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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 397 records · Page 22

US Department of Energy, Office of Science High Performance Computing Facility Operational Assessment 2021: Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility

Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL’s) Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) continues to surpass its operational target goals of supporting users; delivering fast, reliable computational ecosystems; creating innovative solutions for high-performance computing (HPC) needs; contributing to the community to build the next generation HPC workforce, and managing risks, safety, and security associated with operating some of the most powerful computers in the world. The results can be seen in the cutting-edge science conducted by users and the praise from the research community. Calendar year (CY) 2021 saw continued excellence in research supported by the OLCF’s leadership-class computing resources, including Summit (the nation’s most powerful supercomputer), the global scratch file system Alpine, the Scalable Protected Infrastructure (SPI), the Exploratory Visualization Environment for Research in Science and Technology (EVEREST), and the archival mass-storage resource High-Performance Storage System (HPSS). While maintaining access and exceptional user support for Summit, the OLCF continued to make progress on the installation and deployment of Frontier, which will be the nation’s first exascale system when it comes online at the start of CY 2023. Users have already begun running and optimizing scientific codes on Crusher, the OLCF test and development system equipped with Frontier’s architecture. Throughout the year, the OLCF maintained a strong culture of operational excellence, including risk management, workplace safety, and cybersecurity. The OLCF’s rigorous risk management strategy anticipated and mitigated risks, and at this time there are no high-priority operational risks. Similarly, ORNL and the OLCF were committed to operating under the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) safety regulations that ensure a safe workplace. Technical staff tracked and monitored existing threats and vulnerabilities within the OLCF while continually developing tools and practices to enhance operations without increasing the facility’s risk. CY 2021 was filled with outstanding results and accomplishments, including a very high rating from users on overall satisfaction for the eighth consecutive year; a tremendous number of node hours delivered to 1,671 researchers on Summit; and the successful delivery of the allocation split of roughly 60%, 20%, and 20% of core-hours offered for the Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment (INCITE), Advanced Scientific Computing Research Leadership Computing Challenge (ALCC), and Director’s Discretionary (DD) programs, respectively (Section 2). COVID-19 research remained a focus in 2021, and the ALCC and DD programs allocated over 1 million Summit hours to the COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium. These accomplishments, coupled with the high utilization rates (i.e., overall and capability usage), represent the fulfillment of the promise of leadership class machines: efficient facilitation of leadership-class computational applications.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Integration of Pumped Heat Energy Storage with Fossil-Fired Power Plant (Final Report)

The project team of Southwest Research Institute ® (SwRI ® ), Malta Inc. (Malta), and Luminant Generation Company LLC (Luminant) completed a feasibility study for the integration of a 100-MW, 10-hour (1000-MWh) Malta Pumped Heat Energy Storage (MPHES) system with multiple full-sized fossil-fired electricity generation units (EGU) in Luminant portfolio. MPHES is a long-duration, molten-salt-energy storage technology that uses turbomachinery and heat exchangers to transfer energy to a thermal storage media when charging, and removes the heat in a similar fashion when discharging. With high round trip efficiency (60-65%) and long lifespan (30+ years), MPHES provides economic benefits to the fossil-asset owners that can be scaled to integrate with assets across their portfolio. This technology uses hardware components, workforce personnel, and skillsets similar to those used by fossil EGUs, allowing for synergy when co-locating the two technologies. Luminant has approximately 39,000 megawatts of generation across 12 states, operating in six of the seven competitive markets in the U.S. and powered by a diverse portfolio of natural gas, nuclear, coal, and solar facilities. The DeCordova plant in Granbury, Texas, a simple cycle natural gas peaker power plant, was used as the fossil-fired asset in this project. The local market in Granbury, Texas has many influences, including several nearby power plants, a Luminant-owned nuclear plant (Comanche Peak), and substantial wind energy, which causes both negative pricing at night and high market volatility. Reducing false starts of the DeCordova plant and better responding to market volatility would be an economic advantage. Luminant is currently integrating battery storage plant on site to begin addressing these challenges. Integrating long-duration storage, like MPHES, would expand this capability beyond one hour of storage and have the potential to greatly reduce the total number of gas turbine starts. The MPHES charging requirement could help offset the overnight operating costs of Comanche Peak, which cannot load follow, and the nearby Luminant-owned Wise County combined cycle plant that cycles too often. Following the assessment of Luminant’s ERCOT-based portfolio for integration compatibility with Malta’s PHES system and the project tasks of conceptual study, technoeconomic analysis, technology gap assessment, and commercialization plan, the project team effort has resulted in several key outcomes: (1) Identification of market trends in a high-wind penetration market outside a major metropolitan area; (2) Creation of a dispatching model for the MPHES system and the pairing of Li-ion battery with a gas turbine in a real time market; (3) Revenue and cost estimations for operating MPHES alongside a gas peaker plant with real dispatching considerations and comparison with variations in the Malta implementation, including doubling the storage capacity and using two discharge drivetrains; (4) Potential carbon emission reductions possible by replacing gas turbine operation with Malta PHES operation; and (5) Summary of literature-based future market predictions for Texas.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

