SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “SITE CHARACTERIZATION”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

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

At least 469 records · Page 26

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2023

Ecosystems and Networks Integrated with Genes and Molecular Assemblies (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

The ENIGMA science focus area (SFA) is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional research effort focused on addressing foundational knowledge gaps in environmental microbial communities by studying groundwater and sediment microbiomes in the shallow subsurface at the contaminated Oak Ridge Field Research Site (FRC). We seek to discover and characterize the reciprocal interactions between the microbial communities and the geochemical and geophysical parameters of the shallow subsurface within the contamination plume. The goal of the Fields lab is to help manage and conduct laboratory experiments informed by field observations using ecological and physiological approaches to study microbial populations in situ as well as ex situ (in the laboratory). In particular, we aim to study and characterize the impact of hydrological constraints on free-living and biofilm biomass and activity with increasing spatial and temporal resolution under static and flow conditions. We also aim to help characterize novel microbial groups that are present and active under relevant field conditions, including the development of molecular techniques for in situ detection as well as metabolic interactions that underlie pertinent physiology and ecology.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2023

Coupled wave-current modeling for hydrodynamic load analysis of macroalgae cultivation farms

Large-scale cultivation of macroalgae is one of the most promising biofuel sources that could reduce our consumption of fossil fuels and would be particularly economically competitive when grown for the co-production of additional goods such as food and textiles. Current production of biofuel from algal biomass is limited by labor costs and lack of data on potential impacts of cultivation and harvesting on marine and coastal environments as well as a comprehensive characterization of the impact of environmental conditions on macroalgal feedstock and their bioproduct and biofuel yield and quality. Awarded by the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (MARINER) program, which seeks to enable the U.S. as a global leader in the production of marine biomass, the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) has been developing a test system for tropical seaweed cultivation in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. An integral step in designing macroalgae cultivation farms is to adequately characterize the hydrodynamic climate at potential growth sites. In regions like the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, which are highly exposed to tropical cyclones, it is critical to not only consider the day-to-day hydrodynamic conditions but to also assess the risk of extreme sea states to ensure the survivability of future macroalgae farms. Under these considerations, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is providing modeling support for MBL to inform the design and siting of the farm systems that have been proposed for their ARPA-E MARINER project. This report describes the development of a high-resolution coupled storm surge and wave model to simulate the hydrodynamics and wave climate at proposed macroalgae cultivation sites selected by MBL in Florida and Puerto Rico. Model results, including model validation, water level, current distributions, and sea states, are discussed for both selected sites in Florida and Puerto Rico coast. These simulations provide an accurate insight into the hydrodynamic conditions that a macroalgae farm is likely to experience during its operational lifetime, including current information to support fine-scale hydrodynamic load modeling, risk analysis and system design.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Biogeochemical Responses and Microbial Community Dynamics Responding to Experimental Hydrogen Storage Conditions

Hydrogen has been identified as a flexible energy carrier with zero or negative carbon emission across multiple energy sectors. There is tremendous capacity for deep geologic storage of H2 but many aspects of feasibility, reliability, safety and the potential for unintended consequences need to be examined. As part of a larger programmatic effort to address the knowledge gaps, we aim to gain a better understanding of reservoir microbial communities and their metabolic and biogeochemical responses to hydrogen storage conditions. In this study we collected and characterized reservoir brine from candidate hydrogen storage sites in the southwestern U.S. for use in a temporal reactor series under blended storage conditions (40% H2, 40% CH4, 20% CO2) at reservoir temperature (60°C).

hydrogen storage↗

DOE OSTI2026

Innovative Biomonitoring and Remediation of Heavy Metals Using Phytotechnologies at the Savannah River Site (SRS) Coal Combustion Product (CCP) Impoundment Sites

The Savannah River Site (SRS) contains legacy coal combustion product (CCP) impoundments that are impacted by elevated concentrations of heavy metals and radionuclides, posing long-term risks to soil health, ecosystem functioning, and environmental sustainability. Traditional environmental monitoring approaches rely primarily on chemical analyses to quantify contaminant concentrations but often provide limited information regarding biological responses or ecosystem recovery. This project addressed these limitations by integrating environmental chemistry, microbial ecology, artificial intelligence (AI), and bioremediation into a comprehensive framework for environmental diagnostics and restoration of contaminated soils. The overarching goal of this collaborative project between Florida A&M University (FAMU) and the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) was to develop innovative biomonitoring and remediation strategies for heavy metal-contaminated CCP impoundment sites at the Savannah River Site. Specifically, the project sought to (i) characterize heavy metal contamination, (ii) determine microbial responses to contamination, (iii) isolate indigenous heavy metal-resistant microorganisms for remediation applications, (iv) develop a microbial ecological health index using machine learning, and (v) optimize fungal-mediated bioremediation using artificial intelligence.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

