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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Characterization of Infrequent Samples from the Concentration, Storage, and Transfer Facility: H-Area Diversion Box 7 (HDB-7) Sump Sample: December 2021 Sample

In December 2021, SRR-E sent an ~250 mL sample identified as HDB-7 from an H-Area diversion box sump to SRNL for analysis. The sample was clear and colorless and free from any solids. SRNL analysis indicated that the sample contained 2.97E+05 dpm/mL Cs-137, 3.74E+05 dpm/mL total beta activity, 1.04E+03 dpm/mL beta activity following cesium removal, and below detectable levels of alpha activity and alpha activity following cesium removal. In addition, the pH of the sample was 7.32, free hydroxide concentration was 2.09E-07 M, and the density was 0.991 g/mL.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2022

Integrated Urban Services: Regional Launch Event, 10-11 and 12-13 August 2021 [Slides]

The Integrated Urban Services (IUS) Program virtual launch event was conducted on August 10th and 12th, 2021 and provided education to the 26 cities in the ASEAN Smart Cities Network focused on integrated urban planning and the energy-food-water nexus. Experts representing academia, government, NGOs, and the private sector were invited to share knowledge and key lessons from their experience working on urban development projects in the ASEAN region and around the world. The IUS program, which is funded by the U.S. State Department and implemented by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, aims to promote systems integration and circular economy principles for resource recovery and reuse at the city scale. This new initiative will help ASEAN cities build resilience in their energy, water, and food provision systems. The objectives of this three-year project are to: Educate stakeholders on the benefits of circular economy approaches such as resource recovery and reuse, and on opportunities to build cost-efficient and resilient models of basic urban service and food provision; Provide technical assistance to two select cities within ASEAN to aid them in implementing regenerative EWF system pilot projects; and Engage the private sector to promote market-based planning and investment to support pilot project implementation.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Results for the Third Quarter Calendar Year 2021 Tank 50 Salt Solution Sample

In this Technical Report, the chemical and radionuclide contaminant results from the Third Quarter Calendar Year 2021 (CY21) sample of Tank 50 salt solution are presented in tabulated form. The information from this characterization will be used by Savannah River Remediation (SRR) for the transfer of aqueous waste from Tank 50 to the Saltstone Production Facility (SPF), where the waste will be treated and disposed in the Saltstone Disposal Facility. This Technical Report compares results, where applicable, to SPF Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) Limits and Targets that were established at the time the Tank 50 sample was obtained. The chemical and radionuclide contaminant results from the characterization of the Third Quarter CY21 sampling of Tank 50 were requested by SRR personnel via a Task Technical Request (TTR) and details of the testing are presented in the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) Task Technical and Quality Assurance Plan (TTQAP). This Technical Report is part of Deliverable 2 relating to Task 1 from the SRR request. Data pertaining to the regulatory limits for Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) metals per Task 2 from the SRR request, will be obtained semi-annually for the 1QCY21 and 3QCY21 Tank 50 samples.

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DOE OSTI2021

Results for the Second Quarter Calendar Year 2021 Tank 50 Salt Solution Sample

In this Technical Report, the chemical and radionuclide contaminant results from the Second Quarter Calendar Year 2021 (CY21) sample of Tank 50 salt solution are presented in tabulated form. The information from this characterization will be used by Savannah River Remediation (SRR) for the transfer of aqueous waste from Tank 50 to the Saltstone Production Facility (SPF), where the waste will be treated and disposed in the Saltstone Disposal Facility. This Technical Report compares results, where applicable, to SPF Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) Limits and Targets that were established at the time the Tank 50 sample was obtained. The chemical and radionuclide contaminant results from the characterization of the Second Quarter CY21 sampling of Tank 50 were requested by SRR personnel via a Task Technical Request (TTR) and details of the testing are presented in the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) Task Technical and Quality Assurance Plan (TTQAP). This Technical Report is part of Deliverable 2 relating to Task 1 from the SRR request. Data pertaining to the regulatory limits for Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) metals per Task 2 from the SRR request, will be obtained semi-annually for the 1QCY21 and 3QCY21 Tank 50 samples.

