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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 OSTI2022

Alternative Technologies Meta Study Report

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) was tasked to conduct a meta-study to assess peer-reviewed published, in-vivo murine, radiation biology studies that utilize X-ray irradiators. The study is intended to support a more general effort to facilitate the adoption of X-ray technologies to identify best practices that can be implemented by potential adopters, or those who are still unfamiliar with X-ray technology. The meta-study identified over 450 published papers in the last four years (September 2017 through August 2021). The review builds upon the more extensive meta-study published by the Draeger Report (June 2019) and facilitates a more recent assessment of methodological practices in the use of X-ray irradiators.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
DOE OSTI2022

Alternative Technologies Adopters Outreach Survey Report

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), in collaboration with Ioanna Iliopulos and Christopher Boyd (independent contractors), conducted quantitative and qualitative surveys to document views and opinions of scientists and researchers with firsthand experience operating x-ray devices for a wide range of research applications. The goal of the study was to fill critical information gaps and identify misconceptions widely held among the research community regarding the transition from Cesium-137 irradiators to x-ray devices. The survey instrument focused on three distinct yet interrelated areas that impact users' experience: operational impacts, including infrastructure needs, workflow, personnel management, and training, and regulatory compliance; research design and investigation impacts, including calibration, dosimetry, continuity of previous studies, development of new research agendas, and the outcomes for both; and funding impacts, specifically how grant sources and opportunities have responded to the transition.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

A model for selecting the best sustainable airport technology alternatives

Air transport is a continually expanding industry, a fact that has become even more evident with the recovery of the aviation industry post-COVID-19. This expansion amplified energy consumption at airports, which was already significantly high. Airport decision-makers are increasingly focusing on improving sustainability and addressing social, economic, and environmental criteria across airports worldwide. In this article, we propose a decision-making model for identifying a sustainable airport technology solution that minimizes the energy consumption of airport lighting while considering economic, emission, and life-cycle criteria. The proposed model combines data envelopment analysis and multi-criteria decision making techniques. We applied the model to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) as a case study, considering eight lighting technology solutions, each with five luminous flux alternatives. Our model identified the best lighting technology solution for DFW outdoor and indoor environments based on the following criteria: luminous flux, capital costs, life-cycle costs, energy consumption, and emissions (CO2e, NOx, SO2, and PM2.5). The designed model is customizable to any airport and is applicable to a wide range of airport lighting technologies. In our analysis, Light-Emitting Diode lighting emerged as the most sustainable technology option. It ranked first in most cases due to its balance of high efficacy, long lifespan, low life-cycle cost, low capital cost, and lower emissions across all pollutants.

Tchivwila, Moise B↗
DOE OSTI2025

Supply Chain Energy and Greenhouse Gas Analysis Using the Materials Flows Through Industry (MFI) Tool: Examination of Alternative Technology Scenarios for the U.S. Chemical Sector

Chemical manufacturing is a large and diverse sector of the U.S. economy, with products, fuels, and a wide assortment of materials used daily by both the public and businesses. Currently, several of the largest volume chemicals produced in the United States rely on fossil fuels as a feedstock, energy source, or both. The list of chemicals includes steam cracking products such as ethylene, propylene, benzene, and xylenes as well as products such as ammonia and methanol. The focus for this work is on platform chemicals that are both produced in the largest volume and have a high potential for subsequent processing into more specialized products. In this study, we explore several new pathways that reduce the overall energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for each product. These pathways include energy efficiency measures applied to existing production methods, the use of bio‐based fuels and/or feedstocks as new production methods, and electrification of high‐energy‐input stages within current production methods. Scenarios for energy demand and GHG reduction were conducted with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Materials Flows through Industry tool. Projections of the energy demand and GHG emissions in 2030 and 2050 are included, using grid composition projections from the NREL ReEDS model. The alternative scenarios selected showcase the effect of realistic changes the industry could make, focusing on technologies with a high level of technical readiness.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Seismic Resilience of Large Power Transformer Bushings & Non-SF6 Industrial Base Scan Review