DOE OSTI2023

Seismic Monitoring at the Farnsworth CO2-EOR Field Using Time-Lapse Elastic-Waveform Inversion of 3D-3C VSP Data

During the Development Phase of the U.S. Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration, supercritical CO2 was continuously injected into the deep oil-bearing Morrow B formation of the Farnsworth Unit in Texas for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). The project injected approximately 94 kilotons of CO2 to study geologic carbon storage during CO2-EOR. A three-dimensional (3D) surface seismic dataset was acquired in 2013 to characterize the subsurface structures of the Farnsworth site. Following this data acquisition, the baseline and three time-lapse three-dimensional three-component (3D-3C) vertical seismic profiling (VSP) data were acquired at a narrower surface area surrounding the CO2 injection and oil/gas production wells between 2014 and 2017 for monitoring CO2 injection and migration. With these VSP datasets, we inverted for subsurface velocity models to quantitatively monitor the CO2 plume within the Morrow B formation. We first built 1D initial P-wave (Vp) and S-wave (Vs) velocity models by upscaling the sonic logs. We improved the deep region of the Vp and Vs models by incorporating the deep part of a migration velocity model derived from the 3D surface seismic data. We improved the shallow region of 3D Vp and Vs models using 3D traveltime tomography of first arrivals of VSP downgoing waves. We further improved the 3D baseline velocity models using elastic-waveform inversion (EWI) of the 3D baseline VSP upgoing data. Our advanced EWI method employs alternative tomographic and conventional gradients and total-variation-based regularization to ensure the high-fidelity updates of the 3D baseline Vp and Vs models. We then sequentially applied our 3D EWI method to the three time-lapse datasets to invert for spatiotemporal changes of Vp and Vs in the reservoir. Our inversion results reveal the volumetric changes of the time-lapse Vp and Vs models and show the evolution of the CO2 plume from the CO2 injection well to the oil/gas production wells.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2021

Atomic Layer Deposition for Improved Biomass Conversion Catalysts

Heterogeneous catalysts are a key enabler of the transition towards a sustainable, bio-based economy for fuels and chemicals. However, the harsh conditions in many biomass conversion processes lead to nanoparticle sintering, support collapse, and metal leaching in conventional PGM catalysts. Next-generation catalysts must be developed to address these stability challenges. This presentation will discuss ongoing work between the Catalytic Carbon Transformation and Scale-Up Center at NREL and various industrial partners to develop scalable and cost-effective atomic layer deposition (ALD) coatings for improving the performance of biomass conversion catalysts. The substantial focus will be devoted to the benefits of TiO2 ALD coatings on supported Pd hydrogenation catalysts. Ten cycles of TiO2 ALD were found to dramatically improve the activity of a conventional Pd/Al2O3 catalyst towards aromatic hydrogenation, despite partial coverage of the Pd sites by the ALD layer. Subsequent advanced characterization and atomic-scale computational modeling revealed that the ALD coating weakened the adsorption strength of hydrogenation surface intermediates, leading to higher reaction rates. Reaction testing after exposure to sulfur impurities, high temperature oxidation, and hydrothermal treatment demonstrated the improved stability of the ALD-coated catalyst. Additionally, the ALD synthesis process was found to be scalable over two orders of magnitude with minimal deviation in synthesized catalyst properties. These results were contextualized with cost models of industrial ALD coating and aromatic hydrogenation processes to further refine the value proposition of ALD coatings. Given the demonstrated improvements in hydrogenation, TiO2 ALD coatings have also been applied to supported Pt catalysts for use in other biomass conversion reactions, such as hydrodeoxygenation for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and the oxidation of glucose to bio-derived gluconic acid.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2021

