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DOE OSTI2025

Go slow to go fast? A review of the impacts of permitting on large-scale solar project development

State and local permitting challenges could impede the ability of large-scale solar (LSS) to meet growing electricity demand in the United States. Here, we review research that explores LSS permitting and its impacts on the pace and scale of LSS project development. Research on LSS permitting is relatively scarce, such that we support our review with research in the context of wind permitting, where appropriate. Further, few studies attempt to rigorously quantify the effects of permitting on the pace and scale of LSS project development. The available evidence allows us to identify various hypotheses and identify gaps for further research. Our review suggests that differences in permitting policies, regulations, and ordinances explain relatively little variation in LSS permitting and development outcomes across jurisdictions, except where jurisdictions implement rules designed to impede LSS. The evidence suggests LSS permitting challenges largely accrue during the implementation of permitting processes. Recent research suggests that community opposition to project development is a key driver of LSS permitting challenges, given that project opponents often use permitting processes to translate opposition into legal action. We call on future researchers to more concretely describe the LSS permitting challenge and to identify the specific actors responsible for implementing solutions.

Community opposition↗

DOE OSTI2022

State-of-the-art and review of condensation heat transfer for small modular reactor passive safety: Experimental studies

Here this study focused on state-of-the-art and review of condensation heat transfer for small modular reactors (SMR). Nuclear reactors adopt passive containment cooling systems (PCCS) for accident mitigation, containment integrity, and primarily to maintain the last barrier for radioactive particle release to the environment during and beyond design-basis accidents. However, improving the effectiveness of the PCCS is more critical for the SMR than for commercial reactors to ensure higher safety margins and compactness. In the PCCS of SMR, due to its smaller size containment, the filmwise condensation (FWC) is dominant. Therefore, this study emphasized the FWC. Earlier condensation studies for the PCCS did not make SMR the primary focus, so a critical review for formulating the state-of-the-art was necessary. Part-1 of this study covered the review of physics phenomena, previous experimental studies with a brief overview of associated test facilities and empirical correlations. This study identified a research gap with the condensation test data scaling relations by using the information and findings of the previous PCCS studies and applied them to the SMR system.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2022

A review of technical and regulatory limits for hydrogen blending in natural gas pipelines

We report there is rising interest globally in the use of hydrogen for the provision of electricity or heat to industry, transport, and other applications in low-carbon energy systems. While there is attention to build out dedicated hydrogen infrastructure in the long-term, blending hydrogen into the existing natural gas pipeline network is also thought to be a promising strategy for incorporating hydrogen in the near-term. However, hydrogen injection into the existing gas grid poses additional challenges and considerations related to the ability of current gas infrastructure to operate with blended hydrogen levels. This review paper focuses on analyzing the current understanding of how much hydrogen can be integrated into the gas grid from an operational perspective and identifies areas where more research is needed. The review discusses the technical limits in hydrogen blending for both transmission and distribution networks; facilities in both systems are analyzed with respect to critical operational parameters, such as decrease in energy density, increased flow speed and pressure losses. Safety related challenges such as, embrittlement, leakage and combustion are also discussed. The review also summarizes current regulatory limits to hydrogen blending in different countries, including ongoing or proposed pilot hydrogen blending projects.

08 HYDROGEN↗

DOE OSTI2021

A review of energy storage technologies for demand-side management in industrial facilities

Demand-side management (DSM) in industrial facilities provides an opportunity for substantial amounts of energy cost savings, since industrial facilities are the largest energy consuming sectors globally. In this work, energy storage (ES) technologies are critically reviewed and compared with industrial DSM in mind. ES technologies reviewed herein include lithium-ion battery energy storage (BES), sodium-sulfur BES, lead-acid BES, flow BES, supercapacitor ES, superconducting magnetic ES, thermal ES, flywheel ES, pumped hydro ES, and compressed air ES. The fundamentals of these energy storage technologies are reviewed in detail including recent developments, followed by case studies and extensive comparisons. These comparisons include, but are not limited to cost per cycle analyses, levelized cost of energy analyses, and comparisons between performance, transient, and cost characteristics. Here, some key properties analyzed include the rated power, power density, efficiency, lifetime, discharge time, capital costs, and O&M costs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2023