Digitalization of an experimental electrochemical reactor via the smart manufacturing innovation platform

The exponential increase in data produced over the last two decades has revolutionized the way we collect, store, process, analyze, model, and interpret information to improve profitability. Manufacturing is no exception. How- ever, Smart Manufacturing, the digital practice, organization, workforce, and infrastructure transformation for collection and deployment of data and models at scale and at all levels of manufacturing, is a complex, costly, and labor-intensive journey that is still seeing slow adoption. The Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII), a national Manufacturing USA public-private partnership sponsored by the Department of Energy, is addressing this scaled use of data and modeling in manufacturing. CESMII has focused on how to col- lect and use operating data for numerous applications that improve productivity, precision, and performance of manufacturing operations from factory floor to supply chain using process simulation, predictive analytics, mon- itoring and control, and real-time optimization. Because contextualized data are key, CESMII has developed the Smart Manufacturing Innovation Platform (SMIP) to lower the barriers to the data that are needed to accelerate data-based model building, improve data visualization, and more quickly gain insights. Reusable, standards-based ways of doing data collection, ingestion, and contextualization are particularly important for scaling access and use of data. The SMIP uses a standards-based definition and construct for reusable information models called an SM Profile. When an SM Profile is used in conjunction with the SMIP, the SMIP ensures the availability of contextualized, operational data for model building. The present work demonstrates Smart Manufacturing and the application of the SMIP for building several data-centered models for the operation and control of an ex- perimental electrochemical reactor that reduces carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) gas to valuable liquid and gas chemicals, such as alcohols, olefins, and syngas. We describe how the SMIP plays a central role in more effective model building and we demonstrate how the electochemical reactor can be controlled and optimized for the desired products. Use of the SMIP involves the transmission of real-time sensor measurements to a cloud resource so that the operating data are available to all model building experts. The data collection and transmission process is fully automated to greatly reduce the need for manual manipulation of the data. Data-driven machine learning models are used for advanced real-time state estimation, real-time optimization, and model-based feedback control for the reactor. The application models are implemented as a system to monitor the data flow and control the electrochemical reactor with a single visualization interface. SM Profiles are used to demonstrate reusability of the information models for the reactor and the instrumentation. The application packages, algorithms, and user interfaces developed are cast as Docker images in a library to facilitate reusability of the application models.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

The Importance of Chemical Research to the U.S. Economy

Chemistry plays a pivotal role in the strength of the U.S. economy and the advancement of humankind. Chemists' achievements include life-saving pharmaceuticals, advanced energy solutions, improved agricultural productivity, and novel materials used in products from clothing to electronic devices. The many sectors reliant on the U.S. chemical economy account for about 25% of the U.S. GDP and support 4.1 million U.S. jobs. However, a new and evolving chemistry landscape requires changes with regard to funding, training, and a focus on integrating sustainability into manufacturing, product usage, and product disposal. This report identifies strategies and options for research investments that will support U.S. leadership while considering environmental sustainability and developing a diverse chemical economy workforce with equitable opportunities for all chemistry talent. The report recommends that funding agencies and philanthropic organizations who support the chemical sciences fund as large a breadth of fundamental research projects as possible. Chemical industry and their partners at universities, scientific research institutions, and national laboratories should align the objectives of fundamental research to directly assist with new practices toward environmental stewardship, sustainability, and clean energy. Additionally, the report recommends that funding agencies make substantial investment toward education research to enable innovative ways of teaching about emerging concepts, tools and technologies.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Advanced Building Construction (ABC) Research Opportunities Report: Industrializing Construction to Decarbonize Buildings

