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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 55 records · Page 3

Developing Non-Food Grade Brassica Biofuel Feedstock Cultivars with High Yield, Oil Content, and Oil Quality that are Suitable for Low Input Production Dryland Systems (Final Report)

The U.S. uses a substantial amount of fossil fuel as an energy source for a wide range for functions including home heating, agriculture and transportation. In the transportation sector, diesel and jet fuel are consumed at a rapid rate, and alternative liquid energy is being investigated globally and nationally to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel and reduce the impact of our carbon footprint on global climate change. Non-food Brassica crops have the potential of producing high oil yield (over 250 gal acre-1) and have oil quality highly desirable for use as biodiesel or bio jet fuel. Developing oilseed feedstock Brassica cultivars with higher seed and oil yield, with high oil quality and with resistance to pathogens, that can be grown with few chemical inputs will helping break our dependence on fossil fuels and reduce importation of fossil fuels. While some oilseed Brassicas have been grown on a small scale for many years in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), adoption has been limited, and the potential of the crops have not been realized or even fully investigated. This report summarizes the results of a study to develop superior non-food grade winter (B. napus) and spring (B. napus and B. juncea) oilseed cultivars suitable for a range of PNW, and other US environments with high resistance to the biotic and abiotic stresses suitable for high-quality biofuel feedstocks. In conducting this work, genome-wide association selection was used to dissect the genetic architecture of industrial Brassica oilseed germplasm for yield, quality, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. A genome-wide bioinformatics approach was used to identify putative PRR (pattern recognition receptor) - type resistance genes that confer durable resistance to blackleg. A novel transgenic approach was developed to generate resistant non-food oilseed lines using PPR genes Br1033 and Br8486. These genes were inserted into regionally adapted oilseed cultivars.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Discrimination of fish oil and mineral oil slicks on sea water

Fish oil and mineral oil slicks on sea water can be discriminated by their different spreading characteristics and by their reflectivities and color variations over a range of wavelengths. Reflectivities of oil and oil films are determined using a duel beam reflectance apparatus.

Mac Dowall, J.↗

Analysis of remote sensing data collected for detection and mapping of oil spills: Reduction and analysis of multi-sensor airborne data of the NASA Wallops oil spill exercise of November 1978

Airborne, remotely sensed data of the NASA Wallops controlled oil spill were corrected, reduced and analysed. Sensor performance comparisons were made by registering data sets from different sensors, which were near-coincident in time and location. Multispectral scanner images were, in turn, overlayed with profiles of correlation between airborne and laboratory-acquired fluorosensor spectra of oil; oil-thickness contours derived (by NASA) from a scanning fluorosensor and also from a two-channel scanning microwave radiometer; and synthetic aperture radar X-HH images. Microwave scatterometer data were correlated with dual-channel (UV and TIR) line scanner images of the oil slick.

Source record↗

Comparison of an Inductance In-Line Oil Debris Sensor and Magnetic Plug Oil Debris Sensor

The objective of this research was to compare the performance of an inductance in-line oil debris sensor and magnetic plug oil debris sensor when detecting transmission component health in the same system under the same operating conditions. Both sensors were installed in series in the NASA Glenn Spiral Bevel Gear Fatigue Rig during tests performed on 5 gear sets (pinion/gear) when different levels of damage occurred on the gear teeth. Results of this analysis found both the inductance in-line oil debris sensor and magnetic plug oil debris sensor have benefits and limitations when detecting gearbox component damage.

Dempsey, Paula J.↗

Recent Progress in Electrochemical Upgrading of Bio-Oil Model Compounds and Bio-Oils to Renewable Fuels and Platform Chemicals

Sustainable production of renewable carbon-based fuels and chemicals remains a necessary but immense challenge in the fight against climate change. Bio-oil derived from lignocellulosic biomass requires energy-intense upgrading to produce usable fuels or chemicals. Traditional upgrading methods such as hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) require high temperatures (200–400 °C) and 200 bar of external hydrogen. Electrochemical hydrogenation (ECH), on the other hand, operates at low temperatures (<80 °C), ambient pressure, and does not require an external hydrogen source. These environmental and economically favorable conditions make ECH a promising alternative to conventional thermochemical upgrading processes. ECH combines renewable electricity with biomass conversion and harnesses intermediately generated electricity to produce drop-in biofuels. This review aims to summarize recent studies on bio-oil upgrading using ECH focusing on the development of novel catalytic materials and factors impacting ECH efficiency and products. Here, electrode design, reaction temperature, applied overpotential, and electrolytes are analyzed for their impacts on overall ECH performance. We find that through careful reaction optimization and electrode design, ECH reactions can be tailored to be efficient and selective for the production of renewable fuels and chemicals. Preliminary economic and environmental assessments have shown that ECH can be viable alternative to convention upgrading technologies with the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by 3 times compared to thermochemical upgrading. While the field of electrochemical upgrading of bio-oil has additional challenges before commercialization, this review finds ECH a promising avenue to produce renewable carbon-based drop-in biofuels. Finally, based on the analyses presented in this review, directions for future research areas and optimization are suggested.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Structural transitions of 4:1 methanol–ethanol mixture and silicone oil under high pressure

