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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 OSTI2025

Building Cybersecurity Educational Materials for Students: The Windfarm Capture-The-Flag Exercise

Securing and protecting critical infrastructure in an increasingly digital world is vital but it is all too often an afterthought. It is especially important that students become aware of internet safety and security at an early age. However, the availability of interactive and educational cybersecurity material targeted toward students is minimal in the United States. Here we show an example of interactive cyber security educational material that an educator can use in their classroom to encourage students to think about the interaction between real-world physical objects, cyber security, and information security. By putting together a “capture-the-flag” exercise, students can see in real time how hackers and cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities and gain access information. The students try to “capture” the “flag” (i.e., information) in the wind farm by looking for oddities in the code or by taking advantage of weaknesses in everyday protocols. Students can also see how cybersecurity interacts with the power grid through the wind farm project scenario and how a hacker could cause serious problems to a critical infrastructure sector. Our goal for the project is getting students interested in cybersecurity and help them develop an awareness of how important having robust security systems is. We also hope that this project demonstrates the importance of introducing these concepts early and inspires others to create similar projects geared toward students.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Experiments and Project-Based Enhancements for STEM Learning

Motivating K-12 students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an effort that requires consistent engagement. Throughout the K-12 student timeline, STEM educators need to continuously pivot their teaching and update their educational materials to motivate the next generation of students. Once students begin their undergraduate education, university professors need to encourage them to consider pursuing graduate studies to ensure that a qualified future workforce can be developed for research and teaching. In this paper, we present our work on developing STEM materials for K-12 student engagement. Our K-12 materials target the grid integration of hydrogen assets that are suitable to engage students in the classroom. Our undergraduate materials target hands-on projects and collaboration with industry to connect classroom learning with real-world applications and needs in renewable energy. Our work leverages available open-source models and tools to create projects for undergraduate students and motivate their interest in pursuing research topics in graduate-level education.

ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Experiments and Project-Based Enhancements for STEM Learning: Preprint

Motivating k-12 students to pick a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an effort that requires consistent attention. At different points in time, STEM educators need to pivot themselves and update educational materials to consistently motivate the next generation of k-12 students to enter into STEM careers. Once they enter undergraduate education, universities need to motivate their undergraduates students to consider graduate studies to ensure qualified human resources can be developed for research, and teaching. We present in this paper, our work on developing STEM materials for k-12 students targeting grid integration of hydrogen assets. This paper also presents our work on leveraging open source distribution system model, digital real time simulation tool to create projects for undergraduate students and motivate their interest in research topics, and enter into graduate level education.

electro-magnetic transients↗
DOE OSTI2025

Educational Consortium for Energy-related Data Science & Computation in Building Engineering Programs

The project spearheaded by Pennsylvania State University aims to address the growing need for integrating energy-focused computation and data science into building engineering education. As the demand for energy-efficient building designs and operations increases, the educational sector must adapt to equip future engineers with the necessary skills. This initiative responds to this need by developing a consortium that unites multiple institutions to enhance curriculum development, dataset curation, and resource sharing, thereby ensuring students are well-prepared for the evolving energy sector. The primary goal of the project is to establish a consortium that will develop and disseminate educational materials and training programs focused on energy-related data science and computation. Key accomplishments include the creation of a beta website for resource sharing, the development of training programs and standalone modules, and the curation of datasets accessible to the public. This effort will culminate in a curriculum that incorporates advanced modeling technologies and data science skills into building engineering programs.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2026

Cross-domain digital twin architecture for predictive maintenance via machine learning and Large Language Models

This research introduces a comprehensive framework for creating and deploying a digital twin platform for continuous monitoring and predictive maintenance within industrial settings. Through utilizing advanced technologies, including Unreal Engine 5, Unity 3D, the Message Queue Telemetry Transport protocol, Random Forest machine learning algorithms, and Large Language Models (LLMs), we establish a platform that digitally reproduces physical equipment and translates digital controls into real-world actions. This facilitates preventive maintenance approaches and improves operational effectiveness. The digital twin platform gathers sensor data from operational equipment, analyzes it using machine learning, and delivers practical insights to prevent potential malfunctions and enhance equipment performance. Furthermore, the incorporation of a web portal enables efficient monitoring and access to historical data, educational materials, and equipment status information. Preliminary findings indicate that digital twins can transform industrial equipment management and maintenance methodologies.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Promoting Physical Activity During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period

