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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Survey on Efficient and Productive Use of Electricity In Women-Run Small Businesses in Uganda

In Uganda, women make up a large portion of the service sector, notably in informal small and micro businesses such as retail shops, food preparation, tailoring, sewing, beer brewing, basket weaving, healthcare, and hairdressing. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), and USAID, in partnership with the Clean Energy Enthusiasts (CEE), a local implementer in Uganda, designed and conducted a participatory survey to collect baseline data and information on the current state of benefits to energy access. The study included data on the uptake of efficient and productive electric (EPUE) equipment, business skills, and financial needs among small and mid-size women-led businesses in Uganda. The objective of the survey was to build evidence and identify economic activities where access to electricity has a positive impact on women’s empowerment by helping them develop new and existing businesses, improve productivity, and increase their income. The survey included questions about the type of electric equipment used and needed, electric consumption patterns, alternative sources to electricity, and business and capital barriers related to increased access. The survey results provided the basis for designing a training program tailored to the need of women entrepreneurs in the region.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS2008

Displaying Composite and Archived Soundings in the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System

In a previous task, the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) developed spatial and temporal climatologies of lightning occurrence based on eight atmospheric flow regimes. The AMU created climatological, or composite, soundings of wind speed and direction, temperature, and dew point temperature at four rawinsonde observation stations at Jacksonville, Tampa, Miami, and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, for each of the eight flow regimes. The composite soundings were delivered to the National Weather Service (NWS) Melbourne (MLB) office for display using the National version of the Skew-T Hodograph analysis and Research Program (NSHARP) software program. The NWS MLB requested the AMU make the composite soundings available for display in the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS), so they could be overlaid on current observed soundings. This will allow the forecasters to compare the current state of the atmosphere with climatology. This presentation describes how the AMU converted the composite soundings from NSHARP Archive format to Network Common Data Form (NetCDF) format, so that the soundings could be displayed in AWl PS. The NetCDF is a set of data formats, programming interfaces, and software libraries used to read and write scientific data files. In AWIPS, each meteorological data type, such as soundings or surface observations, has a unique NetCDF format. Each format is described by a NetCDF template file. Although NetCDF files are in binary format, they can be converted to a text format called network Common data form Description Language (CDL). A software utility called ncgen is used to create a NetCDF file from a CDL file, while the ncdump utility is used to create a CDL file from a NetCDF file. An AWIPS receives soundings in Binary Universal Form for the Representation of Meteorological data (BUFR) format (http://dss.ucar.edu/docs/formats/bufr/), and then decodes them into NetCDF format. Only two sounding files are generated in AWIPS per day. One file contains all of the soundings received worldwide between 0000 UTC and 1200 UTC, and the other includes all soundings between 1200 UTC and 0000 UTC. In order to add the composite soundings into AWIPS, a procedure was created to configure, or localize, AWIPS. This involved modifying and creating several configuration text files. A unique fourcharacter site identifier was created for each of the 32 soundings so each could be viewed separately. The first three characters were based on the site identifier of the observed sounding, while the last character was based on the flow regime. While researching the localization process for soundings, the AMU discovered a method of archiving soundings so old soundings would not get purged automatically by AWl PS. This method could provide an alternative way of localizing AWl PS for composite soundings. In addition, this would allow forecasters to use archived soundings in AWIPS for case studies. A test sounding file in NetCDF format was written in order to verify the correct format for soundings in AWIPS. After the file was viewed successfully in AWIPS, the AMU wrote a software program in the Tool Command Language/Tool Kit (Tcl/Tk) language to convert the 32 composite soundings from NSHARP Archive to CDL format. The ncgen utility was then used to convert the CDL file to a NetCDF file. The NetCDF file could then be read and displayed in AWIPS.

Barrett, Joe H., III↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Evaluating Meteorological Dust Events and Machine-Learning Based Dust Identification in Geostationary Satellite Imagery