Atomic Layer Deposition for Improved Biomass Conversion Catalysts

Heterogeneous catalysts are a key enabler of the transition towards a sustainable, bio-based economy for fuels and chemicals. However, the harsh conditions in many biomass conversion processes lead to nanoparticle sintering, support collapse, and metal leaching in conventional PGM catalysts. Next-generation catalysts must be developed to address these stability challenges. This presentation will discuss ongoing work between the Catalytic Carbon Transformation & Scale-Up Center at NREL and various industrial partners to develop scalable, cost-effective atomic layer deposition (ALD) coatings for improving the performance of biomass conversion catalysts. Substantial focus will be devoted to the benefits of TiO2 ALD coatings on supported Pd hydrogenation catalysts. Ten cycles of TiO2 ALD were found to dramatically improve the activity of a conventional Pd/Al2O3 catalyst towards aromatic hydrogenation, despite partial coverage of the Pd sites by the ALD layer. Subsequent advanced characterization and atomic-scale computational modeling revealed that the ALD coating influenced the adsorption strength of hydrogenation surface intermediates in unexpected ways, leading to higher reaction rates. Reaction testing after exposure to sulfur impurities, high temperature oxidation, and hydrothermal treatment demonstrated the improved stability of the ALD-coated catalyst. Additionally, the ALD synthesis process was found to be scalable over two orders of magnitude with minimal deviation in synthesized catalyst properties. These results were contextualized with cost models of industrial ALD coating and aromatic hydrogenation processes to further refine the value proposition of ALD coatings. Given the demonstrated improvements in hydrogenation, TiO2 ALD coatings have also been applied to supported Pt catalysts for use in other biomass conversion reactions, such as hydrodeoxygenation for production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and the oxidation of glucose for bio-derived gluconic acid. Recent findings from these experimental campaigns will also be shared. ALD technology holds great potential in the development of next-generation catalysts for biofuels and bioproducts and this work constitutes an important examination of the impact of ALD coatings in a variety of reaction environments.

bioenergy↗

DOE OSTI2021

Atomic Layer Deposition for Improved Biomass Conversion Catalysts

atomic layer deposition↗

DOE OSTI2023

Scaling Wind Power Innovation Assessment for Rapid Energy Transition with Artificial Intelligence

Planning for energy system decarbonization requires new insights into the potential of renewable technologies, deployed at unprecedented scale, to meet urgent sustainability goals. However, limited scalability of current wind energy research tools restricts characterization of innovation impacts to isolated reference sites, challenging investment and decision making under rapid growth. We demonstrate the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to inform future technology advancement and energy systems design by leveraging a state-of-the-art surrogate model to conduct a series of fleet-wide wind plant layout optimizations for greater than 6,800 projected U.S. onshore buildout locations. We show how innovative wake steering technology can address an array of barriers to large-scale deployment and integration of wind power. Specifically, wake steering reduces required plant area by an average of 18% and could preserve upwards of 13,000 km2 for future greenfield deployment, potentially easing siting challenges associated with wind energy infrastructure. Further, by enabling reduced turbine spacing and increased energy production, flexible operations of wake steering improve levelized cost of energy, particularly for large plants and in land-constrained settings. Finally, optimizations that consider dynamic energy prices can deliver increased power production and revenue capture during high-value (often low-wind) periods, further bolstering plant economics. Our computationally efficient approach offers a pathway to accelerate nationwide geographic evaluation of innovative technologies.

graph neural networks↗

DOE OSTI2023

Estimating the Marginal Cost for Carbon Capture and Storage for the U.S. Fossil Fuel Fleet

The work involves quantitative analysis of costs associated with capture of carbon dioxide at fossil fuel fired power plants, transmission of gas through pipelines, and underground storage. The costs are then assembled and ranked such that a complete characterization of every power plant and storage site is produced.

Muller, Nick↗

DOE OSTI2020

Advanced Simulation and Experiments of Strongly Coupled Geomechanics and Flow for Gas Hydrate Deposits: Validation and Field Application. Final Report

The objectives of the proposed research are (1) to investigate geomechanical responses induced by depressurization experimentally and numerically; (2) to enhance the current numerical simulation technology in order to simulate complex physically coupled processes by depressurization and (3) to perform in-depth numerical analyses of two selected potential production test sites: one based on the deposits observed at the Ulleung basin UBGH2-6 site; and the other based on well-characterized accumulations from the westend Prudhoe Bay. To these ends, the recipient will have the following specific objectives: 1). Information obtained from multi-scale experiments previously conducted at the recipient’s research partner (the Korean Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM)) that were designed to represent the most promising known Ulleung Basin gas hydrate deposit as drilled at site UBGH2-6 will be evaluated (Task 2). These findings will be further tested by new experimental studies at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and Texas A&M (TAMU) (Task 3) that are designed capture complex coupled physical processes between flow and geomechanics, such as sand production, capillarity, and formation of secondary hydrates. The findings of Tasks 2 and 3 will be used to further improve numerical codes. 2) Develop (in Tasks 4 through 6) an advanced coupled geomechanics and non-isothermal flow simulator (T+MAM) to account for large deformation and strong capillarity. This new code will be validated using data from the literature, from previous work by the project team, and with the results of the proposed experimental studies. The developed simulator will be applied to both Ulleung Basin and Prudhoe Bay sites, effectively addressing complex geomechanical and petrophysical changes induced by depressurization (e.g., frost-heave, strong capillarity, cryo-suction, induced fracturing, and dynamic permeability).