Introduction Physical activity is important for improving and maintaining overall health across the life span, including during and after pregnancy. Achieving recommended levels of physical activity can be challenging during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The US Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion sought to promote physical activity during and after pregnancy through the development of health education materials for the Move Your Way campaign. Research was conducted with pregnant and postpartum people to learn what types of messages and materials would encourage physical activity in these populations. Methods Participants were recruited from 3 regions of the United States to participate in 90‐minute virtual focus groups. Eligible participants were aged 18 years or older and either pregnant or 6 weeks to 1 year postpartum. Participants were asked questions about their beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions about physical activity and prompted to provide feedback on health promotion messages and images. Sessions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for key themes. Results Twenty‐four focus groups were conducted with 48 pregnant participants and 52 postpartum participants. Sixteen sessions were conducted in English and 8 were conducted in Spanish. Most participants had questions about how much physical activity is recommended, and many cited their health care provider as a trusted source of information. Participants responded positively to materials that acknowledged the uniqueness of each pregnant or postpartum experience, referenced gradually increasing physical activity levels, highlighted the benefits of physical activity, focused on safety, addressed common barriers, and displayed realistic representations of physical activity. Discussion There is an opportunity to improve messaging about physical activity during and after pregnancy. To better promote physical activity, perinatal health care providers and other health professionals can share information about recommended amounts of physical activity, communicate the benefits, and promote realistic and achievable physical activity messages that address common barriers in these populations.

Nursing↗
DOE OSTI2023

Addressing Regulatory Burdens to Accessing Solar Among Municipal, Commercial and Institutional Customers Through Collaborative Partnerships (Final Technical Report)

The project focused on providing education to large energy customers, with a focus on local governments, to help them better understand and overcome barriers to solar energy adoption that currently exist (or could exist) in utility planning processes and/or within wholesale energy markets. The project team created accessible educational materials — ranging from reports to case studies to webinars — that could connect with stakeholders who rarely engage in these venues, have limited bandwidth to do so, and possess little previous knowledge of these issues. The project team focused on sharing lessons learned and best practices based on the experiences of other local governments and large energy users that have engaged on these issues, including the PJM Cities and Communities Coalition (PJMCCC). The project sought to better connect these customers and other stakeholders to deepen and expand opportunities for them to engage together on these issues, as well as build peer networks to facilitate the exchange of information. The project team held convenings of key partners — such as local governments, developers, regulators, utilities and large solar buyers — to discuss best practices, develop research products to broaden stakeholders’ knowledge base, and to foster these peer networks.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

New Methods for Predicting Non-Born-Oppenheimer Chemistry

Current methods for modeling non-adiabatic molecular dynamics face fundamental limitations when treating geometric phase effects: quantum mechanical phenomena where nuclear wavepackets acquire phase shifts when encircling conical intersections. Existing approaches either neglect these effects entirely or rely on potential energy surfaces arising from the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, which introduce artificial singularities and can overestimate geometric phase contributions. This project developed a new theoretical framework based on exact factorization (XF) methods to overcome these limitations. We derived mathematical formulations for hybrid quantum-classical XF dynamics that selectively treat critical nuclear degrees of freedom quantum mechanically while propagating others classically. This approach addresses the computational intractability that has previously limited exact methods to toy systems. Key innovations include a new approach to systematically identifying nuclear coordinates requiring quantum treatment, as well as novel implementation strategies that interface with existing quantum chemistry codes. The project also developed a proof-of-concept code for treating Jahn-Teller systems and creation of educational materials on non-adiabatic dynamics geared at the graduate level. The theoretical framework developed will enable future systematically improvable calculations of nuclear quantum effects in realistic molecular systems, filling a critical gap in non-adiabatic dynamics methods. This foundation supports future development of predictive tools for designing energy-relevant photochemical processes where quantum coherence effects may be exploited to control reaction outcomes.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
DOE OSTI2026