NASA scientists in the Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center (SPoRT) developed a physically-based machine learning approach to identify dust in satellite imagery with a focus on night-time dust detection (Berndt et al. 201; DustTracker-AI). NASA/NOAA Geostationary Environmental Operational Satellite-16 (GOES-16) imagery was used for training and model inputs. The training, testing and validation data set consists of 28 events in the Southwest United States, capturing dust and null events in the region from 2018-2020.With 83 distinct images and millions of pixels a random forest model was trained and validated, correctly labeling 85% of dust pixels.For the first time, the model was run in near-real time production during the spring of 2022 and dust probability visualizations were made available to NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) forecasters to assess its utility for dust forecasting. Results indicated the model helped increase the confidence in the presence of dust and enabled dust tracking for a longer period of time into the night-time hours. Forecaster assessment and running the model in near real-time allowed for the team to determine the types of events missed, captured, and false alarms. To gain additional context on model performance,the SPoRT team sought to gather more detailed information on the training database(e.g., meteorological characteristics and drivers). The goal of this project was to identify the meteorological drivers for the dust events and create a database which synthesized information from observations, forecaster discussions, and analyses pertaining to the dust events to understand the types of events currently used to train the model. A more detailed meteorological synopsis was created for each dust event in the training, testing, and validation datasets. Following the completion of the database and documentation, the classification details revealed that 88% of the dust events were synoptically driven while mesoscale events were less prevalent in model datasets. Meteorological conditions found such as mixing layer depth and wind velocity had mean values of 645mb and 21kt respectively.With conditions of deep mixed layers and moderate to strong surface winds a mesoscale thunderstorm outflow event was considered and subsequently added to the model training data set to test the impact of additional mesoscale training data. The model was retrained and then qualitatively tested on a sample thunderstorm outflow case that the original model was unable to identify. Preliminary results showed potential that the addition of more mesoscale events included in the training data could help to better identify indistinct and localized dust events.

Connor Welch↗
NASA NTRS2015

Expanding the Operational Use of Total Lightning Ahead of GOES-R

NASA's Short‐term Prediction Research and Transition Center (SPoRT) has been transitioning real‐time total lightning observations from ground‐based lightning mapping arrays since 2003. This initial effort was with the local Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) that could use the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (NALMA). These early collaborations established a strong interest in the use of total lightning for WFO operations. In particular the focus started with warning decision support, but has since expanded to include impact‐based decision support and lightning safety. SPoRT has used its experience to establish connections with new lightning mapping arrays as they become available. The GOES‐R / JPSS Visiting Scientist Program has enabled SPoRT to conduct visits to new partners and expand the number of operational users with access to total lightning observations. In early 2014, SPoRT conducted the most recent visiting scientist trips to meet with forecast offices that will used the Colorado, Houston, and Langmuir Lab (New Mexico) lightning mapping arrays. In addition, SPoRT met with the corresponding Center Weather Service Units (CWSUs) to expand collaborations with the aviation community. These visits were an opportunity to learn about the forecast needs of each office visited as well as to provide on‐site training for the use of total lightning, setting the stage for a real‐time assessment during May‐July 2014. With five lightning mapping arrays covering multiple geographic locations, the 2014 assessment has demonstrated numerous uses of total lightning in varying situations. Several highlights include a much broader use of total lightning for impact‐based decision support ranging from airport weather warnings, supporting fire crews, and protecting large outdoor events. The inclusion of the CWSUs has broadened the operational scope of total lightning, demonstrating how these data can support air traffic management, particularly in the Terminal Radar Approach Control Facilities (TRACON) region around an airport. These collaborations continue to demonstrate, from the operational perspective, the utility of total lightning and the importance of continued training and preparation in advance of the Geostationary Lightning Mapper.

GLM↗
DOE OSTI2022

Optimization of WAAM Process to Produce AUSC Components with Increased Service Life

Additive manufacturing has the potential to revolutionize industrial hardware and unlock efficiency gains through the fabrication of geometries and architectures not possible by conventional processing. Wire Arc Additive manufacturing (WAAM) process is a class of directed energy deposition process enabling higher build rate and allowing custom wire feedstock allowing spatial variation of microstructure. The larger spot size and lower speed creates a larger melt pool, reducing residual stress and often time creating directional/columnar microstructure for Ni-superalloy. The use of flexible platform provides freedom in deposition strategy, which can accommodate complex substrates, including feature addition onto existing structures, non-flat layers, and repair methods. However, the certification of the final component needs to match the strength requirement. Hence, the quality of the component produced is stringently monitored to avoid buildup of residual stress, cracks, porosity and to reduce detrimental segregated phases commonly observed during alloy solidification. Simulation plays a huge role in predicting the melt pool dimension and can be used to optimize the process parameter. Similar development is also required to perform physics-based modeling of microstructural development in WAAM that can predict the microstructural features during solidification and can be used to optimize the process more effectively. To move toward this goal, Raytheon Technologies Research Center together with Siemens worked to create a set of computational tools to control the process parameters, enable on-line measurements and acquisition with feedback to the optimized process parameters, and eventually track material evolution through each step of the additive process. Computational fluid dynamics is used for accurate prediction and calibration of the thermal field during WAAM process. and phase field models for microstructure evolution as a function of processing parameters to establish a connection between additive parameters and the final microstructure. Here we report cellular automata (CA) model development to predict the dendritic microstructure evolution with surface and bulk nuclei for single track and multiple layers. The CA model was developed to account for secondary element addition and predict segregation, local melting, and latent heat release as well as prediction of Euler angles from orientation information and validated against experiments. This framework was utilized to tailor spatially-varying composition in a part by appropriately controlling the microstructure evolution during the additive process. Functionally graded Haynes 282 alloy with high Cr content at the surface was tested for oxidation and mechanical properties. An advanced physics-based reaction-diffusion model predicting the simultaneous creation of chromium oxide and alumina is developed and validated to extend life expectancy of the WAAM manufactured high temperature part. A machine-learning data-driven framework establishing the process-structure relationship from a dataset of real microstructure images and corresponding process history data has been developed and implemented in the NX Siemens design system. The digital twin configuration along with the tool path generation enabled prediction of WAAM component buildup time and the techno-economic analysis provided a favorable option for all 4 cases with 15-40% cost reduction.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Assessing the Energy Resilience of Office Buildings: Development and Testing of a Simplified Metric for Real Estate Stakeholders

