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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Flexible Grid-Based Electrolysis Hydrogen Production for Fuel Cell Vehicles Reduces Costs and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) have been proposed as an option for lowering carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and pollutants emissions from the transportation sector, when implemented in combination with green hydrogen production methods such as water electrolysis powered by renewable electricity. FCEVs also have the added advantages of high specific energy density and rapid refueling, two important challenges that battery electric vehicles have not yet fully overcome. Moreover, flexible operation of electrolysis could support the grid and lower electricity costs. In this paper, we simulate time-varying FCEV hydrogen refueling demand for light, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles met using electrolysis systems distributed throughout the Western U.S. power system. We find that by oversizing electrolyzers the resulting load flexibility results in different hydrogen generation temporal profiles, average electricity costs, renewable curtailment levels, and CO2 emissions. Our results indicate that increasing hydrogen production flexibility lowers hydrogen and electricity generation cost and CO 2 emissions, but there is a tradeoff between lowering operational cost and increasing electrolyzer capital cost, yielding a minimum total system cost at a size corresponding to between 80% and 90% annual capacity factor assuming a future electrolyzer cost of $300/kW.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Clean Energy Transition for Transportation Systems: Modeling Implications

Transportation is currently the least-diversified energy demand sector, with over 90% of energy use coming from petroleum. As a result, transportation recently became the largest source of GHG emissions in the U.S. and mobility needs for passenger and freight are growing rapidly. However, after over a century of petroleum dominance, new disruptive technologies and business models offer a pathway to decarbonize the sector. Transportation is at a turning point. On the horizon lies a future where affordable and abundant renewable electricity can be used to power cost-competitive battery electric vehicles (EVs) and produce energy-dense low-carbon fuels enabling to fully decarbonize transportation systems across all modes. Exploring the clean energy transition for the multitude of different transportation systems requires new analytical modeling and approaches. This talk reviewed current work at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to develop and use innovative tools and analytics approaches to inform the transformation to a sustainable mobility future and the integration of transportation systems with the broader energy sector.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Midwest Regional Carbon Conversion/Utilization Procurement Grant Workshop

https://events.usea.org/events/midwest-regional-carbon-conversionutilization-procurement-grant-workshop As the U.S. economy moves toward clean energy and a lower carbon future, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking to partner with states, communities, and industries to support the procurement and development of carbon conversion products. These efforts have been enabled by provisions included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). As part of the BIL, supporting the Administration’s goal to achieve a carbon-free power sector by 2035 and putting the United States on a path to a net-zero economy by 2050, a new initiative was established within DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management through its Carbon Conversion/Utilization Program. The new initiative will establish a demonstration grant program to issue grants to eligible entities to procure commercial and industrial products derived from the conversion of anthropogenic carbon oxides and demonstrate a significant net reduction in life cycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to incumbent technologies, processes, and products. DOE-FECM will establish a demonstration grant program within the Carbon Conversion/Utilization Program to support eligible applicants that procure those commercial and industrial products derived from anthropogenic carbon oxides. Therefore, the Carbon Conversion/Utilization Program, with the assistance of the United States Energy Association (USEA), will conduct a series of workshops (both virtual and in-person) with relevant stakeholders, e.g., product manufacturers, eligible entities, or their representative national organizations (e.g., United States Conference of Mayors, etc.) to solicit input and ideas on challenges and opportunities for a potential grant program.

Larimore, Ryan↗
NASA NTRS1981

International space technical applications; Proceedings of the Nineteenth Goddard Memorial Symposium, Arlington, VA, March 26, 27, 1981

Topics discussed include industry in space, international Landsat programs, communications, weather and climate, space-based earth science applications, and space-based manufacturing and power generation. Papers are presented on space transportation in the private sector, the role of satellite remote sensing in climatology during the next 20 years, magnetic space-based field measurements, and energy for space applications. An assessment of domestic satellite communication technology is given, as is a forecast of the demand and capacity of U.S. domestic communications satellites.

