Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “program fees”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2

Laser Research

Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York is a broad-based firm which produces photographic apparatus and supplies, fibers, chemicals and vitamin concentrates. Much of the company's research and development effort is devoted to photographic science and imaging technology, including laser technology. Eastman Kodak is using a COSMIC computer program called LACOMA in the analysis of laser optical systems and camera design studies. The company reports that use of the program has provided development time savings and reduced computer service fees.

Source record↗

State Policies on Access to Vaccination Services for Low-Income Adults

Importance State vaccination benefits coverage and access for adult Medicaid beneficiaries vary substantially. Multiple studies have documented lower vaccination uptake in publicly insured adults compared with privately insured adults. Objective To evaluate adult Medicaid beneficiaries’ access to adult immunization services through review of vaccination benefits coverage in Medicaid programs across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Design, Setting, and Participants A public domain document review with supplemental semistructured telephone survey was conducted between June 1, 2018, and June 14, 2019, to evaluate vaccination services benefits in fee-for-service and managed care organization arrangements for adult Medicaid beneficiaries in the 50 states and the District of Columbia (total, 51 Medicaid programs). Exposures Document review of benefits coverage for adult immunization services and supplemental survey with validation of document review findings. Main Outcomes and Measures Benefits coverage for adult Medicaid beneficiaries and reimbursement amounts for vaccine purchase and administration. Results Public domain document review was completed for all 51 jurisdictions. Among these, 44 Medicaid programs (86%) validated document review findings and completed the survey. Only 22 Medicaid programs (43%) covered all 13 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices–recommended adult immunizations under both fee-for-service and managed care organization arrangements. Most fee-for-service arrangements (37 of 49) reimbursed health care professionals using any of the 4 approved vaccine administration codes; however, 8 of 49 programs did not separately reimburse for vaccine administration to adult Medicaid beneficiaries. Depending on administration route, median reimbursement for adult vaccine administration ranged from $\$9.81$ to $\$13.98$ per dose. Median per-dose reimbursement for adult vaccine purchase was highest for 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine ($\$204.87$) and lowest for Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine ($\$18.09$). Median reimbursement was below the private sector price for 7 of the 13 included vaccines. Conclusions and Relevance Even in programs with complete vaccination benefits coverage, reimbursement amounts to health care professionals for vaccine purchase and administration may not fully cover vaccination provision costs. Reimbursement amounts below costs may reduce incentives for health care professionals to vaccinate low-income adults and thereby limit Medicaid adult beneficiary access to vaccination.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

The 23rd International Colloquium on Magnetic Films and Surfaces (ICMFS2018)

The 23rd International Colloquium on Magnetic Films and Surfaces (ICMFS-2018) was held from July 22-27, 2018 on the campus of UC Santa Cruz CA as a satellite conference to the 21st International Conference on Magnetism held from July 15-20 2018 in San Francisco CA, USA. 153 participants (16% female) from 23 countries participated in this single session colloquium, which has not been to the USA since 1985. About 1/3 of the participants were students and 16 students were selected by a review panel as finalists for the Best Student Presentation award at the ICMFS2018. The DOE support was used to cover the registration fee for 12.5 of the 16 student finalists ($400 each). The program consisted of 2 invited talks, 48 contributed talks and 7 poster presentations. The International Advisory Committee for the ICMFS met during this meeting and decided that the next ICMFS2021 to be held in Japan.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Cost effectiveness of recycling: A systems model

Highlights: • Curbside collection of recyclables reduces overall system costs over a range of conditions. • When avoided costs for recyclables are large, even high collection costs are supported. • When avoided costs for recyclables are not great, there are reduced opportunities for savings. • For common waste compositions, maximizing curbside recyclables collection always saves money. - Abstract: Financial analytical models of waste management systems have often found that recycling costs exceed direct benefits, and in order to economically justify recycling activities, externalities such as household expenses or environmental impacts must be invoked. Certain more empirically based studies have also found that recycling is more expensive than disposal. Other work, both through models and surveys, have found differently. Here we present an empirical systems model, largely drawn from a suburban Long Island municipality. The model accounts for changes in distribution of effort as recycling tonnages displace disposal tonnages, and the seven different cases examined all show that curbside collection programs that manage up to between 31% and 37% of the waste stream should result in overall system savings. These savings accrue partially because of assumed cost differences in tip fees for recyclables and disposed wastes, and also because recycling can result in a more efficient, cost-effective collection program. These results imply that increases in recycling are justifiable due to cost-savings alone, not on more difficult to measure factors that may not impact program budgets.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE Support for the North American meeting of the International Society for Microbial Electrochemistry and Technology

