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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 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Temperature-driven BCS-BEC crossover and Cooper-paired metallic phase in coupled boson-fermion systems

Motivated by strongly correlated and frustrated systems, in this work we propose an effective model that describes the dynamics of pairs of opposite spin fermions scattering from localized bosons. Integrating out one of the degrees, either the bosons or fermions, generates temperature-dependent long-range effective interactions between the entities that we investigate using Monte Carlo techniques. The behavior of bosons is dominated by vortex-antivortex unbinding, with effective interboson interactions beyond the nearest-neighbor Josephson coupling of phases. Remarkably, in the fermion sector we observe a temperature-driven phase transition from a SC phase with a “BCS” spectral function that shows a gap minimum on the underlying Fermi surface to a conducting phase of pairs but with a “BEC” spectral function with a gap minimum at k = 0. Tunneling and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy on Bose-Fermi mixtures in cold atomic systems and superconducting islands on graphene are some of the promising experimental platforms to test our predictions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Design considerations of series type hybrid circuit breaker (S‐HCB)

Abstract The series‐type direct current (DC) hybrid circuit breaker (S‐HCB) concept was previously reported to offer better performance than solid‐state circuit breakers (SSCB) and hybrid circuit breakers (HCB). S‐HCB offers low conduction power loss like an HCB and ‐scale interruption time, which is even faster than an SSCB. It uses a pulse transformer to isolate the lower‐voltage high‐inductance power electronic circuit from the high‐voltage, low‐inductance main power loop. This paper provides analysis of the impact of the S‐HCB circuit components on the overall system performance and a scalable S‐HCB design guide for different DC system voltage and current ratings. In addition, system energy flow analysis is performed in the time domain to provide an understanding of how energy is delivered, dissipated, and released throughout the entire fault interruption process. The S‐HCB prototype was experimentally tested at 3 kV/30 A and 6 kV/150A with the results showing the interruption of the low fault current of 30 A and the high fault current of 150 A within 8 and maintaining the fault current at a near zero value for 300 to enable an arcless opening of a series mechanical switch. The key design challenges of S‐HCB at high voltage and high current ratings were discussed and possible solutions to mitigate those challenges were introduced.

Alashi, Mahmoud↗
DOE OSTI2025

Aircraft in-situ measurements from SOCRATES constrain the anthropogenic perturbations of cloud droplet number

Aerosol-cloud interactions (ACI) in warm clouds alter reflected shortwave radiation by influencing cloud microphysical and macrophysical properties. The variable of state controlling ACI is the cloud droplet number concentration (N d ). Here, we examine the perturbations in N d due to anthropogenic aerosols (ΔN d, PD-PI ) using a perturbed parameter ensemble (PPE) hosted in the sixth Community Atmosphere Model (CAM6). Surrogate models are created for the CAM6 PPE outputs and are used to generate 1 million model variants of CAM6 by sampling 45 sources of parameter uncertainty. The range of uncertain physical parameters related to ACI are constrained with observations of aerosol and cloud properties from SOCRATES. The likely range of uncertain parameters and the associated range of ΔN d, PD-PI are more strongly constrained with observations of N d relative to observations of cloud condensation nuclei. We conduct sensitivity tests of how constraints on ΔN d, PD-PI are affected by systematic uncertainties in observations and our limitations in our surrogate models created for CAM6 PPE outputs. Based on this, we provide guidance on the impact of reducing systematic uncertainty in airborne microphysical observations and in surrogate models.

Song, Ci [Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (United St↗
DOE OSTI2020

Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between National Energy Technology Laboratory and Pyrochem Catalyst Company [Abstract]

A catalytic converter is a key enabling technology for more advanced engine technologies to meet the more stringent fuel economy and emission standards of the future, particularly the requirement to treat emissions formed during a cold start (which account for between 60-80% of total emissions). As internal combustion engine technology is expected to remain a dominant force in the market, new and innovative catalyst technologies are needed with low temperature activity to reduce exhaust pollutants by 90% at temperatures as low as 150°C, with a performance lifetime that exceeds 150,000 miles of driving. Considering current catalyst technology only starts to convert pollutants at 200°C, the challenge is significant. Pyrochem Catalyst Company (PCC) has developed a promising PyroCatTM pyrochlore catalyst technology (that incorporates an NETL technology licensed by PCC), which has shown activity better than current state of the art and approaching the 150°C target. NETL and PCC will collaborate to transition PyroCatTM from lab-scale testing to commercialization through the generation of a commercially representative monolith catalyst that can be sent to automotive companies and catalyst manufacturers to validate in their reactor systems.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Economic Extraction and Recovery of REEs and Production of Clean Value-Added Products from Low-Rank Coal Fly Ash