Increasing concern over higher frequency extreme weather events is driving a push towards a more resilient built environment. In recent years there has been growing interest in understanding how to evaluate, measure, and improve building energy resilience, i.e., the ability of a building to provide energy-related services in the event of a local or regional power outage. In addition to human health and safety, many stakeholders are keenly interested in the ability of a building to allow continuity of operations and minimize business disruption. Office buildings are subject to significant economic losses when building operations are disrupted due to a power outage. We propose “occupant hours lost” (OHL) as a means to measure the business productivity lost as the result of a power outage in office buildings. OHL is determined based on indoor conditions in each space for each hour during a power outage, and then aggregated spatially and temporally to determine the whole building OHL. We used quasi-Monte Carlo parametric energy simulations to demonstrate how the OHL metric varies due to different building characteristics across different climate zones and seasons. The simulation dataset was then used to develop simple regression models for assessing the impact of ten key building characteristics on OHL. The most impactful were window-to-wall ratio and window characteristics. The regression models show promise as a simple means to assess and screen for resilience using basic building characteristics, especially for non-critical facilities where it may not be viable to conduct detailed engineering analysis.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

Valuing Resilience for Microgrids: Challenges, Innovative Approaches, and State Needs

The United States depends on the delivery of reliable, affordable, clean, and safe electricity. Electric utilities invest billions of dollars each year in generation, transmission, and distribution assets to meet this need. However, experiences with recent natural disasters of increasing frequency and duration demonstrate the shortcomings of this approach in the face of modern threats. Further, as customers rely on electricity for a broader range of important needs, such as transportation, as well as critical life-saving services and mission critical facilities such as water treatment, medical care, shelters, telecommunications, and more, the need to minimize the likelihood and impacts of outages grows. Against this backdrop, resilience has emerged as a key consideration to guide electricity spending, whether from utilities, customers, or taxpayers. Although reliability has been defined and measured for decades with broadly accepted metrics that measure how many customers lose power and at what frequency and duration, resilience considers the electricity system’s response to a disruption and its subsequent impacts on customers. Developing tools and methods to accurately assess the costs and benefits of resilience investments is a critical step toward the goal of mitigating the impacts of outages on customers and society. Today, electric system resilience is largely treated as an externality due to challenges estimating the costs of long-duration outages, impacts of outages on society, and increasing reliance on electricity for a growing set of interdependent services. These interdependencies include the water, wastewater, telecommunications, natural gas, and health sectors. Without knowing how much a given resilience investment will benefit customers or society more broadly, investors, policymakers, and regulators are less likely to make or approve such investments, and less able to prioritize those investments. State Energy Offices and public utility commissions (PUCs) lead the development of state-level energy policy and utility regulation, respectively, and each has interests in encouraging appropriate public and private investments in resilience. To this end, the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Electricity (OE), formed a joint Microgrids State Working Group to explore the costs and benefits of microgrids, barriers to broader deployment of microgrids to meet resilience and other objectives, and policy and regulatory strategies to optimize investments in resilience, including but not limited to microgrids. Although no universally accepted valuation tool for resilience exists, National Laboratories, utilities, researchers, and state and federal agencies have collaborated to develop, apply, and improve a number of approaches to quantify resilience, several of which are still in progress at the time this report is published. This report seeks to share these important advances by discussing current definitions of resilience (Section 1), how microgrids are defined and used to meet resilience objectives (Section 2), new approaches to valuing resilience (Section 3), steps State Energy Offices and PUCs have taken to further resilience valuation efforts (Section 4), and finally, considerations and suggested next steps for State Energy Offices and PUCs (Section 5). Relevant examples of specific microgrid projects and resilience valuation efforts are included throughout the report. While this report is written specifically for NASEO and NARUC members, it may be useful for utilities, local governments, and individual customers interested in improving the way public and private dollars are spent to achieve resilience outcomes.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Integrating a Microgrid Controller with a Local OpenADR Server

