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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 541 records · Page 30
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Climate-aware decision-making: lessons for electric grid infrastructure planning and operations

Abstract Climate change poses significant risks to large-scale infrastructure systems and brings considerable uncertainties that challenge historical planning approaches. Here we focus on how climate awareness might be better incorporated into planning and decision-making in the electric power sector. To do so, we consider lessons from decision science literature where researchers have specifically focused on how to make better decisions under uncertainty. We perform a three-part review: of decision science literature on best practices for decision-making under uncertainty, of industry practice documents to understand how new uncertainties may affect the types of decisions electric utilities are making today, and of literature on electricity sector planning under climate change to assess how lessons from decision science might fit into sector-specific analyses. We discuss how characterizations of uncertainty from the decision science literature might guide approaches in the electricity sector to appropriately capture climate-related uncertainties. We also distill three key ideas from the decision science literature that can be incorporated into electricity sector planning to manage these new uncertainties: robustness, adaptive planning, and multi-stakeholder engagement. We offer example recommendations for how these key ideas might be incorporated into one essential type of planning activity, capacity expansion.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Recent Ground-based Test Results for the Closed Loop Two-Phase Flow Chilldown Test Module for Future Integration with the Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment onboard International Space Station

Effective cryogenic fluid management is important to the success of future manned and unmanned NASA missions, and the transfer line chilldown process is recognized as a key technological challenge. To address this challenge, the Two-phase Flow and Thermal Management Lab (TFTML) at Case Western Reserve University is collaborating with NASA Glenn Research Center to develop, test and deploy a closed loop two-phase flow chilldown test section onboard the International Space Station to be integrated with the current Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE) module. The final results of this project will create the first chilldown process database under pure and sustained microgravity conditions and will significantly advance the understanding of the chilldown process for cryogenic fluid management. In the present work, the ground-based test results of the closed loop SS-316 chilldown test section in a horizontal configuration at varying inlet mass flow rates (3-40 g/s) and inlet liquid subcooling (5-35 0C) are presented. The working fluid is PF-5060 and the chilldown curves captured the entire quenching curve involving the different boiling regimes and temperature transition points viz., film boiling, Leidenfrost/re-wetting point, transition boiling, critical heat flux (CHF), nucleate boiling, onset of nucleate boiling (ONB) and single-phase liquid flow regions, when the test section is pre-heated to around 250 0C. The major findings of the present study are, (i) the bottom part of the test section sees a lower re-wetting temperature due to the horizontal flow configuration, (ii) the re-wetting temperatures are relatively unaffected by inlet liquid mass flow rates though the increase in mass flow rates reduce the chilldown time, and (iii) the re-wetting temperatures decrease with decrease in inlet liquid subcooling. Further, preliminary flow visualization studies in a transparent pyrex test section will also be presented to understand the intricate flow boiling regime transitions during the chilldown process.

ISS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Waste-to-Energy Technical Assistance for Local Governments

The goal of this project is to mobilize data, information, and knowledge generated about organic waste streams to local governments and support their decision-making. It builds on previous work related to wet organic waste resources (food waste, sludge, manure, waste fats and oils). The project provides an improved understanding of local waste challenges and priorities to inform BETO's R&D strategies and decision-making. It also supports local governments' goals and plans related to sustainable waste management, enables energy and/or resource recovery projects development at municipal level, and facilitates public-private partnerships. A key challenge is associated with more activities requested by entities than program allows which is mitigated by prioritization by requesting agency. All FY21 and FY22 TA requests have been completed. Major accomplishments include: 1). 34 requests managed in the past two years, 2) Distilled key challenges faced by communities. Key outcomes include strong community participation since inception of the program, dedicated program web site, deliverables tailored to communities' needs, and distribution materials (e.g., fact sheets, brochures) for a broader audience.

BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Adaptive Computing for Scale-Up Problems

Adaptive Computing is an application-agnostic outer loop framework to strategically deploy simulations and experiments to guide decision making for scale-up analysis. Resources are allocated over successive batches, which makes the allocation adaptive to some objective such as optimization or model training. The framework enables the characterization and management of uncertainties associated with predictive models of complex systems when scale-up questions lead to significant model extrapolation. A key advancement of this framework is its integration of multi-fidelity surrogate modeling, uncertainty management, and automated orchestration of various computing and experimentation resources into a single integrated software package. This enables efficient multi-fidelity modeling across multiple computing resources by incorporating real-world constraints such as relative queue times and throughput on individual machines into the multi-fidelity sampling decision. We discuss applications of this framework to problems in the renewable energy space, including biofuels production, material synthesis, perovskite crystal growth, and building electrical loads.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS1991

Spiral model pilot project information model

The objective was an evaluation of the Spiral Model (SM) development approach to allow NASA Marshall to develop an experience base of that software management methodology. A discussion is presented of the Information Model (IM) that was used as part of the SM methodology. A key concept of the SM is the establishment of an IM to be used by management to track the progress of a project. The IM is the set of metrics that is to be measured and reported throughout the life of the project. These metrics measure both the product and the process to ensure the quality of the final delivery item and to ensure the project met programmatic guidelines. The beauty of the SM, along with the IM, is the ability to measure not only the correctness of the specification and implementation of the requirements but to also obtain a measure of customer satisfaction.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2025

Improving Thermal Management Strategies for Data Centers: A Physical Testbed Incorporating Small Modular Reactor and Microreactor Technology

This study aims to accelerate the demonstration of various thermal management systems for data centers using nuclear-generated heat to enhance energy and grid reliability. Utilizing mobile containerized and stationary test beds at INL's High Performance Computing (HPC) facility, this project integrates with various nuclear-related energy systems testing facilities. Key components include immersion cooling apparatus, absorption chillers, and adjustable thermal management simulators. Tasks involve acquiring necessary hardware, sensors, and cooling apparatus, engaging with data center industry stakeholders, and providing a testing platform for algorithms, models, tools, and software. The objective is to expedite the deployment of nuclear-powered data centers, thereby improving energy reliability and affordability.

21 - SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLAN↗
DOE OSTI2022

Adaptive management of large-scale ecosystem restoration: increasing certainty of habitat outcomes in the Columbia River Estuary, U.S.A.

Ecological restoration programs in dynamic coastal environments can benefit from adaptive management, including an iterative process for identifying and addressing critical uncertainties. We highlight key developments under the three pillars that have increased the rate of restoration by the Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program (CEERP) over 20 years: science, coordination, and management. We show how such programs can be institutionalized to ensure that estuary ecosystems are better understood, conserved, and restored. The principal conservation effort under CEERP is to reconnect historical floodplain wetlands to the mainstem. The program also supports other restoration actions that demonstrate a high potential to benefit ecosystem function and endangered salmon populations, however, there is greater uncertainty regarding these less-utilized techniques. Through adaptive management, we address both technical uncertainty regarding benefits to the environmental resource and programmatic uncertainty pertaining to decision-making. Here, we examine three periods of CEERP growth to establish how complementary research and restoration actions have improved program outcomes over time. We highlight the tools and processes that were developed and integrated into the program to refine program strategy, improve project design, and maximize ecological benefits. CEERP supported 77 restoration projects and reconnected over 7,000 acres of floodplain habitat to the lower Columbia River between 2004 and 2021. Building on these successes, we outline current plans to better engage landowners and local communities, solicit new project types, and maintain enough flexibility within the program to adapt to new priorities.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Smart Planning Support for Nuclear Power Plant Work Planners

Operation and Maintenance costs of a nuclear power plant account for 60% of overall plant costs due to the nuclear industry?s risk-adverse culture (World Nuclear Association, 2020). The industry relies on highly conservative estimates to avoid risk and brute force reactions to manage the unexpected and keep a plant running safely. This approach has kept plants operating safer than any other power source available over the last six decades (Ritchie, 2020). However, these conservative methods have cost the nuclear industry in market competitiveness. The solution? Transform the conservative approaches to accurate, efficient, and still safe data-driven approaches that leverage advanced technologies available in the digital age of operation. This project endeavored to identify two key aspects to successfully incorporate historical work execution data. First, where in the work management process is that information most pertinent? Next, what variables are key to informing the best strategy for organizing the upcoming work? The Smart Planner uses data collected by dynamic work instructions to provide a basis for suggesting requirements of similar, upcoming work packages. Further, it curbs inefficiencies of the work management process by analyzing the likelihood of discovery work, offering suggestions to build a contingency package. All this taking place as the work planner builds work packages that meet the predetermined scope of work to be performed.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
NASA NTRS2019