The University of North Dakota (UND) Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) teamed with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) , the North Dakota Industrial Commission Lignite Research Program, and commercial partners Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Great River Energy, and Southern Company to execute a Cooperative Agreement funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) focused on identifying unique pathways and pretreatments to extract rare-earth elements (REEs) from low-rank coal (LRC) ash in a more economical and environmentally benign manner than current methods. The EERC drew upon the unique and deep knowledge of the team regarding LRC geochemistry, ash transformation mechanisms during combustion, and fly ash chemistry in the approach to understand the portioning of REEs in LRC ash. A comprehensive characterization effort was undertaken to fully establish the form, associations, and partitioning of the REEs and other elements/minerals of interest in fly ash, as well as the ash chemistry, mineralogy, and morphology. Using this information, the team tested methods of REE extraction to take advantage of the unique and advantageous properties of LRC ash. Multiple complementary approaches were evaluated that combined both novel and proven methods to develop an extractive process for REEs and other high-value metals from LRC ash that provide technological and economic progress on the current state of the art. Methodologies were also evaluated for the potential to synergistically remove toxic metals while extracting other high-value metals from the ash, generating a clean, safe ash material as a value-added product. This would eliminate waste and offer significant additional revenue potential. Based on laboratory-scale testing, an initial high-level technical and economic analysis to estimate operating expenses and product revenues to guide future phases of technology development was implemented. By focusing on minimizing process steps and consumptive use of extraction solutions, a tunable, economically viable process for REE extraction from LRC ash was developed. The tunable process has the ability to be adjusted to adapt to the differing ash chemical and physical properties that are characteristic of LRC ash. This is key to deployment as a commercial process. In demonstrating the process, the EERC was able to illustrate mixed REE concentration greater than the goal of 2 wt%. High-level economic analysis of the process with LRC ash of moderate REE levels demonstrated the potential of the process, but recovery of just the REEs was insufficient to cover operational costs. With the additional extraction of other high-value metals found in LRC ash, the process economics approach would break even, and it is anticipated that with process optimization, the developed process could potentially be economically sound. The same economic analysis performed utilizing LRC ash with high levels of REEs showed the recovery of the REEs alone would make the process economically viable even without further optimization.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2020

Bench scale development of a hybrid membrane-absorption CO 2 capture process (Final Report)

This final technical report describes work conducted for the Department of Energy (DOE) on the development of a bench-scale hybrid membrane-absorption carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture system for coal-fired power plant applications (Cooperative Agreement number DE-FE0013118). The work was conducted by Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. (MTR) with major support from the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) from April 1, 2013 through September 30, 2018. The overall goal of this project was to evaluate two variations of a hybrid membrane-absorption capture system combining the MTR air-swept PolarisTM membrane technology, which enriches flue gas to ~20% CO 2 , with UT Austin’s absorption-based advanced flash stripper (AFS) using piperazine (PZ), to determine the superior hybrid variant and to assess the potential of hybrid capture systems to achieve a lower cost-of-capture, compared to NETL’s reference amine-based capture plant. This project included the evaluation, development and testing of a hybrid membrane-absorption CO 2 capture system for coal-fired power plant applications using the MTR high-gas-flow, low-pressure-drop membrane contactor. The ability of the membrane contactor to enrich coal-fired flue gas from its normal content of ~13% CO 2 into a smaller volume of gas containing 20-25% CO 2 – with minimal energy input – could reduce the cost of the final concentration process, regardless of whether it is absorption, adsorption, cryogenic, or membrane-based. In this project, we are evaluating the feasibility of a hybrid system combining the MTR sweep membrane technology with the UT Austin piperazine-based advanced flash stripper (PZAS) capture system.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Analysis of Orthogonal Efflux and Permeation Properties of Compounds Leads to the Discovery of New Efflux Pump Inhibitors

