Defect-Accommodating Intermediates Yield Selective Low-Temperature Synthesis of YMnO3 Polymorphs
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
SEARCH · Engineering Papers
Results for “Production Support”
Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Enhancing Hydrogen Production from Bioenergy Crops via Photoreforming
Photoreforming perennial bioenergy crops (willow, Miscanthus , and poplar) has the potential to produce H 2 with reduced environmental impacts. To understand the compositional effects of the biomass on the average rate of H 2 production over the first 30 min of reaction ( r H 2 ), the r H 2 values of model biomass component (i.e., cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) mixtures were compared with those from the raw biomass. The higher cellulose or hemicellulose content in multicomponent mixtures resulted in higher r H 2 , whereas lignin reduced the hydrogen production rate. However, with raw biomass, the ratio of biomass components alone did not determine the r H 2 via photoreforming, with rates of hydrogen production for different varieties of willow ranging between 1.9 μmol h -1 and 12.3 μmol h -1 , 11.8 μmol h -1 for a poplar, and 6.8 μmol h -1 for a miscanthus biomass. In addition, comparable r H 2 values of raw poplar and its extracted cellulose via an IonoSolv treatment indicated the possibility of using raw biomass materials without delignification for generating H 2 via photoreforming. Importantly, r H 2 was positively correlated with the interaction between water and the biomass, as assessed by NMR relaxation via an examination of the T 1 /T 2 ratio. A stronger water-biomass interaction resulted in a higher r H 2 . Genetic modification of biomass has been suggested as a putative way to improve the r H 2 of biomass with an enhanced interaction with water. This research enhances the understanding of factors influencing H 2 production from lignocellulosic biomass by photoreforming and supports the breeding and management of perennial biomass crops to maximize H 2 yields while minimizing land area requirements.
biomass↗
Acid-Catalyst is Required for Hydrogenolysis of a Late Metal Hydroxo Complex
The cationic AuIII pincer complex [(tBuPCP)AuIII -OH]OTf (AuOH, tBuPCP = 2,6-(CH2PtBu2)2C6H3) was prepared and characterized. In contrast to hydrogenolysis reactions of other late metal-hydroxides, the hydrogenolysis of AuOH to form the corresponding AuIII -H and water is shown to require an acid catalyst. The kinetic data, collected in acetone-d6, are consistent with a reaction mechanism involving initial protonation to form the AuIII aquo complex, [(tBuPCP)AuIII -OH2](OTf)2 (AuOH2), which was isolated and characterized. Following substitution of the water by coordinating solvent, the dicationic AuIII center undergoes electrophilic activation of H2 to generate the [(tBuPCP)AuIII -H]OTf product (AuH). The mechanism of hydrogenolysis is supported by experimental and computational (DFT) results. A AuIII dihydrogen complex (Au(H2)) was located along the potential energy surface for the reaction and computations indicate that deprotonation of Au(H2) by acetone solvent is barrierless. The bonding and properties of the proposed AuIII -H2 complex are consistent with predictions made for high-valent, electrophilic metal-dihydrogen complexes.
Ardon, Yotam [University of Pennsylvania] (ORCID:0↗
Reverse β-oxidation pathways for efficient chemical production
Abstract Microbial production of fuels, chemicals, and materials has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a sustainable bioeconomy. While synthetic biology allows readjusting of native metabolic pathways for the synthesis of desired products, often these native pathways do not support maximum efficiency and are affected by complex regulatory mechanisms. A synthetic or engineered pathway that allows modular synthesis of versatile bioproducts with minimal enzyme requirement and regulation while achieving high carbon and energy efficiency could be an alternative solution to address these issues. The reverse β-oxidation (rBOX) pathways enable iterative non-decarboxylative elongation of carbon molecules of varying chain lengths and functional groups with only four core enzymes and no ATP requirement. Here, we describe recent developments in rBOX pathway engineering to produce alcohols and carboxylic acids with diverse functional groups, along with other commercially important molecules such as polyketides. We discuss the application of rBOX beyond the pathway itself by its interfacing with various carbon-utilization pathways and deployment in different organisms, which allows feedstock diversification from sugars to glycerol, carbon dioxide, methane, and other substrates.