The objective of the North American meeting of the International Society for Microbial Electrochemistry and Technology (NA-ISMET 2021, postponed from 2020 due to COVID-19) was to provide a welcoming space for an interdisciplinary group of researchers, primarily based in North America, to discuss their latest discoveries and innovative ideas on both basic science and applied technology in the field of microbial electrochemistry. After two years of limited travel and research interactions due to COVID-19, an in-person meeting was urgently needed to facilitate conversations and collaborations that help move the field forward. NA-ISMET 2021 was co-organized by Moh El-Naggar from the University of Southern California (USC) and Orianna Bretschger from Aquacycl Inc. The meeting took place on November 17 – 19, 2021 at the Michelson Center for Convergent Biosciences of USC. We hosted a total number of 65 registered participants from across the United States and several international participants. Thanks to the generous support from the Department of Energy, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Office of Naval Research, the Army Research Office, the ISMET organization, and Gamry Instruments Inc., we were able to waive registration fees for all participants and reduce travel cost for several early-career researchers. The scientific program included 28 talks (16 from early-career researchers) and 24 posters that highlighted recent advances in microbial electrochemistry.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

Industry Funding Among Leadership in Medical Oncology and Radiation Oncology in 2015

Purpose: To quantify and determine the relationship between oncology departmental/division heads and private industry vis-à-vis potential financial conflict of interests (FCOIs) as publicly reported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments database. Methods and Materials: We extracted the names of the chairs/chiefs in medical oncology (MO) and chairs of radiation oncology (RO) for 81 different institutions with both RO and MO training programs as reported by the Association of American Medical Colleges. For each leader, the amount of consulting fees and research payments received in 2015 was determined. Logistic modeling was used to assess associations between the 2 endpoints of receiving a consulting fee and receiving a research payment with various institution-specific and practitioner-specific variables included as covariates: specialty, sex, National Cancer Institute designation, PhD status, and geographic region. Results: The majority of leaders in MO were reported to have received consulting fees or research payments (69.5%) compared with a minority of RO chairs (27.2%). Among those receiving payments, the average (range) consulting fee was $13,413 ($200-$70,423) for MO leaders and $6463 ($837-$16,205) for RO chairs; the average research payment for MO leaders receiving payments was $240,446 ($156-$1,234,762) and $295,089 ($160-$1,219,564) for RO chairs. On multivariable regression when the endpoint was receipt of a research payment, those receiving a consulting fee (odds ratio [OR]: 5.34; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.22-13.65) and MO leaders (OR: 5.54; 95% CI: 2.62-12.18) were more likely to receive research payments. Examination of the receipt of consulting fees as the endpoint showed that those receiving a research payment (OR: 5.41; 95% CI: 2.23-13.99) and MO leaders (OR: 3.06; 95% CI: 1.21-8.13) were more likely to receive a consulting fee. Conclusion: Leaders in academic oncology receive consulting or research payments from industry. Relationships between oncology leaders and industry can be beneficial, but guidance is needed to develop consistent institutional policies to manage FCOIs.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Policy impact on economic and environmental sustainability of anaerobic digestion: Industrial case study Insights

This paper thoroughly examines how policy incentives impact the economic and environmental sustainability of anaerobic digestion (AD) systems. It uses techno-economic and life cycle analyses, along with real industry data, to explore the entire AD process—from feedstock acceptance to digestate disposal. It evaluates the effects of various U.S. policy crediting programs on the economic viability of different AD pathways for treating sewage sludge and food waste. Furthermore, tipping fees are identified as the primary driver of profitability, while policy credits play a crucial role in enhancing economic feasibility, particularly for renewable natural gas production. However, future regulatory changes could reshape this economic landscape. All AD pathways are found to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, though economic outcomes are highly sensitive to digestate disposal costs and feedstock tipping fees. Co-digestion with food waste is proposed as a strategy to reduce dependence on policy credits and improve long-term economic stability.