Optimization of compound permeation into Gram-negative bacteria is one of the most challenging tasks in the development of antibacterial agents. Two permeability barriers–the passive diffusion barrier of the outer membrane (OM) and active drug efflux–act synergistically to protect cells from the antibacterial action of compounds. In Escherichia coli (E. coli) and relatives, these two barriers sieve compounds based on different physicochemical properties that are defined by their interactions with OM porins and efflux pumps, respectively. In this study, we critically tested the hypothesis that the best substrates and inhibitors of efflux pumps are compounds that can effectively permeate the OM and are available at relatively high concentrations in the periplasm. For this purpose, we filtered a large subset of the ZINC15 database of commercially available compounds for compounds containing a primary amine, a chemical feature known to facilitate the uptake through E. coli general porins. The assembled library was screened by ensemble docking to AcrA, the periplasmic component of the AcrAB-TolC efflux pump, followed by experimental testing of the top predicted binders for antibacterial activities, efflux recognition, and inhibition. In this work, we found that the filtered primary amine library is a rich source of compounds with efflux-inhibiting activities and identified efflux pump inhibitors with novel chemical scaffolds effective against E. coli AcrAB-TolC and efflux pumps of multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii. However, primary amines are not required for the recognition of compounds by efflux pumps and their efflux-inhibitory activities.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Bench-Scale Development of a Hybrid Membrane-Absorption CO 2 Capture Process

This final technical report describes work conducted for the Department of Energy (DOE) on the development of a bench-scale hybrid membrane-absorption carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture system for coal-fired power plant applications (Cooperative Agreement number DE-FE0013118). The work was conducted by Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. (MTR) with major support from the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) from April 1, 2013 through September 30, 2018. The overall goal of this project was to evaluate two variations of a hybrid membrane-absorption capture system combining the MTR air-swept Polaris TM membrane technology, which enriches flue gas to ~20% CO 2 , with UT Austin’s absorption-based advanced flash stripper (AFS) using piperazine (PZ), to determine the superior hybrid variant and to assess the potential of hybrid capture systems to achieve a lower cost-of-capture, compared to NETL’s reference amine-based capture plant. This project included the evaluation, development and testing of a hybrid membrane-absorption CO 2 capture system for coal-fired power plant applications using the MTR high-gas-flow, lowpressure- drop membrane contactor. The ability of the membrane contactor to enrich coal-fired flue gas from its normal content of ~13% CO 2 into a smaller volume of gas containing 20-25% CO 2 – with minimal energy input – could reduce the cost of the final concentration process, regardless of whether it is absorption, adsorption, cryogenic, or membrane-based. In this project, we are evaluating the feasibility of a hybrid system combining the MTR sweep membrane technology with the UT Austin piperazine-based advanced flash stripper (PZAS) capture system.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Battery Electric Vehicle Eco-Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control in the Vicinity of Signalized Intersections

This study develops a connected eco-driving controller for battery electric vehicles (BEVs), the BEV Eco-Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control at Intersections (Eco-CACC-I). The developed controller can assist BEVs while traversing signalized intersections with minimal energy consumption. The calculation of the optimal vehicle trajectory is formulated as an optimization problem under the constraints of (1) vehicle acceleration/deceleration behavior, defined by a vehicle dynamics model; (2) vehicle energy consumption behavior, defined by a BEV energy consumption model; and (3) the relationship between vehicle speed, location, and signal timing, defined by vehicle characteristics and signal phase and timing (SPaT) data shared under a connected vehicle environment. The optimal speed trajectory is computed in real-time by the proposed BEV eco-CACC-I controller, so that a BEV can follow the optimal speed while negotiating a signalized intersection. The proposed BEV controller was tested in a case study to investigate its performance under various speed limits, roadway grades, and signal timings. In addition, a comparison of the optimal speed trajectories for BEVs and internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) was conducted to investigate the impact of vehicle engine types on eco-driving solutions. Lastly, the proposed controller was implemented in microscopic traffic simulation software to test its networkwide performance. The test results from an arterial corridor with three signalized intersections demonstrate that the proposed controller can effectively reduce stop-and-go traffic in the vicinity of signalized intersections and that the BEV Eco-CACC-I controller produces average savings of 9.3% in energy consumption and 3.9% in vehicle delays.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2026

CFD-Enhanced Calibration of a Multihole Probe for Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems

A robust calibration method with a 9-hole probe (9HP) for inertial wind vector measurements from a small uncrewed aircraft system (sUAS) is presented. Calibration accuracy is improved by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to estimate corrections, such as those for test section blockage, that are generally applied in wind tunnel testing. A method for estimating experimental bias is presented to account for flow variations over the pressure taps as the 9HP is repositioned in the test section. Installation effects from flow over the airframe and upwash produced by the wings are estimated from CFD simulations of the entire airframe at the expected cruise speed. An initial CFD analysis has demonstrated a quantifiable linear relationship between the measured and actual angle of attack as measured from the relative wind frame. In conclusion, the objective of these additional steps is to increase the accuracy of 9HP calibration.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Williston Basin Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) Program