Adelman, A.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Projecting Future Energy Production from Operating Wind Farms in North America. Part II: Statistical Downscaling

Abstract Capacity factors (CFs) derived from daily expected power at 22 operating wind farms in different regions of North America are used as predictands to train statistical downscaling algorithms using output from ERA5. The statistical downscaling models are then used to make CF projections for a suite of CMIP6 Earth System Models (ESMs). Downscaling is performed using a hybrid statistical approach that employs synoptic types derived using k -means clustering applied to sea level pressure fields with variance corrections applied as a function of the pressure gradient intensity. ESMs exhibit marked variability in terms of the skill with which the frequency of synoptic types and pressure gradients are reproduced relative to ERA5, and that differential skill is used to infer differential credibility in the associated CF projections. Projections of median annual mean CF [P50(CF)] in each 20-yr period from 1980 to 2099 show evidence of declines at most wind farms except in parts of the southern Great Plains, although the magnitude of the changes is strongly dependent on the ESM. For example, P50(CF) in 2080–99 deviate from those in 1980–99 by from −3.1 to +0.2 percentage points in the Northeast. The largest-magnitude declines in P50(CF) ranging from −3.9 to −2 percentage points are projected for the southern West Coast. CF trends exhibit marked seasonality and are strongly linked to changes in the relative intensity of future synoptic patterns, with much less impact from shifts in the occurrence of synoptic types over time. Internal climate modes continue to play a significant role in inducing interannual variability in wind power production, even under high radiative forcing scenarios. Significance Statement We describe how future climate changes may affect wind resources and wind power generation. Near-term changes in projected wind power electricity generation potential at operating wind farms over North America are small, but by the end of the current century electricity production is projected to decrease in many areas but may increase in parts of the southern Great Plains. The amount of change in projected wind power production is a strong function of the Earth system model that is downscaled and also depends on the continued presence of internally forced climate variability. An additional dependence on the amount of greenhouse gas–induced global warming indicates the transition of the energy sector to low-carbon sources may assist in maintaining the abundant U.S. wind resource.

Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences↗
DOE OSTI2025

Navigating Integration: Key Challenges for Data Centers, Nuclear Stakeholders, and Utility Operators

he exponential growth of data centers—driven by artificial intelligence and cloud computing—is reshaping the U.S. energy landscape, presenting urgent challenges and transformative opportunities for data center developers, nuclear energy providers, and utility operators. As data centers are projected to consume up to 12% of U.S. electricity by 2028, stakeholders must address rapid deployment needs, grid congestion, and the demand for reliable, high-quality power. This presentation explores the multifaceted barriers to integrating data centers with nuclear and utility infrastructure, including land use constraints, public perception, regulatory complexity, and workforce alignment. It highlights the distinct priorities and operational cultures of each sector, and the friction that arises from misaligned planning horizons and risk tolerances. We examine collaborative strategies such as co-siting, hybrid power-purchase agreements, unified community engagement, and innovative financing models.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Economic Model for Estimation of GDP Losses in the MACCS Offsite Consequence Analysis Code

The MACCS (MELCOR Accident Consequence Code System) code is the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) tool used to perform probabilistic health and economic consequence assessments for atmospheric releases of radionuclides. It is also used by international organizations, both reactor owners and regulators. It is intended and most commonly used for hypothetical accidents that could potentially occur in the future rather than to evaluate past accidents or to provide emergency response during an ongoing accident. It is designed to support probabilistic risk and consequence analyses and is used by the NRC, U.S. nuclear licensees, the Department of Energy, and international vendors, licensees, and regulators. This report describes the modeling framework, implementation, verification, and benchmarking of a GDP-based model for economic losses that has recently been developed as an alternative to the original cost-based economic loss model in MACCS. The GDP-based model has its roots in a code developed by Sandia National Laboratories for the Department of Homeland Security to estimate short-term losses from natural and manmade accidents, called the Regional Economic Accounting analysis tool (REAcct). This model was adapted and modified for MACCS and is now called the Regional Disruption Economic Impact Model (RDEIM). It is based on input-output theory, which is widely used in economic modeling. It accounts for direct losses to a disrupted region affected by an accident, indirect losses to the national economy due to disruption of the supply chain, and induced losses from reduced spending by displaced workers. RDEIM differs from REAcct in its treatment and estimation of indirect loss multipliers, elimination of double counting associated with inter-industry trade in the affected area, and that it is designed to be used to estimate impacts for extended periods that can occur from a major nuclear reactor accident, such as the one that occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi site in Japan. Most input-output models do not account for economic adaptation and recovery, and in this regard RDEIM differs from its parent, REAcct, because it allows for a user-definable national recovery period. Implementation of a recovery period was one of several recommendations made by an independent peer review panel to ensure that RDEIM is state-of-practice. For this and several other reasons, RDEIM differs from REAcct. Both the original and the RDEIM economic loss models account for costs from evacuation and relocation, decontamination, depreciation, and condemnation. Where the original model accounts for an expected rate of return, based on the value of property, that is lost during interdiction, the RDEIM model instead accounts for losses of GDP based on the industrial sectors located within a county. The original model includes costs for disposal of crops and milk that the RDEIM model currently does not, but these costs tend to contribute insignificantly to the overall losses. This document discusses three verification exercises to demonstrate that the RDEIM model is implemented correctly in MACCS. It also describes a benchmark study at five nuclear power plants chosen to represent the spectrum of U.S. commercial sites. The benchmarks provide perspective on the expected differences between the RDEIM and the original cost-based economic loss models. The RDEIM model is shown to consistently predict larger losses than the original model, probably in part because it accounts for national losses by including indirect and induced losses; whereas, the original model only accounts for regional losses. Nonetheless, the RDEIM model predicts losses that are remarkably consistent with the original cost-based model, differing by 16% at most for the five sites combined with three source terms considered in this benchmark.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Scale and Regionality of Nonelectric Markets for U.S. Nuclear Light Water Reactors