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DOE OSTI2022

Meteorological Services Annual Data Report for 2021

This document presents the meteorological data collected at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) by Meteorological Services (Met Services) for the calendar year 2021. The purpose is to publicize the data sets available to emergency personnel, researchers and facility operations. Met services has been collecting data at BNL since 1949. Data from 1994 to the present is available in digital format. Data is presented in monthly plots of one-minute data. This allows the reader the ability to peruse the data for trends or anomalies that may be of interest to them. Full data sets are available to BNL personnel and to a limited degree outside researchers. The full data sets allow plotting the data on expanded time scales to obtain greater details (e.g., daily solar variability, inversions, etc.).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

2021 Report - SRNL Aging and Lifetimes program tritium aging studies on structural alloys

This report documents work performed in fiscal year 2021 at SRNL in support of the Aging and Lifetimes program. This work is part of an on-going collaboration between SRNL and SNL to understand tritium embrittlement of structural metals used in Gas Transfer System reservoirs, thereby informing lifetime assessments and predictions. In this effort, test coupons are pre-charged with tritium and allowed to age in a freezer to minimize tritium diffusion and off-gassing while allowing for born-in helium levels to systematically increase. Coupons are then removed periodically and tested to develop an understanding of how mechanical properties degrade as helium levels increase. This report summarizes test results from coupons which are in various stages of aging as they were tritium pre-charged in previous years. Tests were performed on 304L that was previously tritium pre-charged and allowed to age to nominally 300 appm helium. Specimens from this study were previously tested at 100 appm nominal helium content, and this new test point expands that study. Tensile testing of these heat treated 304L tubes (and welded tubes) aged to 100 appm helium were completed which provided a unique study of a diverse set of microstructures and yield strengths ranging from 200-800 MPa. Additionally, 304L notched and smooth tensile specimens aged to 300 appm helium were tensile tested to predetermined strains to provide for a systematic microscopy investigation of aging effects on microstructural damage in partnership with SNL. Testing was performed on 304L electron beam (EB) weld coupons as well as 21-6-9 annealed coupons that were thermally pre-charged in 2020. Tests on the EB welds were completed at 100 appm helium contents, and tests on the annealed 21-6-9 material were completed at 100, 200, and 300 appm helium. Table 0-1 provides the status of the ongoing tritium coupon aging studies. The table includes the year tritium pre-charging took place, the material, and the targeted helium concentrations (appm) for testing.

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DOE OSTI2021

Advanced Fuels Campaign (2021 Accomplishments)

The 2021 Advanced Fuels Campaign (AFC) Accomplishments Report captures accomplishments made by this long standing, nationally relevant research and development program and reflects the quality and talent of the remarkable people that staff it and the world class scientific facilities they wield. The report documents impactful research that took place in the Campaign in FY21.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2022

2021 Results for Avian Monitoring of Inorganic and Organic Element Concentrations in Passerine Eggs and Nestlings Collected from Technical Area 16 Burn Grounds, Technical Area 36 Minie, and Technical Area 39 Point 6 at Los Alamos National Laboratory (Rev. 2)

In 2021, non-viable avian eggs and one nestling were opportunistically collected at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) near open detonation sites located at Technical Area (TA) 16 burn grounds and TA-36 Minie. Similar to previous years, nestboxes were monitored at TA-39 Point 6, however, no avian samples were available for opportunistic collection. Samples were evaluated for inorganic elements (mostly metals), dioxins, and furans. One ash-throated flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) egg sample was collected from TA-16 burn grounds. One ash-throated flycatcher and one mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides) egg sample and one deceased western bluebird (Sialia mexicana) nestling sample were collected from TA-36 Minie. Concentrations of inorganic elements observed in this study were compared with the regional statistical reference level (RSRL) which is the upper-level bounds of background concentrations (mean + three standard deviations = 99% confidence interval). Several inorganic elements were not detected in avian eggs. Most inorganic elements detected were below the RSRL and all were the lowest observable adverse effect level (LOAEL), when available. The nestling collected from TA-36 did not contain detectable concentrations of dioxin or furan congeners. These data suggest that inorganic and organic element concentrations in eggs and nestlings are not of ecological concern. More data are needed to make a robust assessment and to evaluate trends over time.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Saltstone Third Quarter Calendar Year 2021 (3QCY21) Toxicity Characteristic Leading Procedure (TCLP) Results

The aqueous waste from Tank 50 (salt solution) is sampled quarterly for transfers to the Saltstone Production Facility (SPF). Salt solution is treated at SPF and disposed of in the Saltstone Disposal Facility (SDF). Per request of customer, X-TTR-Z-00023, Revision 0, two SDF waste form (saltstone) samples were prepared in the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) from the Tank 50 Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) sample and Z-Area premix material for the third quarter of calendar year 2021(3QCY21). One sample contained a Full Premix which included 10:45:45 (by weight) of cement, slag and fly ash. The second sample contained 60:40 (by weight) of slag and fly ash only referred to as the “Cement-Free grout sample”. Results from this technical report support Task 2: ‘Grout Leaching Analyses’ of the Task Technical Request (TTR) prepared by Savannah River Remediation (SRR). After at least 28 days cured, a sample of each of the SDF waste forms was collected and shipped to a certified laboratory for analysis using the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP). The 3QCY21 saltstone (Full Premix) and the Cement-Free grout samples met the South Carolina (SC) Code of Regulations for Hazardous Waste Management Regulations (HWMR) 61-79.261.24 and 61-79-268.48 requirements for a non-hazardous waste form with respect to Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) metals and Underlying Hazardous Constituents (UHCs), and also met the SPF WAC that was in effect at the time of the tank sampling.

