SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “business development”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 181 records · Page 10

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2021

Potential Early Markets for Fusion Energy

We examine potential early markets for fusion energy and their projected cost targets, based on analysis and synthesis of many relevant, recent studies and reports. Seeking to provide guidance to ambitious fusion developers aspiring to enable commercial deployment before 2040, we examine cost requirements for fusion-generated electricity, process heat, and hydrogen production based on today’s market prices but with various adjustments relating to possible scenarios in 2035, such as ‘‘business-as-usual,’’ high renewables penetration, and carbon pricing up to 100 $/tCO 2 . Key findings are that fusion developers should consider focusing initially on high-priced global electricity markets and consider including integrated thermal storage, depending on techno-economic factors, in order to maximize revenue and compete in markets with high renewables penetration. Process heat and hydrogen production will be tough early markets for fusion, but may open up to fusion as markets evolve and if fusion’s levelized cost of electricity falls below 50 $/MWh e . Finally, we discuss potential ways for a fusion plant to increase revenue via cogeneration (e.g., desalination, direct air capture, or district heating) and to lower capital costs (e.g., by minimizing construction times and interest or by retrofitting coal plants).

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2021

From multivariate to functional data analysis: Fundamentals, recent developments, and emerging areas

Functional data analysis (FDA), which is a branch of statistics on modeling infinite dimensional random vectors resided in functional spaces, has become a major research area for Journal of Multivariate Analysis. We review some fundamental concepts of FDA, their origins and connections from multivariate analysis, and some of its recent developments, including multi-level functional data analysis, high-dimensional functional regression, and dependent functional data analysis. Here, we also discuss the impact of these new methodology developments on genetics, plant science, wearable device data analysis, image data analysis, and business analytics. Two real data examples are provided to motivate our discussions.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2023

Idaho national laboratory to demonstrate collaboration first versus competition to accelerate achieving a secure clean energy future by 2031

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) announced at COP27 it would reach net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2031. As a Nuclear, Energy and Environment, and National Homeland Security laboratory, the predominant solution to closing the clean energy gap will include nuclear as a safe, clean, reliable and affordable electricity source with the additional benefit of producing heat and hydrogen to fuel INL’s large transportation fleet. INL’s collaboration first vs. competition is essential to the program’s success. The focused actions in INL’s Nuclear Roadmap include: Infrastructure, Licensing/Regulatory, Financial, Time to Market, Fuel Cycle and Public Confidence/Communications. The roadmap also includes nuclear technology innovations and creative partnerships with utility providers, regulators, businesses, community members, and Indigenous Peoples to accelerate deployment of advanced reactors. Through development of the Net-Zero Nuclear Roadmap, INL will offer a model to provide safe and secure energy for the nation and the world by: (1) establishing the necessary infrastructure on its 890-square mile site to support demonstration, (2) showing proven pathways through the licensing and regulation process, (3) partnering with utilities to ensure commercial application, and (4) collaborating with industry to site new technologies.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Preliminary Assessment of Potential for Wind Energy Technology on the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Reservation

Wind energy can provide renewable, sustainable electricity to rural Native homes and power schools and businesses. It can even provide tribes with a source of income and economic development. The purpose of this research is to determine the potential for deploying community and utility-scale wind renewable technologies on Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa tribal lands. Ideal areas for wind technology development were investigated, based on wind resources, terrain, land usage, and other factors. This was done using tools like the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Wind Prospector, in addition to consulting tribal members and experts in the field. The result was a preliminary assessment of wind energy potential on Turtle Mountain lands, which can be used to justify further investigation and investment into determining the feasibility of future wind technology projects.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2023

Bottom-Up Costs and Market Analysis of the Horizontal Ribbon Growth (HRG) Technology (Final Report)

The American-Made Solar Prize is a prize competition from the U.S. Department of Energy that is designed to revitalize U.S. solar manufacturing. The competition aims to support the growth of U.S. solar manufacturing and reenergize American energy innovation by tapping into American's competitive spirit and the nation's unparalleled innovation ecosystem leveraging national labs, incubators, facilities and more. National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) will provide technical and business advisement to the noted Solar Prize finalists. This CRADA will involve the development of a cost model of the CRADA Participant's horizontal ribbon growth (HRG) technology for making silicon wafers for solar cells.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2020

Exploring the Next Generation of Low-Carbon Technologies for Deployment on Contaminated Lands

Low-carbon energy technologies and industries can reduce or avoid pollution, create economic development benefits (e.g. job creation), enhance local tax revenues, and support supply chain businesses. Many communities have vacant or underutilized and contaminated land that presents an opportunity cost for the economy and a blight on neighborhoods. This paper identifies a research agenda and funding proposal to support the next generation of low carbon technologies to deploy on contaminated lands.