Alabama Carbon Storage: Data Sharing and Engagement (Final Report)

This report is the final technical report on Alabama Carbon Storage: Data Sharing Engagement (ACS:DSE) project activities. The goals of the ACS:DSE project are to compile geologic, geophysical, infrastructure, and other relevant CCUS datasets for the study area and develop a geologic model of the study area; develop an online platform to serve data to stakeholders; engage with the public, students, and industry to educate them about CCUS and the data platform; and ensure energy and environmental justice is central to all aspects of the project. Datasets compiled and expanded include formation depths and elevations, digital geophysical well logs, reservoir properties, geologic structures, and geologic models. The geologic data were used to create a three-dimensional geologic model, structure grids, structure contour maps, and fault trace maps. In addition to downloadable datasets, links to CCUS relevant regulatory agencies (e.g., OGB, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) and sources for infrastructure and educational information were included on the website Educational materials on CCUS for use by K-12 teachers were produced as part of the ACS:DSE project.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2023

Geothermal Energy Stack-It

The Geothermal Energy Stack-It is an educational tool that can be used to describe how geothermal power plants work. Each square is numbered with a different layer of technology. Cut out each square and place them into the stacking correct order, starting with 1 and ending with 6 to see how each part comes together to form the geothermal power plant and power up homes and businesses!

educational materials↗
DOE OSTI2025

Education for PV Modeling Professionals: Observations from the 2025 PVPMC Workshop

We surveyed professionals in the photovoltaic industry to understand interests in education and training for performance modeling of solar power systems. We found that most professionals are self-taught and rely on a variety of public sources of technical materials. Available formal education, such as courses or certification programs, either lacks detail or is focused on software user training. Responses indicate several opportunities to create public resources that would benefit professional learning for solar power system modeling: • Create a glossary of terms and common variable names. • Develop guidance on uncertainty analysis in the context of solar power systems modeling. • Assemble a catalog of available educational materials and data sources.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Outreach_and_Workforce_Development_Bioproduct_Activity_Kits

The Center for Bioenergy Innovation Outreach and Workforce Development Bioproduct Activity Kits includes gackground, materials, and other information for 5 different hands-on activities that can be used in outreach events with the public to cultivate interest and knowledge in biomass- and bioproduct-related scientific concepts used in CBI. The main document includes suggestions for kit materials, talking points, documentation that can be displayed or printed; and supplementary files include the board game and cards that can be printed for use. The kits are designed for various age groups and can be adapted for different needs, audiences, and standards.

bioenergy↗
DOE OSTI2026

Designing and Utilizing Material Acceleration Platforms: Need for Workforce Development

In the quest to accelerate scientific discovery, the materials science field is rapidly moving toward the implementation of robotics and artificial intelligence driven workflows. Our recent summer school “Future Labs: Robotic Synthesis Coupled with Machine Learning for Energy Materials” provided learning opportunities for students, researchers, and educators in the materials science community. We describe this experience and provide our perspective on which new directions could be pursued to enable the future workforce to acquire cross-disciplinary skills.

Educational policy↗
DOE OSTI2025

Intelligent Manufacturing Support: Specialized LLMs for Composite Material Processing and Equipment Operation

Engineering educational curriculum and standards cover many material and manufacturing options. However, engineers and designers are often unfamiliar with certain composite materials or manufacturing techniques. Large language models (LLMs) could potentially bridge the gap. Their capacity to store and retrieve data from large databases provides them with a breadth of knowledge across disciplines. However, their generalized knowledge base can lack targeted, industry-specific knowledge. To this end, we present two LLM-based applications based on the GPT-4 architecture: (1) The Composites Guide: a system that provides expert knowledge on composites material and connects users with research and industry professionals who can provide additional support and (2) The Equipment Assistant: a system that provides guidance for manufacturing tool operation and material characterization. By combining the knowledge of general AI models with industry-specific knowledge, both applications are intended to provide more meaningful information for engineers. In this paper, we discuss the development of the applications and evaluate it through a benchmark and two informal user studies. The benchmark analysis uses the Rouge and Bertscore metrics to evaluate our models’ performance against GPT-4o. The results show that GPT-4o and the proposed models perform similarly or better on the ROUGE and BERTScore metrics. The two user studies supplement this quantitative evaluation by asking experts to provide qualitative and open-ended feedback about our model’s performance on a set of domain-specific questions. The results of both studies highlight a potential for more detailed and specific responses with the Composites Guide and the Equipment Assistant.

