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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 361 records · Page 20
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Design and Technoeconomic Analysis of High-Temperature Particle Conveyance Components for a 100 MW e Concentrating Solar Power Plant

Levelized costs of electricity (LCOE) approaching the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office 2030 goal of 0.05 $/kWh may be achievable using Brayton power cycles that use supercritical CO2 as the working fluid and flowing solid particles with temperatures >700° C as the heat transfer media. The handling and conveyance of bulk solid particles at these temperatures in an insulated environment is a critical technical challenge that must be solved for this approach to be used. A design study was conducted at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF) at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM, with the objective of identifying the technical readiness level, performance limits, capital and O&M costs, and expected thermal losses of particle handling and conveyance components in a particle-based CSP plant. Key findings indicated that chutes can be a low-cost option for particle handling but uncertainties in tower costs make it difficult to know whether they can be cost effective in areas above the receiver if tower heights must then be increased. Skips and high temperature particle conveyance technology are available for moving particles up to 640° C. This limits the use of mechanical conveyance above the heat exchanger and suggests vertical integration of the hot storage bin and heat exchanger to facilitate direct gravity fed handling of particles.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Low-Power Characterization and Integration of Carbon Black Resistive Ink for Aerosol Jet-Printed RF Components

Aerosol jet printing (AJP) is gaining attention in additive manufacturing research, especially in the discipline of microwave engineering. Currently, no reliable AJP method exists to fabricate resistors that are both electrically small and with a resistance compatible with waveguide impedances for use in microwave components. In this work, the commercially available Metalon JR-038 is characterized and used to fabricate a resistor that is 100 μ m long by 250 μ m wide for the first time to the best of our knowledge. Furthermore, this resistor was then used to fabricate a Ka-band Wilkinson power divider using only the AJP process.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

The evolving role of geothermal energy for decarbonizing the United States

Geothermal energy is often referred to as a niche technology that is too localized, too small or too expensive to make much of a difference in how renewable energy will be supplied in a fully decarbonized future. As a result, geothermal energy has been undervalued in terms of what it could provide to complement, rather than compete with, electricity generation from wind, solar photovoltaic, concentrating solar power and other renewables. Geothermal energy systems are fully dispatchable and can provide baseload or load-following electric power or heat suitable for a wide range of applications including supplying district heating for communities and cities, and heating and cooling of individual buildings. The focus of our study is on the potential of utilizing geothermal energy for providing heat for buildings and industry at lower temperatures, a substitute for the combustion of fossil fuels. Because heating represents about 20% (20 EJ per year) of the annual primary energy consumption in the U.S.—with most of it coming from burning natural gas, oil and/or propane in furnaces—deploying geothermal heating on a national scale could have a significant impact on lowering carbon emissions. In heating-dominated states in the U.S. Northern Tier, heating often is among the largest contributors to the state's carbon footprint. This review begins with a discussion of the motivation and rationale behind considering geothermal as a key low-carbon heating option for the U.S. The study summarizes the U.S. geothermal resource and describes the applications and main engineering components of using geothermal energy for heating and cooling, electric power generation, and co-generation using district heating, geothermal heat pumps, and power conversion with steam flashing and organic Rankine plants. Environmental benefits and impacts are described. An extensive discussion of geologic and thermal-hydraulic aspects of the subsurface is included in the review because of their critical role in determining reservoir designs at specific sites to ensure sufficient productivity that is both safe and economically viable. Models for estimating levelized costs of district heating are used to show how costs are affected by reservoir performance, infrastructure capital costs, and financial parameters. Here, the review concludes with an assessment of technical subsurface issues associated with reservoir performance and the economic requirements for providing geothermal heating in district heating systems at a sufficient scale to have an impact on decarbonizing the U.S.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

InfraSys (Infrastructure Systems) [SWR-24-42]

This package implements a data store for components and time series in support of Python-based modeling packages. While it is designed to support teams modeling transmission and distribution systems for electrical grids, it can be used by any package that needs to store components (e.g., generators and buses) that have quantities (e.g., power and voltage) which may vary over time. The package was inspired by InfrastructureSystems.jl (https://github.com/NREL-Sienna/InfrastructureSystems.jl).