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DOE OSTI2022

Assessment of Sandia's 2021 Pilot Program for Research Traineeships to Broaden and Diversify Fusion Energy Science: Development and Rapid Screening of Refractory Multi-Principal Elemental Composites for Plasma Facing Components

The Fusion Energy Sciences office supported “A Pilot Program for Research Traineeships to Broaden and Diversify Fusion Energy Sciences” at Sandia National Laboratories during the summer of 2021. This pilot project was motivated in part by the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee report observation that “The multidisciplinary workforce needed for fusion energy and plasma science requires that the community commit to the creation and maintenance of a healthy climate of diversity, equity, and inclusion, which will benefit the community as a whole and the mission of FES”. The pilot project was designed to work with North Carolina A&T (NCAT) University and leverage SNL efforts in FES to engage underrepresented students in developing and accessing advanced material solutions for plasma facing components in fusion systems. The intent was to create an environment conducive to the development of a sense of belonging amongst participants, foster a strong sense of physics identity among the participants, and provide financial support to enable students to advance academically while earning money. The purpose of this assessment is to review what worked well and lessons that can be learned. We reviewed implementation and execution of the pilot, describe successes and areas for improvement and propose a no-cost extension of the pilot project to apply these lessons and continue engagement activities in the summer of 2022.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Trends from the Alternative Fueling Station Locator (Third Quarter 2021)

The U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fueling Station Locator contains information on public and private nonresidential alternative fueling stations in the United States and Canada and currently tracks ethanol (E85), biodiesel, compressed natural gas, electric vehicle (EV) charging, hydrogen, liquefied natural gas, and propane stations. Of these fuels, EV charging continues to experience rapidly changing technology and growing infrastructure. This report provides a snapshot of the state of EV charging infrastructure in the United States in the third calendar quarter of 2021 (Q3). Using data from the Station Locator, this report breaks down the growth of public and private charging infrastructure by charging level, network, and location. Additionally, this report measures the current state of charging infrastructure compared with two different 2030 infrastructure requirement scenarios. This information is intended to help transportation planners, policymakers, researchers, infrastructure developers, and others understand the rapidly changing landscape for EV charging. This is the seventh report in a series. Reports from previous quarters can be found in the Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) publication databases, as well as the AFDC Charging Infrastructure Trends page (https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_infrastructure_trends.html).

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2022

2021 NIRT Mini Drill (After Action Report)

During the summer and fall of 2021, several functional area drills were held that focused on exercising Consequence Management’s (CM) ability to extract and use data from RadResponder for the purpose of answering intermediate-phase questions presented as technical inject requests for information (RFI) in Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) Consequence Management Operational System (COSMOS) software. The scenario chosen was that of Northern Lights 2016 (NL16) which was a large-scale nuclear power plant (NPP) release exercise in the state of Minnesota. The NL16 data was extracted from the Radiological Assessment and Monitoring System (RAMS) event where it was created and was reformatted for implanting to a new RadResponder event. Next, the beta-version of a laboratory sample data simulator was used to generate more sample data that was injected to the event. Five “mini-drills” were devised with each prompt defined by a data-based need. For each drill, a team of assessment and NARAC scientists worked the problem using the drill prompt and the available data in RadResponder. The teams held a kickoff meeting, had several days to work the problem, and then reported their results as well as observations in a hotwash. Several areas for improvement in both the software and process were identified during the course of these drills. This report will document the process of addressing each RFI and the discovered gaps in both software capability and methodology so that they can be considered for future development and investment by the CM and NIRT programs.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Hydrothermal Liquefaction and Upgrading of Wastewater-Grown Microalgae: 2021 State of Technology

The fiscal year (FY) 2021 State of Technology (SOT) Assessment for the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of wastewater (WW)-grown microalgae and biocrude upgrading system was completed and reported here. An industrial partner, Gross-Wen Technologies (GWT), provided algae feedstock cultivated on a revolving algal biofilm (RAB) system by using the primary effluent from a water resource recovery facility (WRRF). This provided algae was tested at PNNL for HTL processing. The experimental results provided the major design basis of the HTL process of the SOT baseline case. The primary effluent of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago was assumed to be the nutrients source for algae growth and the algae yield data per gallon wastewater provided by GWT were used to estimate the total algae production rate and thus the HTL conversion plant scale. Considering different cultivation technologies and wastewater streams with different flow rates and nutrients contents can be used to produce algae, this SOT assessment just provided an example case study for WW-grown algae based HTL conversion to fuels systems. A preliminary economic analysis was developed based on process simulation results. Sensitivity analysis was implemented to evaluate cost impacts of plant scales, potential cost improvements and other key factors.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Mercury Remediation Technology Development for Lower East Fork Poplar Creek—FY 2021 Update

