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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 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2018

Metal Hydride-Air (MH-AIR) Battery for Low Cost Storage Applications

Metal hydride-air batteries and methods for their use are provided. An exemplary metal-hydride air battery includes an alkaline exchange membrane provided between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the battery. The alkaline exchange membrane provides for transfer of hydroxide ions through the membrane. Optionally the alkaline exchange membrane limits transport of other species through the membrane.

Bugga, Ratnakumar V.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Low-Power SOI CMOS Transceiver

The work aims at developing a low-power Silicon on Insulator Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (SOI CMOS) Transceiver for deep-space communications. RF Receiver must accomplish the following tasks: (a) Select the desired radio channel and reject other radio signals, (b) Amplify the desired radio signal and translate them back to baseband, and (c) Detect and decode the information with Low BER. In order to minimize cost and achieve high level of integration, receiver architecture should use least number of external filters and passive components. It should also consume least amount of power to minimize battery cost, size, and weight. One of the most stringent requirements for deep-space communication is the low-power operation. Our study identified that two candidate architectures listed in the following meet these requirements: (1) Low-IF receiver, (2) Sub-sampling receiver. The low-IF receiver uses minimum number of external components. Compared to Zero-IF (Direct conversion) architecture, it has less severe offset and flicker noise problems. The Sub-sampling receiver amplifies the RF signal and samples it using track-and-hold Subsampling mixer. These architectures provide low-power solution for the short- range communications missions on Mars. Accomplishments to date include: (1) System-level design and simulation of a Double-Differential PSK receiver, (2) Implementation of Honeywell SOI CMOS process design kit (PDK) in Cadence design tools, (3) Design of test circuits to investigate relationships between layout techniques, geometry, and low-frequency noise in SOI CMOS, (4) Model development and verification of on-chip spiral inductors in SOI CMOS process, (5) Design/implementation of low-power low-noise amplifier (LNA) and mixer for low-IF receiver, and (6) Design/implementation of high-gain LNA for sub-sampling receiver. Our initial results show that substantial improvement in power consumption is achieved using SOI CMOS as compared to standard CMOS process. Potential advantages of SOI CMOS for deep-space communication electronics include: (1) Radiation hardness, (2) Low-power operation, and (3) System-on-Chip (SOC) solutions.

Fujikawa, Gene↗
DOE OSTI2026

Discrete versus continuous: Enhancing battery optimization in capacity expansion models

This study compares two battery modeling approaches for capacity expansion models: discrete-duration and continuous-duration formulations. In the discrete approach, battery duration is fixed, and power capacity is optimized. In the continuous approach, both power and energy capacities are decision variables, allowing storage duration to be optimized endogenously. Although both discrete-duration and continuous-duration battery formulations are used in long-term power system planning models, the literature has provided limited direct, systematic comparisons of their implications within a common modeling framework. To address this gap, this study implements both approaches in the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS TM ) capacity expansion model using two resource adequacy methods, across a range of future system conditions, and with varying battery cost projections. Results show continuous-duration and high-resolution discrete approaches produce similar capacity expansion outcomes. The continuous formulation achieves faster runtimes compared to discrete-duration runs with many discrete-duration options. However, the discrete-duration approach allows users to choose to have limited fidelity for storage duration options, which in some cases can outperform the continuous formulation. The continuous formulation has the lowest overall system costs, indicating its ability to fine-tune storage duration to better meet specific system needs. This study's findings provide a side-by-side evaluation of discrete and continuous battery modeling approaches and offer guidance for improving the representation of real-world systems, flexibility, and computational efficiency for representing energy storage in long-term power system planning models.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Batteries (2023 Annual Progress Report)

This document summarizes the progress of VTO battery R&D projects supported during the fiscal year 2023. Its R&D focus was on the development of high-energy batteries for PEVs. The electrochemical energy storage roadmap describes ongoing and planned efforts to develop electrochemical storage technologies for EVs. To advance battery technology, which can in turn improve market penetration of PEVs, the program investigates various battery chemistries to overcome specific technical barriers, e.g., battery cost, performance, life (both the calendar life and the cycle life), its tolerance to abusive conditions, and its recyclability/sustainability.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

The resilience value of residential solar + storage systems in the continental U.S.