Thom, Daniel↗
DOE OSTI2019

Pulsed Electrical Stimulation Enhances Body Fluid Transport for Collagen Biomineralization

Mechanical loads from physiologic activities such as walking and running generate bioelectricity in bones. By mimicking bioelectricity, external electrical stimulations have also been used therapeutically to stimulate bone-forming cells and, thus, to promote bone regeneration. However, little is known about the physicochemical mechanism(s) by which electrical stimulations drives calcium phosphate mineralization of collagen. Here, we showed that, during in vitro collagen mineralization in the absence of cells, application of pulsed electrical stimulation significantly enhanced the transport of ionic body fluid components through a micrometer-scale channel (~100–200 μm gap space between the inner surfaces of tube-like collagen scaffolds and a cathode placed inside the collagen scaffolds). The enhanced transport of ionic precursors increased diffusion of the charged precursors from the channel to the inner collagen surface, where bone mineralization was otherwise restricted. The results indicate that pulsed electrical signals can locally accelerate the nucleation of calcium phosphate nanocrystals in or on collagen, allowing us to better control the spatial distribution of the nanocrystals at the microscale. Finally, the findings from this study provide insights into the utilization of electrical stimulation for applications such as facilitating bone-fracture healing and designing better bone-specific biomaterials.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Electromagnetic Transient Modeling of Large Data Centers for Grid-Level Studies

The magnitude and complexity of electricity usage patterns from large data centers are having significant impacts on the operation and dynamics of the power grid; grid operators and planners require a range of specialized data center models to properly evaluate these impacts and specify technical solutions as needed. Towards addressing this need, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has developed a library of electromagnetic transient (EMT) models for grid-level studies of data centers called the data center model library (DML). This report describes how the DML was created and how it may properly be used. The models present in the DML are generic models; subject matter expertise and additional technical data are needed to modify these models before they can represent any real data center. However, they will significantly reduce the level of effort required to develop site-specific models and can serve as a common starting point to guide industry towards a more refined consensus. Most of the models within DML are dedicated to representing the power electronics interfaces commonly used in modern data centers, such as double-conversion uninterruptible power supplies and single-phase power factor correction converters. These models are intended for use in grid-level studies and are a simplified aggregation of many small components. That said, background material on the physical and electrical design of large data centers is provided as companion material so that users can be aware of many of the details which have been omitted or streamlined as a matter of practical necessity. Additionally, guidance on the application of EMT analysis for data center interconnection studies is provided, which aids users in identifying when the DML is necessary and what sort of additional model development may be necessary for conducting real-world studies.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Assessment of Heavy-Duty Fueling Methods and Components-Modeling and Analysis

The goal of the Assessment of Heavy-Duty Fueling Methods and Components project was to comprehensively assess heavy-duty (HD) fuel cell electric vehicle fueling protocols and their effects on techno-economic assessments (TEA) and total cost of ownership (TCO). The project leveraged and built upon ongoing international HD fueling protocols and fueling component development activities to deliver component performance assessments, modeling tools and methods evaluations, TEA of industry-selected protocol structures, and experimental validations of the strategies at the station scale. The effects of the protocols on the fueling times, station costs, and TCO were explored. Fueling time, which was influenced by temperature and protocol selection, had a large impact on the station cost due to component sizing and satisfying hourly demand. As the fleet size increased, the station cost was shown to exponentially decrease by achieving economies of scale. Technology year and fuel economy were the largest contributors to the TCO; however, the choice of fueling protocol had a minor impact on the TCO.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Highly Anisotropic Drude-Weight-Reduction and Enhanced Linear-Dichroism in van der Waals Weyl Semimetal T d -MoTe 2 with Coherent Interlayer Electronic Transport

Weyl semimetal (WSM) states can be achieved by breaking spatial-inversion symmetry or time reversal symmetry. However, the anisotropy of the energy reduction contributing to the emergence of WSM states has seldom been investigated by experiments. A van der Waals metal MoTe 2 exhibits a type-II WSM phase below the monoclinic-to-orthorhombic-phase-transition temperature T c ~ 250 K. Here, in this work, a combined linearly polarized optical-spectroscopy and electrical-transport study of MoTe 2 is reported at different temperatures. The Drude components in the a-axis, b-axis, and c-axis optical conductivity spectra, together with the metallic out-of-plane and in-plane electrical resistivities, indicate the coherent inter-layer and in-plane charge transports. Moreover, the Drude weight in σ 1a (ω), rather than the Drude weights in σ 1b (ω) and σ 1c (ω), decreases dramatically below T c , which exhibits a highly anisotropic decrease in its Drude weight and thus suggests a strongly anisotropic reduction of the electronic kinetic energy in the WSM phase. Furthermore, below T c , due to the in-plane anisotropic spectral-weight transfer from Drude component to high-energy region, the in-plane inter-band-absorption anisotropy increases remarkably ≈770 meV, and has the largest value (≈0.68) of normalized linear dichroism among the reported type-II WSMs. The work sheds light on seeking new WSMs and developing novel photonic devices based on WSMs.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Major Drivers of Long-Term Distribution Transformer Demand

