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Manuscript to be submitted to the peer-reviewed academic journal Seismica. Technical review has been performed by Jenny Harding (8911). Will be submitted to HQ for review.
Earned value management (EVM) is a project management approach that can enhance the probability of project success. It is applied widely across different industry sectors (e.g., energy, aerospace, construction, defense, and manufacturing), generally through the use of an earned value management system (EVMS). A holistic and up-to-date literature review on EVM and EVMS does not exist. A literature review can provide a comprehensive perspective on the topic, identifying and summarizing the existing body of knowledge, as a foundation to advance the state of practice of EVM/EVMS. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to investigate the EVM/EVMS state of the art by critically reviewing academic and industry publications, with a specific focus on the maturity of EVMS and the environment surrounding its implementation. By performing a systematic literature review, the authors identified 600 publications since the inception of the EVM concept in 1962, and then narrowed down this list to 160 relevant publications from the last decade for closer review. The findings include the discovery of eight emergent themes. Of these themes, “forecasting/prediction” constitutes the largest portion of the recent literature, followed by “application of EVMS.” One interesting finding is that EVMS maturity, although being a critical topic, is only discussed in one publication. Publications focused on EVM/EVMS have increased in the last decade and significant differences were found between academia and industry literature in terms of the limitations and extensions of EVM/EVMS, EVMS environment, and compliance. A key finding is that designing a reliable EVMS should combine both technical and social aspects of implementation. This forward-looking paper provides a state-of-the-art review while highlighting gaps in the existing EVM/EVMS body of knowledge and introducing new perspectives to support EVMS research and application.
The Richard J. Kokes Travel Award program encourages student participation in the biennial North American Catalysis Society (NACS) Meetings. During NAM27 in 2022, 50 of the 111 students who received the Kokes Award were supported through this proposal, funded by the Department of Energy (DOE). The award covered a significant conference-related expense, that is the registration fees. Eligible students had to be enrolled in a North American university, present an oral or poster presentation, and contribute 2-4 hours to assist with meeting operations. While the program is open to undergraduate students, none were awarded in 2022. The selection process involved a comprehensive evaluation by external academic reviewers from NACS.
This project focuses on finding and utilizing electrical properties (precursors) of power electronic devices and modules whose changes have strong correlations with different modes and levels of degradations in order to realize online and lightweight state of health evaluation and fault diagnosis. Results from this project will contribute to higher safety, reliability, and power density of power electronic components. The approaches mainly include reviewing academic literature and industry practices for state of the art precursor identification and extraction, accelerated life cycles (ALC) of various power modules to create different degradations in-house, and developing techniques for gate-driver-integratable precursor detection circuit. In FY24, the results includes two sets of definitively detected aging precursors (on-state resistance and gate threshold voltage) for two sets of power modules respectively, controlled accelerated lifetime cycling of multiple silicon carbide (SiC) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) modules, and the development and validation of a gate voltage detection system.
Governments, businesses, and civil society organizations have diverse policy tools to incentivize adaptation. Policy tools can shape the type and extent of adaptation, and therefore, function either as barriers or enablers for reducing risk and vulnerability. Using data from a systematic review of academic literature on global adaptation responses to climate change (n = 1549 peer-reviewed articles), we categorize the types of policy tools used to shape climate adaptation. We apply qualitative and quantitative analyses to assess the contexts where particular tools are used, along with equity implications for groups targeted by the tools, and the tools’ relationships with transformational adaptation indicators such as the depth, scope, and speed of adaptation. We find diverse types of tools documented across sectors and geographic regions. We also identify a mismatch between the tools that consider equity and those that yield more transformational adaptations. Direct regulations, plans, and capacity building are associated with higher depth and scope of adaptation (thus transformational adaptation), while economic instruments, information provisioning, and networks are not; the latter tools, however, are more likely to target marginalized groups in their design and implementation. We identify multiple research gaps, including a need to assess instrument mixes rather than single tools and to assess adaptations that result from policy implementation. Key policy insights Information-based approaches, networks, and economic instruments are the most frequently documented adaptation policy tools worldwide. Direct regulations, plans, and capacity building are associated with higher depth and scope of adaptation, and thus more transformational adaptation. Capacity building, economic instruments, networks, and information provisioning approaches are more likely to target specific marginalized groups and thus equity challenges. There are many regions and sectors where certain tools are not widely documented (e.g. regulations and plans in Africa and Asia), representing a key research gap.