A critical review of operational strategies for the management of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in inland reservoirs

Occurrences of freshwater harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasing on a global scale, largely in part due to increased nutrient input and changing climate patterns. While reservoir management strategies that can influence phytoplankton are known, there is no published guideline or protocol for the management of harmful algal blooms. There is a need to establish what factors are the predominant drivers of blooms, and how common reservoir management strategies specifically influence each factor. The following literature review seeks to establish the benefits and drawbacks of operational management strategies that currently exist. The main focus is altering hydrodynamic conditions (hypolimnetic withdrawals, surface flushing, pulsed inflow, artificial mixing), in order to induce environmental changes within the reservoir itself. Since excess nutrients are one of the biggest contributors to worsening bloom conditions, internal nutrient dynamics and reduction are also discussed. Additionally, we review the predominant seasonal factors (stratification, light, temperature, and wind) that affect likelihood of bloom occurrence and duration. In conclusion, the ultimate objective of this review is to increase understanding of the relationships between HAB drivers and reservoir operations in order to inform the development of data, modeling, and management strategies for the prevention and mitigation of blooms.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2022

Antimony redox processes in the environment: A critical review of associated oxidants and reductants

The environmental behavior of antimony (Sb) has recently received greater attention due to the increasing global use of Sb in a range of industrial applications. Although present at trace levels in most natural systems, elevated Sb concentrations in aquatic and terrestrial environments may result from anthropogenic activities. The mobility and toxicity of Sb largely depend on its speciation, which is dependent to a large extent on its oxidation state. To a certain extent, our understanding of the environmental behavior of Sb has been informed by studies of the environmental behavior of arsenic (As), as Sb and As have somewhat similar chemical properties. However, recently it has become evident that the speciation of Sb and As, especially in the context of redox reactions, may be fundamentally different. Therefore, it is crucial to study the biogeochemical processes impacting Sb redox transformations to understand the behavior of Sb in natural and engineered environments. Currently, there is a growing body of literature involving the speciation, mobility, toxicity, and remediation of Sb, and several reviews on these general topics are available; however, a comprehensive review focused on Sb environmental redox chemistry is lacking. Herein, we provide a review of research conducted within the past two decades examining the redox chemistry of Sb in aquatic and terrestrial environments and identifies knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to develop a better understanding of Sb biogeochemistry for improved management of Sb in natural and engineered systems.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2022

Modelling single atom catalysts for water splitting and fuel cells: A tutorial review

Here, in this tutorial review, we report the state-of-the-art of the modeling approaches of Single Atom Catalysts (SAC) for water splitting and fuel cells reactions. The discussion applies for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER), Oxygen Reduction Reaction (OER), Hydrogen Oxidation Reaction (HOR), and Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR). The main scope of this work is to underline the relevant aspects of SACs modelling. On the one hand, the review could help computational chemists aiming to start the study of SACs. On the other hand, experimentalists could find the critical analysis of DFT results of interest to understand better the strengths and weaknesses of simulations, and how to interpret computational results. After an introductory section of SACs, we start by briefly presenting the state-of-the-art methodologies. Then, we analyze the critical aspects for a reliable prediction of the electronic properties, and we discuss the robustness of the structural models and ways to validate them. Furthermore, we discuss the main approaches to predict catalytic activity and selectivity, which is the final goal of the computational catalysis. We conclude this review with a critical analysis of the current challenges in the field, and the main limitations of the modeling approaches that are described.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2013

The defect chemistry of nitrogen in oxides: A review of experimental and theoretical studies