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
Wintap
Wintap is an extensible, general purpose agent framework for the Windows operating system. It provides an easy-to-use plugin architecture, an integrated streaming analytics engine, and real-time event subscriptions for host-based data. Wintap can support a wide variety of applications across production operations, cyber security operations, and cyber security research.
Frye, DavidJ↗
Microbial colonization and persistence in deep fractured shales is guided by metabolic exchanges and viral predation
Background: Microbial colonization of subsurface shales following hydraulic fracturing offers the opportunity to study coupled biotic and abiotic factors that impact microbial persistence in engineered deep subsurface ecosystems. Shale formations underly much of the continental USA and display geographically distinct gradients in temperature and salinity. Complementing studies performed in eastern USA shales that contain brine-like fluids, here we coupled metagenomic and metabolomic approaches to develop the first genome-level insights into ecosystem colonization and microbial community interactions in a lower-salinity, but high-temperature western USA shale formation. Results: We collected materials used during the hydraulic fracturing process (i.e., chemicals, drill muds) paired with temporal sampling of water produced from three different hydraulically fractured wells in the STACK (Sooner Trend Anadarko Basin, Canadian and Kingfisher) shale play in OK, USA. Relative to other shale formations, our metagenomic and metabolomic analyses revealed an expanded taxonomic and metabolic diversity of microorganisms that colonize and persist in fractured shales. Importantly, temporal sampling across all three hydraulic fracturing wells traced the degradation of complex polymers from the hydraulic fracturing process to the production and consumption of organic acids that support sulfate- and thiosulfate-reducing bacteria. Furthermore, we identified 5587 viral genomes and linked many of these to the dominant, colonizing microorganisms, demonstrating the key role that viral predation plays in community dynamics within this closed, engineered system. Lastly, top-side audit sampling of different source materials enabled genome-resolved source tracking, revealing the likely sources of many key colonizing and persisting taxa in these ecosystems. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of resource utilization and resistance to viral predation as key traits that enable specific microbial taxa to persist across fractured shale ecosystems. We also demonstrate the importance of materials used in the hydraulic fracturing process as both a source of persisting shale microorganisms and organic substrates that likely aid in sustaining the microbial community. Moreover, we showed that different physicochemical conditions (i.e., salinity, temperature) can influence the composition and functional potential of persisting microbial communities in shale ecosystems. Together, these results expand our knowledge of microbial life in deep subsurface shales and have important ramifications for management and treatment of microbial biomass in hydraulically fractured wells.
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
Collaborative Proposal: R&D Towards CUPID, a Tonne-Scale Bolometric 0vbb Experiment (Final Technical Report from the UCLA Group)
We summarize the progress made by the UCLA group regarding R&D on LMO crystal production and CUORE background investigations under the support of collaborative proposal: R&D towards CUPID, a tonne-scale bolometric 0vbb experiment.
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NorthStar Helium Cooling System. Final Report on LANL Contribution
From the beginning of NNSA support to the NorthStar development of a production facility for the medical isotope Molybdenum-99 (Mo99), LANL has been responsible for the design and testing of a target and its cooling. The target is comprised of a stack of Mo100 disks separated by coolant flow gaps between the disks and between the first disk and a housing window, which separates the target and its coolant from the vacuum of the beam line. The target, and therefore its cooling requirements, evolved steadily over the years of system development
07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
The Energy in Modular (EMOD) Buildings Method: A Guide to Energy-Efficient Design for Industrialized Construction of Modular Buildings
Industrialized construction has immense potential to address the growing need globally to build and upgrade the building stock to be affordable, energy-efficient, and resilient. It can also help achieve the United States' goal of a 50% reduction in U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. Despite this potential, and the ever-increasing push for electrification and decarbonization of households in the United States, industrialized construction has not yet been leveraged specifically to help address these challenges and accelerate the pathway to meet these goals. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) aims to claim this missed opportunity by focusing on delivering affordable, grid-efficient net-zero energy (NZE) modular buildings for underserved communities to ensure an equitable transition to the future of clean energy, accelerate decarbonization of the built environment, and support the development of a high-productivity construction and energy efficiency workforce. The Energy in Modular (EMOD) method is our approach to designing, producing, and delivering affordable, net-zero energy, low-carbon, and healthier buildings at scale. The following energy efficiency strategies are part of the scope of this guide: envelope thermal control, envelope infiltration control, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, smart controls, and solar plus storage. We draw synergies between design for manufacturing and assembly, process optimization, retrofit technologies, and digitization. Our goal is to influence the improvement and production of buildings to increase performance, enhance energy efficiency, and reduce GHG emissions. This guide documents the research and development efforts initiated by a set of design objectives to "modularize" a set of energy efficiency and low-carbon strategies into a housing unit while preserving and enhancing energy efficiency benefits and decarbonization pathways. This guide is intended to serve as a framework for housing developers, housing agencies, architects, energy experts, and process engineers or factory operator personnel who are critical to today's modular builder teams. This guide focuses on specific energy efficiency strategies, decarbonization pathways, and associated processes as part of NREL's research efforts. Stakeholders may substitute other means, methods, and technologies for the ones evaluated in this study.