The DOE Building Technologies Office generally seeks to develop, demonstrate, and accelerate the adoption of cost-effective technologies, techniques, and tools in support of an equitable transition to a decarbonized building stock and energy system by 2050. This ABC Innovations Roadmap specifically focuses on and prioritizes innovations that support the industrialization of whole building retrofits and rapid growth of efficient new construction. The content relates to the integration of technologies and industrialization of processes associated with building construction and renovation. The ABC Innovations Roadmap cross-applies innovations in both the new and existing building sectors with a focus on widescale applicability. Installation flexibility is key to commoditizing solutions that are applicable for a wide variety of buildings (e.g., different building types, vintages, architectural details, and system configurations) and to help simplify decarbonization processes for the workforce.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Snowmass Computational Frontier: Topical Group Report on Experimental Algorithm Parallelization

The substantial increase in data volume and complexity expected from future experiments will require significant investment to prepare experimental algorithms. These algorithms include physics object reconstruction, calibrations, and processing of observational data. In addition, the changing computing architecture landscape, which will be primarily composed of heterogeneous resources, will continue to pose major challenges with regard to algorithmic migration. Portable tools need to be developed that can be shared among the frontiers (e.g., for code execution on different platforms) and opportunities, such as forums or cross-experimental working groups, need to be provided where experiences and lessons learned can be shared between experiments and frontiers. At the same time, individual experiments also need to invest considerable resources to develop algorithms unique to their needs (e.g., for facilities dedicated to the experiment), and ensure that their specific algorithms will be able to efficiently exploit external heterogeneous computing facilities. Common software tools represent a cost-effective solution, providing ready-to-use software solutions as well as a platform for R&D work. These are particularly important for small experiments which typically do not have dedicated resources needed to face the challenges imposed by the evolving computing technologies. Workforce development is a key concern across frontiers and experiments, and additional support is needed to provide career opportunities for researchers working in the field of experimental algorithm development. Finally, cross-discipline collaborations going beyond high-energy physics are a key ingredient to address the challenges ahead and more support for such collaborations needs to be created. This report targets future experiments, observations and experimental algorithm development for the next 10-15 years.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Estimating the Value of Worker Training: A System Reliability & LCOE Perspective

This workshop presentation briefly describes the labor standards required for large photovoltaic (PV) systems (>1MWac) to receive the full investment tax credit from the Inflation Reduction Act. The potential for labor standards to affect aspects other than upfront installation costs (such as energy generation or maintenance expenses) is analyzed using levelized cost of energy (LCOE) calculations. This considers benefits which may come from better training for workers, more productive workers, or improved installation quality, using NREL's simplified PV-specific LCOE calculator at pvlcoe.nrel.gov.

ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY,SOLAR ENERGY↗

Nuclear waste Educator's workshop: What and how do we teach about nuclear waste?

A workshop was held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on July 25th and 26th, 2022. The objective was to develop a blueprint for educating next-generation engineers and scientists about nuclear waste management and disposal, which requires knowledge from diverse disciplines, including nuclear, chemical, civil, environmental, and geological science and engineering. The 49 participants included university professors, researchers, industry experts, and government officials from different areas. First, we have developed a list of key fundamental knowledge on waste management and disposal across the nuclear fuel cycle. In addition, we discussed strategies on how to teach students with diverse backgrounds through innovative teaching strategies as well as how to attract students into this area. Through the workshop, we identified the critical needs to (1) develop community resources for nuclear waste education; (2) synthesize historical perspectives, including past contamination and the management of general hazardous waste; (3) emphasize a complete life-cycle perspective, including proper waste management as the key component for energy sustainability; (4) teach students how to communicate about the key facts and risks to technical and non-technical audiences; and (5) accelerate the use of the state-of-art-technologies to attract and retain a young workforce. Furthermore, we aim to build a diverse, inclusive community that supports students in developing their own narratives about nuclear waste, particularly in recognizing that antagonistic views have been important to improving safety and protecting public health and the environment.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Accelerator Science & Engineering (AS&E) Workforce Roundtable and AS&E Traineeship Principal Investigator Meeting