When military microgrids isolate themselves from the main electrical grid, they must locally balance electricity supply and demand. Since local generation may be limited, the current strategy is to shed all but the most critical loads by tripping smart circuit breakers, which must then be reset manually (e.g., ESTCP project EW-201350). This strategy is typically applied at the building level, meaning that entire buildings housing mission critical activities must be excluded from any load management, while those considered non-critical may lose service entirely. The remotely controlled switchgear needed to manage load in this way is very expensive ($\$30,000$-$\$50,000$ per building). While effective at shedding load, this strategy disrupts installation operation and risks damaging equipment during both disconnection and re-energization. With the goals of lowering costs, protecting equipment, and enhancing the agility of DoD microgrids, this report demonstrates the use of cybersecure automated demand response (ADR) technology to manage microgrid loads during grid-independent (a.k.a. "islanded") operation. This automated approach achieves load shedding and shifting through communication signals sent to equipment controllers rather than by cutting off the flow of electricity within the microgrid itself. Because it operates only on the base network, with no connection to external entities, this strategy avoids the main cybersecurity concern raised by past applications of ADR on military bases.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS2012

Evaluation of NASA SPoRT's Pseudo-Geostationary Lightning Mapper Products in the 2011 Spring Program

NASA's Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) program is a contributing partner with the GOES-R Proving Ground (PG) preparing forecasters to understand and utilize the unique products that will be available in the GOES-R era. This presentation emphasizes SPoRT s actions to prepare the end user community for the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). This preparation is a collaborative effort with SPoRT's National Weather Service partners, the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), and the Hazardous Weather Testbed s Spring Program. SPoRT continues to use its effective paradigm of matching capabilities to forecast problems through collaborations with our end users and working with the developers at NSSL to create effective evaluations and visualizations. Furthermore, SPoRT continues to develop software plug-ins so that these products will be available to forecasters in their own decision support system, AWIPS and eventually AWIPS II. In 2009, the SPoRT program developed the original pseudo geostationary lightning mapper (PGLM) flash extent product to demonstrate what forecasters may see with GLM. The PGLM replaced the previous GLM product and serves as a stepping-stone until the AWG s official GLM proxy is ready. The PGLM algorithm is simple and can be applied to any ground-based total lightning network. For 2011, the PGLM used observations from four ground-based networks (North Alabama, Kennedy Space Center, Oklahoma, and Washington D.C.). While the PGLM is not a true proxy product, it is intended as a tool to train forecasters about total lightning as well as foster discussions on product visualizations and incorporating GLM-resolution data into forecast operations. The PGLM has been used in 2010 and 2011 and is likely to remain the primary lightning training tool for the GOES-R program for the near future. This presentation will emphasize the feedback received during the 2011 Spring Program. This will discuss several topics. Based on feedback from the 2010 Spring Program, SPoRT created two variant PGLM products, which NSSL produced locally and provided in real-time within AWIPS for 2011. The first is the flash initiation density (FID) product, which creates a gridded display showing the number of flashes that originated in each 8 8 km grid box. The second product is the maximum flash density (MFD). This shows the highest PGLM value for each grid point over a specific period of time, ranging from 30 to 120 minutes. In addition to the evaluation of these two new products, the evaluation of the PGLM itself will be covered. The presentation will conclude with forecaster feedback for additional improvements requested for future evaluations, such as within the 2012 Spring Program.

Stano, Geoffrey T.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Kansas City, Missouri, Streetlight Electric Vehicle Charging: Strategies and challenges for site selection of streetlight electric vehicle infrastructure in Kansas City, Missouri (Final Report)