This study assesses existing and potential industries that could conceivably be directly coupled to existing nuclear reactors. The goal is to identify the scale, location, and accessibility of the candidate industrial-product markets, as well as process feedstocks that are available near the plants to establish new industries. For example, CO 2 as a feedstock can be combined with H 2 to produce formic acid (FA), transportation fuels, and lubricants. These new plants can be entirely supported with the heat and electricity provided by a nearby NPP. The potential demand for nonelectric industrial products was assessed by documenting current and possible growth of nonelectricity product markets considered. This assessment used DOE- and industry-supported tools, data, and projections to capture regional industrial market opportunities. Electricity-capacity markets that reward large and reliable generators, such as NPPs, were considered because the electricity market will likely continue to be an important revenue source to NPPs. The key is to balance the needs of energy customers so as to optimize revenue for the affiliated energy customers or partners. In most cases, flexible plant energy delivery and power generation for the grid will require either energy storage or a stock of intermediate products to sustain the industrial customers when the NPP dispatches electricity to the grid. A diverse mix of temperate regions with operating NPPs around the U.S.—representing a variety of operating markets, local generation mix, and seasonal climates—were chosen for this market study. Both current and future market opportunities for candidate industrial-product markets surrounding these NPPs were studied. Figure 2 illustrates the regions chosen for this study. The success of developing nonelectric industrial-product markets as alternative revenue-generating sources for LWRs depends, not only on demand from growing existing markets, such as petroleum refining and NH 3 production, but also on the development of new markets such as light-duty (LD) and heavy-duty (HD) hydrogen FCEVs, synfuels, chemical production, biofuels, metal refining, injection of hydrogen into NG pipelines for gas power-generating units, FA, polymers, and close-coupled industrial heat applications, all of which can significantly increase demand relative to current levels while decarbonizing energy sectors. This study also presents a sample analysis of the economics of hydrogen production in an area of Minnesota, considering the capital and operating costs of a hydrogen plant as well as the local market demand for hydrogen. It includes some assumptions on electricity-grid pricing, showing how hydrogen could be integrated with an NPP and be competitive with the incumbent hydrogen-production process, steam methane reforming (SMR). The objectives of this study include: Provide U.S. NPP operators a robust sampling of the market demand location, scale, and accessibility (including storage and transportation) of the wide variety of industrial-product choices that can be produced using nuclear thermal energy and electricity proximate to a subset of U.S. NPPs to inform the industry of the potential opportunity; show examples and trade-off analyses of how U.S. LWR operators can access these markets, including storage and transportation of industrial products to their intended markets; and present a general analysis example for one industrial product (hydrogen) in one region (Minnesota area), including production, storage, and transportation, to show how nuclear-hybrid integrated energy systems (IESs) could access local markets and improve the profitability of an NPP.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Uncovering hidden market opportunities for advanced nuclear reactors

Decarbonizing to meet aggressive climate change mitigation targets requires energy transition within all sectors. In the industrial sector, global emissions will need to decrease by 65–90% by 2050 to avert warming greater than 1.5°C (Pörtner et al., 2022). Recent U.S. laws, including the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Defense Production Act, Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (or CHIPS), state programs, and other recent laws, have clean energy requirements and provide financial incentives to accelerate the use of clean energy technologies in the industrial sector. These new laws include supporting mechanisms with direct financial support for nuclear power (e.g., advanced reactor development and hydrogen production). However, advanced nuclear could also gain these financial benefits by coupling with low-carbon industrial projects. For example, microreactors could supply low-carbon energy to producers of critical metals that (1) are eligible to receive investment and production tax credits and favorable loans, and (2) the low-carbon product could gain preference in emerging markets for green products.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

The Debate on Vehicle Triad: Examining the Utilization Patterns of Gasoline, Hybrid, and Electric Vehicles in Households