brownfield sites↗

DOE OSTI2020

Session 097A - Panel: Accomplishments and Update of the East Tennessee Technology Park in Oak Ridge, TN (1/4) (R1.16a)

This panel was deferred until 2021. The session was designed to highlight and celebrate the accomplishment of Vision 2020 at US DoE's East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Vision 2020 is the overarching strategy and guidance that have formed the foundation of success in closing one of the largest cleanup site in the DOE Complex. The session was supposed to feature representatives from the DOE Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and its contractor, UCOR, in exploring the partnerships and performance excellence that have made the difference in achieving success. OREM's Vision 2020 is a collaboration with entities that have made a difference in its success: economic developers, workforce developers, the University of Tennessee, and community partners. The vigorous Oak Ridge small business contracting community has also been instrumental in helping achieve success. This session plans to celebrate the entire process, its numerous players, and the spirit of accomplishment as the Oak Ridge community comes to realize the promise of 30 years of continuous cleanup excellence. This session integrated with panel sessions 97B, 97C and 97D. Panelists with presentations: Beyond Cleanup: Achieving Risk Reduction through Partnerships and Performance Excellence (Kenneth Rueter); Strategic Approach to Achieve End States at the East Tennessee Technology Park (Jay Mullis)

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

DOE OSTI2023

Talent Acquisition in Scientific and Engineering Disciplines: A Case Study of National Laboratory (TASED) [Thesis]

Identifying the hindrances to performing effective talent acquisition within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics field is an important topic for technical hiring managers. Top candidates have multiple options during highly competitive market conditions requiring managers to look for unique solutions which diverge from competition. Prior to this study there has been very little research considering national laboratory research and development challenges from a technical hiring manager’s talent acquisition perspective. Utilizing a unique combination of national laboratory multi-organization survey, pilot study, Human Resource (HR) tracking data and trust based business strategy to enhance partnering this research finds hiring managers can leverage out of the box techniques to improve internal processes while developing industry support to target highly qualified individuals. This methodology could be utilized by technical hiring managers across federal national laboratory enterprise to effectively capture next generation staff and leadership talent who align with their organization professionally as well as social culture.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2021

A METHODOLOGY TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW STATE VISION FOR THE UNITED STATES NUCLEAR INDUSTRY

A new strategy in the way in which the United States nuclear power plants (NPPs) are operated, maintained, and supported is needed. One such strategy is to transform the NPP operating model through a business-driven approach that leverages technology to enable new capabilities that improve performance and reduce cost. This paper presents a methodology for developing an achievable yet transformative new state vision that ensures continued safe and efficient operations of the United States NPP fleet. This work builds on existing guidance and leverages previous research to comprehensively address both bottom-up (i.e., utility needs) and top-down (i.e., first principles) considerations important for developing a new state vision. The proposed methodology is intended to provide industry-wide guidance for developing a new state vision that leverages both the selected vendor’s capabilities in a way that meets the utility’s modernization goals while ensuring state-of-the-art systems engineering and human factors engineering principles are applied that promote overall plant safety, performance, and efficiency.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Identification of hot water end-use process of electric water heaters from energy measurements

This paper presents an algorithm for the identification of parameters for a stochastic hot water end-use process that drives a homogeneous population of thermostatically controlled electric water heaters (EWH). Usually, only metered interval consumption data (kWh) is collected and the hot water end-use process is unobservable to utility and aggregators. However, the availability of EWHs for demand response (DR) is closely coupled with the hot water end-use process. In this context, the hot water end-use process is modeled as a two-state Markov chain (Use / No use), which causes the thermostatic ON-OFF switching process to behave as a Markov renewal process (MRP). A set of first passage-time problems is developed to obtain the moments of the transition probability densities of the MRP. These problems are addressed by establishing a system of coupled partial differential equations characterizing the temperature evolution of the EWH population. A key quantity in the methodology for estimating the parameters is the total time an EWH is ON within a period of interest. It is referred to as the total busy time. Total busy time in this approach is a random variable for which analytical expressions of the moments are developed as a function of the metered window length. The latter expressions become the basis of a hot water demand model identification algorithm which is validated using agent-based simulations of EWHs.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2024