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
Fabrication and Characterization of Plutonium Targets for Irradiation in the Flattop Critical Assembly
In FY16, Pu targets were fabricated in support of the Nuclear Physics: Cumulative Fission Product Yields (Fission R-values) task of the F2016 venture project; these targets are suitable for irradiation in the Flattop critical assembly at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). This report documents an overview of the target design, preparation of the Pu metal materials by removing the oxide layer and appropriate sizing for the target holders, target fabrication including filling an inner aluminum cup with the Pu material and the sealing of an outer stainless steel capsule, target assay using gamma spectroscopy, and the He leak testing of the final targets. Four targets were fabricated with two containing 99% 239 Pu metal and two containing 93% 239 Pu metal. Additional samples of each material were set aside for mass spectrometric analysis at PNNL and Los Alamos National Laboratory.
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
Circular economy as a climate strategy: current knowledge and calls-to-action
Existing pledges and NDC targets, even if fully achieved, are still not sufficient to meet the Paris climate goals. Considerable additional strategies and actions are urgently needed to close the emission gap. Built environment, transport, food system, and clean energy are the most relevant sectors for circular economy strategies to deliver climate change mitigation benefits. Circular economy strategies can complement decarbonization measures to further reduce GHG emissions from material production, help lower emissions from operational energy use in the built environment and transport, and cut emissions from waste management. The largest potential GHG emissions reductions through circularity come from consumption side measures and product design measures. Circular economy strategies can support a sustainable clean energy transition, by helping relieve the mineral supply pressure, increasing supply chain resilience, preventing new waste challenges, accelerating the adoption of clean energy technologies, as well as maximizing their climate benefits. Furthermore, circular economy strategies can help enhance adaptation to climate change. Nine calls-to-action are put forward, for government, business, and civil society leaders to accelerate circular economy strategies with the highest potential for climate benefits, and for the research community to close critical knowledge gaps.
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
Establishing Validation Sites for Field-Level Emissions Quantification from Grain Sorghum in Southern Great Plains
Establish publicly available open-source, high-resolution datasets of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, meteorology, soil, and vegetation to support testing and validation of emerging biofuel production monitoring technologies. The project team deployed latest technologies to collect “Gold Standard” data for field- level fluxes of CO 2 , N 2 O, CH 4 and H 2 O in grain sorghum production systems in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The Oklahoma State University led SMARTFARM was initiated on Oct 1, 2020, due to COVID-19 pandemic delay. We installed closed-path dual laser Eddy Covariance (EC) flux measurement system along with a well-established open-path EC system for simultaneously measuring field-level fluxes of CO 2 , N 2 O, CH 4 , and H2O. The eddy flux data are combined with sub-acre soil moisture and temperature measurements, plant and soil analysis data (nutrient, composition, carbon, growth, and phenology), spatial surveys of soil EC, and pH. Grain sorghum crop was managed including planting and harvesting by producers. All teams recruited postdocs and students for the project and submitted purchase orders for field equipment. The team has developed a draft impact sheet and finalized the advisory board for the project.