Anaerobic Digestion↗

Funding Mechanisms for Federal Geothermal Permitting

The Department of Energy's (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) initiated a Geothermal Regulatory Roadmap (GRR) in March 2012 to facilitate the development of utility-scale geothermal power. The GRR team conducted a series of workshops during the summer of 2012, which included key representatives from federal and state agencies, as well as industry and other stakeholders involved in the permitting and development of utility-scale geothermal projects. In many of the GRR meetings held with agencies, industry, and other stakeholders, a recurring issue was competing priorities for agency staff's time, which result in permit processing delays. Some agency personnel explained how only a percentage of their weekly or monthly time is allocated to geothermal due to geothermal budget allocations. Others described how their time allocation was determined by agency priorities, and not by specific geothermal budget allocations. In these cases, geothermal may not be a priority at all. One suggestion that was to increase geothermal permit fees or to develop some other mechanisms of cost recovery to fund additional geothermal positions or contractors to process permits more quickly. Because much of the geothermal resource available in the western U.S. is on federal lands, analysis of cost recovery programs could identify opportunities for additional funding mechanisms to support federal agency personnel and processing permits for geothermal projects. This paper discusses: federal agency revenues received for geothermal projects, including: (1) lease revenues, (2) fixed fees, and (3) cost recovery fees; and potential federal agency budget sources for processing geothermal applications, including: (1) cost-recovery fees for services rendered, (2) set-aside funds (such as those employed by EPAct2005), and (3) the appropriations process. This paper then analyzes the three budget sources as mechanisms for increasing funds available to federal agencies for processing geothermal permits and approvals. This paper concludes that both set-asides and cost-recovery fees for services rendered were effective ways of ensuring sufficient funding for processing geothermal authorizations on federally-managed public lands in a timely manner.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Kokes Awards for the 27th North American Catalysis Society Meeting

The Richard J. Kokes Travel Award program encourages student participation in the biennial North American Catalysis Society (NACS) Meetings. During NAM27 in 2022, 50 of the 111 students who received the Kokes Award were supported through this proposal, funded by the Department of Energy (DOE). The award covered a significant conference-related expense, that is the registration fees. Eligible students had to be enrolled in a North American university, present an oral or poster presentation, and contribute 2-4 hours to assist with meeting operations. While the program is open to undergraduate students, none were awarded in 2022. The selection process involved a comprehensive evaluation by external academic reviewers from NACS.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

MR-2016 US-Japan Workshop on Magentic Reconnection Travel Support

The US-Japan workshop on Magnetic Reconnection (MR2016), was held in Napa California from March 7th through 11th, 2016. Details about the program, including invited speakers can be found here: (http://www.magneticreconnection.org/mr2016). Background: The MR Workshop is an international meeting that began in 2000 with its original focus on magnetic reconnection serving as a link between the research groups in US and Japan. Since then, the meeting has grown and is now recognized as one of the primary international workshops on magnetic reconnection. In its format, researchers from both the laboratory community and from the space research community have held 12 workshops bringing together the diverse researchers from the space and laboratory experimental fields. Plasma physics is the common language that ties together all scientists who study the waves, particle acceleration and heating, magnetic reconnection, dynamos, global and micro-stability of plasmas, magnetic turbulence and plasma’s transport problems. The meeting received $9,575 from the U.S. Dept. of Energy funding. This support was used to cover the registration fees ($575 per person) and accommodations for ten junior colleagues (graduate students and postdocs). Applications were solicited and then reviewed by the program committee based on recommendations from the applicants’ advisers.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Development requirements for a high-energy hybrid propulsion system Final report

This document presents the development requirements, costs, and schedule for a high-energy upper-stage hybrid propulsion system. High energy is achieved through the use of a lithium fuel formulation (solid) and fluorinated oxidizer (liquid). The propulsion system contains 3 2OO lb of propellant and may be used as a terminal stage for Atlas/Centaur or DSV-3M Delta launch vehicle. A program to develop a fluorinated hybrid propulsion system could be initiated with little risk. An extensive investigation revealed that the technology required to develop most of the components has either been demonstrated or is in progress. Further, it was found that there were no areas of critical technology. The cost to develop a hybrid propulsion system to a status where it could be integrated into a flight-test stage is about $17 million. This cost does not include the development of the stage astrionics. Length of the total development program is 34 months. A total recurring cost of $381 600 was estimated for the first unit (less astrionics and fee). This includes purchased hard\rare, manufacturing, material, assembly, and test costs.