A one-and-half-day meeting on the Accelerator Science & Engineering (AS&E) Workforce Roundtable and a one-day meeting of Traineeship Principal Investigators took place at Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University on January 21-23, 2025. The meeting identified critical issues in the AS&E workforce and potential solutions, with a focus on DOE’s major accelerator facilities. The Traineeship PIs meeting focused on sharing experience, efficiency, and improvements of the Traineeship Programs conducted in six US universities. Several managers from the DOE High Energy Physics Office participated in the meetings. The discussions resulted in a decision to conduct similar meetings every year.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Illinois Basin Regional DAC Hub TA-1: Feasibility (Phase-0) (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

The overall objective of this project was to complete a feasibility study for a Regional Direct Air Capture (DAC) Hub that encompasses Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. The geographic construct of this hub was based on the Illinois Basin – a geological area where at least seven (7) geological storage studies were conducted. The Hub was designed to assure a capacity to capture, store, and utilize at least 1,000,000 metric tons (tonnes) of CO2 from the atmosphere annually 1 metric tonnes per annum (MTA), starting from an initial capacity of 200,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum (KTA). The Hub also included:(1) clean energy providers to supply renewable energy to the DAC units; (2) geological storage facilities to inject and sequestrate the captured CO2; (3) CO2 utilization facilities that would uptake the captured CO2 and convert it into products; and (4) small business organizations that would assist in workforce development efforts for the region. This closeout report consolidates the tasks undertaken and accomplished as deliverables for the project. The project team had successfully completed all required tasks of phase 0a, confirming that the project is feasible based on the preliminary conceptual designs and operational requirements of the DAC systems. Of particular interest, the hub ownership structure was identified and was implemented in follow on projects that would transition the hub infrastructure to a build/operate phase.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Lahaina Energy Partnership Community Workshop: Technical Assistance Task Updates and Discussion [Slides]

The Lahaina Energy Partnership (LEP) is an initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to support energy planning and rebuilding efforts in Hawaii's historic town of Lahaina on Maui as the community recovers from a devastating fire on August 8, 2023, with technical assistance provided by NLR. This presentation provides an update on NLR's technical assistance efforts for May 2026.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

LDRD 2022 Annual Report: Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program Activities

Each year, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is required to provide a report of its completed Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program (LDRD) projects to the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Scientific and Technical Information in accordance with DOE Order 413.2C Chg1 (MinChg) dated August 2, 2018. This report provides a detailed look at the scientific and technical activities for each of the LDRD projects funded by BNL in FY 2022, in fulfillment of that requirement. In FY 2022, the BNL LDRD Program funded 70 projects, 30 of which were new starts, at a total cost of $17.2M. The investments that BNL makes in its LDRD program support the Laboratory’s strategic goals. BNL has identified seven scientific initiatives that define the Laboratory’s scientific future and that will enable it to realize its overall vision. This requires simultaneous excellence in all aspects of BNL’s work – from science and operations, to external partnerships with the local, state, and national communities, and beyond. This is enabled by safe, efficient, and secure operations; by an unwavering commitment to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment, including workforce development, both with staff and reaching out to the community; and by a strong focus on renewed infrastructure. The seven scientific initiatives are: 1) Nuclear Physics: uncover the structure of visible matter by constructing and operating the Electron-Ion Collider at BNL to maintain international leadership in nuclear physics for decades; 2) Clean Energy and Climate: support a net-zero U.S. economy through fundamental research in basic energy and climate sciences to revolutionize grid-scale storage, renewable integration, and the study of atmospheric processes with a new facility to improve climate predictability; 3) Quantum Information Science and Technology: discover new quantum materials to enhance quantum computers and develop an entanglement sharing quantum network as a prototype for the first quantum internet; 4) Discovery Science Driven by the Human-AI Facility Integration: revolutionize the operation of experiments across the sciences at user facilities and in core programs; 5) High Energy Physics: understand the origin of space and time with the ATLAS high luminosity upgrade at CERN and the future Long Baseline Neutrino Facility/Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment; 6) Isotope Production: accelerate and expand isotope production to ensure the security of the Nation’s supply; 7) Accelerator Science and Technology: harness the cross-cutting accelerator science expertise at BNL to develop new facilities, improve and expand its user facilities, and promote the use of accelerators in industry. The funded projects support BNL’s seven scientific initiatives and priority programs as well as new areas of research and competencies at the Laboratory that are consistent with the Laboratory’s vision and mission. In total, these LDRD investments supported 43 postdoctoral researchers in whole or in part and resulted in 138 publications and 7 awards. This Program Activities Report represents the future of BNL science; it is an impressive body of exploratory work that investigates many scientific and technical directions in support of the DOE and BNL missions.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Syracuse University Industrial Assessment Center (Final Report)