Hydrogen Production Cost with Anion Exchange Membrane Electrolysis

Rigorous stakeholder-vetted techno-economic analysis was performed to assess the cost of hydrogen (H 2 ) produced using state-of-the-art Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolysis. Projected high-volume, untaxed and unsubsidized levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH)1 range from 2020 $\$$1.78 to $\$$3.68/kg H 2 depending on technology year, process design, and electrolyzer project scale, assuming an electricity price of $\$$0.03/kWh and a capacity factor of 97%. The total installed capital cost for an AEM electrolysis plant was estimated from bottom-up stack and process plant cost models. The stack cost model accounts for manufacturing equipment, equipment maintenance, material, tooling, cycle time, yield, labor, utilities and general overhead. The process plant cost model accounts for purchased equipment, installation costs, site preparation, and general overhead costs. For this study, the AEM electrolysis plant is assumed to be a stick-built, greenfield project developed by an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firm with electrolysis stacks purchased directly from an electrolysis stack manufacturer. The price of the electrolysis stacks is based on a bottom-up cost assessment with business markup for the electrolysis company fabricator. Methods from the Hydrogen Analysis (H2A) production model, a peer-reviewed national laboratory-developed discounted cash flow (DCF) model, were used to calculate the production LCOH in 2020 $\$$/kg H 2 . The baseline electricity price case ($\$$0.03/kWh) corresponds to average wholesale electricity prices currently possible in U.S. markets with plentiful wind. Similar low-cost electricity pricing is possible from solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) although these prices are typically limited by renewable energy capacity factors.

08 HYDROGEN↗

DOE OSTI2023

Hydrogen Production Cost with Alkaline Electrolysis

Rigorous stakeholder-vetted techno-economic analysis was performed to assess the cost of hydrogen (H 2 ) produced using state-of-the-art Liquid Alkaline (LA) electrolysis. Projected high-volume, untaxed levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) range from 2020US $\$ 1.84$ to $\$ 2.88$/kg-H 2 depending on technology year, process design, and electrolyzer project scale, assuming an electricity price of $\$ 0.03$/kWh. The total installed capital cost for a LA electrolysis plant was estimated from bottom-up stack and installed cost models that account for purchased equipment, installation costs, site preparation, and general overhead costs. For this study, the LA electrolysis plant is assumed to be a stick-built, greenfield project developed by an EPC firm with electrolysis stacks purchased directly from an electrolysis stack manufacturer. The price of the electrolysis stacks is based on a bottom-up cost assessment with business markup for the electrolysis company fabricator. Methods from the Hydrogen Analysis (H 2 A) production model, a peer-reviewed national laboratory-developed discounted cash flow model, were used to calculate the LCOH production in 2020$/kg-H 2 . The baseline electricity price case ($\$ 0.03$/kWh) corresponds to average wholesale electricity prices currently possible in U.S. markets with plentiful wind. Similar low-cost electricity pricing is possible from solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) although these prices are typically limited by renewable energy capacity factors.

08 HYDROGEN↗

DOE OSTI2023

Development of Genetic Algorithm Based Multi-Objective Plant Reload Optimization Platform

The U.S. nuclear industry is facing a challenge in maintaining required levels of safety while ensuring economic competitiveness to stay in business. Safety remains a key parameter for all aspects of light-water reactor nuclear power plant operations. Safety can become more economical by using a risk-informed ecosystem, such as the one being developed in the Risk-Informed Systems Analysis Pathway under the U.S. Department of Energy Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program. The Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program promotes a wide range of research and development activities to maximize both the safety and economic efficiency of nuclear power plants through improved scientific understanding, especially given that many plants are now considering second license renewals. The Risk-Informed Systems Analysis Pathway has two main goals: Deploy methodologies and technologies that better represent safety margins and cost and safety factors; Develop advanced applications that enable cost-effective plant operations. The Plant Reload Optimization Platform development project aims to build a reactor core design tool that includes reactor safety and fuel performance analyses and uses artificial intelligence to support the optimization of core design solutions. This report summarizes genetic-algorithm-based multi-objective fuel reload optimization activities, specifically: Developing the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II optimizer in the Risk Analysis and Virtual ENviroment (RAVEN); Demonstrating and validating the developed non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II optimizer using benchmark optimization problems.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Economic risk analysis for the capture of a distributed energy resource using modular chemical process intensification

Recent advances in the chemical process industry have allowed for the intensification of reactors and unit operations, by enhancing heat and mass transfer or combining multiple unit operations. Process intensification can enable chemical plants to be constructed in a more compact, modular fashion, offering improvements over conventional on-site approaches to capital construction, operations and maintenance. This modular chemical process intensification (MCPI) offers several benefits over conventional stick-built (CSB) plant construction in terms of reduced footprint, reduced energy consumption, lower cost, less waste and improved safety and quality control. However, acceptance of MCPI over CSB construction practices within the chemical industry can be impeded by the uncertain risks associated with investing in new technology. Furthermore, the work here documents a case study during the development of a modular chemical plant for capturing distributed energy resources within chemical production. This MCPI approach to plant construction is contrasted with a CSB approach for producing the same chemical product. Data collection tools were developed, based on a literature review, and data was collected from the technology developer to understand the process technology. Sensitivity analysis was then conducted to analyze the business rationale for the application of MCPI over CSB across several market scenarios. It was found that MCPI would be better suited for capacities up to 150 000 metric tons per year, but that improvement in payback period was needed. Additionally, for MCPI approach to achieve acceptable payback periods, efforts are needed to reduce the cost of capital equipment and compress the schedule for ramping up modular production.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2023