A 4:1 (volume ratio) methanol–ethanol (ME) mixture and silicone oil are two of the most widely used liquid pressure-transmitting media (PTM) in high-pressure studies. Their hydrostatic limits have been extensively studied using various methods; however, the evolution of the atomic structures associated with their emerging nonhydrostaticity remains unclear. Here, we monitor their structures as functions of pressure up to ∼30 GPa at room temperature using in situ high-pressure synchrotron x-ray diffraction (XRD), optical micro-Raman spectroscopy, and ruby fluorescence spectroscopy in a diamond anvil cell. No crystallization is observed for either PTM. The pressure dependence of the principal diffraction peak position and width indicates the existence of a glass transition in the 4:1 ME mixture at ∼12 GPa and in the silicone oil at ∼3 GPa, beyond which a pressure gradient emerges and grows quickly with pressure. There may be another liquid-to-liquid transition in the 4:1 ME mixture at ∼5 GPa and two more glass-to-glass transitions in the silicone oil at ∼10 GPa and ∼16 GPa. By contrast, Raman signals only show peak weakening and broadening for typical structural disordering, and Raman spectroscopy seems to be less sensitive than XRD in catching these structural transitions related to hydrostaticity variations in both PTM. These results uncover rich pressure-induced transitions in the two PTM and clarify their effects on hydrostaticity with direct structural evidence. The high-pressure XRD and Raman data on the two PTM obtained in this work could also be helpful in distinguishing between signals from samples and those from PTM in future high-pressure experiments.

Chen, Xiehang (ORCID:0000000168541506)↗

Oil film thickness using airborne laser-induced oil fluorescence backscatter

Remote airborne measurement of oil film thickness on ocean surface using laser-induced water Raman backscatter is discussed. It is pointed out that the theoretical model of oil fluorescence by Horvath et al. (1971) contains the necessary constituents to provide for the natural background fluorescence that is also induced by the laser during the course of an oil thickness experiment. How the various parameters of the model are obtained from typical airborne profile data is discussed, and it is shown that the water Raman backscatter may be used to assist further in the application of the data. The regions or water types over which the technique might be most useful or applicable are discussed.

Hoge, F. E.↗

Potential Oil Supply and CO2 Demand for CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery in the United States

This presentation was given at the 2020 Pittsburgh Coal Conference on Sept 10, 2020. It describes an analysis using the FE/NETL CO<sub>2</sub> EOR Evaluation System in order to develop price curves for both oil supply as well as CO<sub>2</sub> demand resulting from potential application of CO<sub>2</sub> EOR. The analysis was conducted on a dataset of conventional oil reservoirs in the lower-48 states.

Morgan, David↗

Flow Loop Study of ECT-Based Volume Fraction Monitoring in Oil–Water Two-Phase Flows

Measurement of phase volume fractions in water-containing multiphase flows is necessary for the optimization of a host of industrial flow processes. Many water-containing multiphase flows can be classified as either water-dispersed or water-continuous mixtures. A recently developed approach based on Hanai’s mixture formula and utilizing electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) sensors have shown good potential for obtaining water volume fraction estimates in two-phase water-containing flows with different water salinity levels. However, the proposed approach was investigated via controlled experiments restricted to static configurations while, in practice, multiphase flows can be dynamic and unpredictable. In this work, we perform a flow loop study of the proposed ECT-based method for volume fraction estimation in oil–water two-phase flows. Here, we evaluate the performance of the proposed method in both water-dispersed and water-continuous flow regimes by employing different types of capacitive sensors in cylindrical arrangements and parallel-plate rectangular arrangements.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Producing Greener (Lower Carbon) Oil Through CO 2 -Enhanced Oil Recovery (CO 2 -EOR)

Conference presentation at at 22nd European IOR+ Symposium, The Hague, Netherlands, October 2–4, 2023. This study explored the sensitivity of the net life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a CO 2 -enhanced oil recovery (CO 2 -EOR) system to three critical input parameters: i) CO 2 capture efficiency (70%, 80%, 90%, and 95%), ii) electricity grid mix emission factor (400, 500, 600, and 700 kgCO 2 e/MWh), and iii) net CO 2 utilization rate (315, 421, 526, 789, and 1052 kgCO 2 /bbl [6, 8, 10, 15, and 20 Mcf/bbl]).