09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
Assessing the Impacts of CO 2 Reduction and Utilization Technologies on Regional Freshwater Resources
This work, a product of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO)-supported multi-lab CO 2 Reduction and Upgrading for e-Fuels Consortium (CO 2 RUe), focuses on advanced research and development and cross-cutting evaluation of environmental, economic, and social sustainability for CO 2 reduction and upgrading for fuels and chemicals. The Consortium develops and de-risks advanced technologies that use renewable electricity to convert CO 2 into e-fuels and commodity chemicals. One key aspect of environmental sustainability consideration is water resources. This report summarizes a three-year study that analyzed the impacts of water consumption in select CO 2 reduction and utilization technologies in two future scenarios using a pair of water indices—water availability index and water stress footprint. The analyses also account for projected electricity grid mixes and their water withdrawal and water consumption demand in grid regions. The work identifies drivers, challenges, and critical areas in water sustainability, along with valuable insights into technological and regional factors. The study also explores the potential of using non-traditional water resources to reduce water stress and increase availability. These findings are intended to support industry stakeholders and BETO with the knowledge needed for informed decision-making, contributing to strategies to mitigate risks associated with the implementation of CO 2 utilization technologies.
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
Assessing the Impacts of CO 2 Reduction and Utilization Technologies on Regional Freshwater Resources
This work, a product of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO)-supported multi-lab CO 2 Reduction and Upgrading for e-Fuels Consortium (CO 2 RUe), focuses on advanced research and development and cross-cutting evaluation of environmental, economic, and social sustainability for CO 2 reduction and upgrading for fuels and chemicals. The Consortium develops and de-risks advanced technologies that use renewable electricity to convert CO 2 into e-fuels and commodity chemicals. One key aspect of environmental sustainability consideration is water resources. This report summarizes a three-year study that analyzed the impacts of water consumption in select CO 2 reduction and utilization technologies in two future scenarios using a pair of water indices—water availability index and water stress footprint. The analyses also account for projected electricity grid mixes and their water withdrawal and water consumption demand in grid regions. The work identifies drivers, challenges, and critical areas in water sustainability, along with valuable insights into technological and regional factors. The study also explores the potential of using non-traditional water resources to reduce water stress and increase availability. These findings are intended to support industry stakeholders and BETO with the knowledge needed for informed decision-making, contributing to strategies to mitigate risks associated with the implementation of CO 2 utilization technologies.
09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
Life Cycle Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Clean Fuels with the R&D GREET 2024 Model
This document summarizes research on the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions rates from the production and use of clean fuels to support a new version of the Research and Development Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies (R&D GREET) model, R&D GREET 2024 In this effort, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) focuses on clean fuel pathways that are readily available in the market or are emerging in the near term. The selected pathways represent clean fuel technologies that convert biomass- and/or waste-based feedstocks to liquid and/or gaseous fuels for the transportation sector and other potential uses. The pathways are configured in R&D GREET 2024 with up-to-date feedstock-to-fuel life cycle inventory (LCI) data. Additionally, a new tab has been added to R&D GREET 2024 called “Clean Fuels” which allows the user to easily change inputs and access LCA results. Argonne does not warrant that the results presented in this report are consistent with the requirements of any particular regulatory or incentive program. Users interested in specific programs that reference GREET are encouraged to review guidance specific to those programs if and when it is available to determine appropriate means of compliance and contact the relevant responsible agencies for those specific policies or programs.
