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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 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2009

Carbon Dioxide Removal Troubleshooting aboard the International Space Station (ISS) during Space Shuttle (STS) Docked Operations

The International Space Station (ISS) represents a largely closed-system habitable volume which requires active control of atmospheric constituents, including removal of exhaled Carbon Dioxide (CO2). The ISS provides a unique opportunity to observe system requirements for (CO2) removal. CO2 removal is managed by the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) aboard the US segment of ISS and by Lithium Hydroxide (LiOH) aboard the Space Shuttle (STS). While the ISS and STS are docked, various methods are used to balance the CO2 levels between the two vehicles, including mechanical air handling and management of general crew locations. Over the course of ISS operation, several unexpected anomalies have occurred which have required troubleshooting, including possible compromised performance of the CDRA and LiOH systems, and possible imbalance in CO2 levels between the ISS and STS while docked. This paper will cover efforts to troubleshoot the CO2 removal systems aboard the ISS and docked STS.

Matty, Christopher M.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Mars methane engine

The feasibility of an internal combustion engine operating on a mixture of methane, carbon dioxide, and oxygen has been verified by previous design groups for the Mars Methane Engine Project. Preliminary stoichiometric calculations examined the theoretical fuel-air ratios needed for the combustion of methane. Installation of a computer data acquisition system along with various ancillary components will enable the performance of the engine, running on the described methane mixture, to be optimized with respect to minimizing excess fuel. Theoretical calculations for stoichiometric combustion of methane-oxygen-carbon dioxide mixtures yielded a ratio of 1:2:4.79 for a methane-oxygen-carbon dioxide mixture. Empirical data shows the values to be closer to 1:2.33:3.69 for optimum operation.

Bui, Hung↗
DOE OSTI2021

1000 Wh L−1 lithium-ion batteries enabled by crosslink-shrunk tough carbon encapsulated silicon microparticle anodes

Abstract Microparticulate silicon (Si), normally shelled with carbons, features higher tap density and less interfacial side reactions compared to its nanosized counterpart, showing great potential to be applied as high-energy lithium-ion battery anodes. However, localized high stress generated during fabrication and particularly, under operating, could induce cracking of carbon shells and release pulverized nanoparticles, significantly deteriorating its electrochemical performance. Here we design a strong yet ductile carbon cage from an easily processing capillary shrinkage of graphene hydrogel followed by precise tailoring of inner voids. Such a structure, analog to the stable structure of plant cells, presents ‘imperfection-tolerance’ to volume variation of irregular Si microparticles, maintaining the electrode integrity over 1000 cycles with Coulombic efficiency over 99.5%. This design enables the use of a dense and thick (3 mAh cm–2) microparticulate Si anode with an ultra-high volumetric energy density of 1048 Wh L–1 achieved at pouch full-cell level coupled with a LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Sustainable Energy Solutions for Thermal Load in Buildings—Role of Heat Pumps, Solar Thermal, and Hydrogen-Based Cogeneration Systems

Economic and population growth is leading to increased energy demand across all sectors—buildings, transportation, and industry. Adoption of new energy consumers such as electric vehicles could further increase this growth. Sensible utilization of clean renewable energy resources is necessary to sustain this growth. Thermal needs in a building pose a significant challenge to the energy infrastructure. Potential technological solutions to address growing energy demand while simultaneously lowering the carbon footprint and enhancing the grid flexibility are presented in this study. Performance assessment of heat pumps, solar thermal collectors, nonfossil fuel-based cogeneration systems, and their hybrid configurations is reported in this study. The impact of design configuration, coefficient of performance (COP), electric grid’s primary energy efficiency on the key attributes of total carbon footprint, life cycle costs, operational energy savings, and site-specific primary energy efficiency are analyzed and discussed in detail. In conclusion, heat pumps and hydrogen-fueled solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are highly effective building energy resources compared to traditional approaches; however, the carbon intensity of electrical energy and hydrogen production are keys to the overall environmental benefit.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