M.B. Adams↗

Guam Energy Action Plan

Describes the four near-term strategies selected by the Guam Energy Task Force during action planning workshops conducted in March 2013, and outlines the steps being taken to implement those strategies. Each strategy addresses one of the energy sectors identified in the earlier Guam strategic energy plan as being an essential component of diversifying Guam's fuel sources and reducing fossil energy consumption 20% by 2020. The four energy strategies selected are: (1) expanding public outreach on energy efficiency and conservation, (2) establishing a demand-side management revolving loan program, (3) exploring waste-to-energy options, and (4) influencing the transportation sector via anti-idling legislation, vehicle registration fees, and electric vehicles.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Trends in Financial Relationships Between Industry and Radiation Oncologists Versus Other Physicians in the United States from 2014 to 2018

The Open Payments transparency program publishes data on industry-physician payments, in part to discourage relationships considered inappropriate including gifts, meals, and speaker’s bureau fees. We evaluated trends in physician-level payments to test whether implementation of Open Payments resulted in fewer industry–radiation oncologist (RO) interactions or shifted interactions toward those considered more appropriate compared with medical oncologists (MOs) and other hospital-based physicians (HBPs).

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Integrative Curriculum Development in Nuclear Education and Research Vertical Enhancement Program

Using a vertical education enhancement model, a Nuclear Education and Research Vertical Enhancement (NERVE) program was developed. The NERVE program is aimed at developing nuclear engineering education and research to 1) enhance skilled workforce development in disciplines relevant to nuclear power, national security and medical physics, and 2) increase the number of students and faculty from underrepresented groups (women and minorities) in fields related to the nuclear industry. The program uses multi-track training activities that vertically cut across the several education domains: undergraduate degree programs, graduate schools, and post-doctoral training. In this paper, we present the results of an integrative curriculum development in the NERVE program. The curriculum development began with nuclear content infusion into existing science, engineering and technology courses. The second step involved the development of nuclear engineering courses: 1) Introduction to Nuclear Engineering, 2) Nuclear Engineering I, and 2) Nuclear Engineering II. The third step is the establishment of nuclear engineering concentrations in two engineering degree programs: 1) electrical engineering, and 2) mechanical engineering. A major outcome of the NERVE program is a collaborative infrastructure that uses laboratory work, internships at nuclear facilities, on-campus research, and mentoring in collaboration with industry and government partners to provide hands-on training for students. The major activities of the research and education collaborations include: - One-week spring training workshop at Brookhaven National Laboratory: The one-week training and workshop is used to enhance research collaborations and train faculty and students on user facilities/equipment at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and for summer research internships. Participants included students, faculty members at Alabama A and M University and research collaborators at BNL. The activities include 1) tour and introduction to user facilities/equipment at BNL that are used for research in room-temperature semiconductor nuclear detectors, 2) presentations on advances on this project and on wide band-gap semiconductor nuclear detectors in general, and 3) graduate students' research presentations. - Invited speakers and lectures: This brings collaborating research scientist from BNL to give talks and lectures on topics directly related to the project. Attendance includes faculty members, researchers and students throughout the university. - Faculty-students team summer research at BNL: This DOE and National Science Foundation (NSF) program help train students and faculty members in research. Faculty members go on to establish research collaborations with scientists at BNL, develop and submit research proposals to funding agencies, transform research experience at BNL to establish and enhance reach capabilities at home institution, and integrate their research into teaching through class projects and hands-on training for students. The students go on to participate in research work at BNL and at home institution, co-author research papers for conferences and technical journals, and transform their experiences into developing senior and capstone projects. - Grant proposal development: Faculty members in the NERVE program collaborate with BNL scientists to develop proposals, which often help to get external funding needed to expand and sustain the continuity of research activities and supports for student's wages and scholarships (stipends, tuition and fees). - Faculty development and mentoring: The above collaboration activities help faculty professional development. The experiences, grants, joint publications in technical journals, and supervision of student's research, including thesis and dissertation research projects, contribute greatly to faculty development. Senior scientists at BNL and senior faculty members on campus jointly mentor junior faculty members to enhance their professional growth. - Graduate thesis and dissertation research: Brookhaven National Laboratory provides unique opportunities and outstanding research resources for the NERVE program graduate research. Scientists from BNL serve in master's degree thesis and PhD dissertation committees, where they play active roles in the supervision of the research. (authors)