Syracuse University Industrial Assessment Center (SU-IAC) project is focused on the two primary objectives: (i) educate undergraduate and graduate students in engineering and associated disciplines on the concepts of energy sustainability and to provide hands-on training by performing energy assessment at industrial facilities to become future energy efficiency experts, and (ii) offer energy assessments to small and mid-sized manufacturing companies in SU-IAC 2 the greater New York State region, perform analytical engineering work in support of assessment recommendations, and to report the results of those analyses to the client companies, to DOE, and to Field office personnel Through this project period, SU-IAC successfully trained 77 engineering students who were undergraduate or graduate students at Syracuse University College of Engineering, or at SU- IAC’s satellite center at Clarkson University. Each of these students received comprehensive ‘in-class’ technical training, safety training, and hands-on field training. The students performed various tasks related to energy assessment at the manufacturing facilities, including billing analysis, energy use reduction recommendations, and report preparation. Through this project period, a total of 34 students have completed all requirements of the SU-IAC program and have received the US DoE Certificate on Energy Efficiency, with the remaining students continuing at various stages of field work or training. During this project period, due to Covid-related measures in New York State, Syracuse University campus and most of the manufacturing facilities were completely closed or were under severe restrictions for access, for an extended period from March 2020 through April 2021. The closures affected our project execution, with the project Sponsor offering structured relief to carry-out a modified project during the affected budget periods. During this project period, SU-IAC student teams, led by its Director, completed a total of 77 energy assessments at small- and medium-scale manufacturing facilities located in New York State. For these facilities, SU-IAC prepared and presented details for 569 assessment recommendations (ARs). The facilities implemented a total of 258 of these ARs, realizing annual average energy savings in the range of $\$ $3,300 to $\$ $55,000 per facility. Cumulatively, these facilities have reduced their “first year after implementation” energy use by a total of 4.37 million kwh, and fuel use by a total of 27.7 billion BTU. SU-IAC project has successfully met the two primary objectives (and the associated sub objectives) and helped the manufacturing facilities in New York State achieve quantitative energy use reductions as a result of this project.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

NASA’s Student Airborne Science Activation for Minority Serving Institutions: Inaugural Program, Educational Outcomes, and Lessons Learned

The NASA Student Airborne Science Activation (SaSa) for Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) held its inaugural summer research program for early career undergraduates interested in the Geosciences. SaSa is a NASA Science Activation funded 8-week summer internship program. Twenty-four first- and second-year undergraduates from MSIs across the U.S. participated in the summer program - June 6 to July 29, 2022. Students had the opportunity to gain hands-on research experience in all components of an airborne science campaign including flying on-board a NASA research aircraft to collect atmospheric measurements. Students conducted independent research projects related to the atmosphere, ocean, and geosciences that feed into NASA’s broader Earth Science Division’s and Decadal Survey goals using air quality, meteorological, and oceanic measurements from surface, airborne, and satellite-based observations. The program split its time between partner institution, University of Maryland Baltimore County and NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia. Students also made site visits at partner institutions, including: Hampton University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Howard University, and Coppin State University and attended lectures from visiting faculty and NASA Subject Matter Experts. Students were guided on their research projects by near-peer graduate mentors, SaSa program leadership, co-Is at partner institutions, and NASA scientists to address two major research themes: 1) how human-caused air pollution has human and environmental implications, and 2) how large-scale meteorological factors influence local weather conditions. Students sorted into research groups, based on sub-discipline areas in the Geosciences, including: “Clouds, Aerosols and Radiation”, “Meteorology and Planetary Boundary Layer”, “Air Quality: Particle Pollution and Trace Gases”, and “Air-Water-Land Interface”. Their research was presented as 3-minute lightning talks and in-person poster presentations at a close-out event at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The students’ inter- and trans-disciplinary research experiences centered in the use of multiple ground, airborne, and satellite remote sensing NASA Earth Science Division assets. Providing a unique experience aligned to recognize the societal benefits that NASA contributes in the areas of resource management, air quality monitoring and policy decisions, energy and weather predictions, and research on the Earth’s climate. The SaSa program aims to increase the number of students from MSIs that identify as underrepresented or underserved individuals in the Geosciences discipline, Earth System Science graduate programs, and the NASA workforce. A summary of the summer research program, educational, scientific, and programmatic outcomes, as well as lessons learned will be presented.