2018 NISAR Applications Workshop: Forest and Disturbance; Workshop Report

Forest lands cover the globe and are important sources for providing ecosystem services including: carbon sequestration, biodiversity, timber, air and water quality. As such, counties around the world have dedicated programs for managing them. Accurate and timely information concerning the status of these forests (moisture, biomass, disturbance type, etc.) is essential to those Nations’ human and ecological health as well as economy. The joint NASA/US Forest Service workshop focused on arming forest land managers with observations and remote sensing information from the upcoming NASA-ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) (NISAR) satellite mission (expected to launch early 2022). Participants included representatives from different US Federal Agencies, private sector, and non-governmental organizations (NGO) that are key players in facilitating integration of Earth Observations (EO) into forest management and decision support workflows. They included scientists, technicians, and program managers with a responsibility for data acquisition and exploitation such as product development, delivery, and use, and capacity building. Discussions were held over two days to convey the broader forest and disturbance community information needs for various representative participants and programs and to facilitate the delivery of NISAR mission geospatial products and observational capabilities. Case studies were presented to demonstrate the current state of practice in the use of SAR remote sensing for applications of direct importance to forest and disturbance land management community. Eleven organizations presented their information requirements in response to a set of questions provided by the NASA team, then the NASA team responded by describing the degree to which NISAR could meet these requirements. Discussion ensued about needed data product specifications to increase utility (e.g., projection, latency, etc.), tools and capacity building. The general findings of this workshop were that (a) NISAR observations will be particularly useful to the global forest carbon and disturbance monitoring applications, but that certain data product design decisions (projections and radiometric and terrain corrections) need to be considered to increase utility; b) the biomass and disturbance detection algorithms meet many of the community needs, however there are other information products of value (e.g., soil moisture or disturbance classification, not just detection) and all products should be compliant with existing community standards for reporting uncertainty; c) providing SAR education to the community will be key specifically thinking about putting the information first and the SAR theory second, providing a simple guide of standard data processing steps (e.g., dB (decibel) to power conversion and speckle filtering); d) the community needs a user-friendly interface for finding free, archived data over their geographic regions of interest; e) user-friendly tools that connect to open-sources GIS (Global Information System) software (e.g., QGIS (Quantum GIS)) that include a graphical user interface (GUI) for SAR processing that enables both download and cloud processing. To integrate these findings and prepare the community before NISAR launches, it was suggested that there be a dedicated NISAR Forest and Disturbance Applications Working Group (as per the specifications in the NISAR Utilization Plan). After launch, it was decided that the community continue capacity building activities.

Stavros, Natasha↗
NASA NTRS2016

An Integrated Gate Turnaround Management Concept Leveraging Big Data Analytics for NAS Performance Improvements

"Gate Turnaround" plays a key role in the National Air Space (NAS) gate-to-gate performance by receiving aircraft when they reach their destination airport, and delivering aircraft into the NAS upon departing from the gate and subsequent takeoff. The time spent at the gate in meeting the planned departure time is influenced by many factors and often with considerable uncertainties. Uncertainties such as weather, early or late arrivals, disembarking and boarding passengers, unloading/reloading cargo, aircraft logistics/maintenance services and ground handling, traffic in ramp and movement areas for taxi-in and taxi-out, and departure queue management for takeoff are likely encountered on the daily basis. The Integrated Gate Turnaround Management (IGTM) concept is leveraging relevant historical data to support optimization of the gate operations, which include arrival, at the gate, departure based on constraints (e.g., available gates at the arrival, ground crew and equipment for the gate turnaround, and over capacity demand upon departure), and collaborative decision-making. The IGTM concept provides effective information services and decision tools to the stakeholders, such as airline dispatchers, gate agents, airport operators, ramp controllers, and air traffic control (ATC) traffic managers and ground controllers to mitigate uncertainties arising from both nominal and off-nominal airport gate operations. IGTM will provide NAS stakeholders customized decision making tools through a User Interface (UI) by leveraging historical data (Big Data), net-enabled Air Traffic Management (ATM) live data, and analytics according to dependencies among NAS parameters for the stakeholders to manage and optimize the NAS performance in the gate turnaround domain. The application will give stakeholders predictable results based on the past and current NAS performance according to selected decision trees through the UI. The predictable results are generated based on analysis of the unique airport attributes (e.g., runway, taxiway, terminal, and gate configurations and tenants), and combined statistics from past data and live data based on a specific set of ATM concept-of-operations (ConOps) and operational parameters via systems analysis using an analytic network learning model. The IGTM tool will then bound the uncertainties that arise from nominal and off-nominal operational conditions with direct assessment of the gate turnaround status and the impact of a certain operational decision on the NAS performance, and provide a set of recommended actions to optimize the NAS performance by allowing stakeholders to take mitigation actions to reduce uncertainty and time deviation of planned operational events. An IGTM prototype was developed at NASA Ames Simulation Laboratories (SimLabs) to demonstrate the benefits and applicability of the concept. A data network, using the System Wide Information Management (SWIM)-like messaging application using the ActiveMQ message service, was connected to the simulated data warehouse, scheduled flight plans, a fast-time airport simulator, and a graphic UI. A fast-time simulation was integrated with the data warehouse or Big Data/Analytics (BAI), scheduled flight plans from Aeronautical Operational Control AOC, IGTM Controller, and a UI via a SWIM-like data messaging network using the ActiveMQ message service, illustrated in Figure 1, to demonstrate selected use-cases showing the benefits of the IGTM concept on the NAS performance.