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

Recycling at LANL [Slides]

Recycling is a process to change waste materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, and reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal. Solid waste sent to the Los Alamos landfill has recently become more costly for the Laboratory, due to increased tipping fees charged by Los Alamos County. Going forward, LANL will not only pay higher fees for rejected recycle material disposed of as solid waste, but will lose the chance to take credit for recycling within our pollution prevention reporting program.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Analysis of economics of a TV broadcasting satellite for additional nationwide TV programs

The influence of a TV broadcasting satellite, transmitting four additional TV networks was analyzed. It is assumed that the cost of the satellite systems will be financed by the cable TV system operators. The additional TV programs increase income by attracting additional subscribers. Two economic models were established: (1) each local network is regarded as an independent economic unit with individual fees (cost price model) and (2) all networks are part of one public cable TV company with uniform fees (uniform price model). Assumptions are made for penetration as a function of subscription rates. Main results of the study are: the installation of a TV broadcasting satellite improves the economics of CTV-networks in both models; the overall coverage achievable by the uniform price model is significantly higher than that achievable by the cost price model.

Becker, D.↗

Shuttle Propulsion System Major Events and the Final 22 Flights

Numerous lessons have been documented from the Space Shuttle Propulsion elements. Major events include loss of the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB's) on STS-4 and shutdown of a Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) during ascent on STS-51F. On STS-112 only half the pyrotechnics fired during release of the vehicle from the launch pad, a testament for redundancy. STS-91 exhibited freezing of a main combustion chamber pressure measurement and on STS-93 nozzle tube ruptures necessitated a low liquid level oxygen cut off of the main engines. A number of on pad aborts were experienced during the early program resulting in delays. And the two accidents, STS-51L and STS-107, had unique heritage in history from early program decisions and vehicle configuration. Following STS-51L significant resources were invested in developing fundamental physical understanding of solid rocket motor environments and material system behavior. And following STS-107, the risk of ascent debris was better characterized and controlled. Situational awareness during all mission phases improved, and the management team instituted effective risk assessment practices. The last 22 flights of the Space Shuttle, following the Columbia accident, were characterized by remarkable improvement in safety and reliability. Numerous problems were solved in addition to reduction of the ascent debris hazard. The Shuttle system, though not as operable as envisioned in the 1970's, successfully assembled the International Space Station (ISS). By the end of the program, the remarkable Space Shuttle Propulsion system achieved very high performance, was largely reusable, exhibited high reliability, and was a heavy lift earth to orbit propulsion system. During the program a number of project management and engineering processes were implemented and improved. Technical performance, schedule accountability, cost control, and risk management were effectively managed and implemented. Award fee contracting was implemented to provide performance incentives. The Certification of Flight Readiness and Mission Management processes became very effective. A key to the success of the propulsion element projects was related to relationships between the MSFC project office and support organizations with their counterpart contractor organizations. The teams worked diligently to understand and satisfy requirements and achieve mission success.

Owen, James W.↗

Development of an Industry Dynamometer/Spin Test Facility--Equipment Only: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-05-164

The Department of Energy/National Renewable Energy Laboratory (DOE/NREL) owns and operates a megawatt-scale dynamometer used for testing wind turbine drive trains up to 1.5 megawatt (MW) in rated capacity. At this time, this unit is the only unit of its type in the United States, available for use by the American Wind Industry. Currently this dynamometer is heavily backlogged and unavailable to provide testing needed by various wind industry members. DOE/NREL is in possession of two critical pieces of equipment that may be used to develop an alternative Dynamometer facility, but does not have the funds or other resources necessary to develop such a facility. The Participant possesses complimentary facilities and infrastructure that when combined with the NREL equipment can create such a test facility. The Participant is also committed to expending funds to develop and operate such a facility to the subsequent benefit of the Wind Industry and DOE Wind Energy program. In exchange for DOE/NREL providing the critical equipment, the Participant will grant DOE/NREL a minimum of 90 days of testing time per year in the new facility while incurring no facilities fees.

17 WIND ENERGY↗