Light-duty vehicles contribute to approximately half of the transport sector's emissions, a sector challenging to decarbonize owing to the autocentric nature of many American cities. The U.S. Department of Transportation's blueprint outlines three key decarbonization strategies: increasing convenience, improving efficiency, and transitioning to zero-emission vehicles. Among these, the adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) offers a promising opportunity to reduce emissions from light-duty vehicles, which are predominantly gasoline-powered. Although substantial literature identifies and addresses factors influencing EV adoption, understanding their utilization within households who own vehicles with mixed fuel types is crucial for accurately assessing their environmental benefits. This paper addresses two key questions: (a) Are EVs utilized more, equally, or less than gasoline vehicles (GVs) and (b) What factors influence mileage utilization patterns in households with multiple vehicle fuel types, accounting for substitution and complementary effects? Analysis of 2022 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) data indicates that EVs are utilized more than GVs within households that own multiple mixed fuel fleets. Findings reveal that households with a higher number of younger individuals and multiple workers use EVs more extensively, and those with older adults and larger households with multiple vehicles tend to use GVs more. Rural households have higher use of hybrid vehicles (HVs). The study identifies a substitution effect between EVs and GVs, while complementary relationship between HVs and EVs, suggesting nuances in vehicle utilization patterns. This nuanced understanding of vehicle utilization patterns informs the development of targeted policies and infrastructure investments to optimize household transportation efficiency.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Cybersecurity Threat Profile for a Connected Lighting System

In anticipation of improved energy performance and cost savings, cities and building owners are increasingly considering “smart lighting initiatives” that aim to convert their collection of simple luminaires (i.e., lighting fixtures) into an intelligent connected lighting system (CLS) capable of remotely monitoring energy consumption and fault conditions, and possibly implementing adaptive lighting schemes. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has set an national goal of tripling the energy efficiency and demand flexibility of the buildings sector by 2030, relative to 2020 levels 1. It is forecast that connected lighting systems can contribute to that goal by delivering 125 TWh of annual energy savings by 2035 2, equivalent to the annual output of 50 typical (500 MW) power plants. However, these energy savings and the DOE goal are put at significant risk if connected technologies are not adopted due to real or perceived cybersecurity concerns. Connected IoT devices such as these have historically been rife with vulnerabilities which sometimes put security considerations secondary to functionality and operability. What are the cybersecurity threats that will impact these systems, as formerly banal luminaires transition into intelligent connected devices that collect information about themselves, their surrounding environment, and possibly us? In this paper we analyze a threat profile performed on a fault-detection use case for streetlights. A threat profile establishes security requirements, justifies security measures, yields actionable controls, and effectively communicates risk to stakeholders. This effort provides critical information for making threat-based decisions to increase security at a reasonable cost, and can effectively be used by development teams, software architects, and managers to make cybersecurity a part of their ongoing culture of awareness, training, and prevention. This leads to more secure systems and better-understood security. On-premise, cloud, and hybrid architectures with different authentication mechanisms were modeled and later categorized using the Microsoft STRIDE framework. An analysis of the recommended controls for each threat was performed to determine which controls could and should be put in place by manufacturers or third-party suppliers, and which controls need to be left up the end-user to implement. Fifty-seven threats were identified. Among our key findings: (1) 65% (37/57) of the threats did not involve the luminaires, but rather the other components needed to communicate with and manage them; (2) 63% (36/57) of the threats could have been mitigated through manufacturer-implemented defensive techniques or “controls”; and (3) 23% (13/57) of the threats were dependent on the network configuration. Recommendations based on the results of this work are made to key stakeholder groups. Notably, lighting technology developers are advised to address all threats that can be reasonably controlled with baked-in technology solutions (e.g., encryption or authentication controls), and employ some form of secure supply chain management and tracking where other parts (e.g., sensors, microprocessors) of a luminaire must also be built and manufactured with the proper security controls in place. Developers should also review threats involving assets not developed in-house to understand how connectivity with other devices will affect their product during system operation and determine if a compensating control for a defense-in-depth strategy will be needed. Finally, those interested in deploying CLS should compare the differences between cloud and on-premise models to determine which is more suitable for their needs and the abilities of their security team.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2020

Cambium Documentation: Version 2020

This is the documentation for the 2020 version of Cambium. Cambium is a tool that assembles structured data sets of simulated hourly cost and operational data for modeled futures of the U.S. electric sector with metrics designed to be useful for long-term decision-making. In this documentation, we define the metrics reported in Cambium databases and document the Cambium-specific methods for calculating those metrics.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Performance Testing of Moving Bed Gasifier Using Biomass and Waste Fuels to Generate Low-Cost Clean Hydrogen