Kapoor, Gunnika [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (OR↗
DOE OSTI2024

Education and Workforce Development for Critical Minerals and Materials Supply Chains (Workshop Report)

The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) aims to improve the efficiency, productivity, environmental impact, and competitiveness of the manufacturing sector. Education and workforce development (EWD) efforts are essential for AMMTO to achieve these goals, and for this reason the current and future EWD landscape in the critical minerals and materials (CMM) sector requires renewed attention.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2026

An Educational Program on Concentrated Solar Power and Heliostats for Power Generation and Industrial Processes

The objective of this project was to design and implement a comprehensive educational and applied research program in Concentrated Solar Thermal Power (CSTP) and heliostat technologies at Northeastern University. In alignment with the U.S. Department of Energy's Heliostat Consortium (HelioCon) goals, the project aimed to expand student and public understanding of CSTP systems while simultaneously contributing to workforce development and the broader decarbonization strategy. A particular emphasis was placed on integrating hands-on student design projects and publicly disseminating educational content relevant to CSTP systems. The project addressed a critical gap in renewable energy education: CSTP and heliostats, despite their importance in utility-scale solar energy, are rarely included in standard mechanical engineering programs. This project established new pathways for students to engage with the topic through the creation of a 4-credit graduate/senior elective course, development of five industry-facing short courses, and the inclusion of CSTP-based capstone design projects. Over two academic years, 36 students across six senior design teams developed and tested technologies such as deformable heliostats, beacon-based tracking systems, and solar-powered pyrolizers for biomass-to-biochar conversion. Concurrently, 30 undergraduate and graduate students were enrolled in the new academic course centered around CSTP principles. To ensure the relevance and accessibility of the short course content, the project team engaged with industry professionals, technical policy stakeholders, and potential course participants through structured surveys and informal consultations. Feedback from 28 respondents guided the structure, length, and delivery format of the courses - resulting in a modular design broken into five workshops. The feedback emphasized the need for flexible, asynchronous delivery and practical case studies, particularly in areas such as heliostat control, thermal storage, and solar fuel production. This engagement helped align the courses with the evolving knowledge demands of the renewable energy workforce and ensured that participants from both technical and policy backgrounds could meaningfully benefit from the material. The research and educational activities advanced the understanding of heliostat control systems, optical performance under misalignment, and thermal system integration in solar-driven pyrolysis applications. Methods and designs explored in this project proved to be both technically effective and economically feasible at the lab scale. Prototypes were constructed using commercially available components and custom-fabricated elements, demonstrating that meaningful performance improvements can be achieved with modest material and fabrication costs, supporting the feasibility of student-led research in this field. The public benefit of this project is twofold. First, it cultivates a pipeline of engineers trained to be familiar with CSTP principles, an essential workforce need identified by the Department of Energy for achieving its 2030 cost and deployment targets. Second, it contributes openly accessible educational materials, course content, and experimental frameworks to the broader community, enabling other institutions to adopt or adapt similar programming. Through outreach activities, curriculum integration, and technical exposure, this project contributes to a more informed and capable renewable energy workforce while supporting innovation in heliostat and CSTP system design. A new technical report is being prepared to document the development of the course and its outcomes, with plans to publish it in the ASME Open Access Journal of Engineering to ensure global accessibility, free of cost.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Securing Solar for the Grid (S2G) (Final Project Report) [Slides]

This is the final technical report for the SETO-funded project Securing Solar for the Grid (S2G) from FY22-24. The project scope included development and dissemination of standards' requirements, best practices, equipment testing procedures, assessment tools, as well as education and training materials for cyber defense, posture and maturity tailored to solar technologies. The outcomes for this work include: co-led the development of cybersecurity certification standard (UL2941), co-led the development of cybersecurity guide (IEEE1547.3), development of recommendations for supply chain cybersecurity, and development of cybersecurity risk profiles and recommendations for DERMS.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