Incorporation of nitrogen into oxides has in recent years received increased attention as a variable for tuning their functional properties. A vast number of reports have been devoted to improving the photocatalytic properties of TiO{sub 2}, p-type charge carrier concentration in ZnO and the ionic transport properties of ZrO{sub 2} by nitrogen doping. In comparison, the fundamentals of the nitrogen related defect chemistry for a wider range of oxides have been less focused upon. In the present contribution, we review experimental and computational investigations of the nitrogen related defect chemistry of insulating and semiconducting oxides. The interaction between nitrogen and protons is important and emphasized. Specifically, the stability of nitrogen defects such as N{sub O}{sup /}, NH{sub O}{sup Multiplication-Sign} and (NH{sub 2}){sub O}{sup Bullet} is evaluated under various conditions and their atomistic and electronic structure is presented. A final discussion is devoted to the role of nitrogen with respect to transport properties and photocatalytic activity of oxides. - Graphical abstract: Experimental and theoretical investigations of the nitrogen related defect chemistry of a range of wide band gap oxides is reviewed. The interaction between nitrogen dopants and protons is emphasized and described through the atomistic and electronic structure as well as defect chemical processes involving NH and NH{sub 2} defects. Consequently, the physical properties of oxides containing such species are discussed with respect to e.g., diffusion and photocatalytic properties. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Experimental and theoretical investigations of the nitrogen and hydrogen related defect chemistry of wide band gap oxides is reviewed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The interaction between nitrogen dopants and protons is important and emphasized. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Diffusion and photocatalytic properties of N-doped oxides are discussed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2016

A review on the synthesis, crystal growth, structure and physical properties of rare earth based quaternary intermetallic compounds

This review highlights the synthesis and crystal growth of quaternary intermetallic compounds based on rare earth metals. In the first part of this review, we highlight briefly about intermetallics and their versatile properties in comparison to the constituent elements. In the next part, we have discussed about various synthesis techniques with more focus on the metal flux technique towards the well shaped crystal growth of novel compounds. In the subsequent parts, several disordered quaternary compounds have been reviewed and then outlined most known ordered quaternary compounds with their complex structure. A special attention has been given to the ordered compounds with structural description and relation to the parent binary and ternary compounds. The importance of electronic and structural feature is highlighted as the key roles in designing these materials for emerging applications. - Graphical abstract: Rare earth based quaternary intermetallic compounds crystallize in complex novel crystal structures. The diversity in the crystal structure may induce unique properties and can be considered them as future materials. - Highlights: • Crystal growth and crystal structure of quaternary rare earth based intermetallics. • Structural complexity of quaternary compounds in comparison to the parent compounds. • Novel quaternary compounds display unique crystal structure.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2016

A review of the structure-property relationships in lead-free piezoelectric (1−x)Na{sub 0.5}Bi{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3}–(x)BaTiO{sub 3}

Piezoelectric materials are increasingly being investigated for energy harvesting applications where (1−x)Na{sub 0.5}Bi{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3}–(x)BaTiO{sub 3} (NBT-BT) is an important lead-free piezoelectric material with potential to be used as an actuator in energy harvesting devices. Much effort has been put into modifying NBT-BT to tune the properties for specific applications, but there is currently no consensus regarding the structure-property relationships in this material, making targeted, rational design a major challenge. In this review, we will summarize the current body of knowledge of NBT-BT and discuss contradicting studies, unresolved problems, and future directions in the field. - Graphical abstract: This review of (1−x)Na{sub 0.5}Bi{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3}–(x)BaTiO{sub 3} (NBT-BT) summarizes the large body of literature regarding the structure-property relationships of this complex material. We highlight structural studies of the average and local structures of both unpoled and poled samples of NBT-BT at its morphotropic phase boundary and discuss them in context of the observed piezoelectric properties. - Highlights: • Local and average structure of NBT-BT at morphotropic phase boundary is reviewed. • Average structure of poled and unpoled samples of NBT-BT is discussed. • Structure-property relationships in NBT-BT and future directions are summarized.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2013

Novel Magnetic Nanomaterials Inspired by Magnetotactic Baterial: Topical Review

Magnetotactic bacteria, known to produce magnetic nanocrystals with uniform shapes and sizes at physiological conditions, serve as an inspiration and source of a number of biological macromolecules used for the biomimetic synthesis of a variety of magnetic nanomaterials. This review discusses the current state of understanding of magnetosome biomineralization in magnetotactic bacteria, as well as the ways in which iron biomineralization processes can be utilized for tailored in vivo formation of complex magnetic nanomaterials, not occurring in magnetotactic bacteria naturally. The review assesses the current efforts on in vitro synthesis of a variety of magnetic nanoparticles using bioinspired approaches by utilizing mineralization proteins from magnetotactic bacteria, and surveys biomimetic strategies for the rational synthesis of various magnetic nanomaterials under ambient conditions. Finally, this review presents magnetic characterization of nanoparticles, highlighting differences in magnetic behavior between magnetic nanoparticles produced using bioinspired in vivo and in vitro strategies, compared to those produced using conventional methods. This in turn impacts their utility in a wide range of applications for magnetic nanoparticles, which are examined in detail, where bioinspired synthesis methods have potentially provided added advantages.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2016