Natural disasters can lead to large-scale power outages, affecting critical infrastructure and causing social and economic damages. These events are exacerbated by climate change, which increases their frequency and magnitude. Improving power grid resilience can help mitigate the damages caused by these events. Mobile energy storage systems, classified as truck-mounted or towable battery storage systems, have recently been considered to enhance distribution grid resilience by providing localized support to critical loads during an outage. Compared to stationary batteries and other energy storage systems, their mobility provides operational flexibility to support geographically dispersed loads across an outage area. This paper provides a comprehensive and critical review of academic literature on mobile energy storage for power system resilience enhancement. As mobile energy storage is often coupled with mobile emergency generators or electric buses, those technologies are also considered in the review. Allocation of these resources for power grid resilience enhancement requires modeling of both the transportation system constraints and the power grid operational constraints. These aspects are discussed, along with a discussion on the cost–benefit analysis of mobile energy resources. The paper concludes by presenting research gaps, associated challenges, and potential future directions to address these challenges.
Concerns around water security in the United States have heightened the interest in industrial water treatment and reuse to improve water efficiency and operational reliability. Alongside nationwide efforts to expand industrial capacity, primary manufacturing sectors are adopting more resource-efficient technologies. This transition is expected to shift industrial water consumption patterns, driving the need for improved treatment and reuse practices. This study investigates opportunities for water use, treatment, and reuse in the iron and steel sector through a review of academic and industry literature and interviews with industry representatives. It identifies key challenges in water and wastewater management and outlines the conditions under which innovative treatment technologies could be deployed. Based on these insights, the study presents a practical water management action plan. Furthermore, it assesses water quality targets across different process operations, evaluates existing treatment technologies, and highlights challenges and opportunities for improvement relative to future performance expectations. Although water is often perceived as a low-cost commodity, industry feedback suggests that improvements in water use and treatment efficiency are typically prioritized only when they also reduce energy use, carbon emissions, or costs. This study advocates for a direct two-way partnership between industry and research audiences to bring their attention toward sustainable industrial water use, treatment, and reuse.
This report will summarize the group's work to provide recommendations to secure nuclear facilities before, during and after an extreme weather event. Extreme weather events can have drastic impacts to nuclear facilities as seen by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011. Recent hurricanes in the United States including Hurricane Harvey demonstrate the devastating effects these storms can have on infrastructure and the surrounding communities. The group is attempting to identify the gaps that potential small modular reactor (SMR) facilities will need to address in order to provide adequate site security before, during and after extreme weather events. This effort proceeded in three parts to provide insights and recommendations to secure Small Modular Reactor facilities for extreme weather events:(1) a literature review of academic articles as well as relevant documents including the existing regulatory framework and recommendations from the IAEA, NRC, and DOE, (2) subject matter expert interviews from a wide variety of security backgrounds, and (3) modeling and simulation on a hypothetical SMR facility. Special attention was paid to the interactions between stakeholders and nuclear facility design considerations, particularly the topics of safety and security. Engineering design issues from safety and security perspectives were discussed and included in simulation. Each step informed the proceeding, with the result including full tabletop scenarios of EWE impacts to security system effectiveness on the hypothetical model. This systems-level analysis provides results to inform recommendations to secure SMR facilities.
