn hearing screening in Texas. Study Design Data were collected through semistructured qualitative interviews with 56 providers along the hearing care continuum, including hospital newborn hearing screening program staff, audiologists, primary care physicians, and early intervention (EI) program staff located in three rural and urban public health regions in Texas. Following recording and transcription of the interviews, we used qualitative data analysis software to analyze themes using a conventional content analysis approach. Results Frequently cited barriers included problems with family access to care, difficulty contacting patients, problems with communication between providers and referrals, lack of knowledge among providers and parents, and problems using the online reporting system. Providers in rural areas more often mentioned problems with family access to care and contacting families compared to providers in urban areas. Conclusion These findings provide insight into strategies that public health professionals and health care providers can use to work together to help further increase the number of children identified early who may benefit from EI services. Key Points

Obstetrics & Gynecology↗
DOE OSTI2025

ORBITaL-Net: A labeled training library for large-scale building feature extraction

Over the course of several years, nearly 1.5 million building outlines have been created from approximately 128,000 training tiles covering roughly 7,000 km 2 of very high-resolution multispectral overhead imagery, primarily dated between 2010 and 2020. This dataset, dubbed the Oak Ridge Building Image and TrAining Label Net (ORBITaL-Net), is designed for machine learning applications and is global in scope, with samples drawn from 72 countries across North America, South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. ORBITaL-Net captures a great diversity in geographic setting, structural characteristics, land use (urban and rural), terrain, and imagery conditions. While the labeled building outlines are themselves valuable, the dataset’s true strength lies in the pairing of these labels with corresponding reference imagery, which is being released for open source use. Similar to SpaceNet and Replicable AI For Microplanning (ramp), this building outline dataset will allow the larger computer vision community from academia, government, and industry the opportunity to develop robust, scalable, and generalizable geospatial machine learning techniques. Unlike SpaceNet and ramp, which offer high resolution labels and imagery primarily for large urban cities, ORBITaL-Net is not focused on training samples from heavily populated areas but instead aims to capture the innate variability of conditions present in both the physical environment and imagery collections.

Geography↗
DOE OSTI2022

Pumped Storage Hydropower Augmented with Pressurized Air: The Ground-Level Integrated Diverse Energy Storage (GLIDES) System — GLIDES System Configurations and Use Cases

Energy storage is essential for cost-effective integration of variable renewable energy sources to support a low-carbon grid. It is also a key enabler of a modern grid infrastructure for demand management. However, several main challenges remain for different kind of energy storage technologies in grid scale deployment. Currently, the largest source of utility-scale storage and long-duration storage in the US is pumped storage hydropower (PSH). Prospect of growth in conventional PSH faces challenges that have limited its deployment over the last three decades, including high capital costs and long deployment timelines. Batteries have high energy densities and are the primary technology of choice for small-scale energy storage. Compressed air energy storage (CAES) is another large-scale energy storage technology, but there are few plants deployed worldwide. They suffer from their low round trip efficiency (RTE) due to the use of high-pressure air compressors. To address some of the challenges associated with these various storage technologies, the Ground-Level Integrated Diverse Energy Storage (GLIDES) is a modular PSH technology that was invented in 2015 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It utilizes gas compression to store electric energy. GLIDES stores energy by compressing gas using a liquid piston in high-pressure vessels. In doing so the vessels act as the upper reservoir in conventional PSH. Initially, the vessels are filled with gas to a prescribed pressure. To store energy, GLIDES uses a hydraulic piston pump to pump water into the pressurized vessels. As the water volume increases inside the vessels, water acts as a hydraulic piston compressing the gas on top of it. This process can be thought of as pumping water from the lower reservoir to the higher reservoir in PSH, increasing the water head. To dispatch the stored energy, the high-head water in the vessel is discharge through a high head Pelton hydraulic turbine that is connected to an electric generator. Employing high-pressure vessels enables GLIDES to reach water heads ~10-80 times higher than conventional PSH, achieving ~40 times higher energy densities, and overcomes the geographic limitation of conventional PSH. Although its energy density is much lower than that of batteries, GLIDES holds the potential advantages of having long service life, ease of system integration and being less hazardous over batteries. GLIDES prospective scalability could make it suitable for wide range of applications from behind the meter storage in buildings to grid-scale storage. It also makes it suitable for installations in densely populated urban areas where energy storage is most needed and real estate is limited. Over the last 5 years, work has focused on increasing GLIDES’ energy density, decreasing its initial capital cost of the system, and increasing its revenue potential. Several designs were developed and prototyped to verify and demonstrate the improvement in energy density. The latest prototype achieved energy density of 1.21 kWh/m 3 . Our analysis showed that it could achieve up to 1.7 kWh/m 3 with a mixture of air and carbon dioxide as the gas being compressed.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