Large (high voltage) power transformers (LPT), and more specifically, their bushings, are known to be susceptible to seismic failure. With bushing failure, a transformer will have to be replaced, which has a considerable lead time, adding to the power outage duration. Cost-efficient, proven solutions are not currently available to mitigate this risk, which can persist for the more than 30-year life of a particular transformer. This work will focus on developing and demonstrating a hardware solution to address seismic vulnerabilities and reduce outage risks from LPT failure. Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) is a specialty gas with excellent electrical insulation properties which has been used extensively in the power industry. This gas is unfortunately also one of the most potent greenhouse gases known to humanity. A 2014 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that SF6 has a global warming potential (GWP) 23,000 times higher than Carbon Dioxide, and has the highest GWP of all gases assessed (Myhre 2013). SF6 is almost exclusively man-made and is produced for use as an insulator in high voltage electrical equipment. This makes the production and use of SF6 one of the leading sources of anthropogenic climate change. To fully eliminate the environmental impacts of SF6, alternative technology is needed. The ideal replacement would be a technology that can fulfil the same role as SF6, at the same cost or cheaper, but without adverse environmental effects. Currently, no technology fits this description, however several promising technologies have begun to enter the market. An industry scan was performed to assess the state of industry adoption and manufacturing capability for SF6-free alternative technologies for use at the high-voltage level, and the primary barriers to broader adoption.

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Investigation of Ammonia Carrier Materials for Next Generation Ammonia Dosing System - CRADA 334 (Abstract)

Lean-burn gasoline and diesel engines can offer substantially higher fuel efficiency, good driving performance, and reduced carbon dioxide emission compared to stoichiometric gasoline engines. Various catalyst technologies have been developed to remove the pollutants from these engines. For example, a three-way catalyst (TWC) is used to remove hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from gasoline engines during the stoichiometric conditions. During the lean-burn conditions, a TWC or a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) is used to control HC and CO emissions. NOx is removed by either lean NOx trap catalyst (LNT) that can store NOx under lean conditions and reduce NOx under rich conditions, or selective catalytic reduction catalyst (SCR) that can selectively remove NOx with a reducing agent. Among the NOx reduction catalyst technologies, SCR offers a number of advantages, including excellent NOx reduction efficiency over a wide range of temperatures and overall lower system cost. In fact, the SCR technology using ammonia (NH3) as reductant has been proven effective and used commercially for the removal of NOx emissions from stationary sources since the 1970s. Currently, SCR is being used to meet the NOx emission standards for diesel engines in Europe and North America, and also being considered for meeting the future NOx emission standards for lean-burn gasoline engines. Because of the challenges associated with storage, handling and transportation of ammonia on a vehicle, aqueous urea solution (e.g., Diesel Exhaust Fluid, AdBlue) has been developed as ammonia storage compound for mobile applications. When the aqueous urea solution is sprayed into exhaust gas stream, urea is decomposed to release ammonia, which then reduces NOx over the downstream SCR catalyst. Although aqueous urea solution technology has enabled automakers and engine manufacturers to meet the current NOx emission standards, this process of releasing ammonia requires a hot exhaust gas and sufficient mixing, creating challenges for low temperature NOx emission control and aftertreatment system packaging. For these reasons, alternative technologies have been developed as ammonia sources (e.g., solid urea, ammonium carbamate, metal ammine chloride) during the past few years. These technologies promise more convenient handling and distribution of ammonia sources, and help maximize the low-temperature performance of SCR catalysts and reduce the overall system volume and weight. However, none of these alternative technologies can be successfully implemented without the industry consensus. Therefore, the USCAR SCR work group, which is comprised of representatives from GM, Ford, and Chrysler, has decided to investigate the potential alternative ammonia carriers, define common standard vehicle interfaces, and address personal and environmental safety concerns with part suppliers and chemical companies. Under this CRADA Project, USCAR and Battelle will investigate alternative ammonia carrier materials that are currently under development. Based on the data and information derived under the CRADA project, the USCAR SCR work group plans to build the consensus and make recommendations for the industry.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

Investigation of Ammonia Carrier Materials for Next Generation Ammonia Dosing System - CRADA 334 (Abstract)

