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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

A Hierarchical Optimization Method for Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Aircraft Network Design

Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) are expected to serve urban air mobility in a station-to-station configuration, which makes the optimal network design of eVTOL stations a critical question to explore. Existing approaches often face limitations, such as the inability to interact station locations with demand or difficulty in finding the optimal solution for large study regions. Here, this paper first proposes a mathematical model to generate optimal eVTOL station locations while considering associated potential eVTOL demand, and then proposes a heuristic algorithm, Hierarchical Optimization MEthod (HOME), to efficiently solve the model. With a case study of Southern California, HOME was compared to 1) directly solving the original integer linear programming-based network design problem, and 2) employing the widely used genetic algorithm. Results suggest that HOME can find optimal solutions with limited computational resources. The proposed framework powered by HOME provides a computationally efficient way to support urban air mobility planning.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Power Electronics and Electric Machines for Advanced Aircraft

Power electronics and electric machines are critical components of efficient, high-performance aircraft - from fixed-wing turbine to electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and beyond. Improvements to these components create enormous energy efficiencies, enable cost savings, and ensure fail-safe operations. National Renewable Energy Laboratory researchers are developing innovative power electronics, electric motors, integrated electric traction drives, and thermal management systems to build highly efficient, lightweight, ultrareliable powertrains for aircraft.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Thermal Dynamics and Lithium Plating Detection in High‐Power Li‐Ion Batteries for eVTOL Applications

The rapid electrification of aerial transportation is driving the need for high‐performance Li‐ion batteries that can operate reliably under stringent thermal and safety constraints. The unique mission profile of electric Vertical Take‐off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft necessitates a focused investigation into the thermal behavior and safety characteristics of these batteries. Here, in this study, operando isothermal microcalorimetry is employed to examine the thermal evolution of Li‐ion batteries under cycling conditions representative of eVTOL operations. These findings reveal that high‐power discharge events—such as those during take‐off and landing—shift the thermal response toward exothermic behavior, in contrast to the typically endothermic response expected under near‐equilibrium cycling conditions. Additionally, the results suggest that advanced electrolyte formulations may help suppress excess heat generation, thereby improving battery safety. Notably, the calorimetric results exhibit a distinct thermal signature associated with lithium plating, offering a potential diagnostic for detecting Li plating during eVTOL operation. Overall, this study demonstrates the utility of isothermal microcalorimetry as a valuable tool for assessing thermal risks in Li‐ion batteries for eVTOL applications, and highlights the importance of targeted design strategies to mitigate safety hazards during high‐power demand scenarios.

Li plating↗
DOE OSTI2026

Low-Rate Cycling Regeneration Sustains NMC811–Graphite Battery Performance through Extreme Ultrafast Charging

Urban air mobility (UAM) systems, such as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, require batteries capable of extreme ultrafast charging to support high-frequency operations. Here, in this work, we evaluate the electrochemical stability of NMC811–graphite full cells using a complex mixed-modal protocol designed to simulate the aggressive turnaround demands of UAM missions. We demonstrate that incorporating a periodic low-rate (0.3C) “regeneration” cycle enables cells to maintain 96% capacity retention over 900 cycles, despite repeated exposure to ultrafast pulses. To validate the efficacy of this regeneration mechanism, we performed simplified control experiments comparing continuous 10C charging against a 10C–0.3C interleaved protocol. Advanced characterization reveals that while mechanical particle fracture is pervasive at these rates, the regeneration cycles decelerate the electrochemical degradation by resolving spatially heterogeneous Ni oxidation states and relaxing lithium-ion concentration gradients. These findings provide a vital mechanistic framework for battery operation, proving that restorative charging can effectively delay and mitigate failure in demanding UAM applications.

batteries↗
DOE OSTI2024

Aluminum Ultra-conductors for Energy-Efficient Aerospace Busbar Applications (Abstract)