Distribution transformers, used to step-down medium voltage to service-voltage level for end-use electrical consumption, are currently experiencing major shortages. Utilities are experiencing extended lead times for transformers of up to 2 years (a 4x increase on lead times pre-2022) and prices have gone up by as much as 5-6 times in the past 2 years. Current shortages have been attributed to pent-up post-pandemic demand, workforce shortages and low retention rates, component supply chain challenges, and materials shortages (grain-oriented electrical steel, aluminum, and copper). The supply of this equipment is critical for the reliability and growth of the power system, and in meeting administration climate goals in terms of electrification of demand and the growth of renewable energy. This report details some of the initial analysis conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Electricity and Office of Policy, in assessing the long-term demand trends for distribution transformers. Expected increased demand is due to a confluence of not only electrification and renewable energy growth, but also in the context of aging electric infrastructure, increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events, and utility-driven investments in reliability and resiliency of the electricity distribution system.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Modeling Toolkit for Comparing AC and DC Electrical Distribution Efficiency in Buildings

Recently, there has been considerable research interest in the potential for DC distribution systems in buildings instead of the traditional AC distribution systems. Due to the need for performing power conversions between DC and AC electricity, DC distribution may provide electrical efficiency advantages in some systems. To support comparative evaluations of AC-only, DC-only, and hybrid AC/DC distribution systems in buildings, a new modeling toolkit called the Building Electrical Efficiency Analysis Model (BEEAM) was developed and is described in this paper. To account for harmonics in currents or voltages arising from nonlinear devices, the toolkit implements harmonic power flow, along with nonlinear device behavioral descriptions derived from empirical measurements. This paper describes the framework, network equations, device representations, and an implementation of the toolkit in an open source software package, including a component library and graphical interface for creating circuits. Simulations of electrical behavior and device and system efficiencies using the toolkit are compared with experimental measurements of a small office environment in a variety of operating and load configurations. A detailed analysis of uncertainty estimation is also provided. Key findings were that a comparison of predicted versus measured efficiencies and power losses in the validation testbed using the initial toolkit implementation predicted device- and system-level efficiencies with reasonably good accuracy under both balanced and unbalanced AC scenarios. An uncertainty analysis also revealed that the maximum estimated error for system efficiency across all scenarios was 3%, and measured and modeled system efficiency agreed within the experimental uncertainty in approximately half of the scenarios. Based on the correspondence between simulation and measurement, the toolkit is proposed by the authors as a potentially useful tool for comparing efficiency in AC, DC, and hybrid AC/DC distribution systems in buildings.

DC distribution↗
DOE OSTI2026

Electromagnetic Transient Modeling of Large Data Centers for Grid-Level Studies: Beta Release

The magnitude and complexity of electricity usage patterns from large data centers are having significant impacts on the operation and dynamics of the power grid; grid operators and planners require a range of specialized data center models to properly evaluate these impacts and specify technical solutions as needed. Towards addressing this need, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has developed a library of electromagnetic transient (EMT) models for grid-level studies of data centers called the data center model library (DML). This report describes how the DML was created and how it may properly be used. This report details the DML’s beta release, completed in July 2026. This is a revision and expansion of the alpha release, which was made available in January 2026 The models present in the DML are generic models; subject matter expertise and additional technical data are needed to modify these models before they can represent any real data center. However, they will significantly reduce the level of effort required to develop site-specific models and can serve as a common starting point to guide industry towards a more refined consensus. Most of the models within DML are dedicated to representing the power electronics interfaces commonly used in modern data centers, such as double-conversion uninterruptible power supplies and single-phase power factor correction converters. These models are intended for use in grid-level studies and are a simplified aggregation of many small components. That said, background material on the physical and electrical design of large data centers is provided as companion material so that users can be aware of many of the details which have been omitted or streamlined as a matter of practical necessity. Additionally, guidance on the application of EMT analysis for data center interconnection studies is provided, which aids users in identifying when the DML is necessary and what sort of additional model development may be necessary for conducting real-world studies.