Lean-burn gasoline and diesel engines can offer substantially higher fuel efficiency, good driving performance, and reduced carbon dioxide emission compared to stoichiometric gasoline engines. Various catalyst technologies have been developed to remove the pollutants from these engines. For example, a three-way catalyst (TWC) is used to remove hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from gasoline engines during the stoichiometric conditions. During the lean-burn conditions, a TWC or a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) is used to control HC and CO emissions. NOx is removed by either lean NOx trap catalyst (LNT) that can store NOx under lean conditions and reduce NOx under rich conditions, or selective catalytic reduction catalyst (SCR) that can selectively remove NOx with a reducing agent. Among the NOx reduction catalyst technologies, SCR offers a number of advantages, including excellent NOx reduction efficiency over a wide range of temperatures and overall lower system cost. In fact, the SCR technology using ammonia (NH3) as reductant has been proven effective and used commercially for the removal of NOx emissions from stationary sources since the 1970s. Currently, SCR is being used to meet the NOx emission standards for diesel engines in Europe and North America, and also being considered for meeting the future NOx emission standards for lean-burn gasoline engines. Because of the challenges associated with storage, handling and transportation of ammonia on a vehicle, aqueous urea solution (e.g., Diesel Exhaust Fluid, AdBlue) has been developed as ammonia storage compound for mobile applications. When the aqueous urea solution is sprayed into exhaust gas stream, urea is decomposed to release ammonia, which then reduces NOx over the downstream SCR catalyst. Although aqueous urea solution technology has enabled automakers and engine manufacturers to meet the current NOx emission standards, this process of releasing ammonia requires a hot exhaust gas and sufficient mixing, creating challenges for low temperature NOx emission control and aftertreatment system packaging. For these reasons, alternative technologies have been developed as ammonia sources (e.g., solid urea, ammonium carbamate, metal ammine chloride) during the past few years. These technologies promise more convenient handling and distribution of ammonia sources, and help maximize the low-temperature performance of SCR catalysts and reduce the overall system volume and weight. However, none of these alternative technologies can be successfully implemented without the industry consensus. Therefore, the USCAR SCR work group, which is comprised of representatives from GM, Ford, and Chrysler, has decided to investigate the potential alternative ammonia carriers, define common standard vehicle interfaces, and address personal and environmental safety concerns with part suppliers and chemical companies. Under this CRADA Project, USCAR and Battelle will investigate alternative ammonia carrier materials that are currently under development. Based on the data and information derived under the CRADA project, the USCAR SCR work group plans to build the consensus and make recommendations for the industry.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

Industry Scan of Non-SF6 Gas-Insulated Technologies

Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF 6 ) is a specialty gas with excellent electrical insulation properties which has been used extensively in the power industry. This gas is unfortunately also one of the most potent greenhouse gases known to humanity. A 2014 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that SF 6 has a global warming potential (GWP) 23,000 times higher than Carbon Dioxide, and has the highest GWP of all gases assessed (Myhre 2013). SF 6 is almost exclusively man-made and is produced for use as an insulator in high voltage electrical equipment. This makes the production and use of SF 6 one of the leading sources of anthropogenic climate change. Since SF 6 recognition as a significant contributor to climate change, most governments and organizations have sought ways to reduce or eliminate their use of this gas. Many utilities have initiated leak monitoring and repair programs which have significantly reduced emissions of this gas into the atmosphere. While leak reduction programs have been effective at reducing emission rates in the developed world, leak rates remain frozen at ~1% annually. However, one of the largest and fastest growing markets for this gas is in the developing world where emissions standards are often lacking (P&S Intelligence. 2023). To fully eliminate the environmental impacts of SF 6 , alternative technology is needed. The ideal replacement would be a technology that can fulfil the same role as SF 6 , at the same cost or cheaper, but without adverse environmental effects. Currently, no technology fits this description, however several promising technologies have begun to enter the market. This report was commissioned by the United States Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity under the Transformer Resilience and Advanced Components (TRAC) program to assess the state of industry adoption and manufacturing capability for SF 6 -free alternative technologies for use at the high-voltage level, and the primary barriers to broader adoption. While this report is tailored to the United States, the findings should be relevant to all stakeholders seeking to reduce SF 6 emissions.

24 - POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Recent Progress in Cathode Materials for Sodium-Metal Halide Batteries

Transitioning from fossil-fuels to renewable energy sources is a critical goal of greenhouse gas re-duction and climate control. Major improvements have made wind and solar power increasingly cost-competitive with fossil fuels. However, the inherent intermittency of renewable power sources such motivates pairing these resources with energy storage. Electrochemical energy storage in batteries is widely used in many fields and increasingly for grid-level storage, but current battery technologies still fall short of performance, safety, and cost. This review focuses on sodium metal halide (Na-MH) batteries, such as well-known Na-NiCl2 batteries, as a promising solution to safe and economical grid-level energy storage. Important features of conventional Na-MH batteries are discussed, and recent literature on the development of intermediate temperature, low-cost cathodes for Na-MH batteries is highlighted. By employing lower cost metal halides (e.g. FeCl2, ZnCl2, and CuCl2, etc.) in the cathode and operating at lower temperatures (e.g. 190 °C vs. 280 °C), new Na-MH batteries have the potential to offer comparable performance at much lower overall costs, providing an exciting alternative technology to enable widespread adoption of renewables plus storage for the grid.