Efficent ATM systems↗
NASA NTRS2003

Assessing risk from a stakeholder perspective

Planetary exploration missions are subject to a vast array of interpretations of 'success' based on the concerns of multiple stakeholder groups. While project risk management generally focuses on issues of cost/schedule constraints or reliability issues, a broader interpretation of 'risk' as it applies to stakeholders such as sponsors (e.g., NASA), the public at large, the scientific community, the home organization, and the project team itself can provide important insights into the full spectrum of risk that needs to be managed. This paper presents a stakeholder view of risk which is divided into failure, not-a-failure, success, and stunning-success zones. Using the Mars Pathfinder mission as an example, an alternative interpretation of the risks to that mission is presented from the view of key stakeholders. The implications of the stakeholder perspective to project risk management are addressed.

risk management success/failure graph↗
NASA NTRS1981

Management of optics

American Science and Engineering, Inc., designed the large X-ray optic for the HEAO-2 X-ray Telescope. The key element in this project was the High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA), subcontracting the fabrication of the optical surfaces and their assembly and alignment. The roles and organization of the key participants in the creation of HRMA are defined, and the degree of interaction between the groups is described. Management of this effort was extremely complex because of the intricate weaving of responsibilities, and AS&E, as HEAO-2 Program managers, needed to be well versed in the scientific objectives, the technical requirements, the program requirements, and the subcontract management. Understanding these factors was essential for implementing both technical and management controls, such as schedule and budget constraints, in-process control, residence requirements, and scientist review and feedback. Despite unforeseen technical problems and interaction differences, the HEAO-2 was built on schedule and to specification.

Kirchner, T. E.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Ares Knowledge Capture: Summary and Key Themes Presentation

This report has been developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) Risk Management team in close coordination with the MSFC Chief Engineers Office. This document provides a point-in-time, cumulative, summary of actionable key lessons learned derived from the design project. Lessons learned invariably address challenges and risks and the way in which these areas have been addressed. Accordingly the risk management thread is woven throughout the document.

Ares Knowledge↗
NASA NTRS2010

Structured Transition of Wind Tunnel Operations Skills from Government-to Contractor-Managed

In 2004, NASA awarded the Research, Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering (ROME) contract at NASA Langley Research Center to a team led by Jacobs Technology, Inc. A key component of the contract was the transitioning of the five large wind tunnel facilities from NASA managed and NASA or NASA/contractor workforces to fully contractor operated. The contractor would manage daily operations while NASA would continue to develop long-term strategies, make decisions regarding commitment of funds and commitment of facilities, and provide oversight of the contractor's performance. A major challenge would be the transition of knowledge of facility operations and maintenance from the incumbent civil servant workforce to the contractor workforce. While the contract has since been modified multiple times, resulting in a blended NASA/ROME workforce across the facilities, the processes developed and implemented to capture and document facility knowledge from the incumbent subject matter experts, build training and certification programs, and grow individual skills across subject areas and across facilities, are worthy of documentation. This is the purpose of this paper.

Dunn, Steven C.↗
NASA NTRS2003

The NEEMO Project: A Report on how NASA Utilizes the "Aquarius" Undersea Habitat as an Analog for Long-Duration Space Flight

NEEMO is the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations, a cooperative project between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NEEMO was created and is managed by the Mission Operations Directorate at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. On the NOAA side, the National Undersea Research Center (NURC) in Key Largo, FL, with the help of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, manages and operates the Aquarius Program. NEEMO was developed by astronaut training specialists to utilize an undersea research habitat as a multi-objective mission analog for long-duration space flight. Each mission was designed to expose astronauts to extreme environments for training purposes and to research crew behavior, habitability, and space analog life sciences. All of this was done much in the model of a space mission utilizing specific crew procedures, mission rules and timelines. Objectives of the missions were very diverse and contained many of the typical space mission type activities such as EV As (also known as extra vehicular activities), in-habitat science and research, and educational, public outreach, and media events. Five missions, dubbed NEEMO 1-5, were conducted between October 2001 and July 2003, the longest of which (NEEMO 5) lasted 14 days.

