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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 NTRS1978

Propulsion/flight control integration technology (PROFIT) software system definition

The Propulsion Flight Control Integration Technology (PROFIT) program is designed to develop a flying testbed dedicated to controls research. The control software for PROFIT is defined. Maximum flexibility, needed for long term use of the flight facility, is achieved through a modular design. The Host program, processes inputs from the telemetry uplink, aircraft central computer, cockpit computer control and plant sensors to form an input data base for use by the control algorithms. The control algorithms, programmed as application modules, process the input data to generate an output data base. The Host program formats the data for output to the telemetry downlink, the cockpit computer control, and the control effectors. Two applications modules are defined - the bill of materials F-100 engine control and the bill of materials F-15 inlet control.

Carlin, C. M.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Characterizing the Payback and Profitability for Automated Heavy Duty Vehicle Platooning

Heavy duty vehicle platooning under highway operating conditions has been projected to provide significant fuel economy gains based on aerodynamic drag improvements of the platooning vehicles. Realizing these benefits and the economic viability under real-world operating conditions presents several challenges. The objective of this paper (the third as part of a series) is to analytically quantify the payback and profitability of heavy-duty vehicles platooning across the U.S. Interstate highway system. In this paper, a rigorous assessment of several factors that influence the platooning system payback for an end-user as well as the revenue potential for suppliers who may be utilizing an equipment lease model dependent on end-user savings, is presented. In this assessment key interactions explored include market adoption rates, platooning velocities, platoon-able daily mileage, platooning likelihood, variations in baseline powertrain fuel economy (diesel or electric), price of fuel (diesel or electricity), platooning fuel economy benefits, price of the added technology, and the impact of natural platooning due to traffic interactions. Further, the paper explores the economic impact of higher levels of vehicle automation for the trailing vehicles in the platoon, where extending the driver Hours of Service (HoS) may provide additional financial benefits. While the approach makes use of a limited fidelity vehicle analytical model for longitudinal dynamics and operations economics, the narrative provides application decision personnel with a mechanism and well-defined set of impact factors to consider as part of their architectural selection process.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Determining the profitability of energy storage over its life cycle using levelized cost of storage

Levelized cost of storage (LCOS) can be a simple, intuitive, and useful metric for determining whether a new energy storage plant would be profitable over its life cycle and to compare the cost of different energy storage technologies. However, researchers and industry decision makers still use conflicting definitions of LCOS. For example, some include charging cost, while others only include round trip efficiency (RTE) losses. Additionally, inputs to the existing formulations are not specific enough to generate repeatable results across studies, which reduces trust in the metric. To push for standardization in economic assessment of batteries and other energy storage devices, the authors review existing definitions of LCOS and identify the desired characteristics for a standard. They then propose a new definition and demonstrate that it fits these characteristics very well relative to other prominent options. Unit analysis is applied to this proposed definition to provide a deeper understanding of the equations and to demonstrate its effectiveness. Finally, the sensitivity of LCOS to different input parameters is investigated to help users understand how to compare analyses from literature to their own. The authors also provide a spreadsheet and a Python script to streamline adoption of the proposed definition.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Designing an innovation system to support profitable electro- and bio-catalytic carbon upgrade

Carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) can mitigate an estimated 14–20% of CO 2 emissions by 2050. Here, we evaluate an integrated electrocatalysis and biocatalysis CCUS pathway, using externally-supplied renewable electricity to convert over 12 MtCO 2 to poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) via methanol and formate intermediates. A techno-economic and policy-innovation analysis provides insight into global CCUS innovation. Results suggest that innovation should focus on improving methanol faradaic efficiency, formate biocatalysis efficiency, electrocatalysis current density, and catalyst performance. Methanol and formate composition influences performance, but higher formate content can improve economics by US$3.8B over a 30 year lifetime. Profitable scenarios hinge on reducing methanol separation costs – through innovation or reduced energy usage – along with cheap renewable electricity and/or carbon pricing. Our evaluation of the global innovation status signifies that coordinated strategies are required to realise emissions cuts from CCUS. Innovation can be spurred by targeted investments and policies that promote emissions reductions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Hybrid-Energy-Powered Electrochemical Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Model: Plant Operation, Cost, and Profitability

Electrochemical ocean alkalinity enhancement is a form of marine carbon dioxide removal, a rapidly growing industry that is powered by efficient onshore or offshore energy sources. As more and larger deployments are being planned, it is important to consider how variable energy sources like tidal energy can impact plant performance and costs. An open-source Python-based generalizable model for electrodialysis-based ocean alkalinity enhancement has been developed that can capture key system-level insights of the electrochemistry, ocean chemistry, acid disposal, and co-product creation of these plants under various conditions. The model additionally accounts for hybrid energy system performance profiles and costs via the National Laboratory of the Rockies’ H2Integrate tool. The model was used to analyze an example theoretical plant deployment in North Admiralty Inlet, including how the plant is impacted by the available energy sources in the region and the scale at which plant costs are covered by the co-products it generates, such as recycled concrete aggregates, without requiring carbon credits. The results show that the example plant could be profitable without carbon credits at commercial scales of 100,000 to 1 million tons of carbon dioxide removal per year, so long as it uses low-cost electricity sources and either sells acid or recovers recycled concrete aggregates with about 1 molar acid concentrations, though more research is needed to confirm these results.