Zhan, Xiaowen↗
DOE OSTI2021

Capacity Investment under Bayesian Information Updates at Reporting Periods: Model and Application

We consider capacity addition decisions by a new product manufacturer faced with uncertain technology alternatives. The manufacturing capacity addition and technology development occurs in parallel, with preliminary results from a technology project's success providing valuable information to the manufacturer in adding capacity. We solve a stochastic dynamic program with Bayesian updates to obtain the manufacturer's expected profit‐maximizing capacity investment decision. Our model and applications are motivated by the Critical Materials Institute (CMI) (funded by the Department of Energy), which manages research projects focused on mitigating critical material constraints, vital to renewable energy technologies such as direct‐drive wind turbines, electric vehicles, and energy‐efficient lighting. We capture three unique aspects of the problem: first, the learning from project progress depends on task‐based stochastic outcomes and a project's percent‐done. Second, the underlying technology's profitability is based on a model of competition. Third, we evaluate the impact of progress across a portfolio of projects based on a manufacturer's capacity addition. We develop a heuristic that produces results that are close to optimal and can thus be used for large problem sizes. The managerial insights from an application of our model to CMI projects include: (i) technology projects that report the percent‐done of a project earlier increase expected manufacturer profit; (ii) careful choice of “safe bets,” that is, technologies with low profitability but a high probability of success, can increase expected manufacturer profit; (iii) a portfolio of projects can increase profits significantly over separate project evaluation; and (iv) dynamic management of project resources can increase overall profit.

Vedantam, Aditya↗
DOE OSTI2022

High-Field Design Concept for Second Interaction Region of the Electron-Ion Collider

Efficient realization of the scientific potential of the Electron Ion Collider (EIC) calls for addition of a future second Interaction Region (2nd IR) and a detector in the RHIC IR8 region after the EIC project completion. The second IR and detector are needed to independently cross-check the results of the first detector, and to provide measurements with complementary acceptance. The available space in the existing RHIC IR8 and maximum fields achievable with NbTi superconducting magnet technology impose constraints on the 2nd IR performance. Since commissioning of the 2nd IR is envisioned in a few years after the first IR, such a long time frame allows for more R&D on the Nb₃Sn magnet technology. Thus, it could provide a potential alternative technology choice for the 2nd IR magnets. Presently, we are exploring its potential benefits for the 2nd IR performance, such as improvement of the luminosity and acceptance, and are also assessing the technical risks associated with use of Nb₃Sn magnets. In this paper, we present the current progress of this work.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Substitution of virgin carbon fiber with low-cost recycled fiber in automotive grade injection molding polyamide 66 for equivalent composite mechanical performance with improved sustainability

Recycled carbon fiber has historically proven challenging to integrate into composite manufacturing due in no small part to the low-density, randomly oriented, discontinuous fiber format that results from typical recycling. Discontinuous fiber requires the use of alternative technologies than those traditionally applied to continuous fiber (e.g., hand lay-up, winding). Extrusion compounding is one such applicable technology, but material transfer into the system requires alternative feeding equipment or the use of an altered procedure as trialed in this research. In this study, an injection molding compound for automotive applications was prepared with recycled carbon fiber and compared against an existing commercial compound. Input fibers and molded compound were evaluated for mechanical performance, while relevant variables such as compounded fiber alignment and aspect ratio were compared to the existing baseline material to confirm a like-for-like composite material structure. Overall, analysis indicates that recycled fiber performs similarly to virgin fiber reinforcement, demonstrating that recycled fiber may be a viable drop-in replacement for short-fiber discontinuous applications.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Demonstration of a Continuous Motion Direct Air Capture System

Global Thermostat (GT) has developed a process that addresses the primary technical challenges associated with direct air capture (DAC): the ability to process enormous volumetric flowrates of air and provide the energy for regeneration at acceptable cost. However, at current, there is opportunity for improvement in overall capture costs and especially in capital costs. While GT has advanced its base technology to TRL levels supporting commercial deployments, its research strategy includes alternative technology embodiments that enable substantial reductions in the cost per tonne of CO 2 removed. The objective of this project is to advance the most promising of these embodiments, where a DAC plant is operated in a continuous fashion rather than a discrete stepwise fashion (GT’s commercial scale technology approach). The Continuous Motion Direct Air Capture (cDAC) System’s advantages over the GT baseline stepwise DAC platform have been proposed primarily as a reduction in the complexity required for starting and stopping a movement system, relaxing requirements for other components designed for a rapid switching application, and a flattening of the sharp instantaneous fluid flowrates into steady-state mass & energy flows to enable smoother operation and easier heat integration. These advantages can lead to shorter cycle times, greater plant reliability, and lower capital expense. The primary objective of this project is the design, construction, commissioning, and operation of a field-test unit (FTU) at a scale in the range of ~200 tons CO 2 per year. Data generated from the operation campaign would then be used in a prescreening techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle analysis (LCA), allowing this process to be compared to other carbon capture technologies.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