Domestic extremism has been a growing concern in the United States in recent months, as illustrated in multiple bulletins from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warning law enforcement partners of the heightened threat. As concerns about these actors grows, it is important that facilities in the U.S. and internationally that protect critical assets, such as sensitive information, hazardous materials, or critical infrastructure, have effective methods in place to secure those assets. DE has challenged security systems through the threat of insider attack and violence, creating a new threat to be countered in the Office of Radiological Security’s radiological source security mission. In this effort, we used a literature review and focus group discussions with experts in critical asset security and extremism to understand the nature of the domestic extremist threat, to identify best practices in securing assets, recognize potential gaps in security measures to be corrected, and recommend actions and next steps. Twenty-two subject matter experts participated in a series of five focus group sessions. Questions focused on definitions of domestic extremism, potential changes in the threat, best practices in securing facilities, assets, and personnel, and any perceived gaps. Upon completion of the focus groups, notes were analyzed thematically to identify any recurring patterns in the results. In addition, a review of academic, industry, and government literature was conducted to understand the threat, describe the process of radicalization to extremism, and to identify empirically informed practices in prevention and response. Results of this project demonstrated that further work is needed to define domestic extremism in law, regulation, and policy, to help the U.S. develop a consistent response to the threat within organizations. This is especially important, as SMEs emphasized the need for early intervention in prevention efforts, noting that organizations need clear guidance on when and how to intervene. In addition, the need for social media monitoring was discussed, although challenges remain to do so with appropriate respect for privacy and civil liberties concerns.
Advocates for high-performing, energy efficient buildings understand the hurdles to proving the business case to spur development and investment decisions among commercial real estate owners and investors. Although there is significant evidence that green buildings exhibit increased financial performance via decreased operating expenses and non-energy benefits such as workplace comfort and employee productivity, green building practitioners still face an uphill battle when asked to prove the profits, most frequently pointing to rent premium as an indicator to attract investment. This paper documents a recently conducted literature review commissioned by the US Department of Energy (DOE) of 39 peer-reviewed and published academic papers pertaining to green or energy-related building attributes and financial performance. The review (first published here) indicated that 27 papers found a positive correlation between green building certifications and rents. If this is the case, then why are green building development and energy efficiency retrofits not the norm for the industry? This paper first synthesizes the recent literature review to illustrate that the existing body of empirical evidence supports green building investment. Next, it describes a workshop of leading academics in real estate sustainability and finance who met in late 2017 to discuss gaps in green building research and assess data challenges in their fields. Insights synthesized the workshop were used to drive new DOE led research that can provide value and understanding to investors and builders of high performing buildings. Finally, the paper offers insights into why the market is not properly pricing building efficiency, with factors ranging from improper mitigation of risks associated with energy and lack of transparency and responsibility felt by building end users, and what further steps are needed to transform green building investment practices in the commercial real estate industry.
Wireless power transfer is a state-of-the-art technology with the advantage of convenience and flexibility, as well as the capability of enabling fully automated charging. With power transfer levels increasing beyond 100 kW, many technical and risk management challenges emerge. Here, instead of focusing on the progress review of wireless power transfer technology, this paper discusses the future challenges and risks for high power wireless charging for light-duty electric vehicles. Aiming at 200 kW or higher wireless power transfer, we discuss technology and risk management challenges in the area of electromagnetic safety, resonant frequency determination, and cybersecurity risks in detail. As potential solutions to overcome these challenges, the latest technologies with an emphasis on advanced shielding solutions and recent progress on SiC converters from both industrial and academic institutions are reviewed, and some perspectives and propositions are provided.