electromagnetic transients↗
DOE OSTI2020

Voluntary Renewable Energy Procurement Programs in Regulated Utility Markets

Multinational corporations are increasingly purchasing renewable energy (RE) to fulfill international commitments, reduce supply chain emissions, limit environmental impact, and secure stable and affordable electricity. The potential scale of global corporate RE purchasing has been estimated to be nearly 100 GW and growing; however, many markets still lack supportive enabling environments for corporations to access RE through on-site project development or private sector transactions. Even where allowed by law, on-site generation may be insufficient due to space and technical constraints, introducing additional challenges. Utility green pricing and utility green tariff programs backed by renewable energy certificates (RECs), referred to as utility green procurement programs (GPPs) in this report, offer powerful market-based solutions to utilities, regulators, and policymakers to provide corporate and other consumers with RE product options while generating revenue to support RE development. As RE markets expand around the globe, GPPs have proven to be effective mechanisms in market regimes, ranging from fully integrated state-owned utilities to broadly liberalized power markets. GPPs utilize RECs, which are a type of energy attribute certificate and closely resemble guarantees of origin, to track and ultimately monetize RE attributes that corporations and other buyers must procure to demonstrate progress against their RE commitments and make public claims of RE use. Time-tested and transparent REC accounting mechanisms provide market confidence, while at the same time offering flexibility to utilities, regulators, and customers for a range of applications. RECs are used in all types of electricity market structures, as indicated in Figure 1, but REC-based program designs and supporting components differ depending on the type of market. Liberalized markets allow for customers to contract directly with generators for electricity and RECs, while traditionally regulated markets with vertically integrated utility structures may have greater restrictions on generation asset ownership and electricity sales. RE markets can be further defined as being either mandatory or voluntary. Mandatory markets require suppliers to deliver specified amounts of RE to grid customers, such as under a renewable portfolio standard (RPS), while voluntary markets involve no legal mandates, but demand is driven by self-imposed customer goals.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Tutorial - Electric Motor and Integrated Traction Drive Thermal Management

The share of vehicles with fully electric propulsion systems is constantly increasing, and so is their traction drive power. The continuous push to increase power of electric vehicle (EV) traction drives necessitates their efficient cooling to prevent damage to temperature sensitive components of the drive system and achieving higher power outputs in a smaller footprint. With increasing power and power density of electric traction drives, their thermal management is becoming increasingly challenging. This tutorial will provide an overview of thermal management approaches for electric motors and power electronics in EV applications. It will review examples of current industry solutions for power-dense electric motor cooling, power electronics (inverter) cooling, their integration concepts and thermal management system solutions. We'll look at the advantages and challenges of power electronics integration into a single traction drive unit and respective thermal management system concepts. We'll talk about barriers to implementation of a unified thermal management system. The tutorial will also review key aspects of thermal management system design: modeling and simulation using FEA and CFD tools, experimental characterization, and general workflow for thermal management system evaluation.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSI↗
DOE OSTI2021

Review of additive manufacturing and densification techniques for the net- and near net-shaping of geometrically complex silicon nitride components

Silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) is an advantageous material due its unique combination of mechanical, thermal, chemical, and electrical properties both at ambient and elevated temperatures. Because of these properties there are a wide range of applications for Si 3 N 4 components. Applications include heat exchangers, environmental barrier coatings, osteointegration scaffolds, radomes, and integrated circuitry. Furthermore, such applications often require geometric complexity for efficient and/or effective operation. However, traditional ceramics processing methods such as hot-pressing or die extrusion are typically limited to simple axis-symmetric shapes. With the advent of additive manufacturing, there has been significant advancement into the forming of geometrically complex Si 3 N 4 components. This review documents additive manufacturing advancements that have demonstrated, or are capable of, fabricating Si 3 N 4 components with complex geometry.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Powdermet CRADA for VELOCITI Voucher (CRADA Final Report)