02 PETROLEUM↗

DOE OSTI2025

Influence of Steric and Electronic Properties of P2 Groups on Covalent Inhibitor Binding to SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease

The main protease (MPro) of SARS-CoV-2 is a critical enzyme required for viral replication, making it a prime target for antiviral drug development. Covalent inhibitors, which form a stable interaction with the catalytic C145, have demonstrated strong inhibition of MPro, but the influence of steric and electronic properties of P2 substituents, designed to engage the S2 substrate-binding subsite within the MPro active site, on inhibitor binding affinity remains underexplored. Here, in this study, we design and characterize two hybrid covalent inhibitors, BBH-3 and BBH-4, and present their X-ray crystallographic structures in complex with MPro, providing molecular insights into how their distinct P2 groups, a dichlorobenzyl moiety in BBH-3 and an adamantyl substituent in BBH-4, affect binding conformation and active site adaptability. Comparative structural analyses with previously characterized inhibitors, including BBH-2 and Mcule-5948770040, reveal how the P2 bulkiness and electronic properties influence active site dynamics, particularly through interactions with the S2 and S5 subsites. The P2 group of BBH-3 induces conformational shifts in the S2 helix and the S5 loop, while BBH-4 displaces M49, stabilizing its binding through hydrophobic interactions. Isothermal titration calorimetry further elucidates the impact of P2 modifications on inhibitor affinity, revealing a delicate balance between enthalpic and entropic contributions. The data demonstrate that BBH-3 exhibits less favorable binding, affirming that dichlorobenzyl substitution at the P2 position has a more negative impact on the affinity for MPro than bulky saturated cyclic groups. This underscores the feature that MPro active site malleability may be accompanied by a conformational strain.

SARS-CoV-2↗

DOE OSTI2023

The PTPN2/PTPN1 inhibitor ABBV-CLS-484 unleashes potent anti-tumour immunity

Immune checkpoint blockade is effective for some patients with cancer, but most are refractory to current immunotherapies and new approaches are needed to overcome resistance. The protein tyrosine phosphatases PTPN2 and PTPN1 are central regulators of inflammation, and their genetic deletion in either tumour cells or immune cells promotes anti-tumour immunity. However, phosphatases are challenging drug targets; in particular, the active site has been considered undruggable. Here we present the discovery and characterization of ABBV-CLS-484 (AC484), a first-in-class, orally bioavailable, potent PTPN2 and PTPN1 active-site inhibitor. AC484 treatment in vitro amplifies the response to interferon and promotes the activation and function of several immune cell subsets. In mouse models of cancer resistant to PD-1 blockade, AC484 monotherapy generates potent anti-tumour immunity. We show that AC484 inflames the tumour microenvironment and promotes natural killer cell and CD8 + T cell function by enhancing JAK–STAT signalling and reducing T cell dysfunction. Inhibitors of PTPN2 and PTPN1 offer a promising new strategy for cancer immunotherapy and are currently being evaluated in patients with advanced solid tumours (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04777994). More broadly, our study shows that small-molecule inhibitors of key intracellular immune regulators can achieve efficacy comparable to or exceeding that of antibody-based immune checkpoint blockade in preclinical models. Finally, to our knowledge, AC484 represents the first active-site phosphatase inhibitor to enter clinical evaluation for cancer immunotherapy and may pave the way for additional therapeutics that target this important class of enzymes.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2022

Electrocatalysis of Oxygen Reduction Reaction in a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell with a Covalent Framework of Iron Phthalocyanine Aerogel