Abstract Behind the meter rooftop solar plus storage (PVESS) has the potential to benefit the hosting customers by providing affordability, environmental, and reliability and resilience value. Whereas the bill reduction and environmental benefits of PVESS are well studied, its monetary resilience benefits are less understood. The increasing trend of power interruptions driven by extreme weather events heightens the need to understand these benefits. This study leverages various publicly available datasets to perform a cost benefit analysis of adding to determine the resilience value of PVESS for a typical single family home in each county in the continental U.S. We find that PVESS is very effective to technically mitigate interruptions across the country. However, the monetary benefits in the base case only cover about 14% of battery costs, with no county exceeding 60%. This is somewhat expected, given that PVESS provide other monetary benefits that are not part of this analysis. Through sensitivities, we find that higher frequency of extreme weather events roughly triples the resilience value of PVESS and that higher values of lost load double the same metric. Our sensitivity analysis shows that the benefit cost ratio of PVESS for customers living in areas with higher-than-average frequency of long duration interruptions and value of lost load is already above one even without considering other value streams. We conclude with recommendations that regulators and utilities could implement to enable customers to calculate and capture the resilience value of PVESS more efficiently.

Baik, Sunhee↗
NASA NTRS1983

Advanced nickel-hydrogen cell configuration study

Long-term trends in the evolution of space power technology point toward increased payload power demand which in turn translates into both higher battery system charge storage capability and higher operating voltages. State of the art nickel-hydrogen cells of the 50 to 60 Wh size, packaged in individual pressure vessels, are capable of meeting the required cycle life for a wide range of anticipated operating conditions; however, they provided several drawbacks to battery system integrated efforts. Because of size, high voltage/high power systems require integrating hundreds of cells into the operating system. Packaging related weight and volume inefficiencies degrade the energy density and specific energy of individual cells currently at 30 Wh/cudm and 40 Wh/kg respectively. In addition, the increased parts count and associated handling significantly affect the overall battery related costs. Spacecraft battery systems designers within industry and Government realize that to reduce weight, volume, and cost requires increases in the capacity of nickel-hydrogen cells.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2025

Nanoporous Fe 2 O 3 and Soluble Fe(II) Intermediates Accelerate the Electrodeposition of Fe in NaOH(aq)

Electrochemical conversion of iron oxide to iron metal can enable low-cost batteries for long duration energy storage and zero-emissions ironmaking for steel. Iron oxides, such as hematite, can be electrochemically reduced to metallic iron in concentrated alkaline electrolytes at modest temperatures, but the relative influences of solid-state and dissolved intermediates at practical reaction rates remains unclear. Here, in this study, we prepare a homologous set of well-defined hematite particles to measure how the nanoscale morphology of oxides controls both their reactivity and apparent reduction mechanism in concentrated hydroxide. Correlated electron microscopy and rotating-ring-disk-electrode measurements revealed that nanoporous hematite and solid intermediates formed iron via a dissolution-redeposition pathway. In contrast, dense hematite particles directly formed iron metal via reactive fracture. While previous studies on iron electrowinning have primarily emphasized the role of particle diameter at the micron scale, these results demonstrate the importance of the dissolution-redeposition pathway to support rapid reaction rates and suggest that nanoscale porosity controls iron oxide reactivity at temperatures <100 °C. Therefore, iron-oxide-to-metal electrolyzers and fast-charging iron-air batteries supported by curtailed electricity can increase the rate of metal formation by accelerating fracture and dissolution in reactant oxides.

TEM↗
DOE OSTI2025

Parasitic structure defect blights sustainability of cobalt-free single crystalline cathodes

Abstract Recent efforts to reduce battery costs and enhance sustainability have focused on eliminating Cobalt (Co) from cathode materials. While Co-free designs have shown notable success in polycrystalline cathodes, their impact on single crystalline (SC) cathodes remains less understood due to the significantly extended lithium diffusion pathways and the higher-temperature synthesis involved. Here, we reveal that removing Co from SC cathodes is structurally and electrochemically unfavorable, exhibiting unusual voltage fade behavior. Using multiscale diffraction and imaging techniques, we identify lithium-rich nanodomains (LRNDs) as a heterogeneous phase within the layered structure of Co-free SC cathodes. These LRNDs act as critical tipping points, inducing significant chemo-mechanical lattice strain and irreversible structural degradation, which exacerbates the voltage and capacity loss in electrochemical performance. Our findings highlight the considerable challenges of developing Co-free SC cathodes compared to polycrystalline ones and emphasize the need for new strategies to balance the interplay between cost, sustainability, and performance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Impact of Regional and Seasonal Characteristics on Battery Electric Vehicle Operational Costs in the U.S.