Getting lost tracking the carbon footprint of hydropower

In the transition to low-carbon electricity, well-quantified estimates of carbon dynamics are needed to ensure that emissions reduction targets are achieved. Here we review the state of the science on carbon accounting for hydropower reservoirs and identify limitations and future solutions. Nearly all research on reservoir greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions has focused on individual reservoirs in isolation without considering their position in a freshwater network draining organic matter from upstream watersheds or the coordinated operation of reservoir cascades. Second, carbon inventories have extrapolated from a small, non-probabilistic sample of highly variable measurements of GHG emissions to unsampled reservoirs. A stronger statistical foundation is needed to estimate a global inventory and its uncertainty. Third, attribution to hydropower is based on ranks assigned to reservoir purpose. Instead, the physical influence of hydropower on carbon dynamics could be directly measured. Fourth, current carbon-accounting practices neglect time. A time-varying approach would quantify variation in emissions for electricity portfolios from changes in the fuel mix at different times and account for ancillary services, i.e., the ability to support the grid when variable renewables are not available without using natural gas. Reservoirs also sequester a significant portion of inflowing carbon in sediments and slow the carbon cycle by delaying the return of carbon to the atmosphere for decades to centuries. Together, these refinements would help to illuminate pathways toward meeting energy demand with the longest-possible delay in returning carbon to the atmosphere and without adding ancient sources to the pool of carbon cycling through aquatic ecosystems.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Farnsworth Unit Gas Composition Analyses

This data set includes gas composition analyses that were provided to the Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration (SWP) by the operators of the Farnsworth Field Unit in Ochiltree County Texas.

CO2 CCUS,Farnsworth,Gas Compositions,Morrow Sandst↗
DOE OSTI2025

Filer City Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) Net-Negative Study

NorthStar Clean Energy Company (NorthStar) conducted the Filer City Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) Net-Negative Study to develop a conceptual design and cost estimate for retrofitting the TES Filer City Station with post-combustion carbon capture technology in Mainstee Michigan. The Filer City BiCRS Net-Negative Study allowed NorthStar and team to confirm the commercial feasibility of a post-combustion carbon capture system applied to biomass-fired boilers. At the time of the study, there were no operating facilities in the world with carbon capture applied to flue gas from woody biomass as proposed for Filer City. Due to the solvent-agnostic nature of B&W’s SolveBright™ technology, the team determined that multiple amines, both traditional and proprietary, would be capable of 95% CO 2 capture efficiency with the steam available from Filer City’s existing boilers after modifications to burn 100% biomass. Based on the cost estimates produced, NorthStar can now confirm the Filer City BiCRS Project is economically viable with a combination of tax credits available from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and high-quality Carbon Dioxide Removal Credits sold on the Voluntary Carbon Market. The Filer City BiCRS project is uniquely positioned to become one of the first projects to capture and sequester large volumes of CO 2 from a biogenic source, removing existing CO 2 from the atmosphere. The unlimited version of the Filer City Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) Net-Negative Study Final Technical Report is attached.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
NASA NTRS2013

Functional Performance of an Enabling Atmosphere Revitalization Subsystem Architecture for Deep Space Exploration Missions

A subsystem architecture derived from the International Space Station's (ISS) Atmosphere Revitalization Subsystem (ARS) has been functionally demonstrated. This ISS-derived architecture features re-arranged unit operations for trace contaminant control and carbon dioxide removal functions, a methane purification component as a precursor to enhance resource recovery over ISS capability, operational modifications to a water electrolysis-based oxygen generation assembly, and an alternative major atmospheric constituent monitoring concept. Results from this functional demonstration are summarized and compared to the performance observed during ground-based testing conducted on an ISS-like subsystem architecture. Considerations for further subsystem architecture and process technology development are discussed.

Perry, Jay L.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Development of a Supervisory Tool for Fault Detection and Diagnosis of DC Electric Power Systems with the Application of Deep Space Vehicles

This dissertation formulates the problem of fault detection and diagnosis of DC electric power systems for the application of autonomous spacecraft. The ability to accurately identify and isolate failures in the electrical power system is critical to ensure the reliability of a spacecraft. This problem becomes more pronounced during deep space missions that lack the ability to monitor from ground control. The current state of electrical power system fault supervision is insufficient to guarantee highly reliable and robust operation. To solve this issue, a combination of model-based and rules-based techniques are used in a hierarchical framework to improve the diagnostic performance of the spacecraft electrical power system. Noise, disturbances, and modeling errors are considered in the design of the method. Practical considerations related to the hardware and software are discussed for the flight application. A wide array of failure types are simulated in a series of experiments to assess the functionality of the design. The experiments showed that the methods used improved the diagnostic capability of the autonomous system while taking into account the limitations attributed to flight software requirements. The significance of this study is to provide a framework capable of advanced diagnostics of an electrical power system with little to no interaction from a human operator.