09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
Operation of Argonne's Liquid Salt-Liquid Metal Separation Testbed for U/TRU Product Processing
Argonne National Laboratory has constructed a liquid salt-liquid metal separation testbed for use in the development and advancement of cathode processing of U/TRU co‑deposits generated by pyroprocessing of used nuclear fuel. The U/TRU product recovered from the electrorefiner contains adhered and entrained salt that must be removed prior to consolidation of the U/TRU alloy for use in advanced reactor fuel fabrication. The bottom pour operation utilizes the low melting points of U/TRU co‑deposits and higher densities of molten metals compared to molten salts to separate and consolidate the U/TRU product. Argonne’s testbed is designed to support the development and optimization of bottom-pouring configurations for batch and semi-continuous operations, integration of process monitoring and control technologies, and determination of operational requirements for implementing in an industrial setting. Scoping tests were performed to demonstrate operational aspects of the testbed, including operation using single-pour spout and dual-pour spout configurations, effectiveness of salt containment and extent of salt vaporization, and the use of sensor probes to detect the location of the interface between the metal and salt phases during pouring. Recommendations for process optimization testing for further development of bottom pour processing to separate U/TRU alloys from adhered salt were made based on the results of scoping tests. Completing the recommended activities will increase the technical readiness level (TRL) of the liquid salt-liquid metal separation operation and consolidation of U/TRU alloys to support industrialization of pyroprocessing.
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
Liquid Core Detection and Strand Condition Monitoring in a Continuous Caster Using Optical Fiber
Real-time monitoring of the liquid core position during the continuous casting of steel has been demonstrated using low-cost distributed optical-fiber-based strain sensors. These sensors were installed on the containment roll support structures in the segments of a production continuous caster to detect the position of the solid–liquid interface and monitor the strand condition during the continuous casting. Distributed Fiber Bragg Grating sensors (FBGs) were used in this work to monitor strain at six roll positions in the caster. The sensor performance was first validated by comparing optical strain measurements with conventional strain gauge measurements in the lab. Next, optical strain measurements were performed on an isolated caster segment in a segment maintenance facility using hydraulic jacks to simulate the presence of a liquid core under the roll. Finally, the sensors were evaluated during caster operation. The sensors successfully detected the load increase associated with the presence of a liquid core under each instrumented roll location. Incidents of bulging and roll eccentricity were also detected using frequency analysis of the optical strain signal. The liquid core position measurements were compared using predictions from computer models (digital twins) in use at the production site. The measurements were in good agreement with the model predictions, with a few exceptions. Under certain transient caster operating conditions, such as spraying practice changes and SEN exchanges, the model predictions deviated slightly from the liquid core position determined from strain measurements.
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
Comparison of Sub-Ppm Instrument Response Suggests Higher Detection Limits Could Be Used to Quantify Methane Emissions from Oil and Gas Infrastructure
Quantifying and controlling fugitive methane emissions from oil and gas facilities remains essential for addressing climate goals, but the costs associated with monitoring millions of production sites remain prohibitively expensive. Current thinking, supported by measurement and simple dispersion modelling, assumes single-digit parts-per-million instrumentation is required. To investigate instrument response, the inlets of three trace-methane (sub-ppm) analyzers were collocated on a facility designed to release gas of known composition at known flow rates between 0.4 and 5.2 kg CH 4 h –1 from simulated oil and gas infrastructure. Methane mixing ratios were measured by each instrument at 1 Hertz resolution over nine hours. While mixing ratios reported by a cavity ring-down spectrometer (CRDS)-based instrument were on average 10.0 ppm (range 1.8 to 83 ppm), a mid-infrared laser absorption spectroscopy (MIRA)-based instrument reported short-lived mixing ratios far larger than expected (range 1.8 to 779 ppm) with a similar nine-hour average to the CRDS (10.1 ppm). We suggest the peaks detected by the MIRA are likely caused by a micrometeorological phenomenon, where vortex shedding has resulted in heterogeneous methane plumes which only the MIRA can observe. Further analysis suggests an instrument like the MIRA (an optical-cavity-based instrument with cavity size ≤10 cm3 measuring at ≥2 Hz with air flow rates in the order of ≤0.3 slpm at distances of ≤20 m from the source) but with a higher detection limit (25 ppm) could detect enough of the high-concentration events to generate representative 20 min-average methane mixing ratios. Even though development of a lower-cost, high-precision, high-accuracy instrument with a 25 ppm detection threshold remains a significant problem, this has implications for the use of instrumentation with higher detection thresholds, resulting in the reduction in cost to measure methane emissions and providing a mechanism for the widespread deployment of effective leak detection and repair programs for all oil and gas infrastructure.
03 NATURAL GAS↗