Mercury remediation is a high priority for the US Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management. Mercury contamination in the environment can be found at all three DOE facilities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, but the greatest environmental risk concern relative to Hg on the Oak Ridge Reservation is likely associated with historical Hg losses at and near the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12). Mercury in water and fish from East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) downstream of Y-12 exceeds regulatory thresholds. Because of the complexities of Hg transport and fate in the aquatic environment, conventional remedial options for EFPC are highly uncertain. DOE is using a phased adaptive management approach to Hg remediation at Y-12, with a focus in the next few years on construction of the Mercury Treatment Facility (MTF) to treat the most contaminated Y-12 outfall entering EFPC (DOE 2017a; DOE 2017b). Once operational, the MTF will provide additional protection against inadvertent releases of Hg into the stream from decontamination and decommissioning of Y-12 Hg-use buildings. Although the MTF is anticipated to substantially decrease Hg water concentrations and flux in upper EFPC (UEFPC), research and technology development are needed to develop appropriate and longer-term remedial solutions for the downstream environment. Since late 2014, the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC/Restoration Services Inc. have supported DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Environmental Sciences Division staff in conducting field and laboratory studies to develop Hg remedial technology solutions for lower EFPC (LEFPC). Whereas previous annual reporting updates for Hg remediation technology development for LEFPC have focused on presenting detailed results from the previous fiscal year, this FY 2021 update takes a comprehensive, higher-level approach to the research and technology development activities conducted since 2014. The report is organized to be consistent with the three tasks defined in the LEFPC strategic plan

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DOE OSTI2022

2021 LDRD Annual Report

This summary report provides an overview of all LDRD projects at Argonne that concluded in Fiscal Year 2021. Many projects are funded for multiple years, the initial fiscal year for each project is indicated by the first four digits of the LDRD project number.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Biochemical Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Hydrocarbon Fuels and Products (2021 State of Technology and Future Research)

The annual State of Technology (SOT) assessment is an essential activity for biochemical platform research. It allows the impact of research progress to be quantified in terms of economic improvements in the overall cellulosic biofuel production process for a particular conversion pathway. As such, initial benchmarks can be established for currently demonstrated performance and progress can be tracked towards out-year goals to ultimately demonstrate cost-competitive cellulosic biofuel technology. The purpose of this report is to benchmark the latest experimental developments across a number of potential bioconversion pathways as quantified by modeled minimum fuel selling prices (MFSPs), as a measure of current status relative to those final targets. For this state of technology, TEA models were run for two separate biological conversion pathways to fuels, based on available data for integrated biomass deconstruction and hydrolysate processing; namely carboxylic acids (primarily butyric acid) and diols (2,3-butanediol [BDO]), reflecting NREL's recently-published 2018 biochemical design report focused on those two pathways. The models were run across three scenarios for lignin utilization, namely combustion, conversion to coproducts based on "base case" performance with biomass hydrolysate, and conversion to coproducts based on "high" performance demonstrated with model lignin monomer components. A key improvement reflected in the 2021 SOT is centered around making use of the latest lignin conversion data, which over the past year focused primarily on production of ß-ketoadipate (BKA) as a more optimal molecule compared to the closely-related adipic acid coproduct of prior recent focus, both in terms of superior product properties and biology, as well as reduced processing complexity (reducing two steps for sequential production of muconate followed by hydrogenation to adipic acid down to a single step for direct production of BKA). This update translated to a roughly 17% increase in mass yield of final coproduct output at a nearly four-fold increase in fermentation productivity on lignin monomers relative to prior 2020 SOT benchmarks for muconic/adipic acid production.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Lehigh University Industrial Assessment Center (Final Technical Report for the Period 2016 to 2021)

This is the final technical report summarizing the activities Industrial Assessment Center at Lehigh University sponsored by the Department of Energy for the period September 1, 2016 till September 30, 2021. During this period, the Industrial Assessment Center at Lehigh University was successful in training numerous energy engineers of the future, and helped many manufacturing plants in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. The center and its activities helped save a great deal of energy, related fuel costs and along the way mitigated tons of CO2 emissions. The report covers many of the numerical details related to the center activities. The Industrial Center at Lehigh University is one of the most successful ones and this is made evident by the statistics included as part of this report and best center award bestowed upon the center.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