Public streetlight charging, whether on streets in central business districts or residential areas, provides easy charging access for apartment residents and homeowners alike. While most electric vehicle (EV) drivers charge at home, they do so in garages or on driveways they own. For renters and residents of multifamily housing (MFH), however, this may not be an option. EVs have a lower cost of ownership compared to conventional vehicles, and a used EV may be an affordable option for a lower-income household. But without easy access to charging, even a low-cost used EV may not be an option for a prospective buyer. An affordable curbside charging network has the potential to expand EV adoption into neighborhoods that have to date seen minimal interest and uptake of the technology and associated charging infrastructure. Streetlight charging networks can provide an economical, scalable, and effective approach to providing equitable and convenient charging. Metropolitan Energy Center (MEC) is dedicated to the mission of creating resource efficiency, environmental health, and economic vitality in the Kansas City region and beyond. Since 1983, MEC has provided resources, outreach, and training to make alternative fuels and energy efficiency commonplace. MEC led a streetlight charging pilot project that installed limited EV charging infrastructure on the streetlight system in Kansas City, Missouri, to demonstrate and test the benefits of curbside charging for EVs at existing on-street parking locations. The project aimed to cost-effectively expand the charging network in Kansas City to support residential charging and provide infrastructure in one or more charging deserts throughout the city. This pilot evaluates the impact and overall success of streetlight charging based on community feedback, utilization of charging infrastructure, technical feasibility, and cost. The project has pursued a data- and community-driven site selection process designed to identify sites with high demand and high opportunity for EV charging. This project was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and awarded to MEC through a competitive proposal process. The novelty and complexity of this project required an organization that could facilitate collaboration across levels of government, community members, and industry partners. For the past 25 years, through Kansas City Regional Clean Cities, MEC has worked with numerous public and private fleets on a variety of projects to improve the environmental performance and efficiency of the regional vehicle fleet. To advance affordable, efficient, and clean transportation efforts, DOE Clean Cities and Communities coalitions create local networks of public and private sector stakeholders and engage communities. Rooted within their local communities, the coalitions serve as experts and ambassadors, bringing to bear the collective knowledge, experience, and practical know-how of the entire network from within DOE, its national laboratories, and diverse stakeholders in the field. MEC and its project partners made in-kind contributions to leverage federal dollars for the benefit of the Kansas City community. Findings from this project will help determine the best applications for streetlight charging technologies to maximize funding impact and serve community needs. The team evaluated locations based on expected charging demand, technical feasibility, safety considerations, and enhanced charging network siting needs. Throughout the project, the team gathered feedback and evaluated ways to make public charging for EVs available to all community members. The insights will help Kansas City and other communities streamline future efforts to support EV drivers through public charging in the city right-of-way. Furthermore, this project will inform citywide guidance for future installations. MEC is committed to a transparent and publicly accessible approach that encourages the collaborative evaluation of streetlight charging. The project has engaged the community to proactively identify and evaluate the benefits and impacts of streetlight charging. It was a priority for the project to ensure the benefits of this pilot are distributed equitably to all members of the Kansas City community and that new charging opportunities and associated resources are available in diverse neighborhoods across the city. The charging infrastructure supports an affordable curbside charging network that will enable more drivers to choose EVs and provide easy charging access for all community members interested in driving an EV. The community feedback received through this project informed future resources and opportunities to make EVs more accessible to all members of the Kansas City community. MEC worked with several community partners on this project, including Missouri University of Science and Technology (MST), Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL); the city of Kansas City, Missouri; Evergy; Black and McDonald (B&M); LilyPad EV; EVNoire; and Westside Housing Organization (WHO). Project partners contributed to the cost match required for DOE grants through capital expenditures, personnel, and other in-kind contributions. Detailed descriptions of project team organizations can be found in Appendix A. Project Partners. Analysts at NREL and MST/PennState developed site maps based on demand and equity considerations. MEC conducted outreach to community members to garner input on project design and site selection, and received approval from the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) for Evergy’s EV charging station ownership. MEC worked with all partners to gather additional siting criteria and developed a site selection evaluation checklist, and partners conducted site visits to proposed installation sites. Next, B&M, Evergy, and the city executed all site agreements, conducted site-specific engineering design, acquired associated permits, and issued notices to proceed site by site or in small batches. Finally, from January to April 2023, the project team installed 23 EV charging stations built on Kansas City’s streetlight system in six council districts. Evergy will own, operate, and monitor the stations for 10 years, sharing charging data with MEC for at least 1 year.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2025

Energy innovation in the US buildings sector: Setting the stage and mapping the future

Jared Langevin is a staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he leads modeling of US buildings sector innovation and its implications for energy demand, consumer costs, and the power grid. Eric Wilson is a senior research engineer in the Building Technologies and Sciences Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Much of his 15-year career at NREL has revolved around modeling and analysis of the US building stock. Jared and Eric co-led the development of a National Blueprint for buildings sector innovation while serving as advisors to the US Department of Energy’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Buildings and Industry.