NASA↗

Strategies in Education, Outreach, and Inclusion to Enhance the US Workforce in Accelerator Science and Engineering

We summarize the community-based consensus for improvements concerning education, public outreach, and inclusion in Accelerator Science and Engineering that will enhance the workforce in the USA. The improvements identified reflect the product of discussions held within the 2021-2022 Snowmass community planning process by topical group AF1: Beam Physics and Accelerator Education within the Accelerator Frontier. Although the Snowmass process centers on high-energy physics, this document outlines required improvements for the entire U.S. accelerator science and engineering enterprise because education of those entering and in the field, outreach to the public, and inclusion are inextricably linked.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Energy Systems Test Area (ESTA) Pyrotechnic Operations: User Test Planning Guide

The Johnson Space Center (JSC) has created and refined innovative analysis, design, development, and testing techniques that have been demonstrated in all phases of spaceflight. JSC is uniquely positioned to apply this expertise to components, systems, and vehicles that operate in remote or harsh environments. We offer a highly skilled workforce, unique facilities, flexible project management, and a proven management system. The purpose of this guide is to acquaint Test Requesters with the requirements for test, analysis, or simulation services at JSC. The guide includes facility services and capabilities, inputs required by the facility, major milestones, a roadmap of the facility s process, and roles and responsibilities of the facility and the requester. Samples of deliverables, facility interfaces, and inputs necessary to define the cost and schedule are included as appendices to the guide.

Hacker, Scott↗

EFRC Materials Science of Actinides (Final Report)

The Energy Frontier Research Center Materials Science of Actinides (MSA) conducted basic research from 2009-2019. The scientific personnel and participating institutes changed several times during the evolution of the Center, and in total included 24 senior investigators, four national laboratories, and ten universities. Workforce development was a motivating goal of the university-led Center, which included many undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral researchers. The center focused on the actinide elements, which arise from the sequential filling of the 5f electron orbitals. Although the specific themes evolved during the Center’s history, the final research themes were: (1) Nanoscale Cage Clusters, (2) Complex Ceramic and Metallic Materials, and (3) Materials Under Extreme Environments. To date, the Center has produced 254 peer-reviewed journal publications and book chapters that acknowledged only the EFRC funding, and an additional 161 journal publications and book chapters that acknowledged funding from the EFRC and additional sources (a few manuscripts are still in preparation). Broad highlights include: (1) Development of an extensive family of actinide nanomaterials that self-assemble in aqueous solution, an understanding of their formation mechanisms and stabilities, and possible uses in nuclear fuel cycles; (2) Establishment of facilities and methodologies to conduct high-temperature calorimetry on transuranium materials, and extensive thermodynamic-based studies of uranium and thorium compounds important to the nuclear fuel cycle; (3) A vastly improved understanding of the behavior of actinide materials in extreme conditions, including high radiation fields, temperatures, and pressures, as well coupled effects of two or more of these; (4) Development of resonance ultrasound spectroscopy and direct measurement of aging of plutonium alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A Collaborative Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) for Expanded Outreach within the Southeast

This GA-FL IAC had impacts on workforce development and economic impact for regional small- and medium-sized enterprises. Qualified faculty and campus staff educated and trained cohorts of students regarding state-of-the-art industrial assessments. Students gained hands-on experiences in learning about manufacturing processes, energy systems, developing assessment recommendations/calculations, and client interaction. These skills were complemented by the incorporation of IAC themes into some course curricula. As far as economic impact, the center conducted 66 assessments over 5 years primarily in Georgia and Florida. These represented hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential annual resource savings to the clients and region.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