Fault Detection and Diagnosis↗
NASA NTRS2023

Fault Detection and Diagnosis in Spacecraft Electrical Power Systems

The ability to accurately identify and isolate failures in the electrical power system (EPS) is critical to ensure the reliability of spacecraft. This paper proposes a novel solution to the problem of fault detection and diagnosis in direct current (DC) electric power systems for spacecraft. Autonomous operation becomes essential during deep space missions that lack the ability to monitor and control the spacecraft from ground locations. The current state of EPS fault supervision is insufficient to guarantee highly reliable operation. To solve this issue, a combination of model-based and knowledge-based techniques are used in a hierarchical framework to improve the diagnostic performance of the system. Noise, disturbances, and modeling errors are considered in the design of the fault detection system. Practical considerations related to spacecraft flight hardware and software are accounted for in the system design for flight applications. To assess the functionality of the design, a wide array of failures are simulated in a series of experiments. The experiments showed that the technique improved the capability of the autonomous system by increasing the number of fault types diagnosed. The significance of this study is to provide a framework capable of advanced diagnostics of an EPS with little to no interaction from human operators.

Autonomous Power Systems↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Review of Nanocarbon-Based Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Renewable and non-renewable energy harvesting and its storage are important components of our everyday economic processes. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), with their rechargeable features, high open-circuit voltage, and potential large energy capacities, are one of the ideal alternatives for addressing that endeavor. Despite their widespread use, improving LIBs’ performance, such as increasing energy density demand, stability, and safety, remains a significant problem. The anode is an important component in LIBs and determines battery performance. To achieve high-performance batteries, anode subsystems must have a high capacity for ion intercalation/adsorption, high efficiency during charging and discharging operations, minimal reactivity to the electrolyte, excellent cyclability, and non-toxic operation. Group IV elements (Si, Ge, and Sn), transition-metal oxides, nitrides, sulfides, and transition-metal carbonates have all been tested as LIB anode materials. However, these materials have low rate capability due to weak conductivity, dismal cyclability, and fast capacity fading owing to large volume expansion and severe electrode collapse during the cycle operations. Contrarily, carbon nanostructures (1D, 2D, and 3D) have the potential to be employed as anode materials for LIBs due to their large buffer space and Li-ion conductivity. However, their capacity is limited. Blending these two material types to create a conductive and flexible carbon supporting nanocomposite framework as an anode material for LIBs is regarded as one of the most beneficial techniques for improving stability, conductivity, and capacity. This review begins with a quick overview of LIB operations and performance measurement indexes. It then examines the recently reported synthesis methods of carbon-based nanostructured materials and the effects of their properties on high-performance anode materials for LIBs. These include composites made of 1D, 2D, and 3D nanocarbon structures and much higher Li storage-capacity nanostructured compounds (metals, transitional metal oxides, transition-metal sulfides, and other inorganic materials). The strategies employed to improve anode performance by leveraging the intrinsic features of individual constituents and their structural designs are examined. The review concludes with a summary and an outlook for future advancements in this research field.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Least-cost targets and avoided fossil fuel capacity in India’s pursuit of renewable energy

India has set aggressive targets to install more than 400 GW of wind and solar electricity generation by 2030, with more than two-thirds of that capacity coming from solar. This paper examines the electricity and carbon mitigation costs to reliably operate India’s grid in 2030 for a variety of wind and solar targets (200 GW to 600 GW) and the most promising options for reducing these costs. We find that systems where solar photovoltaic comprises only 25 to 50% of the total renewable target have the lowest carbon mitigation costs in most scenarios. This result invites a reexamination of India’s proposed solar-majority targets. We also find that, compared to other regions and contrary to prevailing assumptions, meeting high renewable targets will avoid building very few new fossil fuel (coal and natural gas) power plants because of India’s specific weather patterns and need to meet peak electricity demand. However, building 600 GW of renewable capacity, with the majority being wind plants, reduces how often fossil fuel power plants run, and this amount of capacity can hold India’s 2030 emissions below 2018 levels for less than the social cost of carbon. With likely wind and solar cost declines and increases in coal energy costs, balanced or wind-majority high renewable energy systems (600 GW or ≈ 45% share by energy) could result in electricity costs similar to a fossil fuel-dominated system. As an alternative strategy for meeting peak electricity demand, battery storage can avert the need for new fossil fuel capacity but is cost effective only at low capital costs (≈ USD 150 per kWh).