Langevin, Jared↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tailored Fiber Placement for Complex Preforms

Tailored Fiber Placement (TFP) offers a novel approach to optimize fiber architecture for the fabrication of complex, structural parts not traditionally suitable for advanced composites. This technology not only offers new routes for weight reduction via metal substitution, it also offers cost reduction through minimization of material scrap and reduced labor. This reduction in component weight leads to increased fuel efficiency, and reduced production energy consumption, thereby, helping to achieve the stated IACMI technical goals. This technology leverages centuries of manufacturing development in support of the textile and embroidery industry. One major drawback to this technology is the lack of commercial or non- proprietary structural performance data and robust analytical tools used to optimize fiber architecture and predict performance. This project was structured to utilize common sub-element features to validate analytical performance tools, generate performance data, and gather cost and performance data on components of interest. This project was designed to give industry sponsors the confidence and ability to take full advantage of TFP to fabricate primary, highly loaded structure and integrate features such as metallic fasteners. The project focused principally on the use of high strength carbon fiber, such as T700, and the use of aerospace epoxy resin matrix to primarily support development of new composite applications in vehicle, aerospace, and industrial markets. This project applied previously developed analytical tools to predict the performance of TFP produced parts. This work focused on developing the pipeline to characterize material in order to accurately predict component performance when modifying the TFP print paths and stitch density. This focused on experimental characterization via standardized ASTM testing, alongside experimental testing of more representative service components by testing curved beam strength, beam shear performance, a large scale TFP lug, and ultimately designing a fully TFP clip bracket that reduced weight and cost compared to a traditional metallic component. The new knowledge gained from this program included: 1) development and demonstration of novel analytical tools applied to analysis of TFP preforms; 2) development and demonstration of a building block approach using coupons and sub-elements to optimize the design of a more complex component; 3) demonstration that optimized fiber orientation using TFP can exceed performance of conventional textile composite materials and can open new applications currently limited to metallic components; 4) Demonstration of performance and cost benefits of the TFP process as compared to metallic and conventional textile composites. Recommendations for follow-on work include development of design allowables to assess the impact of high temperature/moisture exposure or saturation during loading, tracking the impact of stitching needle wear on the performance of parts and ability to stitch thicker preforms, using TFP preforms as local reinforcement at areas of bearing or complex loading, and topology optimization of components by tow steering. The expertise developed during the course of this project can be leveraged to provide commercial engineering design and fabrication services using TFP. UDRI is in the process of formalizing their partnership with Spintech, who will serve as the commercialization partner for this technology and provide molding services and deliver finished components to the end user. UDRI will continue to produce the preforms until the economics allow Spintech to procure its own TFP equipment or lease UDRI equipment, at which point UDRI will step away from manufacture and serve as the engineering and design lead on product development.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Mapathons versus automated feature extraction: a comparative analysis for strengthening immunization microplanning

Background: Social instability and logistical factors like the displacement of vulnerable populations, the difficulty of accessing these populations, and the lack of geographic information for hard-to-reach areas continue to serve as barriers to global essential immunizations (EI). Microplanning, a population-based, healthcare intervention planning method has begun to leverage geographic information system (GIS) technology and geospatial methods to improve the remote identification and mapping of vulnerable populations to ensure inclusion in outreach and immunization services, when feasible. We compare two methods of accomplishing a remote inventory of building locations to assess their accuracy and similarity to currently employed microplan line-lists in the study area. Methods: The outputs of a crowd-sourced digitization effort, or mapathon, were compared to those of a machine-learning algorithm for digitization, referred to as automatic feature extraction (AFE). The following accuracy assessments were employed to determine the performance of each feature generation method: (1) an agreement analysis of the two methods assessed the occurrence of matches across the two outputs, where agreements were labeled as “befriended” and disagreements as “lonely”; (2) true and false positive percentages of each method were calculated in comparison to satellite imagery; (3) counts of features generated from both the mapathon and AFE were statistically compared to the number of features listed in the microplan line-list for the study area; and (4) population estimates for both feature generation method were determined for every structure identified assuming a total of three households per compound, with each household averaging two adults and 5 children. Results: The mapathon and AFE outputs detected 92,713 and 53,150 features, respectively. A higher proportion (30%) of AFE features were befriended compared with befriended mapathon points (28%). The AFE had a higher true positive rate (90.5%) of identifying structures than the mapathon (84.5%). The difference in the average number of features identified per area between the microplan and mapathon points was larger (t = 3.56) than the microplan and AFE (t = -2.09) (alpha = 0.05). Conclusions: Our findings indicate AFE outputs had higher agreement (i.e., befriended), slightly higher likelihood of correctly identifying a structure, and were more similar to the local microplan line-lists than the mapathon outputs. These findings suggest AFE may be more accurate for identifying structures in high-resolution satellite imagery than mapathons. However, they both had their advantages and the ideal method would utilize both methods in tandem.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2015