Purpose: To quantitate financial conflicts of interest (FCOIs) among radiation oncology peer-reviewers, specifically editorial board members of the 3 American Society for Radiation Oncology journals. Methods and Materials: The public Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments database delineates payments in 3 categories (general payments, research funding, and company ownership). After excluding non-US and non-MDs, names of board members were searched. Values of each FCOI were extracted for 2013 to 2015 and compiled. Results: Of 85 board members, 65 (76%) received any form of payment during the overall period. The majority of delivered payments were general payments: 59 (69%) received at least 1 general payment during these 3 years. In each year, 9 board members (11%) received research funding, and 3 board members (4%) reported company ownership. Over the studied period, all board members received a sum total of $5,387,985; this was composed of $665,801 (12%) in general payments, $3,758,968 (70%) in research funding, and $963,216 (18%) in company ownership. The mean general payment and research funding amounts (all members) were $2,621 and $14,741, respectively. Median (interquartile range) general payments and research funding only in board members receiving payments were $419 ($91-$5072) and $56,250 ($13,345-$200,000), respectively. When assessing general payments according to amount, the vast majority of editorial board members received lower-quantity or no such payments, along with a smaller proportion that received higher-volume payments. The most frequent sources of general payments were Varian, Elekta, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Merck and Varian were the most frequent funding sources for research payments. Conclusions: In this population, the majority of FCOIs were general payments, but research funding comprised the highest monetary sums. Large-volume FCOIs do not apply to the vast majority of editorial board members, implying that the maintained integrity of academic peer-review is likely not influenced to a large extent by FCOIs.
Following the 1st release of the "Emerging photovoltaic (PV) reports", the best achievements in the performance of emerging photovoltaic devices in diverse emerging photovoltaic research subjects are summarized, as reported in peer-reviewed articles in academic journals since August 2020. Updated graphs, tables, and analyses are provided with several performance parameters, e.g., power conversion efficiency, open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current density, fill factor, light utilization efficiency, and stability test energy yield. These parameters are presented as a function of the photovoltaic bandgap energy and the average visible transmittance for each technology and application and are put into perspective using, e.g., the detailed balance efficiency limit. The 2nd installment of the "Emerging PV reports" extends the scope toward tandem solar cells and presents the current state-of-the-art in tandem solar cell performance for various material combinations.
Abstract Following the 2nd release of the “Emerging PV reports,” the best achievements in the performance of emerging photovoltaic devices in diverse emerging photovoltaic research subjects are summarized, as reported in peer‐reviewed articles in academic journals since August 2021. Updated graphs, tables, and analyses are provided with several performance parameters, e.g., power conversion efficiency, open‐circuit voltage, short‐circuit current density, fill factor, light utilization efficiency, and stability test energy yield. These parameters are presented as a function of the photovoltaic bandgap energy and the average visible transmittance for each technology and application, and are put into perspective using, e.g., the detailed balance efficiency limit. The 3rd installment of the “Emerging PV reports” extends the scope toward triple junction solar cells.
The global energy sector is undergoing a significant transformation driven by decarbonization and digitalization, leading to the emergence of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) — particularly blockchain — as a promising tool for enhancing transparency, security, and efficiency in modern power systems. This study aims to provide a comprehensive academic and industrial survey of blockchain applications in the energy sector and develop a robust decision-making framework to identify and prioritize the most promising real-world use cases based on multidisciplinary criteria. A three-stage methodology was adopted: (i) a literature and market review encompassing over 300 academic publications and commercial blockchain initiatives in energy, (ii) an in-depth evaluation of the evolution and viability of blockchain initiatives in energy with the help of expert surveys, and (iii) a novel decision-making model using a q-rung orthopair fuzzy Multi-Attributive Border Approximation (q-ROF-MABAC) method under the Einstein operator. The results were compared with existing decision models to validate consistency and robustness. Nine key blockchain use case categories were identified and ranked based on technical, economic, and governance dimensions. The results demonstrated that integrating expert insights into a fuzzy logic framework helps filter out overhyped claims in the literature and prioritize realistic and high-impact applications such as green certificates, grid services, and peer-to-peer energy trading. The model’s rankings remained stable across varying weight configurations, confirming the robustness of the methodology. This study provides an evidence-based decision-support tool for researchers, industry stakeholders, and policymakers to better understand, evaluate, and adopt blockchain technologies in the energy sector.