NLR shall develop a model of an electric thermal energy storage (ETES) system in the System Advisor Model (SAM) framework that uses a salt and particle slurry developed by PowderMet as the thermal energy storage medium. The ETES shall consist of a recuperated sCO 2 Brayton cycle using 2-tank indirect thermal energy storage and an electric heater for heat input. The salt slurry uses chloride salt and operates at a maximum temperature of 500-720°C. The ETES uses dry air cooling. The salt slurry will be modeled as a sensible heat storage medium and as a latent heat storage medium. NLR will use the model to do parametric analysis of the factors affecting the performance (ex., round trip efficiency) of the ETES system. NLR will work with PowderMet to estimate the costs of system components and total system costs, with the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) as the primary cost metric.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

A New Process for Carbon Dioxide Conversion to Fuel

In this project, TDA developed a new mixed metal oxide-based sorbent that converts CO 2 (captured from coal fired power plant) to CO, which can then be combined with renewable H 2 generated by water electrolysis to produce different liquid fuels. TDA’s absorbent-based CO 2 conversion process uses a redox process, which splits the reverse water gas shift reaction steps into two stages: CO 2 reduction to CO and H 2 oxidation to H 2 O and eliminates the equilibrium limitations. The CO produced in the two-stage reactor system can then be further reacted with renewable H 2 to produce methanol, naphtha, diesel, or gasoline. We worked with the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) and Advanced Power & Energy Program (APEP) of University of California, Irvine (UCI) to design and develop the liquid fuel synthesis process that is built around this new material. We demonstrated the techno-economic viability of the new sorbent based redox process to convert CO 2 into synthesis gas by: 1) demonstrating continuous carbon dioxide reduction in a prototype test system for over 500 hours while converting up to 0.4 kg CO 2 /day. With the successful completion of the R&D effort, the technology is now ready for a larger pilot-scale demonstration and the technology readiness has been raised from TRL 3 to TRL 5. In collaboration UCI, we also completed a high-fidelity process design and economic analysis. The required selling price (RSP) for methanol (Case 1 H2-MeOH) is $\$$3.06/gal, naphtha and diesel (Case 2 H2-FT) are $\$$6.21/gal and $\$$8.91/gal, and for gasoline (Case 3 H2-MTG) is $\$$6.96/gal on a 2011 dollar basis. To put these costs in perspective, the recent (June 2020) U.S. price for methanol made from natural gas is about $\$$1.19/gal according to Methanex, a major methanol producer in North America. The recent (June 2, 2020) California prices for gasoline and diesel with California’s strict specifications are $\$$3.35/gal and $\$$3.73/gal according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency. On the other hand, it should be noted that the gasoline and diesel produced by the designs of Case 2 and Case 3 would be both nitrogen and sulfur free. These RSPs are based on a cost of imported electricity of $\$$64/MWh based on the low-end current wind generated electricity cost (Genevieve and Ramsden, Wind Electrolysis: Hydrogen Cost Optimization, Technical Report, June 2011, NREL/TP-5600-50408). This cost is by far the largest component of the variable costs used in computing the RSPs. The cost of the imported electricity has to approach zero for the RSP to be competitive for methanol produced in Case 1 and naphtha and diesel produced in Case 2 while the cost of electricity has to be less than $\$$10/MWh for gasoline produced in Case 3.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2024

Crafting Multifunctional Materials with Tailored Mechanical and Magnetic Properties by Solid-State Non-equilibrium Processing

Aluminum matrix composites hold promise for creating lightweight structural components with multifunctional properties. Nonetheless, achieving desired magnetic or electrical characteristics without compromising their fundamental mechanical properties presents a significant challenge. Here, in this study, we explore mechanical stir-based extrusion as a solid-state metalworking technique to develop fine-grained microstructures and highly refined metallic composites. Our study focuses on creating a SmCo 5 -reinforced aluminum matrix composite using solid stir extrusion (SSE) and assessing its microstructure, mechanical, and magnetic properties through a comprehensive suite of characterization tools, including x-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and magnetometry. Our findings reveal that incorporating a small amount (3.76 wt.%) of SmCo 5 phase in a non-heat-treatable, non-magnetic aluminum alloy via SSE yields a composite that exhibits good hard magnetic characteristics with a large coercivity (H ci = 13.5 kOe) and improved mechanical properties. This study underscores non-equilibrium processing via solid-state high-speed stirring as a compelling method for crafting multifunctional materials with tailored mechanical and magnetic properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