Reagan, Marc↗
DOE OSTI2025

Chemist: A Domain-Specific Language by Chemists for Chemists

Managing the complexity of quantum chemistry (QC) software is key to ensuring it remains accessible, maintainable, and reusable. Noticeably missing from the QC ecosystem are modules targeting bottleneck routines. Here we argue that this is likely due to the difficulty in defining interfaces for such modules. To that end, we introduce the open-source, publicly available Chemist library https://github.com/NWChemEx/Chemist. Chemist is a domain-specific language targeting the QC domain. Chemist has been developed focusing on performance and user-friendliness. Using Chemist, QC tasks are defined using familiar domain concepts such as molecules, wave functions, and operators. The domain objects are hierarchical to ensure a systematic encapsulation of information. Key features of Chemist include: extensibility, the ability to alias existing data, and the ability to succinctly define many common QC tasks. The usefulness of Chemist is demonstrated by discussing the interface of NWChemEx’s Fock build module and by showcasing a proof-of-concept self-consistent field algorithm containing uncertainty propagation.

Algorithms↗
DOE OSTI2026

Results from the last DD and DT JET campaigns in the framework of the EUROfusion Tokamak Exploitation Work Package activity

JET, the only tokamak capable of operating with deuterium–tritium (D–T) fuel (since TFTR was shutdown in 1999), has provided essential experimental data to support ITER and DEMO design and operation. Within the EUROfusion Tokamak Exploitation Work Package, JET completed its final campaigns (2022–2023), culminating in the third D–T campaign (DTE3). These experiments addressed key challenges in plasma scenarios, exhaust control, and tritium management under reactor-relevant conditions. Significant progress was achieved in demonstrating ITER-like integrated scenarios with impurity seeding, achieving partial divertor detachment and high confinement ($H_{98}(y,2)$ ≈ 0.85) at 3 MA in D–T plasmas. Advanced exhaust regimes such as quasi-continuous exhaust (QCE) and X-point radiator (XPR) were successfully achieved first in D–D and then extended to D–T operation, confirming their relevance for mixed isotope operation. Operational milestones included a new world record of 69 MJ fusion energy in tritium-rich hybrid plasmas and long-pulse H-mode operation up to 60 s, contributing with unique data to the CICLOP database. Physics studies focused on peeling-limited pedestals in support of ITER and improved understanding of edge stability and impurity screening in metallic environments. Extensive usage of the shattered pellet injector (SPI) on JET provided critical information for the design of the ITER disruption mitigation system (DMS). Real-time control systems for D/T ratio control and plasma exhaust were deployed and demonstrated in D–D and D–T, while energetic particle physics investigations unfolded the role of fast ions in turbulence suppression mechanisms. Comprehensive tritium retention studies using gas balance method, post-mortem analysis, and ITER-relevant laser induced desorption spectroscopy (LIDS) diagnostics provided essential input for tritium accountancy strategies. These results are validating the ITER operational concepts, inform DEMO design, and deliver critical experience in nuclear operation and scenario integration.

disruptions↗
DOE OSTI2022

Wildfire Mitigation Plans in Power Systems: A Literature Review

Some of the deadliest wildfires in the U.S., such as California’s 2018 wildfires, have been ignited by power systems. In an effort to prevent and minimize the ignition of wildfires, or control them if ignited, energy companies have developed wildfire mitigation plans. This paper provides energy companies and power system operators, engineers, researchers, and suppliers an overview of the state-of-the-art studies that address key topics in these wildfire mitigation plans and compares the wildfire mitigation plans of several energy companies. The key topics include grid design and system hardening, asset management and inspection, situational awareness and forecasting, operational response, vegetation management, public safety power shutoff, and risk-spend efficiency. Here this paper also presents a comparison of several energy companies’ decision-making criteria for initiating a public safety power shutoff. Finally, we discuss opportunities for future research studies that could help energy companies prevent wildfire ignitions.

42 ENGINEERING↗