Carbon aerogels have been studied in the context of fuel cell electrodes mainly as catalyst support materials due to their high surface area, porosity, and electrical conductivity. Recently, aerogels composed solely of inorganic molecular complexes have shown to be promising materials for the electrocatalysis of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). These aerogels consist of atomically dispersed catalytic sites. Herein, we report on the synthesis and characterization of an aerogel-based catalyst: iron phthalocyanine aerogel. It was synthesized by coupling of ethynyl-terminated phthalocyanine monomers and then heat-treated at 800 °C to increase its electrical conductivity and catalytic activity. Further, the aerogels reported here were tested as catalysts for ORR in acidic conditions for the first time and found to have a ultra-high number of atomically dispersed catalytic sites (7.11 × 10 20 sites g –1 ) and very good catalytic activity (E onset = 0.9 V vs RHE and TOF = 9.2 × 10 –3 e – s –1 site –1 at 0.8 V vs RHE). The iron phthalocyanine aerogel was also studied in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, reaching a peak power density of 292 mW cm –2 and an open circuit voltage of 0.83 V.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2025

Tidal energy resource characterization measurements at Cook Inlet’s East Foreland: Velocity and turbulence

To characterize tidal current and turbulence at a top tidal energy site off the East Foreland in Cook Inlet, Alaska, United States, three moorings were deployed for two months between July and August 2021, and a transect survey was conducted over the course of two tidal cycles at the end of the deployment period. Measurements of velocity and turbulence were then analyzed to better understand the site's hydrodynamics and power potential. Analysis reveals that swift, north-flowing flood currents peak at 4~m/s, while south-flowing ebb currents reach just over 3~m/s. Turbulence intensity ranges from 23\% at the seafloor to 8\% near the surface, and the presence of the foreland creates more intense turbulence near-shore during ebb tide than flood. Power availability at the site could be as high as 720~MW, or 13~kW/m$^2$, though the energy available to a marine energy device will be smaller than this estimate because of water-to-wire efficiency and wake losses. The results from this measurement campaign will inform the validation of a high-resolution tidal hydrodynamic model, as well as early tidal energy projects that are beginning to move beyond the prototyping and demonstration stages to full-scale deployments.

McVey, James R.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Restructuring of the Lewis Acid Sites in Y-Modified Dealuminated Beta-Zeolite by Hydrothermal Treatment

Yttrium-modified dealuminated Betazeolite (Y-BEA) represents a type of Lewis acid zeolite that has gained attention for its potential to efficiently catalyze the conversion of biomass-derived oxygenates. The structure of the Y active sites and their dynamics during biomass conversion reactions, which normally involve substantial amounts of water, necessitate thorough investigation for the rational design of more active and stable catalysts. Here, we conducted a study where a series of Y-BEA catalysts with different yttrium loadings (1–7 wt.%) were subjected to hydrothermal treatment (450 °C, 20% water) and investigated for their structural and catalytic activity changes through a combination of multiple characterizations and kinetic measurements. The number of acid sites of Y-BEA decreased without a change in acid strength following the hydrothermal treatment, which was confirmed by the results of acid site titration, infrared spectroscopy of probe molecules, and kinetic measurements for probe reactions (acetone aldol condensation). Structural analysis using X-ray diffraction (XRD), specific surface area measurement, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrated that both the zeolite structure and the isolation status of the Y site remain intact after hydrothermal treatment. Further, the Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS) spectra, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and operando 1 H and 29 Si magic-angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) revealed the dehydroxylation of Y-BEA induced by hydration-rearrangement-condensation restructuring during the high-temperature steam treatment. Dehydroxylation affects the structure of Y sites by reducing their vicinal silanol sites. In conclusion, this conversion of Lewis acidic Y sites into nonacidic sites is the primary factor behind the change in acid site quantity and catalytic activity on Y-BEA.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2024

Characterization of wave energy resource and wave load conditions at Atlantic Marine Energy Center wave energy converter test sites

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Meuris, Brek Joseph↗

DOE OSTI2023

Utah FORGE 2-2439: A Multi-Component Approach to Characterizing In-Situ Stress: Laboratory, Modeling and Field Measurement - Workshop Presentation

This is a presentation on A Multi-Component Approach to Characterizing In-Situ Stress at the U.S DOE FORGE EGS Site: Laboratory, Modeling and Field Measurement project by Battelle [Columbus, OH], presented by Mark Kelley. The project's objective was to characterize stress in the Utah FORGE EGS reservoir using three methods: a laboratory rock-core stress estimation combined with a Machine Learning approach for estimation of in-situ stress from field sonic-log data, a field based in-situ measurement (min-frac) approach, and a modeling approach. This presentation was featured in the Utah FORGE R&D Annual Workshop on September 7, 2023. The workshop provided a valuable opportunity to explore the progress made in each of the 17 Research and Development projects funded under Solicitation 2020-1 which aim to enhance our understanding of the crucial factors influencing the development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) reservoirs and resources.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