A General Route to Flame Aerosol Synthesis and In Situ Functionalization of Mesoporous Silica

Abstract Mesoporous silica is a versatile material for energy, environmental, and medical applications. Here, for the first time, we report a flame aerosol synthesis method for a class of mesoporous silica with hollow structure and specific surface area exceeding 1000 m 2 g −1 . We show its superior performance in water purification, as a drug carrier, and in thermal insulation. Moreover, we propose a general route to produce mesoporous nanoshell‐supported nanocatalysts by in situ decoration with active nanoclusters, including noble metal (Pt/SiO 2 ), transition metal (Ni/SiO 2 ), metal oxide (CrO 3 /SiO 2 ), and alumina support (Co/Al 2 O 3 ). As a prototypical application, we perform dry reforming of methane using Ni/SiO 2 , achieving constant 97 % CH 4 and CO 2 conversions for more than 200 hours, dramatically outperforming an MCM‐41 supported Ni catalyst. This work provides a scalable strategy to produce mesoporous nanoshells and proposes an in situ functionalization mechanism to design and produce flexible catalysts for many reactions.

Liu, Shuo↗
DOE OSTI2020

Ultrahigh power and energy density in partially ordered lithium-ion cathode materials

There is an intensive search for high-performance cathode materials for rechargeable batteries. In this work the authors report that oxyfluorides with partial spinel-like cation order, made from earth-abundant elements, display both exceptionally high energy and power. The rapid market growth of rechargeable batteries requires electrode materials that combine high power and energy and are made from earth-abundant elements. In this paper we show that combining a partial spinel-like cation order and substantial lithium excess enables both dense and fast energy storage. Cation overstoichiometry and the resulting partial order is used to eliminate the phase transitions typical of ordered spinels and enable a larger practical capacity, while lithium excess is synergistically used with fluorine substitution to create a high lithium mobility. With this strategy, we achieved specific energies greater than 1,100 Wh kg -1 and discharge rates up to 20 A g -1 . Remarkably, the cathode materials thus obtained from inexpensive manganese present a rare case wherein an excellent rate capability coexists with a reversible oxygen redox activity. Our work shows the potential for designing cathode materials in the vast space between fully ordered and disordered compounds.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Microstructure and heteroatom dictate the doping mechanism and thermoelectric properties of poly(alkyl-chalcogenophenes)

Heteroatom substitution can favorably alter electronic transport in conductive polymers to improve their thermoelectric performance. Here we report the spectroscopic, structural, and thermoelectric properties of poly(3–(3',7'-dimethyloctyl) chalcogenophenes) or P3RX doped with 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4TCNQ), where the heteroatom [X = thiophene (T), selenophene (Se), tellurophene (Te)], the doping methodology, and extent of doping are systematically varied. Spectroscopic measurements reveal that while all P3RX polymers are appreciably doped, the doping mechanism is inherently different. Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT, used as a control) and poly(3–(3',7'-dimethyloctyl)tellurophene) (P3RTe) are doped primarily via integer charge transfer (ICT), whereas poly(3–(3',7'-dimethyloctyl)selenophene) (P3RSe) and poly(3–(3',7'-dimethyloctyl)thiophene) (P3RT) are doped via charge transfer complex (CTC) mechanisms. Despite these differences, all polymers saturate with roughly the same number of F4TCNQ counterions (1 dopant per 4 to 6 heterocycles), reinforcing the idea that the extent of charge transfer varies with the doping mechanism. Grazing incidence wide-angle x-ray scattering measurements provide insight into the structural driving forces behind different doping mechanisms—P3RT and P3RSe have similar microstructures in which F4TCNQ intercalates between the π-stacked backbones resulting in CTC doping (localized carriers), while P3HT and P3RTe have microstructures in which F4TCNQ intercalates in the alkyl side chain region, giving rise to ICT doping (delocalized carriers). These structural and spectroscopic observations shed light on why P3HT and P3RTe obtain electrical conductivities ca. 3 S/cm, while P3RT and P3RSe have conductivities <10–3 S/cm under the same thin film processing conditions. Ultimately, this work quantifies the effects of heteroatom, microstructural ordering, extent of doping, and doping mechanism, thereby providing rational guidance for designing future thermoelectric polymer-dopant systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Multi‐Objective Urban Observational Strategies: A Risk‐Based Framework for Expanding Flood Sensor Networks