Environmental Protection Coating System for Refractory Metal Alloys (EPCS for RMAs)

As part of ARPA-E’s Ultra High Temperature Impervious Materials Advancing Turbine Efficiency (UITIMATE) program, this project aims to develop an environmental protection coating system (EPCS) for refractory metal alloys (RMAs) – which will provide radical improvement in long term protection for ultra-high temperature refractory metal components in harsh gas-turbine environments. The drive for higher fuel efficiency and higher core power of gas turbines used in electric power generation and in aircraft propulsion requires higher peak operation temperatures. The temperature capability of state-of-the-art materials cannot meet the new requirements. Refractory metal alloys have desirable capabilities for achieving the required peak temperatures, but most of them are subject to oxidation in the gas turbine environment. Thus, there is a strong need to develop novel environmental protective coatings that enable the refractory metals to operate in an ultra-high temperature engine environment. This project is composed of four major technical innovations that can provide a potentially transformational solution in providing environmental protection for refractory metal alloys over a wide range of temperature. 1) Multi-layer self-healing environmental barrier coating (EBC) that provides protection against combustion gas environment. 2) Oxidation resistant diffusion barrier (DB) on the alloy surface to enhance coating stability. 3) Synergistic integration of the multi-layer self-healing EBC with the diffusion barrier to extend coating life. 4) Guidance of physics-based modeling to accelerate coating development and optimization. Our team has successfully developed a multi-layer self-healing environmental protection coating system (EPCS) that can provide oxidation protection for commercially available molybdenum based refractory metal alloys over a wide temperature range of up to 1600 °C for fuel-efficient gas turbine applications. The team also developed a multi-layer high temperature coating design tool to accelerate coating development and optimization based on physics-based modeling. The team also engaged RTX business unite, notable Pratt and Whitney, for future commercialization of this technology. The successful completion of this Phase I effort led to the selection of performing Phase II of the program. In Phase II, the team plans to apply the EPCS in the protection of a newly discovered molybdenum-based metal alloy which has the potential of superior high temperature properties to the commercial products. Th coating will be evaluated under test conditions and environment that mimic gas turbine operation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2025

Management and Operation of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory

ThermaMatrix, Inc provides novel vision inspection solutions for a wide range of manufacturers and industries, providing and implementing the leading technologies for nondestructive inspection (NDI) and material characterization. Many other inspection solutions are either not adequate or are not approachable due to implementation barriers needing expert level operators, excessive inspection time, and high cost. ThermaMatrix’sadvanced vision inspection technology addresses all of these limitations. The Lab Embedded Entrepreneurial Program (LEEP) opportunity by the Department of Energy (DOE) allows small-business start-ups to leverage national laboratory capabilities and skilled scientists to rapidly develop their technology that aligns with DOE goals. ThermaMatrix, Inc.was positioned in the Innovation Crossroads program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to further develop thenovel Watson Vision Inspection System to support manufacturing quality control efforts. Theresearch goals were (1) explore fundamental parameters that would improve preexisting capabilities, (2) full-scale industrial setup for demonstration, and (3) capability testing and verification. Manufacturing is demanding more NDI implementation to support their quality control needs, which this technology development would support. Figure 1: Ryan Spencer of ThermaMatrix with Watson Vision Inspection System.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2025

CRADA Final Report: CRADA Number NFE-24-10036 with ThermaMatrix, Inc.

ThermaMatrix, Inc provides novel vision inspection solutions for a wide range of manufacturers and industries, providing and implementing the leading technologies for nondestructive inspection (NDI) and material characterization. Many other inspection solutions are either not adequate or are not approachable due to implementation barriers needing expert level operators, excessive inspection time, and high cost. ThermaMatrix’s advanced vision inspection technology addresses all of these limitations. The Lab Embedded Entrepreneurial Program (LEEP) opportunity by the Department of Energy (DOE) allows small-business start-ups to leverage national laboratory capabilities and skilled scientists to rapidly develop their technology that aligns with DOE goals. ThermaMatrix, Inc. was positioned in the Innovation Crossroads program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to further develop the novel Watson Vision Inspection System to support manufacturing quality control efforts. The research goals were (1) explore fundamental parameters that would improve preexisting capabilities, (2) full-scale industrial setup for demonstration, and (3) capability testing and verification. Manufacturing is demanding more NDI implementation to support their quality control needs, which this technology development would support.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2026

Updates to Anaerobic Digestion Pathways for Animal Manure in R&D GREET 2025 Rev.1

Renewable natural gas (RNG) produced from animal manure can significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transportation sector, but accurate life cycle assessment (LCA) of this fuel depends on precise modeling of emissions from business-as-usual (BAU) manure manage ment. This report documents updates to the Research & Development version of the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies (R&D GREET) model that attempt to improve that precision.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