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy awarded 13 CORE-CM programs as part of the CORE-CM Initiative, designed to develop the technology and upstream and midstream supply chains to extract rare-earth elements (REEs) and critical minerals (CMs) from the nation’s coal supplies. The intent is to catalyze regional economic growth and job creation while strengthening the use of domestic resources. The Williston Basin CORE-CM Program aims to drive the expansion and transformation of coal and coal-based resource usage within the Williston Basin to produce REEs, CMs, and nonfuel carbon-based products (CBPs). The work constitutes Phase 1 of a long-term program. The objectives of Phase 1 are to identify the existing knowledge base and gaps and to develop a series of assessments/plans, including an initial basinal assessment; a characterization and data acquisition plan; a waste stream reuse plan; a basinal strategies assessment for infrastructure, industries, and business; a technology assessment, development, and field testing plan; a technology innovation center plan(s); and a stakeholder outreach and education plan. The goal of this project is to initiate the development of a new industry in the resource-rich Williston Basin that will catalyze economic growth and job creation through a coalition team of private industry, university, and state, local, and federal government entities. A coalition team of nearly 30 private industry, university, and state, local, and federal government partners was formed for this program. Partners include the University of North Dakota Energy & Environmental Research Center, Institute for Energy Studies, and Nistler College; North Dakota State University; Montana Tech University; Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Critical Materials Institute; North Dakota Geological Survey; South Dakota Geological Survey; U.S. Geological Survey; North American Coal Corporation; BNI Energy; Basin Electric Power Cooperative; Minnkota Power Cooperative; and many more.

Kay, John P.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Design Report on the MiniFuel Instrumented Test Apparatus for Understanding Radiation Effects

Most nuclear fuels irradiations at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) over the past decade have been conducted using MiniFuel—a static capsule design employing subscale fuel specimens to collect separate-effects irradiated fuel performance data. Irradiation conditions for MiniFuel experiments are predicted pre-test using reactor physics, and thermal models are verified post-irradiation via SiC dilatometry and various spectrometry methods. Relevant fuel performance parameters are also observed post-irradiation in a hot cell, thereby providing a single data point for each parameter representing the cumulative effects of the irradiation conditions. Substantially more data can be harvested from a single test and within a shorter duration by instrumenting irradiation vehicles and measuring desired quantities in situ. This report presents the design and analysis of the MiniFuel INstrumented Irradiation Test Apparatus for Understanding Radiation Effects (MINITAURE)—an instrumented test rig based on the separate-effects MiniFuel concept that aims to capture fission gas release (FGR) and thermal conductivity degradation of fuel specimens during irradiation in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). MINITAURE will be integrated with the Materials Irradiation Facility (MIF) located in the HFIR building outside the reactor containment. The MIF will act as the instrumentation and control center for the experiment, enabling real-time feedback from in situ sensors and control of irradiation temperatures via a gas delivery system. Two unique capsule designs were developed to capture each phenomenon: the thermal conductivity capsule, which uses a thermopile method to estimate fuel specimen thermal conductivity, and the fission gas release capsule, which will have continuous flowing gas communication to high-purity germanium detectors that are housed in the MIF for monitoring FGR. This report details the reactor physics and heat transfer modeling activities that were used to inform the experiment design and predict capsule performance. It also describes out-of-pile activities conducted to stand up this new capability and verify the measurement techniques. Modeling efforts to date have demonstrated the feasibility of the in situ measurement techniques and supported the development of the MINITAURE assembly configuration. Out-of-pile testing of the thermal conductivity measurement shows promise in capturing relative changes in thermal conductivity. However, significant errors exist in the measured absolute value, posing a need for further refinement.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2022

The Impact of LPG Composition on Performance, Emissions, and Combustion Characteristics of a Pre-mixed Spark-Ignited CFR Engine

Research on alternative fuels has made significant progress as demands for cleaner and more efficient engine operation intensifies. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) can offer a potential alternative fuel route in the Diesel fuel dominated heavy-duty transportation sector due to its low cost, high anti-knock limit relative to gasoline, and reduced emission levels. In this work, experimental investigations are performed to study the effects of LPG compositions on performance, emissions, and combustion behavior of a spark-ignited (SI) cooperative fuel research (CFR) engine under stoichiometric conditions. Four LPG blends (chemically pure propane, a representative US blend, HD-5, and a representative European blend) representing the present LPG market are chosen. The impact of fuel composition is studied under different compression ratios (CR), ranging from 7:1 to 10:1 with one-unit increments, and at constant engine speed, intake manifold air pressure (IMAP) and 50% burn crank angle (CA50). The results show that fuel composition has minimal effect on engine efficiency over the CR range 7:1 to 10:1. Engine-out emissions are substantially affected by fuel compositions with the representative European blend indicating higher unburned hydrocarbon (UHC) emissions, particularly at higher CR. The representative US blend emits the lowest brake specific CO (bsCO) averaged over the tested CR range. With the increase of CR, end-gas autoignition intensifies for all blends and the representative European blend demonstrates the highest knock intensity of all tested blends, due to the presence of the more reactive fuel component, n-butane.