In this project, we will develop aluminum ultra-conductors with graphene additives demonstrating enhanced electrical conductivity at 90 °C compared to electric grade aluminum alloy AA1100 (43% IACS at 90 °C). While ultra-conductivity has been developed in copper and copper alloys, it is yet to be reported extensively in aluminum-based materials. This project will scale initial work done at PNNL on aluminum ultra-conductors using shear-assisted processing and extrusion (ShAPETM), a novel solid phase processing technique. Ultra-conductors are an emerging class of composites, comprised of a metal substrate with small quantities of nanocrystalline additives such as graphene or carbon nanotubes that demonstrate enhanced conductivity at relevant operating temperatures. Aluminum ultra-conductors can improve efficiency and power density while reducing the demand for copper in a wide range of applications, such as power transmission cables and electric motors. Busbars are an important component in aerospace systems that require lightweight and high-current power distribution including both future electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircrafts and current aircraft electrical systems. We will accelerate aluminum ultra-conductor composite formulation development using combinatorial synthesis and testing methods aided by process/microstructure modeling, developed previously at PNNL. Eaton will test the properties of the ShAPE aluminum ultra-conductor feedstock (used to make the busbars) in relevant operating conditions (20 – 90 °C), predict the improvement in busbar performance when manufactured with ultra-conductors over commercial conductors (such as AA1100), and perform technoeconomic analysis to evaluate the potential for commercialization of ShAPE aluminum ultra-conductors. The project is expected to have a budget of $\$375$K, with $\$300$K in federal funding and $\$75$K in-kind cost-share contribution from Eaton over a period of performance of 24 months. Of the $\$300$K of federal funds, $\$140$K is allocated for CRADA activities that generate intellectual property (IP), and the remaining $\$160$K is reserved for modeling, material testing, characterization, travel, and reporting-related activities.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Ocean surface radiation measurement best practices

Ocean surface radiation measurement best practices have been developed as a first step to support the interoperability of radiation measurements across multiple ocean platforms and between land and ocean networks. This document describes the consensus by a working group of radiation measurement experts from land, ocean, and aircraft communities. The scope was limited to broadband shortwave (solar) and longwave (terrestrial infrared) surface irradiance measurements for quantification of the surface radiation budget. Best practices for spectral measurements for biological purposes like photosynthetically active radiation and ocean color are only mentioned briefly to motivate future interactions between the physical surface flux and biological radiation measurement communities. Topics discussed in these best practices include instrument selection, handling of sensors and installation, data quality monitoring, data processing, and calibration. It is recognized that platform and resource limitations may prohibit incorporating all best practices into all measurements and that spatial coverage is also an important motivator for expanding current networks. Thus, one of the key recommendations is to perform interoperability experiments that can help quantify the uncertainty of different practices and lay the groundwork for a multi-tiered global network with a mix of high-accuracy reference stations and lower-cost platforms and practices that can fill in spatial gaps.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Study of eVTOL Charging Impact on Airport Electrical Grids

Growth in commercial air traffic has increased the aviation industry's contribution to global emissions. Aircraft electrification can reduce greenhouse gas emissions along with being efficient and reliable. Advanced air mobility introduces the idea of an advanced and more efficient air transportation system. Electric and hybrid aircraft designs, such as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL), are being considered for a number of applications, such as urban air mobility, cargo delivery, and medical emergencies. Although the electrification of aircraft provides environmental benefits, their charging needs will place significant demand on the electrical grid. This work presents a grid impact study and infrastructure upgrade requirements analysis of eVTOL charging on a realistic distribution grid through power flow simulation analysis. The case study results show that the eVTOL charging can lead to power quality issues, such as undervoltage and equipment capacity overloading. Grid infrastructure, such as lines and transformers, would need to be upgraded, and voltage management strategies would need to be deployed to accommodate eVTOL charging at an existing airport.

advanced air mobility (AAM)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Estimating the Benefits of Sustainable Aviation Fuel Usage at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Ultrafine Particle Exposure and Mortalities Reductions