Abstract We reviewed studies of piscivorous colonial waterbird predation on juvenile salmonids to synthesize current knowledge of factors affecting fish susceptibility to avian predators. Specifically, we examined peer-reviewed publications and reports from academic, governmental, and nongovernmental agencies to identify commonalities and differences in susceptibility of salmonids to avian predation, with a focus on mark–recovery studies in the Columbia River basin. Factors hypothesized to influence salmonid susceptibility to avian predation were grouped into four general categories: (1) salmonid species and populations, (2) environmental factors, (3) prey density, predator density, and migration timing, and (4) prey characteristics. Our review focused on predation by Caspian terns Hydroprogne caspia, double-crested cormorants Nannopterum auritum, and gull species Larus spp. as these are the most well-studied avian predators of salmonids. Results indicated that predator–prey interactions varied across salmonid species and populations and species of avian predator. Inferences across studies supported multiple hypotheses regarding predator–prey dynamics, including environmental factors that influence prey exposure to predators (e.g., river flows, turbidity, alternative prey), variation in predator and prey abundances, predator characteristics (e.g., foraging behavior, colony location), and prey characteristics (e.g., fish length, condition). Mark–recovery studies of avian predation on fish populations have greatly improved our understanding of the factors affecting fish susceptibility to avian predation, the relative contributions of abiotic and biotic factors to predation susceptibility, and the extent to which avian predation affects fish survival and the viability of prey populations. Future studies that jointly model predation and survival and the factors affecting those processes will further broaden our understanding of predator–prey dynamics and directly evaluate the effects of predation on prey population dynamics.
Electrostatic energy storage (EES) capacitors are critical for renewable energy and high-power systems, driving the search for dielectric materials that combine superior electrical insulation, mechanical flexibility, low density, cost-effectiveness, and processability. Polymer-based dielectrics have emerged as leading candidates, particularly for high electric field applications. However, conventional polymers often fail to meet the demands of high-temperature environments due to increased electrical conductivity and reduced discharged energy density at elevated temperatures, resulting in energy loss and reduced performance. High glass transition temperature (T g) polymers show promise but require further optimization to enhance their energy storage capabilities under thermal and electrical stress. This review provides a comprehensive update on recent advancements in high-T g polymer-based dielectrics for EES capacitors, focusing on both intrinsic polymers and all-organic composites. It outlines key design principles, critical performance parameters, and innovative strategies—such as nanofiller doping, layered architectures, physical blending, and chemical crosslinking—to improve electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. The review also highlights emerging trends, including the integration of machine learning algorithms to explore novel polymer structures and expand the chemical design space. By bridging the gap between academic research and industrial application, this review aims to accelerate the development of next-generation dielectric materials capable of balancing multiple performance metrics for high-temperature EES capacitors.
Abstract The global growth of clean energy technology deployment will be followed by parallel growth in end-of-life (EOL) products, bringing both challenges and opportunities. Cumulatively, by 2050, estimates project 78 million tonnes of raw materials embodied in the mass of EOL photovoltaic (PV) modules, 12 billion tonnes of wind turbine blades, and by 2030, 11 million tonnes of lithium-ion batteries. Owing partly to concern that the projected growth of these technologies could become constrained by raw material availability, processes for recycling them at EOL continue to be developed. However, none of these technologies are typically designed with recycling in mind, and all of them present challenges to efficient recycling. This article synthesizes and extends design for recycling (DfR) principles based on a review of published industrial and academic best practices as well as consultation with experts in the field. Specific principles developed herein apply to crystalline-silicon PV modules, batteries like those used in electric vehicles, and wind turbine blades, while a set of broader principles applies to all three of these technologies and potentially others. These principles are meant to be useful for stakeholders—such as research and development managers, analysts, and policymakers—in informing and promoting decisions that facilitate DfR and, ultimately, increase recycling rates as a way to enhance the circularity of the clean energy economy. The article also discusses some commercial implications of DfR. Graphical Abstract