Our need for hydrogen is growing as the world transitions toward a low-carbon future. Hydrogen provides long-term energy storage for grid stability in a solar- and wind-dominated power market and can be used to decarbonize other sectors. One promising process for generating low-cost hydrogen that produces net-negative carbon is to gasify biomass with a mixture of legacy coal wastes, waste plastics, and other wastes with carbon capture. Use of waste fuels lowers costs and diverts waste from landfills. EPRI is leading a project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, to conduct performance testing of modular, moving-bed gasification for the generation of low-cost, clean hydrogen from biomass mixed with legacy coal waste, waste plastic, and/or refuse derived fuels. The work scope includes preparation of multiple pellet feedstocks using biomass (both woody biomass and corn stover) with a mixture of legacy coal waste, plastic waste (wire insulation), and refuse-derived fuel (RDF). These pelletized feedstocks are being qualified based on performance testing of selected fuel blend compositions in updraft moving-bed gasifier located in Sardinia, Italy. Testing is being conducted to obtain relevant data to advance the modular design of the moving-bed gasification process, and successfully use these feedstocks to produce a high hydrogen content raw syngas that can be shifted to produce clean hydrogen. Testing results will be used to determine the effects of the various fuels on feedstock development, the resulting products (i.e., syngas compositions, organic condensate production, and ash characteristics), and impacts on gasifier operations.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2022

Challenges and Possible Solutions in Aeroelastic Modeling for the Distributed Wind Industry

Aeroelastic modeling (AM) is the primary methodology for structural and performance assessment of any wind turbine; it provides an understanding of the impact of design parameters on turbine loading and power response before witnessing it in the field. Despite these advantages, the use of AM in the distributed wind technology (DWT) sector is limited. This article represents a short summary of an in-depth assessment by the authors of the status of AM and its role within the distributed wind technology design standards. The research gathered input and feedback from a large number of U.S. and international stakeholders, reviewed technical strengths and weaknesses of the current edition of the design standards, analyzed the minutes from recent industry workshops and meetings, collected publicly available AM templates, and provided an evaluation of the existing AM codes. Several goals were achieved including providing strategies for the load assessment categorization of turbines based on rotor swept area and archetype, and guidance for AM verification and validation. Recommendations within this study will advance the value and the ease-of-use of AM, thereby allowing the industry to better capitalize this underutilized tool, resulting in a more efficient design process, an easier path to certification, and overall better and more reliable distributed wind technology products.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2005

Down-to-Earth Benefits of Space Exploration: Past, Present, Future

A ventricular device that helps a weakened heart keep pumping while awaiting a transplant. A rescue tool for extracting victims from dangerous situations such as car wrecks. A video analysis tool used to investigate the bombing at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. A sound-differentiation tool for safer air traffic control. A refrigerator that run without electricity or batteries. These are just a few of the spin-offs of NASA technology that have benefited society in recent years. Now, as NASA sets its vision on space exploration, particularly of the moon and Mars, even more benefits to society are possible. This expansion of societal benefits is tied to a new emphasis on technology infusion or spin-in. NASA is seeking partners with industry, universities, and other government laboratories to help the Agency address its specific space exploration needs in five areas: (1) advanced studies, concepts, and tools; (2) advanced materials; (3) communications, computing, electronics, and imaging; (4) software, intelligent systems, and modeling; and (5) power, propulsion, and chemical systems. These spin-in partnerships will offer benefits to U.S. economic development as well as new products for the global market. As a complement to these spin-in benefits, NASA also is examining the possible future spin-outs of the innovations related to its new space exploration mission. A matrix that charts NASA's needs against various business sectors is being developed to fully understand the implications for society and industry of spin-in and spin-out. This matrix already has been used to help guide NASA s efforts to secure spin-in partnerships. This paper presents examples of NASA spin-offs, discusses NASA s present spin-in/spin-out projects for pursuing partnerships, and considers some of the future societal benefits to be reaped from these partnerships. This paper will complement the proposed paper by Frank Schowengerdt on the Innovative Partnerships Program structure and how to work with the PP.

Neumann, Benjamin↗
DOE OSTI2024

Connector Reliability Across the U.S. Solar Sector

This presentation describes preventative and corrective maintenance costs associated with PV connectors, downtime resulting from failed connectors, and impact of connectors on LCOE. The presentation described the NREL portion of a project also involving portions by Sandia NL and EPRI which will be presented separately.

connector↗