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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 469 records · Page 26
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The University Rover Challenge: A competition highlighting Human and Robotic partnerships for exploration.

The University Rover Challenge began in 2007 with 4 American college teams competing, now in it’s 15th year there are over 80 teams from 14 countries registered to compete for the top rover designed to assist humans in the exploration of Mars. The Rovers compete aided by the University teams in four tasks (3 engineering and 1 science) in the Mars analog environment of the Utah Southern Desert in the United States. In this presentation we show amazing rover designs with videos demonstrating the incredible ingenuity, skill and determination of the world's most talented college students. We describe the evolution of the competition, diversity of the teams, and common challenges faced by the robotic explorers.

H. D. Smith↗
DOE OSTI2016

Data-driven battery product development: Turn battery performance into a competitive advantage.

Poor battery performance is a primary source of user dissatisfaction across a broad range of applications, and is a key bottleneck hindering the growth of mobile technology, wearables, electric vehicles, and grid energy storage. Engineering battery systems is difficult, requiring extensive testing for vendor selection, BMS programming, and application-specific lifetime testing. This work also generates huge quantities of data. This presentation will explain how to leverage this data to help ship quality products faster using fewer resources while ensuring safety and reliability in the field, ultimately turning battery performance into a competitive advantage.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2017

System and method for detecting components of a mixture including a valving scheme for competition assays

Examples are described including measurement systems for conducting competition assays. A first chamber of an assay device may be loaded with a sample containing a target antigen. The target antigen in the sample may be allowed to bind to antibody-coated beads in the first chamber. A control layer separating the first chamber from a second chamber may then be opened to allow a labeling agent loaded in a first portion of the second chamber to bind to any unoccupied sites on the antibodies. A centrifugal force may then be applied to transport the beads through a density media to a detection region for measurement by a detection unit.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

System and method for detecting components of a mixture including a valving scheme for competition assays

Examples are described including measurement systems for conducting competition assays. A first chamber of an assay device may be loaded with a sample containing a target antigen. The target antigen in the sample may be allowed to bind to antibody-coated beads in the first chamber. A control layer separating the first chamber from a second chamber may then be opened to allow a labeling agent loaded in a first portion of the second chamber to bind to any unoccupied sites on the antibodies. A centrifugal force may then be applied to transport the beads through a density media to a detection region for measurement by a detection unit.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2018

Manufacturing Competitiveness and Supply Chain Analyses for Hydrogen Refueling Stations

This slide deck was presented in the monthly FCTO webinar series (May 2017). The goal of this presentation was to share our latest results and remarks on the manufacturing competitiveness analysis of the hydrogen refueling stations (HRS). Manufacturing cost models were developed for major systems in the HRS such as compressors, storage tanks, chillers, heat exchangers, and dispensers. In addition to the cost models, we also discussed important remarks from our analysis for the international trade flows and global supply chain for the hydrogen refueling stations. The last part of the presentation also highlights effect of economies of scale and high production volumes on lowering the cost of the hydrogen at the pump.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2014

Industrial Energy Efficiency Projects Improve Competitiveness and Protect Jobs

This case study describes nine industrial energy efficiency projects in Wisconsin supported by $14.4 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Participating companies provided $15.6 million in cost share funding. Each project achieved energy savings of 25% or more, helping to improve the companies’ competitiveness and protect jobs.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act↗
DOE OSTI2019

Manufacturing Competitiveness Analysis for PEM and Alkaline Water Electrolysis Systems

To examine the factors that drive regional competitiveness in the manufacturing of water electrolysis systems, bottom-up manufacturing cost analysis was developed for PEM and alkaline stacks and systems. Results show that alkaline electrolyzer stack tends to have a lower cost in ($/kW) basis, but this comes with lower power density and lower hydrogen production capacities for alkaline electrolyzers making PEM more economic at the long run.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Solar Research Spotlight - Manufacturing and Competitiveness

Manufacturing and competitiveness is one of the five main research areas in SETO, and it funds projects with the potential for high-impact innovation in the solar industry. This fact sheet details the funding mechanisms within the research area.

