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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 523 records · Page 29

Cradle-to-Grave Lifecycle Analysis of U.S. Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle-Fuel Pathways: A Greenhouse Gas Emissions Assessment of Current (2021) and Future (2035) Technologies

This study presents a cradle-to-grave lifecycle analysis of energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for U.S. medium- and heavy-duty vehicles across current (2021) and future (2035) technologies using the Greenhouse gas, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies (GREET) model with industry-vetted assumptions. Results vary across vehicle classes but point to common trends: today, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) offer significant (10–60%) GHG emissions reduction compared to diesel internal combustion engine vehicles and are the lowest emissions option per ton-mile of cargo movement, followed by hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) (5–50% emissions reduction). Emissions savings depend largely on the duty cycle and fuel economy of the vehicle type. Future vehicle technology advancements result in comparable emission reductions associated with BEVs and hydrogen FCEVs. Weight-limited BEV trucks see less per-ton-mile emissions reduction due to the impact of battery weight on increased vehicle weight and reduced payload capacity. By 2035, improvements in vehicle efficiency can reduce emissions across all powertrains. However, very low levels of emissions require switching vehicles’ use-phase fuel/energy to low-carbon fuels and electricity. Renewable diesel, e-fuels, hydrogen produced from natural gas with carbon capture and storage or renewables, and use of low-carbon electricity can all achieve over 70% reduction in GHG emissions from the current day diesel-based internal combustion engine vehicle.

alternative fuels↗

Transport and Energetics of Carbon Dioxide in Ionic Liquids at Aqueous Interfaces

A major hurdle in utilizing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) lies in separating it from industrial flue gas mixtures and finding suitable storage methods that enable its application in various industries. To address this issue, we utilized a combination of molecular dynamics simulations and experiments to investigate the behavior of CO 2 in common room-temperature ionic liquids (RTIL) when in contact with aqueous interfaces. Here, our investigation of RTILs, [EMIM][TFSI] and [OMIM][TFSI], and their interaction with a pure water layer mimics the environment of a previously developed ultrathin enzymatic liquid membrane for CO 2 separation. We analyzed diffusion constants and viscosity, which reveals that CO 2 molecules exhibit faster mobility within the selected ILs compared to what would be predicted solely based on the viscosity of the liquids using the standard Einstein–Stokes relation. Moreover, we calculated the free energy of translocation for various species across the aqueous–IL interface, including CO 2 and HCO 3 – . Free energy profiles demonstrate that CO 2 exhibits a more favorable partitioning behavior in the RTILs compared to that in pure water, while a significant barrier hinders the movement of HCO 3 – from the aqueous layer. Experimental measurement of the CO 2 transport in the RTILs corroborates the model. These findings strongly suggest that hydrophobic RTILs could serve as a promising option for selectively transporting CO 2 from aqueous media and concentrating it as a preliminary step toward storage.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

system2atoms

system2atoms is a suite of models that can simulate the performance of hydrogen infrastructure across multiple scales. Examples of the different scale levels include: 1. System Scale - techno-economic analysis for hydrogen applications, integration of hydrogen infrastructure with the electrical grid, and supply and demand constraints across applications 2. Component Scale - continuous-flow catalyst beds, electrochemical conversion units, gas-phase separators, pumps, compressors, storage tanks, evaporators, heaters, and coolers 3. Material Scale - surface reactions, degradation mechanisms, and catalyst poisoning

Mcnenly, MatthewJ↗

Potential long-term, global effects of enhancing the domestic terrestrial carbon sink in the United States through no-till and cover cropping

Abstract Background Achieving a net zero greenhouse gas United States (US) economy is likely to require both deep sectoral mitigation and additional carbon dioxide removals to offset hard-to-abate emissions. Enhancing the terrestrial carbon sink, through practices such as the adoption of no-till and cover cropping agricultural management, could provide a portion of these required offsets. Changing domestic agricultural practices to optimize carbon content, however, might reduce or shift US agricultural commodity outputs and exports, with potential implications on respective global markets and land use patterns. Here, we use an integrated energy-economy-land-climate model to comprehensively assess the global land, trade, and emissions impacts of an adoption of domestic no-till farming and cover cropping practices based on carbon pricing. Results We find that the adoption of these practices varies depending on which aspects of terrestrial carbon are valued. Valuation of all terrestrial carbon resulted in afforestation at the expense of domestic agricultural production. In contrast, a policy valuing soil carbon in agricultural systems specifically indicates strong adoption of no-till and cover cropping for key crops. Conclusions We conclude that under targeted terrestrial carbon incentives, adoption of no-till and cover cropping practices in the US could increase the terrestrial carbon sink with limited effects on crop availability for food and fodder markets. Future work should consider integrated assessment modeling of non-CO 2 greenhouse gas impacts, above ground carbon storage changes, and capital and operating cost considerations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Federal Aviation Administration Vertiport Electrical Infrastructure Study