The expanding commercial aviation sector necessitates diverse energy sources, and sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) have emerged as a promising option. Widespread SAF adoption can help meet transportation fuel demand and offer health benefits for people residing near airports or along airport landing and takeoff (LTO) pathways, where elevated levels of aircraft-derived air pollution often exist. Blending SAF with traditional jet fuels can reduce ultrafine particle (UFP) emissions, which may improve health of near airport population. We analyzed a population of about 8 million people in 1925 census tracts around the Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). We conducted a risk assessment to estimate anticipated UFP reductions for three adoption scenarios using blends of traditional jet fuels with 5, 25, and 50% SAF across all flights landing and taking off from ORD. We calculated baseline estimates of UFP emissions using ORD flight data, a dispersion model, and a calibration function derived from mobile monitoring data. We used this baseline UFP emission profile across the study area to estimate population-weighted UFP, as well as the attributable case reductions (ACRs) and attributable mortality rate reductions (AMRRs) across the demographic distribution around the airport, based on the SAF blending scenarios. We found a positive association of SAF blending with UFP reductions, particularly near the airport and along LTO flight pathways. Our study showed that the population-weighted UFP across different demographics was similar. ACRs were largely dependent on individual demographic populations, while AMRRs for all populations were relatively similar, with an estimated 0.3 (95% range: 0.2−0.3), 1.1 (0.9−1.4), and 1.8 (1.5−2.2) fewer mortalities per 100,000 people per year expected with the adoption of 5, 25, and 50% SAF blends, respectively. This study indicates that communities near ORD, across a range of demographics, may benefit similarly from SAF adoption, thus highlighting how SAF adoption may offer an opportunity to improve health outcomes like aviation UFP-related mortalities around airports.

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Improving the Confidence in Retrievals of Vertical Distributions of Cloud Condensation Nuclei Number Concentration from ARM Supported by Aircraft In Situ Observations

Accurate quantification of the vertical distribution of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentrations is critical for improving our understanding of aerosol–cloud interactions. Ground-based Raman lidars operated by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program, together with surface CCN measurements, are used to retrieve vertically resolved CCN number concentrations (Retrieved Number concentration of CCN, RNCCN). These retrievals rely on several assumptions, including that aerosol composition is vertically homogeneous. To assess this assumption, we developed and tested a framework to infer the dominant aerosol classes/types at different altitudes. This was done by applying a k-Nearest-Neighbors (kNN) algorithm to lidar ratio and linear depolarization ratio measurements from Raman lidar. We evaluated the framework using aircraft aerosol and CCN measurements from the ARM Holistic Interactions of Shallow Clouds, Aerosols, and Land Ecosystems (HI-SCALE) field campaign. The results show that RNCCN performance degrades as vertical aerosol complexity increases, i.e., RNCCN agrees with the aircraft CCN in vertically homogeneous conditions, but closure decreases in layered aerosol structures. To generalize beyond individual examples, we introduce a metric (heterogeneity index) that quantifies the vertical complexity by assessing the variation of inferred aerosol classes/types. Case-level statistics show a tendency for RNCCN and aircraft differences to increase with this metric. By detecting retrievals that are likely compromised by aerosol vertical heterogeneity, the proposed framework improves the interpretability and effective use of RNCCN used for long-term evaluation of models and aerosol–cloud interactions.