This study investigates the operational cost competitiveness of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the United States, considering regional climates, energy prices, and driving patterns. By comparing BEVs with plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and the alternative use of BEVs and conventional vehicles (Convs), the analysis incorporates thermal dynamometer tests, real-world vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and state-specific energy prices. Using detailed simulations, the study evaluates energy consumption across varying temperatures and driving distances. The findings reveal that, while BEVs remain cost-effective for short trips in moderate climates, PHEVs are more economical for long-range trips and cold environments, due to the excessive cost of using external direct current fast chargers (DCFCs) and reduced BEV efficiency at low temperatures. HEVs are identified as the most cost-efficient option in regions like New England, characterized by high residential electricity prices. These insights are critical for shaping vehicle electrification strategies, particularly under diverse regional and seasonal conditions, and for advancing policies on alternative energy and fuels.

Kim, Kyung-Ho (ORCID:0009000450851732)↗
NASA NTRS1977

NASA's OAST program: An overview

The program was split into four areas which include: high energy density, long life batteries; low cost high capacity battery application; very high energy density batteries; and electrochemical research and technology program. Outlines are presented which show the approaches used and the accomplishments of each program area.

Holcomb, L.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Spin‐State and Clustering Effects in Fe‐Complex Negolytes for Near‐Neutral Aqueous Redox Flow Batteries

Cost-effective redox-active materials are essential for advancing redox flow batteries (RFBs). Iron, with its abundance and suitability as a redox couple, is a promising candidate; however, achieving stable and fast redox reactions in aqueous RFBs remains a challenge. Here, this study presents an Fe-based negolyte stabilized by a hexadentate ligand, where Fe–ligand bonds are enhanced through intermolecular interactions. The sulfonate-substituted Fe complex exhibits a formal potential of −0.44 V versus Ag/AgCl and an exceptionally high rate constant of 0.69 cm s −1 . Near-neutral RFBs incorporating 0.5 M Fe complex show excellent cycling stability, with no discernible capacity fading over 300 cycles. This performance is attributed to intermolecular hydrogen bonds that reinforce Fe–ligand coordination and promote the formation of stable trimeric clusters. Operando electrochemical Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory reveal that π-backdonation from Fe(II) to the imino-phenolate moiety further stabilizes the complex after reduction. In contrast, the hydroxyl-substituted complex exhibits inferior stability due to weaker hydrogen bonding and less pronounced π-backdonation. These findings underscore the importance of ligand design and intermolecular interactions in developing cost-effective, high-performance redox-active materials for aqueous RFBs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Next-generation anodes for high-energy and low-cost sodium-ion batteries

Sodium-ion batteries (NIBs) are increasingly becoming commercially viable alternatives to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), driven by sodium’s lower cost and greater resource availability. However, current NIB technology still falls short of established LIB systems, such as those based on LiFePO 4 , in both cost efficiency and energy density. Although since the early 2020s, industrial advances have raised NIB energy densities to around 175 Wh kg −1 , performance remains limited by the relatively low specific capacity (typically 200–350 mAh g −1 ) and low tap density (0.3–1.0 g cm −3 ) of the prevailing hard carbon anodes. This Review analyses emerging anode materials that could unlock higher-energy and lower-cost NIBs, with a focus on high-capacity hard carbon and alloy-based systems. We discuss the latest progress, fundamental challenges and future directions in these anode materials across the key themes of electrode design, structure–property engineering and characterization. Here, by offering forward-looking insights into the rational design and optimization of anode materials, this Review aims to accelerate the research and development of commercially viable NIBs and support the broader advancement of energy storage technologies.

Batteries↗
DOE OSTI2026

Amorphous ZrCl 4 -Based Superionic Conductor as a Cost-Effective Solid Electrolyte for Batteries

Developing highly conductive and cost-effective solid electrolytes is essential for the commercialization of all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs). Zr-based halide electrolytes hold great promise due to their low estimated cost and high oxidation stability. However, the ionic conductivities of most of them are not high enough to enable moderate- and high-rate cycling of ASSBs. Here, fast ion transport is achieved in a group of cost-effective ZrCl 4 -based electrolytes via a design strategy to create highly disordered amorphous structures. Amorphous Li 0.8 ZrCl 4 (SO 4 ) 0.4 , with a low estimated cost of $21 kg –1 , achieves an ionic conductivity of 1.86 mS cm –1 at 25 °C. It also shows a high oxidation limit of 4.5 V vs Li/Li + and good compatibility with high-voltage cathodes, as demonstrated by the stable cycling of ASSBs (73.7% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 1 C). Synchrotron X-ray diffraction, pair distribution function analysis, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy reveal that the outstanding conductivity of these amorphous electrolytes is closely related to their short-range and medium-range ordering, revealing new insights for designing high-performance, cost-effective solid electrolytes.