In this detailed analysis, the authors assess the charging infrastructure needed for the deployment of advanced air mobility involving electrified vertical take-off and landing technologies. The report covers four research areas: (1) Identifying charging infrastructure requirements for existing facilities based on flight operational parameters, potential use cases, charging strategy, and other constraints. (2) Assessing sites on power availability to meet charging demand, the impact on grid infrastructure, potential hazards, and cybersecurity needs, and using technoeconomic analysis to identify opportunities for onsite distributed energy resources, primarily solar photovoltaics and battery energy storage systems. (3) Calculating greenhouse gas emission based on total energy consumption attributable to each site. (4) Analyzing the job and economic development impact for sites adopting new infrastructure.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Flexible FlueCO2

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reductions remain a significant challenge on the path to clean energy. There are increasing legislative, social, and environmental factors motivating CO2 emissions reduction from power plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS). CCS in natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plants is critical to achieve a net-zero carbon electricity grid. Enhanced 45Q tax credits provide new incentives, but currently available technologies are unable to profitably operate in grids with deep variable renewable penetration which require flexible NGCC operation. Luna Labs has developed the FlueCO2 membrane to enable a profitable NGCC-CCS process. The FlueCO2 membrane couples steam transport across the membrane to CO2 transport in the opposite direction, enabling high capture efficiencies and low energy costs even at low CO2 concentrations. The dual-phase membrane can operate in the range of typical flue gas temperatures and pressures and does not require temperature or pressure cycling. Luna Labs’ FlueCO2 technology enables flexible and profitable operation of NGCC plants with lower capital investment and impact on electricity prices. In this Phase 1 project, Luna Labs utilized experimental testing, modeling, process simulation, and standardized costing methodologies to evaluate the techno-economic value of a 650 MW greenfield NGCC plant with FlueCO2 (NGCC-FlueCO2). Key design requirements for operation were established and plant performance under load-leveling conditions was validated through computational fluid dynamics and process modeling. Luna Labs developed a dynamic modeling tool which modeled plant operational modes across a variety of tax structures and electricity pricing scenarios to project the overall Net Present Value (NPV) of the NGCC-FlueCO2. FlueCO2 minimizes the impact of CCS integration on plant operation by integrating directly into the NGCC heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). By tapping into the plant’s low-pressure (LP) steam, operators can divert LP steam to the greenfield NGCC and/or CCS process in response to dynamic markets. Since FlueCO2 will not significantly affect HRSG (or NGCC) operation, CCS only turns off during peak power demand (>$250/MWh). Under baseload conditions, FlueCO2 lowers the capital (37%), energy (36%) and carbon capture (<$40/tonne) costs and can increase the overall plant lifetime NPV by approximately ~$1B in comparison with NGCC solvent-based capture reference cases (NETL Case 31B). Luna Labs has shared its costing tools with several interested partners and customers, which follows a generalizable approach to costing analysis.

Kelly, Jesse↗

Summary of Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Systems and Incident Data in North America

Pipelines are historically seen as the primary transportation mode for carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) streams in the context of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and oil and gas industries. Pipeline transmission of CO 2 over longer distances is regarded as most efficient and economical when the CO 2 is in the dense phase, i.e., in liquid or supercritical regime, due to transporting CO 2 in dense phase that allows for a smaller-diameter pipeline to move a given flow, which optimizes project cost.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Impact of Boron-Containing Lubricant Additive on Three-Way Catalyst Reactivity and Physicochemical Properties

Boron-containing compounds are one of the lubricant additive options due to their suitable properties for additives and have been used as commercial lubricant additives. In the present study, the impact of a boron-containing lubricant oil additive, AR9100 (BR), on Pd/Rh-based three-way catalyst (TWC) performance is investigated, and the results are compared with the baseline no-additive (NA) case and the industry standard zinc dialkyl-dithiophosphate (ZDDP) results. Accelerated engine aging is performed using a genset to expose the catalysts to lubricant additives at high temperatures. All aged TWC samples are investigated for reactivity in a bench-flow reactor and characterized using a variety of analytical techniques. Compared with the no-additive case, the temperatures of 90% conversion (T 90 ) of NO, CO, C 3 H 6 , and C 3 H 8 for the ZDDP-aged TWC sample increased by 34, 30, 37, and 48 °C. However, the T 90 of all gas species for the BR-aged TWC sample are similar to the NA-aged TWC sample. Additionally, a significant decrease in water–gas shift reactivity and oxygen storage capacity is observed in the ZDDP-aged sample, but not in the BR-aged sample. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) analysis and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) maps of accelerated engine aging samples show the presence of phosphorus and boron in ZDDP- and BR-aged TWC samples, respectively. However, no boron-related peaks are observed in the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the BR-aged TWC sample, which may exist in the form of an amorphous phase.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Design and fabrication of brayton cycle solar heat receiver

A detail design and fabrication of a solar heat receiver using lithium fluoride as the heat storage material was completed. A gas flow analysis was performed to achieve uniform flow distribution within overall pressure drop limitations. Structural analyses and allowable design criteria were developed for anticipated environments such as launch, pressure containment, and thermal cycling. A complete heat receiver assembly was fabricated almost entirely from the refractory alloy, niobium-1% zirconium.