In coupled human and natural systems, developing an observation strategy which maximizes insight into both the natural system and the human system is a challenging multi-objective optimization problem. In this article, we describe the expansion of a flood risk observation system in Southeast Texas designed to improve our understanding of both physical and socioeconomic exposure to hydrological hazards at fine spatial scales, in the context of a structured hazard-exposure-vulnerability risk framework. We describe a new approach for assessing the spatial extent through which a flood sensor's observations can be assumed to be relevant, and estimate the population served within each sensor's area of information using downscaled socio-demographic data. As hydrological observations and modeling move to ever finer scale, assessing the information they contain in the context of both social and natural systems becomes increasingly important for developing actionable scientific insights.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Resilient, Rural, and Revolutionary: Salisbury Square's Direct-Current Affordable Microgrid Community: Preprint

The technology to interconnect buildings with a dedicated direct-current (DC) power distribution network is in place today; what is missing is a turnkey approach to designing a DC microgrid - and the business models allowing such systems to be deployed, owned, and operated at scale. To close this gap, the Salisbury Square Development Team, comprising clean-energy experts, has engineered a resilient community DC microgrid for an affordable housing community in Randolph, Vermont. Ten single-family, occupant-owned residences and 12 multifamily rental units will share locally generated and stored solar energy via a DC power distribution bus capable of operating during extended grid outages. With a DC power distribution network in place, each home will be equipped with high-efficiency DC lighting and appliances, operating alongside alternating current (AC) appliances, even during an islanded mode of operation. To obtain a comprehensive understanding of what is possible and achievable, the Team collaborated with the local utility, regulatory agencies, a national laboratory, energy-as-service providers, and vendors. The collaborators evaluated microgrid typologies, business models, and energy modeling, and analyzed electrification and resilience. Further, the Team applied the URBANoptTM (Urban Renewable Building and Neighborhood optimization, NREL 2022) software development kit (SDK) to Salisbury Square's single-family and multifamily buildings to validate workflows and identify needs for advanced capability. This paper addresses the barriers to entry, scalability, and impact on residents and system ownership. It also examines the analysis that informed the design and engineering of the DC microgrid and the opportunities to streamline the process.

DER↗
DOE OSTI2025

Community engagement in the development of bioenergy projects from cellulosic urban waste feedstock in Hawaii for sustainable aviation fuel

The purpose of the research project was to reveal the perceptions of residents and communities of the City and County of Honolulu concerning bioenergy projects, feedstock, and sustainable aviation fuel. The perception study was conducted via community-scale surveys, interviews, and town meetings to gather feedback on the preliminary design of a proposed bioenergy project, including feedstock choice and the need for sustainable aviation fuel in Hawaii. Residents on the west side of Oahu were targeted due to their proximity to the proposed plant site location. Findings from this study aim to identify resident perceptions, understanding, and desire for bioenergy projects and new infrastructure to, improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of Hawaiian islands. While Hawaii has created policies and mandates to move toward 100% renewable energy sources by 2045, the focus has been predominately on renewable electricity, largely overlooking other sustainable energy options such as sustainable aviation fuel. There is a lack of research on the community engagement and perceptions of Hawaiian residents on bioenergy projects and sustainable aviation fuel, contributing to the low adoption of bioenergy projects on the islands. Insights from this study aim to add literature on the need for community engagement in the design process, the importance of accepting new sustainable infrastructure, and the production and use of sustainable aviation fuels.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