Review of the theoretical and experimental status of dark matter identification with cosmic-ray antideuterons

Recent years have seen increased theoretical and experimental effort towards the first-ever detection of cosmic-ray antideuterons, in particular as an indirect signature of dark matter annihilation or decay. In contrast to indirect dark matter searches using positrons, antiprotons, or γ-rays, which suffer from relatively high and uncertain astrophysical backgrounds, searches with antideuterons benefit from very suppressed conventional backgrounds, offering a potential breakthrough in unexplored phase space for dark matter. This article is based on the first dedicated cosmic-ray antideuteron workshop, which was held at UCLA in June 2014. It reviews broad classes of dark matter candidates that result in detectable cosmic-ray antideuteron fluxes, as well as the status and prospects of current experimental searches. The coalescence model of antideuteron production and the influence of antideuteron measurements at particle colliders are discussed. This is followed by a review of the modeling of antideuteron propagation through the magnetic fields, plasma currents, and molecular material of our Galaxy, the solar system, the Earth’s geomagnetic field, and the atmosphere. Lastly, the three ongoing or planned experiments that are sensitive to cosmic-ray antideuterons, BESS, AMS-02, and GAPS, are detailed. As cosmic-ray antideuteron detection is a rare event search, multiple experiments with orthogonal techniques and backgrounds are essential. Furthermore, the combination of AMS-02 and GAPS antideuteron searches is highly desirable. Many theoretical and experimental groups have contributed to these studies over the last decade, this review aims to provide the first coherent discussion of the relevant dark matter theories that antideuterons probe, the challenges to predictions and interpretations of antideuteron signals, and the experimental efforts toward cosmic antideuteron detection.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2023

A review of neutronics and thermal hydraulics–based screening methods applied to accelerated nuclear fuel qualification

This paper reviews the state-of-the-art engineering approach for using thermal hydraulic (TH) and neutronics modeling and simulation (M&S) tools to perform rapid screening studies of novel nuclear fuel concepts within the context of accelerated fuel qualification. Global research efforts have introduced nuclear fuel and material concepts that mark a significant departure from traditional reactor materials. The number of new technologies being considered for development for light water reactors and advanced reactor types has created the need for an accelerated fuel qualification procedure. A key component of this procedure is the rapid identification of the most promising fuel concepts using computational screening studies. Advanced TH and neutronic M&S tools should be leveraged to efficiently determine whether the reactor performance and safety characteristics of a given concept warrant additional studies or whether the concept requires modification or elimination. This paper reviews best practices for performing these TH and neutronics screening studies at various stages during a fuel concept's progression through the qualification procedure. The motivation behind standardizing this approach is to minimize time and resources spent on qualification activities for fuel concepts that could be quickly refined or eliminated from consideration based on their reactor physics and TH characteristics. Adoption of this screening procedure—which focuses primarily on nuclear fuels but may be applicable to other reactor materials—will also help accelerate new material qualification by generating boundary conditions crucial to fuel performance evaluations and highlighting needed areas of separate effects experimentation. This article reviews the motivation behind the introduction of novel nuclear fuel concepts, provides incentive for utilizing TH- and neutronics-based screening studies, describes the screening approach and methodology, and includes discussion on how to interpret screening results to provide recommendations for the continued development of a given concept.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2024

A critical review of irradiation-induced changes in reactor pressure vessel steels