Mendelson, I.↗

N2-Cs thermionic converter development

The possibility of using molecular nitrogen gas additive as an energy storage which in turn produces cesium ionization in advanced thermionic converter is first described theoretically. Experimental data confirmed for the first time such cesium ionization by vibrationally excited molecular nitrogen. Based on these experimental observations, the use of this scheme for the verification of validity of the recent Lam's theory and its application for the development of an advanced flowing thermionic converter are discussed.

Shaw, D. T.↗

Fuel gas from biodigestion

Biodigestion apparatus produces fuel gas (primarily methane) for domestic consumption, by anaerobic bacterial digestion of organic matter such as aquatic vegetation. System includes 3,786-1 cylindrical container, mechanical agitator, and simple safe gas collector for short term storage.

Mcdonald, R. C.↗

Estimating effects of accidental propellant explosions

Workbook assesses magnitudes and effects of blasts and fragments from ground system explosions. It provides designer and safety engineer with rapid methods for predicting damage and hazards from explosions of liquid-propellant and compressed-gas vessels used in ground storage, transport, and handling.

Ordin, P. M.↗

Workbook for estimating effects of accidental explosions in propellant ground handling and transport systems

A workbook is presented to supplement an earlier NASA publication, which was intended to provide the designer and safety engineer with rapid methods for predicting damage and hazards from explosions of liquid propellant and compressed gas vessels used in ground storage, transport and handling. Information is presented in the form of graphs and tables to allow easy calculation, using only desk or handheld calculators. Topics covered in various chapters are: (1) estimates of explosive yield; (2) characteristics of pressure waves; (3) effects of pressure waves; (4) characteristics of fragments; and (5) effects of fragments and related topics.

Baker, W. E.↗

Lunar cold traps and their influence on argon-40

In polar areas of the moon the maximum temperatures reached in some permanently shaded areas are well below the temperature required to retain water ice for billions of years, and cold enough to hold other volatiles for shorter periods. Aside from water, the most significant lunar volatiles are the radiogenic gases, of which argon-40 is the most easily detected, both in situ and as retrapped ions in rocks returned from the surface on the moon. Argon-40 escapes from the moon at a surprisingly high rate that is between 3% and 6% of its total production. Its brief lifetime in the lunar exosphere is marked by numerous adsorption/desorption events. Collisions with the lunar surface in cold, permanently shaded areas lead to long term storage, forming reservoirs of trapped gas that may be disturbed occasionally to produce sudden increases in atmospheric argon. It is postulated that this may explain at least part of the time variations in Apollo 17 mass spectrometer measurements of argon that were previously attributed to internal processes associated with the release of radiogenic gases from the moon.

Hodges, R. R., Jr.↗

Membrane Separation Of Nitrogen Tetroxide

Pilot plant reduces N2O4 content to one-hundredth of inlet value. Permeable-membrane process removes nitrogen tetroxide from stream of nitrogen or helium gas. Operates in conjunction with scrubbing process removing N2O4 from He or N2 after He or N2 used as gas blanket in N2O4-storage tank. First stage of separator divided into two steps for efficiency. Permeate from second step of first stage and residue from second stage returned to inlet of first stage. Each module contains spiral-wound interleaved permeable membranes and spacer sheets.

Castro, R. C.↗

Recent GRC Aerospace Technologies Applicable to Terrestrial Energy Systems

This paper is an overview of a wide range of recent aerospace technologies under development at the NASA Glenn Research Center, in collaboration with other NASA centers, government agencies, industry and academia. The focused areas are space solar power, advanced power management and distribution systems, Stirling cycle conversion systems, fuel cells, advanced thin film photovoltaics and batteries, and combustion technologies. The aerospace-related objectives of the technologies are generation of space power, development of cost-effective and reliable, high performance power systems, cryogenic applications, energy storage, and reduction in gas-turbine emissions, with attendant clean jet engines. The terrestrial energy applications of the technologies include augmentation of bulk power in ground power distribution systems, and generation of residential, commercial and remote power, as well as promotion of pollution-free environment via reduction in combustion emissions.

Kankam, David↗