solar, solar energy, solar manufacturing, manufact↗
DOE OSTI2022

Competitiveness and Commercialization of Energy Technologies Factsheet

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is focused on growing innovative clean energy technologies that will provide for the American people the secure, reliable, and sustainable energy solutions that they need. Across the Department, commercialization is a key strategy for enhancing U.S. competitiveness in the clean energy industry, as outlined in Executive Order 14017, signed by President Biden in February of 2021.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2024

Identifying Nuclear Cost Targets for Competitive Maritime Decarbonization

The shipping industry contributes to a substantial quantity of global carbon emissions. Reaching a “Net-Zero World” will ultimately require complete decarbonization of the existing fleet. Nuclear energy may provide a viable solution toward this end goal. To better understand the economic dynamics of relying on nuclear energy to power maritime fleets, cost targets were identified in this study. Two use cases were considered: (1) nuclear energy is used to generate synthetic fuel (termed synfuel) to power maritime propulsion, and (2) nuclear reactors for vessel propulsion. The study found that in both cases realistic cost targets for nuclear reactor costs could be reached. However, option 2 was deemed to be much more competitive overall but with higher technical risks.

29 - ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Collegiate Competitions Spark Curiosity and Careers in Water Power

Hydropower is the oldest renewable energy source, powering U.S. lives and livelihoods for more than a century, and marine energy may be the youngest. But old or young, both forms of water power will play a significant, vital role in helping the United States transition to a carbon-pollution -free energy sector by 2035. And to do that, these growing technologies need a workforce to match.

HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Simulating competition in the US bioeconomy to produce hard‐to‐electrify transportation fuels using limited biomass resources

This study presents a novel bioeconomy optimization framework, BiOpt, designed to address critical questions regarding the strategic use of limited US biomass resources for biofuel production. By integrating detailed techno-economic analyses, life cycle assessments, and resource assessment data, BiOpt optimizes resource distributions across competing technologies to maximize economic performance and/or minimize greenhouse gas emissions. Using feedstock scenarios from the 2023 Billion Ton Study, the analysis explores optimal biomass allocations across sustainable aviation fuel, diesel, and marine biofuel conversion pathways given varying production targets and policy incentives. Results demonstrate distinct feedstock preferences and pathway utilizations when prioritizing economic returns vs. emissions reductions. For instance, fats, oils, and greases were highly favored in cost-optimized scenarios, while low-carbon feedstocks such as wet waste dominated greenhouse gas-minimized strategies. The findings underscore the pivotal role of policy incentives and technological advances in shaping biofuel supply chains and provide actionable insights for scaling sustainable biofuel production to decarbonize hard-to-electrify sectors. This framework offers a robust tool for policymakers and stakeholders to evaluate biofuel strategies that balance energy output, economic viability, and environmental impact.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Is $50/MWh solar for real? Falling project prices and rising capacity factors drive utility-scale PV toward economic competitiveness

Recently announced low-priced power purchase agreements (PPAs) for US utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) projects suggest $50/MWh solar might be viable under certain conditions. To explore this possibility, this paper draws on an increasing wealth of empirical data to analyze trends in three of the most important PPA price drivers: upfront installed project prices, operations, and maintenance (O&M) costs, and capacity factors. Average installed prices among a sample of utility-scale PV projects declined by more than one third (from 5.8/W AC to 3.7/WAC) from the 2007–2009 period through 2013, even as costlier systems with crystalline-silicon modules, sun tracking, and higher inverter loading ratios (ILRs) have constituted an increasing proportion of total utility-scale PV capacity (all values shown here are in 2013 dollars). Actual and projected O&M costs from a very small sample of projects appear to range from $20–$40/kW AC -year. Furthermore, the average net capacity factor is 30% for projects installed in 2012, up from 24% for projects installed in 2010, owing to better solar resources, higher ILRs, and greater use of tracking among the more recent projects. Based on these trends, a pro-forma financial model suggests that $50/MWh utility-scale PV is achievable using a combination of aggressive-but-achievable technical and financial input parameters (including receipt of the 30% federal investment tax credit). Although the US utility-scale PV market is still young, the rapid progress in the key metrics documented in this paper has made PV a viable competitor against other utility-scale renewable generators, and even conventional peaking generators, in certain regions of the country.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