Tian, Jingjing↗
DOE OSTI2026

Airports as Energy Nodes (ÆNodes) Project Report

Aviation is experiencing an influx of electrified aircraft in the advanced air mobility (AAM) space. The goal of Airports as Energy Nodes (ÆNodes) is to evaluate the impact of AAM and other advanced aircraft adoption growth on the electrical system of existing small to medium hub regional airports to better prepare them for the future while also enhancing resiliency and helping surrounding communities. AAM small passenger air service encompasses vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), general aviation (GA) and flight training, and nine to thirty passenger conventional aircraft for regional air mobility (RAM) applications all of which include electrical, hybrid, or hydrogen powered varieties. Some challenges that ÆNodes is trying to address include how to utilize existing airport infrastructure to meet the energy needs of AAM growth in a way that is robust to aid in the growth of AAM while also leveraging any airport-hosted energy assets for the surrounding community in emergency situations.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Dependence of CCN closure relationship with organic fraction from two airborne field campaigns over mid-latitude land and ocean

This study investigates the relationship between measured and calculated cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentration and its dependence with organic fraction utilizing aircraft observations from The Aerosol and Cloud Experiments in the Eastern North Atlantic (ACE-ENA, 2017–2018) and The Holistic Interactions of Shallow Clouds, Aerosols, and Land Ecosystems (HI-SCALE, 2016) campaigns, which represent midlatitude marine and continental environments, respectively. For the ACE-ENA marine region, aerosol and CCN concentrations were significantly higher in summer than in winter, whereas at continental site for HI-SCALE, aerosol and CCN concentrations showed no pronounced differences between spring and autumn. Using aerosol chemical composition and number size distribution data, CCN concentrations at various supersaturations are calculated based on Köhler theory and then compared with observations from CCN counter. The results show that CCN closure performs well at both sites with a slight overestimation, with mean closure ratio (CR) of 1.13 and 1.17, respectively. Further investigation reveals that CR at lower supersaturation perform better than that at higher supersaturation. The dependence of CR on organic mass fraction (MForg) varies by environment: for marine aerosols, CR decreases with increasing organic fraction at lower supersaturations, whereas continental aerosols exhibit a consistent overestimation, with CR decreasing as organic fraction increases at higher supersaturations. This study provides key insights into CCN characteristics over midlatitude marine and continental environments, emphasizing the necessity of incorporating size-resolved chemical composition and mixing states into future model parameterizations, and contributing to a better understanding of aerosol–cloud interactions.

ACE-ENA field campaign↗
DOE OSTI2025

Observational ozone datasets over the global oceans and polar regions (version 2024)

Studying tropospheric ozone over the remote areas of the planet, such as the open oceans and the polar regions, is crucial to understand the role of ozone as a global climate forcer and regulator of atmospheric oxidative capacity. A focus on the pristine oceanic and polar regions complements the available land-based datasets and provides insights into key photochemical and depositional loss processes that control the concentrations and spatiotemporal variability in ozone as well as the physicochemical mechanisms driving these patterns. However, an assessment of the role of ozone over the oceanic and polar regions has been hampered by a lack of comprehensive observational datasets. Here, we present the first comprehensive collection of ozone data over the oceans and the polar regions. The overall dataset consists of 77 ship cruises/buoy-based observations and 48 aircraft-based campaigns. The dataset, consisting of more than 630 000 independent ozone measurement data points covering the period from 1977 to 2022 and an altitude range from the surface to 5000 m (with a focus on the lowest 2000 m), allows systematic analyses of the spatiotemporal distribution and long-term trends over the 11 defined ocean/polar regions. The datasets from ships, buoys, and aircraft are complemented by ozonesonde data from 29 launch sites or field campaigns and by 21 non-polar and 17 polar ground-based station datasets. The datasets contain information on how long the observed air masses were isolated from land, as estimated by backward trajectories from the individual observation points. To extract observations representative of oceanic conditions, we recommend using a subset of the data with an isolation time of 72 h or longer, from the analysis with coincident radon observations. These filtered oceanic and polar data showed typically flat diurnal cycles at high latitudes, whereas daytime decreases in ozone (11 %–16 %) were observed at lower latitudes. The ship/buoy- and aircraft-based datasets presented here will supplement the land-based ones in the TOAR-II (Tropospheric Ozone Assessment Report Phase II) database to provide a fully global assessment of tropospheric ozone. The described dataset is available at https://doi.org/10.17596/0004044 (Kanaya et al., 2025).