Zhang, Guangxing [Georgia Institute of Technology,↗
DOE OSTI2025

Stable cycling of high-mass loaded MnO 2 electrodes for sodium-ion batteries

Achieving cost-effective, sustainable solutions for large-scale energy storage are critical for advancing the global clean energy transition. In view of the challenges posed by limited lithium reserves, low-cost sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have emerged as a promising direction, especially for grid-level energy storage. Among the various battery electrode materials, manganese dioxide (MnO 2 ) stands out as a favorable choice for such large-scale applications due to its earth abundance, cost-effectiveness, and non-toxic nature. Although MnO 2 is known as a pseudocapacitive material with superior cycling stability in aqueous electrolytes, its dissolution in non-aqueous electrolytes has restricted its use in long-lifetime batteries. In this study, we address two issues which have limited the use of MnO 2 electrodes in non-aqueous electrolytes. First, using electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance measurements in combination with other electrochemical methods, we demonstrate that diglyme (bis(2-methoxyethyl) ether) electrolyte can achieve stable cycling of electrodeposited ε-MnO 2 . These results enable us to tackle a second objective, that is increasing the mass loading of the MnO 2 electrode, since achieving high areal energy density is a significant factor in reducing manufacturing costs. Using 3D printed graphene aerogel (GA) as a scaffold, our studies show that the electrodeposited MnO 2 /GA electrodes possess scalable properties with mass loadings from 20 to 80 mg cm −2 . The resulting electrodes exhibit areal energy densities as high as 4.4 mA h cm −2 at a current density of 10 mA cm −2 . The high mass loaded MnO 2 electrodes were incorporated as a cathode in a SIB which used TiO 2 as the anode. The SIB device exhibited excellent performance with power densities in excess of 70 mW cm −2 . These studies highlight the promise of MnO 2 electrodes for use in a low-cost technology for large-scale energy storage.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS1979

Design tradeoff studies and sensitivity analysis, appendix B

Further work was performed on the Near Term Hybrid Passenger Vehicle Development Program. Fuel economy on the order of 2 to 3 times that of a conventional vehicle, with a comparable life cycle cost, is possible. The two most significant factors in keeping the life cycle cost down are the retail price increment and the ratio of battery replacement cost to battery life. Both factors can be reduced by reducing the power rating of the electric drive portion of the system relative to the system power requirements. The type of battery most suitable for the hybrid, from the point of view of minimizing life cycle cost, is nickel-iron. The hybrid is much less sensitive than a conventional vehicle is, in terms of the reduction in total fuel consumption and resultant decreases in operating expense, to reductions in vehicle weight, tire rolling resistance, etc., and to propulsion system and drivetrain improvements designed to improve the brake specific fuel consumption of the engine under low road load conditions. It is concluded that modifications to package the propulsion system and battery pack can be easily accommodated within the confines of a modified carryover body such as the Ford Ltd.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2025

Solar and battery can reduce energy costs and provide affordable outage backup for US households

Distributed energy resources are promising solutions for household energy affordability and resilience as weather extremes and aging infrastructure intensify grid reliability risks. This study presents a comprehensive nationwide assessment of over 500,000 U.S. households, evaluating economic and backup viability of solar-battery systems. We find that 60% of households could reduce electricity costs with average savings of 15%, while 63% of households could achieve affordable backup power during power outages covering an average of 51% of their essential energy needs. However, these benefits show limited alignment with areas of greatest need, particularly in regions facing high outage risks. We also identify significant disparities in access to solar and battery, with less-populated and disadvantaged communities showing consistently lower viability. Furthermore, these findings demonstrate the need for targeted policy interventions to ensure equitable access to solar-battery benefits, especially as states transition from net energy metering to other electricity tariff policies.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Cost Projections for Utility-Scale Battery Storage: 2025 Update

In this work we describe the development of cost and performance projections for utility-scale lithium-ion battery systems, with a focus on 4-hour duration systems. The projections are developed from an analysis of recent publications that include utility-scale storage costs. The suite of publications demonstrates wide variation in projected cost reductions for battery storage over time. We present the suite of projected cost reductions collected from the literature as well as the low, mid, and high cost projections developed in this work. Storage cost projections are $\$$152/kWh, $\$$247/kWh, and $\$$349/kWh in 2035 and $\$$111/kWh, $\$$184/kWh, and $\$$333/kWh in 2050 for the low, mid, and high cases respectively. Battery variable operations and maintenance costs, lifetimes, and efficiencies are also discussed, with recommended values selected based on the publications surveyed.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Q1-2025 Solar Photovoltaic System Cost Benchmarks

The U.S. Department of Energy’s solar office and its national laboratory partners analyze cost data for U.S. solar photovoltaic systems to develop cost benchmarks to measure progress toward goals and guide research and development programs. The cost data is available in an Excel spreadsheet model that can be downloaded here.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