To grind or not to grind? The influence of mechanical and thermal treatments on the $\mathrm{Cu/Zn}$ disorder in $\mathrm{Cu}$ 2 $\mathrm{ZnSn}$($\mathrm{S}$ x $\mathrm{Se}$ 1-x ) 4 monograins

We report that Kesterite-type based thin film solar cell technologies are mainly based on polycrystalline absorber layers. A promising low cost alternative technology uses Cu 2 ZnSn(S x Se 1-x ) 4 (CZTSSe) monograins (single crystals of 20–100 μm size) which are fixed in a polymer matrix to form a flexible solar cell. The Cu/Zn disorder is discussed as a possible reason for band tailing causing voltage losses limiting the efficiency of CZTSSe-based devices. The experimental determination of the order parameter Q which is a quantitative measure of Cu/Zn disorder, requires a differentiation between the isoelectronic cations Cu + and Zn 2+ . An in-depth analysis of neutron diffraction data allows the determination of type and concentration of intrinsic point defects including a distinction between Cu and Zn. Neutron diffraction requires large sample volumes, thus monograins offer the unique possibility to correlate structural disorder in CZTSSe with device performance parameters. In this study we tackle the influence of grinding the monograins on stoichiometry deviations, the Cu/Zn disorder as well as intrinsic point defects and optoelectronic properties of CZTSSe monograins. Moreover, an easy methodology based on Raman scattering spectroscopy is proposed for the assessment of Cu/Zn disorder in the CZTSSe compounds.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Hydrogen Energy Storage Integrated with a Combined Cycle Plant

A project is being developed that will build upon the existing infrastructure and resources at the Intermountain Power Project (IPP) site to provide reliable, dispatchable energy and to support the transmission of renewable energy resources while transitioning to an economical green energy future. The concept study depicted in this report outlines a techno-economic optimization to fulfill the demand for 30% vol hydrogen co-firing in the IPP 840 MW advanced class combined cycle power plant. In an initial step, a site assessment concluded the site has sufficient land available to co-locate a hydrogen production and storage facility. The team evaluated and defined a scalable concept that considered technology characteristics, including input and output models to be used for optimization purposes. The concept for the hydrogen production and storage system integrates multiple technologies, to determine system size and scalable approach, for each of the technologies evaluated, the team defined component and subcomponent sizes, minimum and maximum capacity, modularity, component utility consumption (electric, water), component flexibility and servicing, layout, and technology status, as well as technology alternatives. For hydrogen generation, the project considers Siemens Energy’s Silyzer-300 (S300) technology, a 17.5 MW modular Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer. For the S300 configuration, the team determined that three S300 arrays, or approximately 1,000 kg/hr, per block would yield a compact block design. This configuration results in a fairly wide and flexible arrangement that fits well into the spaces available at the site. Therefore, the overall design approach is based on multiple identical blocks of 3 arrays to minimize engineering cost and optimize constructability. In parallel, a transmission screening study was conducted to determine any potential transmission constraints from the energy sources that could feed the hydrogen production equipment. The study results show that minimum transmission constraints would be encountered to deliver 400 MW renewable generation from southern California, or south-central Wyoming. At last, the techno-economic analysis concluded that a scenario that uses solar and wind power yields the lowest levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH 2 ) production and the lowest cost per tonne of CO 2 reduced. In this optimized scenario, the hydrogen production plant was determined as 6,201 kg/hr and the hydrogen storage (underground cavern) was determined as 4,600 tonnes. The resulting capacity factor for the hydrogen production plant was 66.33% with 8,745 operating hours in one year. This techno-economic analysis provided various options for integrating hydrogen storage at the Intermountain Power Plant site to co-fire the CCPP units. The results provide insightful data about the magnitude of capacity needed and the economics of producing hydrogen and reducing CO 2 emissions.

08 HYDROGEN↗