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Application of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Systems for Powering Safety Monitoring Systems of Offshore Oil and Gas Operations. OESI 2.0 M-1 T-1-P1.1 – Objective 1 Interim Report: Summary of Offshore Oil and Gas Well Monitoring Systems and Process Power Requirements

This report is part of a comprehensive research initiative aimed at evaluating the technoeconomic feasibility of deploying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions monitoring systems powered by small-scale renewable energy sources on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The study has three primary objectives: summarizing available GHG monitoring systems for the OCS, modeling a renewable marine energy source (specifically ocean thermal energy conversion, or OTEC), and modeling the collocation of OTEC power sources with offshore oil and gas activities to offset power demand.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Paint and Oil Locker, SWMU 067 Southern Treatment Area Air Sparge System Construction Completion and Performance Monitoring and Paint and Oil Locker, Northern Area (SWMU 067) and Supply Warehouse #3, SWMU 088 Long-Term Monitoring Report Kennedy Space Center, Florida

This Air Sparge (AS) System Construction Completion, Performance Monitoring, and Long-Term Monitoring (LTM) Report presents activities conducted at the Paint and Oil Locker (POL) (Solid Waste Management Unit [SWMU] 067) and Supply Warehouse #3 (SW3) (SWMU 088) sites located at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. Activities include implementation and Year 1 (Quarters [Q] 1 through 4) and Q5 operation, maintenance, and monitoring (OM&M) activities and performance monitoring results for the AS Interim Measure (IM) in the POL Southern Treatment Area, LTM results for the POL Northern Area and SW3, and supplemental direct push technology (DPT) sampling at both sites to support the LTM and performance monitoring programs. The timeframe for activities included in this report extends from August 2019 to August 2022. The scope for these sites currently includes two main components, which are documented within this report: (1) LTM at SW3 and POL Northern Area where an AS system began operation at these sites in May 2009 and June 2013, respectively, and subsequently turned off for both sites in March 2018 (during the previous reporting period); and (2) Active AS operations and performance monitoring in the POL Southern Treatment Area where an AS system was installed and began operation in 2021. The AS IM in the POL Southern Treatment Area was implemented between 2019 and 2021 to treat a chlorinated solvent groundwater plume that resulted from historic operations supporting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Space Program. The objective of the AS IM is to remediate groundwater within the treatment zone to support transition to monitored natural attenuation (MNA). The overall Corrective Action objective is to reduce concentrations of trichloroethene (TCE), cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE), trans-1,2- dichloroethene (tDCE), and vinyl chloride (VC) present in groundwater to levels below their respective State of Florida Groundwater Cleanup Target Levels (GCTLs). The AS IM was installed in the POL Southern Treatment Area to target the high concentration plume (HCP), which includes a source zone (SZ) area where TCE was found to exceed 11,000 micrograms per liter (µg/L), and extend to a depth of 30 feet below land surface (bls).

TCE↗

Paint and Oil Locker SWMU 067 Southern Treatment Area Air Sparge System Year 2 Performance Monitoring and Paint and Oil Locker Northern Area (SWMU 067) and Supply Warehouse #3, SWMU 088 Long-Term Monitoring Kennedy Space Center, Florida

This Year 2 Air Sparge (AS) System Performance Monitoring (PM) Report for Paint and Oil Locker (POL) Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 067 Southern Treatment Area and Long- Term Monitoring (LTM) Report for POL Northern Area (SWMU 067) and Supply Warehouse #3 (SW3) SWMU 088 documents ongoing remedial efforts at the POL and SW3 sites at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. The overall goal for these sites is to reduce concentrations of groundwater contaminants of concern (COCs), specifically trichloroethene (TCE), cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE), trans-1,2-dichloroethene (tDCE) and vinyl chloride (VC), to below the State of Florida Groundwater Cleanup Target Levels (GCTLs). Remediation and reporting of POL and SW3 have been streamlined over the years due to the proximity of the two sites. The scope for these sites currently includes two main components: (1) LTM at SW3 and the POL Northern Area, where an AS system began operation in May 2009 (with expansion in December 2012) and June 2013, respectively, and subsequently turned off for both sites in March 2018 (NASA, 2019a); and (2) Active AS operations and PM in the POL Southern Treatment Area where an AS system was installed and began operation in 2021. The timeframe for activities covered under this report is from September 2022 to July 2023. Based on Year 2 system operation and PM results, the AS system at POL operated as designed and successfully met the performance objective of reducing VOCs to concentrations that support transition of the site from active remediation to long-term monitoring. The results from the samples collected from performance monitoring wells within the AS system ROI showed a significant decrease in COC concentrations since the baseline sampling event conducted in April 2020. Based on the Year 2 OM&M and monitoring results obtained from the POL Southern Treatment Area, the IM objective to reduce concentrations to below the LTM transition target concentrations for TCE, cDCE, tDCE, and VC has been achieved. LTM sampling events at SW3 were conducted in October 2022 and July 2023. LTM sampling was conducted at the POL Northern Area in October 2022, December 2022, March 2023, and July 2023. Analytical results from October 2022 and July 2023 generally indicate that concentrations of COCs have been stable or decreasing compared to the previous year. TCE remains greater than the NADC in one monitoring well (POL-MW0034S) and greater than the GCTL in one monitoring well (POL-MW0009S). Concentrations of cDCE were greater than the GCTL in one monitoring well (POL-MW0026S), and tDCE was non-detect or less than the GCTL in all monitoring wells sampled. VC was greater than the GCTL in four monitoring wells (MW0024, MW0025, MW0027, and MW0028) at SW3 and one monitoring well (MW0026S) at the POL Northern Area.

remediation↗