Resource Prospector (RP): A Cost-Effective Lunar Resource Pathfinder

Resource Prospector (RP) is an in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technology demonstration mission under study by the NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorates (HEOMD). This clever mission is currently planned to launch in 2020 and will demonstrate extraction of oxygen, water and other volatiles, as well measure mineralogical content such as silicon and light metals, like aluminum and titanium, from lunar regolith. Expanding human presence beyond low-Earth orbit to asteroids and Mars will require the maximum possible use of local materials, so-called in-situ resources, and the moon presents a unique destination to conduct robotic investigations that advance ISRU capabilities, as well as providing significant exploration and science value. This mission is equally important; however, for how it executes as a risk-tolerant, cost-effective mission. RP follows on the path-finding approaches of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission. The LCROSS mission confirmed the presence of water-ice on the moon, but also established a new lightweight-approach to project and mission execution which was considerably cheaper and faster than traditional NASA missions. RP has been designated as a Class D mission, just as LCROSS. This mission classification is the most risk-tolerant class of mission within the NASA risk framework and as such, is given more latitude to accept higher-levels of residual risk. The intention is that by saving monies normally spent attempting to assure a single missions success, more missions can be funded. A well-designed portfolio can accept occasional mission failure, as it still gets more done for the same investment of resources. This classification enables tailoring the NASA Policy Requirements (NPRs) to lighter-weight approaches to mission management and execution. RP is also studying both international and commercial partnerships as a means to maximize return on the investment. International partnerships provide both capabilities synergies and cost-sharing opportunities, while the evolving new space commercial options are revealing new approaches to acquiring cost-effective services, including the benefits of bundling services. Even the world of launch vehicles is changing, offering much less expensive access to space, especially if NASA is able to be flexible in how it approaches mission assurance. Finally, leveraging investments being made elsewhere within a program portfolio, can enable cost-savings by enabling two applications with one investment. RP will be the next pathfinder mission to both enable exploration capabilities for future missions, and continue to evolve cost-effective approaches for NASA.

Lunar↗
DOE OSTI2024

Droning on to Delivery: Examining the Energy Impacts of Using Drones for Moving Goods

The demand for fast, localized delivery has grown significantly in recent years. Whether for cheesy snacks, prepared food, medical solutions, or business deliveries, fast and efficient delivery is increasingly a demand and differentiator. Drone delivery in the freight sector offers to revolutionize last-mile logistics and improve services. This research analyzes the impacts of drone energy for delivery operations, aiming to compare various types of drones (large and small, rotary and VTOL) and various types of business methods. The project executes novel open-air and laboratory-based testing to look at the impacts of weights, operations, temperatures and weather conditions. The study combines this real-world experimental data with fleet optimization mathematical models to assess energy consumption of different scenarios as well as examine the minimum fleet size and additional battery requirements. These fleet optimization models compare energy between types of deployments with existing delivery methods. The model was also extended to look at mixed fleets of aerial drones and ground vehicles to accommodate different restrictions on drones or when weather prohibits their use. The analysis provided insights into factors such as drone design, payload weight, flight distance, weather conditions and operational parameters and impacts of each. It showed how to combine different types of vehicles to reduce energy and improve services. And it showed that drone speed, routing restrictions, and unfavorable weather significantly influence energy consumption. Our open experiment data and optimization models can assist stakeholders and industry in understanding drone package delivery and offers keys to improving deployment.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2026

Principles and Options for Designing Battery Energy Storage Zoning Ordinances

Deployment of battery energy storage (BESS) systems, both standalone and as part of hybrid systems paired with generation, has rapidly increased in the United States in recent years as utilities and communities have deployed storage to improve electric grid reliability and act as a cost-effective alternative to larger grid infrastructure. The modular nature of BESS technologies means systems may be built near other existing land uses, creating the potential for conflicts with neighboring landowners that can be managed and mitigated through zoning and permitting requirements established by local jurisdictions. While many cities and counties have adopted ordinances specific to BESS into their local zoning codes, these ordinances vary significantly in their requirements and level of detail. Meanwhile, many other jurisdictions, including those home to proposed or existing BESS projects, lack any specific language related to BESS in their zoning codes. Local planning and zoning officials have limited capacity and may lack the familiarity with BESS technologies needed to develop ordinances or otherwise make reasonable zoning decisions that balance safety, community impacts, and other goals. The resulting uncertainty at the local zoning level has led developers to withdraw projects in some areas and has spurred moratoria or bans on energy storage projects in others. This report intends to provide practical resources for practitioners interested in reasonable and effective local regulation of battery energy storage. It does not present a model zoning ordinance, but rather is intended to complement model ordinances developed by others by providing additional context and analysis regarding the structure of energy storage zoning ordinances and the decision points for local officials. Zoning ordinances at the city, town, and county level across the U.S. were surveyed alongside two template model ordinances to identify common elements and options for regulating the zoning and siting of BESS. Common elements identified and analyzed include definitions and general requirements, including cutoffs or tiers used to apply regulations to different system sizes and the permitted zones where jurisdictions allow BESS to be sited; visual, noise, and aesthetic requirements, including property line setbacks, fencing and visual screening, noise, and lighting requirements; and safety and planning requirements, such as site plans, decommissioning plans or funds, and requirements for access by emergency services. The report also summarizes some of the more unique regulations, including those that place additional restrictions on BESS at the local level.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Co-simulation Framework for Community-scale Building-grid Integration [SWR-21-75]