Kanaya, Yugo [Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Scienc↗
DOE OSTI2026

Utilization of Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Environmental Purposes at the Savannah River Site – 26578

Born in the 1950s, the Savannah River Plant was constructed as a plutonium and tritium production plant. As the Cold War era came and went, a change of direction was signaled when the name of the facility changed from Savannah River Plant to Savannah River Site (1989) – the main mission at Savannah River shifted from “production” to “cleanup.” The Department of Energy is responsible for managing the 310 square miles of land that is the Savannah River Site and the cleanup/remediation activities that occur. The Savannah River National Laboratory utilizes unmanned aircraft systems to assist with some of those environmental monitoring and remediation activities. One function of unmanned aircraft systems at the Savannah River National Laboratory is conducting aerial photography and videography. Various infrastructure evaluations have been performed with unmanned aircraft – facility rooftop inspections, water tower lock verifications, earthen dam surveys, etc. An unmanned aircraft system has been used for progress footage of remediation projects – Dunbarton Bay remediation, Saltstone Disposal Unit construction, etc. Thermal cameras on an unmanned aircraft system are used to help identify cracks/leaks in structures from vantage points not readily accessible by personnel. Virtual tours of different waste units are conducted with unmanned aircraft systems for Site groups and federal/state regulators to save costs and travel time. Additionally, advanced remote sensing technologies are used on unmanned aircraft systems at the Savannah River Site. Light Detection and Ranging uses laser pulses to measure distances to the Earth's surface or other targets to create highly detailed topographic maps that accurately portray terrain (e.g., elevation changes, slopes, and contours). Data collection with a Light Detection and Ranging unit mounted on an unmanned aircraft system is quick and efficient – large-area surveys are conducted in shorter time frames. Because Light Detection and Ranging can penetrate through foliage and vegetation to ground level, it is being used in conjunction with a watershed model to study the General Separations Area of the Site to determine stormwater flow volume and direction, monitor stream stability, and forecast river flow behavior. A hyperspectral camera captures a wide spectrum of electromagnetic wavelengths across numerous narrow bands, beyond what the human eye can see. It provides detailed spectral information about the objects or surfaces in an image, which can be used to identify and analyze materials based on their spectral signatures. A hyperspectral camera mounted on an unmanned aircraft system has been used at the Savannah River Site for non-destructive evaluation of concrete and concrete structures. Unmanned aircraft systems at the Savannah River Site are also used for the application of herbicide on identified rooftops. P-Reactor and R-Reactor are entombed nuclear reactors at the Savannah River Site. Unwanted vegetation is often present on these rooftops – over time roots can penetrate seams, cracks, and joints of the general roof and concrete caps, leading to water ingress and deterioration of the structural components. For time and cost efficiencies as well as in the interest of personnel safety, an unmanned aircraft is used to dispense herbicide on rooftop areas where vegetation is noticed to help alleviate the issues/hazards.

Lorier, Troy [Savannah River National Laboratory (↗
DOE OSTI2025

Tropospheric aerosols over the western North Atlantic Ocean during the winter and summer deployments of ACTIVATE 2020: life cycle, transport, and distribution

The Aerosol Cloud meTeorology Interactions oVer the western ATlantic Experiment (ACTIVATE) is a NASA mission to characterize aerosol–cloud interactions over the western North Atlantic Ocean (WNAO). Such characterization requires understanding of life cycle, composition, transport pathways, and distribution of aerosols over the WNAO. This study uses the GEOS-Chem model to simulate aerosol distributions and properties that are evaluated against aircraft, ground-based, and satellite observations during the winter and summer field deployments in 2020 of ACTIVATE. Transport in the boundary layer (BL) behind cold fronts was a major mechanism for the North American continental outflow of pollution to the WNAO in winter. Turbulent mixing was the main driver for the upward transport of sea salt within and ventilation out of BL in winter. The BL aerosol composition was dominated by sea salt, which increased in the summer, followed by organics and sulfate. Aircraft in situ aerosol measurements provided useful constraints on wet scavenging in GEOS-Chem. The model generally captured observed features such as continental outflow, land–ocean gradient, and mixing of anthropogenic aerosols with sea salt. Model sensitivity experiments with elevated smoke injection heights to the mid-troposphere (versus within BL) better reproduced observations of smoke aerosols from the western US wildfires over the WNAO in the summer. Model analysis suggests strong hygroscopic growth of sea salt particles and their seeding of marine BL clouds over the WNAO (< 35° N). Future modeling efforts should focus on improving parameterizations for aerosol wet scavenging, implementing realistic smoke injection heights, and applying high-resolution models that better resolve vertical transport.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