A large body of work has been conducted to investigate the embrittlement and degradation of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels. This includes experiments on alloys with different compositions, performed in research and test reactors and ion accelerators that span various temperatures, fluxes, and fluences. In this paper, we perform a critical review of the published experimental data and compile experimentally reported values for dislocation loop size/density, precipitate size/density and yield stress into an easily downloadable format that can be used by both experimentalists and modelers. This thorough experimental review is complemented by a brief review of simulation efforts at atomistic and mesoscopic length scales. Finally, this paper highlights key aspects of the behavior of RPV steels under irradiation, identifies gaps or discrepancies in current understanding, and identifies priority future research directions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2022

Review and status of tool tip frequency response function prediction using receptance coupling

This paper provides a chronological review of publications that implement and advance the receptance coupling substructure analysis (RCSA) approach first applied to tool tip receptance (or frequency response function) prediction for milling applications in 2000. The review topics mimic the RCSA approach, where the tool, holder, and spindle-machine receptances are coupled analytically, and include: tool-holder receptance modeling; connection modeling; spindle-machine receptances; and applications. The review paper summarizes contributions from multiple, international authors (198 papers) to these topics. Additionally, it provides a comprehensive resource for those beginning an investigation into RCSA.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2022

Review on robot-assisted polishing: Status and future trends

Nowadays, precision components have been extensively used in various industries such as biomedicine, photonics, and optics. To achieve nanometric surface roughness, high-precision polishing is mandatory. Compared with the conventional polishing techniques, the robot-assisted polishing has the advantages of flexible working ranges and low cost. Therefore, it has been more widely deployed in demanding polishing tasks. However, few review articles were found on this topic to provide a general progress on the development of the robot-assisted polishing technology. Here in this paper reviews the recent advancement of the robot-assisted polishing. Firstly, the integration of robots with various polishing techniques is overviewed, followed by the introduction of the research status of constant force control in robot-assisted polishing. Then, the errors in typical robot-assisted polishing systems are analyzed, together with the corresponding compensation methods. At last, the future trends in the development of robot-assisted polishing are discussed. This review is intended as a roadmap for researchers or engineers who are interested in robot-assisted polishing or machining.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2024

The role of AI in detecting and mitigating human errors in safety-critical industries: A review

For safety-critical industries, human error (HE) presents continual risks to system productivity, reliability and safety. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) methods have emerged as promising approaches to understand, categorize and mitigate the risk of HE in safety-critical industries. Furthermore, this review offers an examination of the current landscape regarding the utilization of AI/ML with regards to HE in safety-critical industries, categorizing literature into descriptive modeling, predictive modeling, prescriptive modeling, and generative modeling techniques. Additionally, the review aims to provide insights regarding themes in literature, challenges, and future research directions. Findings of the review suggest that AI/ML methods can prove useful in addressing the HE problem across safety-critical industries.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2025

Exploring the Potential of Rainwater Harvesting for Cooling Towers: A Systematic Review and Regional Feasibility Assessment

Water scarcity has driven interest in rainwater harvesting, especially for U.S. industries like power and manufacturing, which dedicate a large percentage of their water needs to cooling towers. This paper provides a comprehensive systematic review of studies on the use of rainwater in cooling tower applications, along with an assessment of the regional feasibility of integrating RWH in U.S. manufacturing cooling towers. The systematic review examines the technical, economic, environmental, and policy feasibility of utilizing harvested rainwater, and the regional feasibility analysis evaluates the practical implementation of RWH in manufacturing cooling towers, considering factors such as regional RWH potential, water costs, state policies, and the industrial water use of manufacturing facilities per state. This study supports the hypothesis that RWH for cooling towers is technically feasible, economically viable, and environmentally beneficial. Harvested rainwater is naturally less conductive and soft, and rainwater reuse minimizes the ecological footprint. Supportive state policies, regional RWH potential, and rising water costs across the U.S. are important variables that may impact RWH adoption. The review highlights rooftop RWH as the most studied method and notes that implementing RWH requires infrastructure changes and filtration techniques. While initial investment costs may be high, operational and maintenance costs are low, making RWHS economically feasible over time. Regions with higher water costs and supportive policies are more likely to benefit from RWH adoption. The study provides a foundation for understanding the potential for using RWH in industrial cooling towers.

Cooling towers↗