hybrid energy↗
NASA NTRS1972

Survival, profits and resource utilization

The intertwining of CAB regulation and airline operations makes it impossible to use operating and financial data from the regulated airlines to determine the extent to which regulation affects costs. The essentially nonregulated, but otherwise, similar, intrastate airlines operating wholly within California (and thus beyond the CAB's jurisdiction) provide a benchmark with which to compare the performance of regulated airlines and thus measure the effects of CAB regulation. This comparison, shows that the nonregulated environment within California has been a much sterner disciplinarian of airline operations than the regulated environment of interstate air transportation. Issues of survival, profits, efficiency, fares, and the impacts of CAB regulation on costs are examined.

Jordan, W.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Maximizing profits in international technology transfer

Maximum profit can be introduced into international technology transfer by observing the following: (1) ethical and open dealing between the parties; (2) maximum knowledge of all facts concerning the technology, the use of the technology, the market, competition, prices, and alternatives; (3) ability to coordinate exports, service, support activities, licensing and cross licensing; and (4) knowledgeable people which put these factors together.

Straube, W.↗
NASA NTRS1975

A method for the determination of potentially profitable service patterns for commuter air carriers

A methodology for estimating market conception was developed as a part of the short-haul air transportation program. It is based upon an analysis of actual documents which provide a record of known travel history. Applying this methodology a forecast was made of the demand for an air feeder service between Charlottesville, Virginia and Dulles International Airport. Local business travel vouchers and local travel agent records were selected to provide the documentation. The market was determined to be profitable for an 8-passenger Cessna 402B aircraft flying a 2-hour daily service pattern designed to mesh to the best extent possible with the connecting schedules at Dulles. The Charlottesville - Dulles air feeder service market conception forecast and its methodology are documented.

Ransone, R. K.↗
NASA NTRS1997

How Big is Too Big for Hubs: Marginal Profitability in Hub-and-Spoke Networks

Increasing the scale of hub operations at major airports has led to concerns about congestion at excessively large hubs. In this paper, we estimate the marginal cost of adding spokes to an existing hub network. We observe entry/non-entry decisions on potential spokes from existing hubs, and estimate both a variable profit function for providing service in markets using that spoke as well as the fixed costs of providing service to the spoke. We let the fixed costs depend upon the scale of operations at the hub, and find the hub size at which spoke service costs are minimized.

Ross, Leola B.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Are better combinations of DERs more profitable?: Combinatorial optimization for aggregation of DERs in wholesale electricity markets

Recently, regulatory changes in various countries have enabled the participation of small-scale distributed energy resources (DERs) aggregated in virtual power plants (VPPs) in wholesale electricity markets. The inherent uncertainty and variability of resources comprising VPPs can lead to imbalances between forecasted and metered outputs, potentially resulting in the deficient settlement of generation under imbalance settlement rules. To address this challenge, it is essential to manage variability in the planning phase and uncertainty in the operation phase. Most current research focuses on managing forecasting errors in the operational phase, with insufficient attention given to the planning phase. Here, to bridge this gap, this paper proposes an optimal combination strategy for DERs to maximize the market participation revenue of VPPs by proactively managing variability in the planning phase. To estimate the expected revenue, we conducted analyses for homogeneous and heterogeneous DERs using Monte Carlo simulations and genetic algorithms. Remarkably, the proposed method demonstrated approximately 8 % higher revenue compared to the neighboring group case when considering diversity in DER set configuration with equal proportions of photovoltaics and wind.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

A multi-objective optimization model for cropland design considering profit, biodiversity, and ecosystem services

More sustainable agricultural methods are needed to alleviate the decreases in biodiversity and ecosystem services that have occurred because of industrial agriculture. One such method is the inclusion of alternative crops into croplands that can support biodiversity, reduce erosion and chemical runoff, and sequester carbon in the soil. However, the question of where such crops should be planted to balance competing economic and environmental objectives remains open. To this end, we develop a mixed-integer quadratically constrained program to optimize the layout of a cropland considering economic, biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, and water quality objectives. We include spatially varying fertilization as a decision variable in addition to crop establishment location. We further include the effect of core area and edges between different crops on biodiversity. To demonstrate the applicability of the model, we apply it to an example field, showing how the optimal cropland design changes as a decision-maker prioritizes different objectives and as edges have different impacts on biodiversity.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