SCILLA 1 Hz merged data

The overarching goal of the Southern California Interactions of Low Cloud and Land Aerosol (SCILLA) experiment is to understand the interplay among horizontal circulation, vertical mixing, aerosols and clouds in the Southern California (SoCal) Bight. Eddy circulations within the Bight are frequently present when low clouds are persistent, and the transport of pollution into the Bight also depends on the regional and local circulation. The contrast between the cooler near-surface marine air with the warmer overlying continental and/or free tropospheric air is crucial to the efficiency of vertical mixing, and vertical transport of aerosols into the boundary layer. The CIRPAS Twin Otter aircraft was based in San Diego, CA, to perform airborne measurements of winds, aerosols, and clouds for 1 month (June 2023), with a geographical focus on the SoCal Bight. The deployment coincided with the DOE-funded Eastern Pacific Cloud Aerosol Precipitation Experiment (EPCAPE), which deployed a range of ground-based aerosol and cloud sensors and samplers from Feb. 2023 to Feb. 2024, mostly in and around San Diego. The aircraft deployment specifically seeks to answer questions about the cause of regions of elevated cloud drop number concentration from satellite-observed variations over the SoCal Bight, the role of horizontal advection relative to vertical transport and mixing, and the role of the thermodynamic properties (rather than aerosol properties) of continental air in modifying nearshore clouds.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Integrating Characteristic Arctic Vegetation in a Land Surface Model Improves Representation of Carbon Dynamics Across a Tundra Landscape

Arctic warming is altering vegetation and carbon dynamics with global implications, yet Earth System Model (ESM) predictions in the Arctic remain highly uncertain, in part due to historically limited data for model parameterization and validation. As such, ESMs typically represent Arctic ecosystems in an oversimplified manner. Recently, nine plant functional types (PFTs) designed to realistically represent tundra vegetation were integrated into the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) Land Model (ELM) and parameterized using plot-scale observations from a single site. Additional evaluation was needed to determine their transferability across the Arctic. Here, in this study, we evaluated whether refined representation of tundra vegetation improved model accuracy by conducting spatially explicit 100 × 100 m resolution ELM simulations on Alaska's Seward Peninsula. Simulations with the default two-PFT configuration and with the nine Arctic-specific PFTs were benchmarked against observations of net ecosystem exchange, gross primary production, and aboveground biomass from multiple data streams including an eddy covariance flux tower, flux chambers, and aircraft and unoccupied aerial system hyperspectral remote sensing. Evaluation revealed that Arctic-specific PFT simulations produced more realistic landscape-level carbon exchanges, and better captured observed heterogeneity in biomass and productivity, explaining 60%–70% of spatial variance (R 2 = 0.6–0.7) compared to just 12%–18% (R 2 = 0.12–0.18) with the default configuration. However, the refined model failed to reproduce observed aboveground biomass for highly productive alder-willow communities, requiring further evaluation of carbon allocation parameterizations for tall shrubs that are increasingly expanding across tundra landscapes. Our results demonstrate that enhanced representation of vegetation heterogeneity boosts predictive understanding of tundra carbon dynamics, facilitating regional to pan-Arctic model and remote-sensing scaling.

Murphy, Bailey A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (↗