Fosudo, Toluwalase↗
DOE OSTI2025

Effects of Critical Compression Ratio on Rating Gasoline Knock Propensity

It is common practice in the automotive industry to explore the knock limits of fuels on an engine by a comparison of the knock limited spark advance (KLSA) at threshold knock intensity. However, the knock propensity of gasolines can be rated by changing one of three metrics on a variable compression ratio Cooperative Fuels Research (CFR) octane rating engine while holding the other two variables constant: knock intensity, spark timing, and critical compression ratio. The operational differences between the standard research octane number (RON) rating and modern engine operation have been explored in three parts. The first part focused on the effects of lambda and knock characterization. The second part studied the effects of spark timing. This third part explores the knock ratings of several gasolines by comparing the critical compression ratios at constant combustion phasing and knock intensity. The threshold knock intensity was based on the standard octane rating D1 pickup or by maximum amplitude of pressure oscillations (MAPO) measured by a piezoelectric cylinder pressure transducer. Several Fuels for Advanced Combustion Engines (FACE) gasolines, primary reference fuels (PRFs), and toluene standardization fuels (TSFs) were tested on a CFR octane rating engine with advanced data acquisition equipment and a piezoelectric cylinder pressure transducer. These tests deviated from the ASTM D2699 standard octane rating procedure. For each test fuel, the CFR engine was operated at stoichiometry at a constant combustion phasing (CA50) and the compression ratio was modified until a threshold knock intensity was realized. It was found that the chemical composition of the fuels affected the relationship of critical compression ratios between the D1 knockmeter and piezoelectric pressure transducer knock intensity thresholds, as well as the measured combustion maximum pressure rise rate and spark timing setting for constant CA50. For highly aromatic fuels tested at a constant MAPO knock intensity threshold, it was found that the maximum pressure rise rate was two to three times higher than that of highly paraffinic fuels with similar RON and the spark advance was several crank angle degrees less for constant combustion phasing.

Kolodziej, Christopher P↗
DOE OSTI2022

Iron pnictides and chalcogenides: a new paradigm for superconductivity

Superconductivity is a remarkably widespread phenomenon observed in most metals cooled down to very low temperatures. The ubiquity of such conventional superconductors, and the wide range of associated critical temperatures, is readily understood in terms of the celebrated Bardeen Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory. Occasionally, however, unconventional superconductors are found, such as the iron-based materials, which extend and defy this understanding in new and unexpected ways. In the case of the iron-based superconductors, this includes a new appreciation of the ways in which the presence of multiple atomic orbitals can manifest in unconventional superconductivity, giving rise to a rich landscape of gap structures that share the same dominant pairing mechanism. Besides superconductivity, these materials have also led to new insights into the unusual metallic state governed by the Hund’s interaction, the control and mechanisms of electronic nematicity, the impact of magnetic fluctuations and quantum criticality, and the significance of topology in correlated states. Furthermore, over the thirteen years since their discovery, they have proven to be an incredibly fruitful testing ground for the development of new experimental tools and theoretical approaches, both of which have extensively influenced the wider field of quantum materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between National Energy Technology Laboratory and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) [Abstract]

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture from flue gas generated by fossil fuel-fired power plants has been proposed as an efficient approach to limit CO 2 emissions to the atmosphere. Due to the high cyclic CO 2 sorption capacity, well-tuned adsorption chemistry and non-volatility, solid sorbents are widely studied for CO 2 capture processes such as pressure swing adsorption (PSA) and temperature swing adsorption (TSA). Realistic applications of traditional solid sorbent systems face many challenges since moisture and heat management are problematic and solid-solid heat exchange is inefficient. Recently, a novel solid sorbent system, the sorbent polymer composite (SPC), has been developed to overcome those challenges in an energy-saving CO 2 capture process using TSA membrane contactors. A SPC material is comprised of a powdered solid sorbent embedded into a hydrophobic and porous polymer matrix. It allows gases to permeate through and achieve full contact with the sorbents while rejecting water moisture in the CO 2 capture process. In this collaborative research, NETL will conduct performance testing of a novel SPC material and EPRI will conduct a cost analysis based on that performance data.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