Distributed energy resources (DERs), including rooftop solar, energy storage, and flexible loads, are gaining popularity as costs decline and as building owners and utilities realize their benefits. DERs can improve distribution system efficiency, help prevent the need for expensive grid upgrades, and increase the resilience of local communities. However, they can also cause difficulties in grid operations and can require controls to achieve their benefits. To address this challenge, NREL researchers have developed a community-scale solution that assesses the impacts of DERs and their control strategies on a distribution system. The framework has been shown to reduce solar photovoltaic (PV) curtailment to 0%, mitigate the adverse impact of solar variability on the distribution voltage, and provide up to 5-day critical load support during emergency events. Utilizing 5 different modules representing the feeder, buildings, home energy management systems, an aggregator, and a utility controller, NREL expects this simulation technology to play a critical role in the continued integration of DERs. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), solar curtailments accounted for 94% of the total energy curtailed in the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) in 2020. By enabling Independent System Operators (ISOs) and utility operators to bring solar curtailments to 0%, the electrical grid can become less dependent on fossil-fueled power generation sources. NREL's co-simulation framework contains five major components: Distribution Feeder Model: describes the distribution feeder topology using OpenDSS, including the locations of all DERs. Residential Building Model: simulates a large number of buildings at a high resolution using OCHRETM. The model is equipped to control equipment based on signals from an external module. The model includes major household appliances such as HVAC and a water heater, non-dispatchable load models, a distributed PV system, and a home battery system. Home Energy Management System: optimizes the controls for the devices in a home using foreseeTM. The control can adjust based on the user preferences including cost, comfort, and convenience. In hierarchical control scenarios, where the houses follow signals from an aggregator, the home energy management system provides a flexibility band with a range of power and follows the dispatch signals received from aggregator. Community-Level Aggregator: solves for optimal energy dispatch based on the flexibility bands received from each home and the grid service signal received from the utility controller. Utility-Level Controller: provides grid signals for voltage control using Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), such as solar systems, in the community.

Balamurugan, Sivasathya Pradha↗
DOE OSTI2022

Use of Systems Engineering in Repurposing Coal-Fired Power Plants with Malta Pumped Thermal Energy Storage System

he electric sector across North America is facing a transition. Both economics and policy decisions have pointed towards a broad retirement of fossil assets across markets. Owners are facing the problem of how to evolve the base of the electric sector from fossil asset to greener alternative. Coal-fired power plants built the modern electricity grid. Their rotating machinery are the beating heart of the grid, providing essential resiliency and reliability services. Power plant retirements are disruptive to plant workforces and cause outsized impacts on surrounding communities. The transition from thermal power plants that use rotating machinery to generate electricity (e.g., coal- and gas-fired plants) to variable, inverter-based generation (e.g., solar and wind) is affecting the reliability of the electric grid. Grid operators and national regulators have issued warnings about known and anticipated risk. In 2021, Malta Inc. was awarded a Department of Energy (DOE) grant to study how to integrate a Malta 100MW Pumped Heat Energy Storage (PHES) system with a retiring coal-fired power plant to meet emissions requirements, retain plant workforces, preserve communities, and maintain grid reliability. This presentation provides a summary of this study, focusing on how systems engineering approach was used to arrive at a proposed design concept that met multiple objectives and requirements. There will be three main parts for this presentation. The first part of the presentation will focus on how different systems engineering was applied for this work. In particular, the following areas: stakeholder engagement, site selection process, developing requirements and use cases for the integrated system, defining the system and its boundary, coming up with different system architecture/option, performing a techno-economic analysis to compare the different options and down selection of the preferred option, will be discusses. For these areas, discussion on the decisions on how much breadth and depth to go into each area will be provided. These discussions provide good insights into how to apply systems engineering. The second part of the presentation will provide a deeper dive into the two recommended integration options that repurpose coal-fired power plants with Malta PHES system. The comparison of the two options and general guidance of how to choose an option will be provided. This is particularly useful for utilities who are facing coal-plant retirements. The two options will be compared based on its performance (such as power output, efficiency), complexity, and cost. The social impact on local communities of the two options will also be discussed. The final part of the presentation will discuss the impact that this work has had, including Malta Inc. being invited to the White House to discuss progress and outcomes of this work with the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization. In summary, this presentation aims to provide a showcase of how sy

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