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Energy and Carbon Payback Times for Modern U.S. Utility Photovoltaic Systems

Manufacturing and operating a PV system consumes non-renewable energy and produces carbon emissions, as does end-of-life handling when PV systems are eventually decommissioned. To fully account for PV's contribution toward decarbonization, these life cycle impacts must be quantified. A 2023 NREL LCA of utility PV systems in the United States Study show energy payback times between 0.5 and 1.2 years and carbon payback times between 0.8 to 20 years, depending on the system install location. Payback times are affected by the amount of local solar radiation, and carbon payback time is significantly affected by the carbon-intensity of the local grid it offsets, as well as the future projected grid mix for the location it is installed. In an average U.S. location, carbon payback times are less than 2 years.

carbon payback time↗
DOE OSTI2020

Life Cycle Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions for the Niagaran Reef Complex CO 2 -EOR Operations

A greenhouse gas emissions life cycle analysis (LCA) was completed for 22 years of carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery (CO 2 -EOR) operations at the Niagaran reef complex in the northern Michigan Basin based on research by the Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (MRCSP). The objective of the greenhouse gas LCA was to account for the total greenhouse gas emissions generated through the CO 2 -EOR process..

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Gate-to-Gate Life Cycle Assessment for the CO 2 -EOR Operations at Farnsworth Unit (FWU)

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to the Farnsworth Unit’s (FWU) carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO 2 -EOR) operations were accounted for through a gate-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) for a period of about 10 years, since start of injection to 2020, and predictions of 18 additional years of the CO 2 -EOR operation were made. The CO 2 source for the FWU project has been 100% anthropogenically derived from the exhaust of an ethanol plant and a fertilizer plant. A cumulative amount of 5.25 × 106 tonnes of oil has been recovered through the injection of 1.64 × 106 tonnes of purchased CO 2 , of which 92% was stored during the 10-year period. An LCA analysis conducted on the various unit emissions of the FWU process yielded a net negative (positive storage) of 1.31 × 106 tonnes of CO 2 equivalent, representing 79% of purchased CO 2 . An optimized 18-year forecasted analysis estimated 86% storage of the forecasted 3.21 × 106 tonnes of purchased CO 2 with an equivalent 2.90 × 106 tonnes of crude oil produced by 2038. Major contributors to emissions were flaring/venting and energy usage for equipment. Improvements on the energy efficiency of equipment would reduce emissions further but this could be challenging. Improvement of injection capacity and elimination of venting/flaring or fugitive gas are methods more likely to be utilized for reducing net emissions and are the cases used for the optimized scenario in this work. This LCA illustrated the potential for the CO 2 -EOR operations in the FWU to store more CO 2 with minimal emissions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Multi-system analysis of offshore geologic carbon storage: a review of open-source data science solutions

Geologic carbon storage projects are maturing worldwide and the footprint of deployment in the offshore is expanding. At present, there are ten projects in operation or that have been completed, more than 50 in construction and development, and dozens of characterization studies completed or underway. Offshore geologic carbon storage offers potential benefits over onshore geologic carbon storage. These offshore projects are generally remote in location, distant from population centers, and avoid complicated pore space rights while having abundant prospective storage potential. Some offshore fields targeted for carbon storage have comparatively fewer prior borehole penetrations except for areas that have been explored for petroleum production, minimizing potential issues such as pressure interference and infrastructure impacts. Yet offshore geologic carbon storage projects face distinctive technical and economic challenges, such as seafloor geohazards (e.g., seabed instability), expensive maritime transport, and meteorological-oceanographic conditions that can damage infrastructure and impact operations. Analytical capabilities and improved computational speeds have advanced engineering, earth and energy sciences in the wake of the arrival of modern data science over the last decade. These advancements have created an opportunity for integrated, multi-systems modeling approaches utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning that are no longer limited by computational issues. Analytical tools developed alongside this advancement in data science can be leveraged to calibrate the potential advantages and challenges of carbon storage operations in the offshore. New methods and approaches that incorporate data science to analyze multiple aspects of engineered and natural systems can provide insights that complement the characterization and onsite engineering that traditional commercial and operational software addresses. These new methods and approaches can potentially improve the outcome of energy operations and carbon storage. Providing multi-system, science-driven data analytics enhances the knowledge base that offshore developers, operators, and regulatory bodies may draw from to improve offshore site selection and operational efficiency. Here, we provide a brief synopsis of geologic carbon storage efforts to date, an overview of the engineered and natural systems involved in offshore geologic carbon storage, and a review of publicly available, open-source, offshore and/or carbon storage related data- and science-driven tools developed by 2010 or later that are suitable for screening and assessing regions for offshore geologic carbon storage.

artificial intelligence↗
DOE OSTI2021

Low Carbon Technology Strategies: Supermarket

This document includes steps that building owners and operators can implement to achieve smart, healthy, and low-carbon supermarkets within their existing building portfolios. Supermarkets include built-up refrigeration systems and refrigerated display cases and often use packaged rooftop units for heating, cooling, and ventilation.

analytics↗