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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 577 records · Page 32
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

A comprehensive analysis of transient pressure and rate data from CO 2 storage projects in a depleted pinnacle reef oil field complex, Michigan, USA

Pressure and rate data are commonly recorded as part of a basic monitoring program in CCS projects. This paper discusses the application of multiple analytical techniques to interpret pressure and rate transient data from CO 2 injection and storage operations. The techniques of interest, i.e., injection-falloff analysis, injectivity/productivity index analysis and pressure pulse arrival time analysis, are commonly used in the oil and gas industry to assess reservoir properties, but not well known in the CCS literature (especially the last two). Injection-falloff analysis involves log-log pressure derivative plotting for the falloff data and history-matching of the entire injection-falloff sequence to determine permeability. In the injectivity/productivity index analysis, rate-normalized pressure buildup is plotted against material balance time or ratio of cumulative injection to injection rate to determine the injectivity index (ratio of injection rate to stabilized pressure buildup) which can be related to the permeability-thickness product. The arrival time analysis identifies the arrival of a pressure disturbance (~0.1 psi change from ambient) to determine the hydraulic diffusivity from which permeability can be estimated. The applicability of these techniques is demonstrated via illustrative examples from multiple wells in different pinnacle carbonate reefs undergoing CO 2 -EOR in Northern Michigan. The paper ends with a discussion of the relative merits of each interpretive technique, as well as recommendations that could be useful for other field projects.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

BEopt™ (Building Energy Optimization Tool) version 3.0.1 3/16/2023 [SWR-05-41]

The BEopt™ (Building Energy Optimization Tool) software provides capabilities to evaluate residential building designs and identify cost-optimal efficiency packages at various levels of whole-house energy savings along the path to zero net energy. The BEopt software can be used to analyze both new construction and existing home retrofits, as well as single-family detached and multi-family buildings, through evaluation of single building designs, parametric sweeps, and cost-based optimizations. The BEopt software provides detailed simulation-based analysis based on specific house characteristics, such as size, architecture, occupancy, vintage, location, and utility rates. Discrete envelope and equipment options, reflecting realistic construction materials and practices, are evaluated. The BEopt software uses EnergyPlus®, the Department of Energy's flagship simulation engine. Simulation assumptions are based on ANSI/RESNET/ICC Standards and the Building America Housing Simulation Protocols. The sequential search optimization technique used by the BEopt software: Finds minimum-cost building designs at different target energy-savings levels Identifies multiple near-optimal designs along the path, allowing for equivalent solutions based on builder or contractor preference. Download A BEopt™ Version 3.0.1 Beta release (Mar. 16, 2023) is now available. Download the BEopt 3.0.1 Beta setup file.

Christensen, Craig↗
DOE OSTI2026

Artificial intelligence tools for enzyme engineering and metabolic engineering

Enzyme engineering and metabolic engineering drive innovation in energy biotechnology. In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has supported successful applications in designing effective enzymes and productive microbial cell factories. This review summarizes recent advances in enzyme redesign using protein language models, de novo enzyme design with generative models, and AI tools for engineering metabolism and related cellular phenotypes. Across these areas, AI models are shifting from single modality inputs to integrated representations of protein function, metabolic pathways, and cell states. We emphasize that unifying the diverse data representations across scales will be necessary for advancements in energy biotechnology.

Volk, Michael [Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champai↗
DOE OSTI2022

NC State University Industrial Assessment Center. Final Report

This report documents work from the Industrial Assessment Center program at NC State University. The program is funded by the US Department of Energy Advanced Manufacturing Office. The IAC provides energy conservation assessments for small and medium sized manufacturers in NC, SC, and VA. Students are involved in all aspects of the assessment including the on-site visit, interacting with plant personnel, collecting data, performing engineering analyses on potential energy efficiency measures, and producing a technical report for the client.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2025

"A" is for Ammonia: Why and How Fertilizer May Power the Planet

Ammonia (chemical formula NH3) is so pervasive in our history that human beings simply wouldn't exist without it: 4 billion people on this planet are fed by food grown using ammonia fertilizer, but this powerful molecule consumes nearly 2% of the world's energy supply to be produced at an industrial scale. This talk will first explore the energy challenges of ammonia's current means of industrial production, followed by a new vision for its synthesis using only electricity, air and water, and opportunities to use ammonia as a hydrogen source. Fertilizer may one day fuel more than just our mouths.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Western Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership (Final Technical Report)

Since 2018, the Western Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership (CHP TAP) has been dedicated to advancing the adoption and implementation of Combined Heat and Power. The CHP TAP has diligently worked towards its mission of fostering end-user engagement, promoting technical solutions, and enhancing energy security within the region. As we reflect on our journey, we are proud to announce the completion of the required metrics set forth at the beginning of our endeavor. From the outset, our aim has been clear: to leverage CHP technology as a catalyst for bolstering American competitiveness, utilizing local fuels, and fortifying energy resilience. Through collaborative efforts with a diverse array of stakeholders, including manufacturing, commercial, institutional, and federal facilities, and campuses, we have strived to realize this vision. In this report, we outline the achievements, activities, and impact of the Western CHP TAP, highlighting the transformative journey undertaken since 2018. From providing technical assistance and guidance to conducting educational workshops and advocating for supportive policies, our initiatives have been guided by a commitment to excellence and innovation. As we celebrate the completion of our required metrics, we reaffirm our dedication to continuing our mission, building upon our accomplishments, and shaping a sustainable energy future for the Western region. Through ongoing collaboration and engagement, we are confident that the Western CHP TAP will continue to serve as a beacon of progress and a catalyst for positive change in the years to come.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2020

SAM™ (System Advisor Model™) [SWR-16-02, SWR-10-13]

See the SAM™ website to build a desktop version of the National Laboratory of the Rockies' (NLR's) System Advisor Model™ (SAM). https://sam.nlr.gov/ The System Advisor Model™ (SAM™) is a free techno-economic software model that facilitates decision-making for people in the renewable energy industry: -Project managers and engineers -Policy analysts -Technology developers -Researchers SAM can model many types of renewable energy systems: -Photovoltaic systems, from small residential rooftop to large utility-scale systems -Battery storage with Lithium ion, lead acid, or flow batteries for front-of-meter or behind-the-meter applications -Concentrating Solar Power systems for electric power generation, including parabolic trough, power tower, and linear Fresnel -Industrial process heat from parabolic trough and linear Fresnel systems -Wind power, from individual turbines to large wind farms -Marine energy wave and tidal systems -Solar water heating -Fuel cells -Geothermal power generation -Biomass combustion for power generation -High concentration photovoltaic systems SAM's financial models are for the following types of projects: -Residential and commercial projects where the renewable energy system is on the customer side of the electric utility meter (behind the meter), and power from the system is used to reduce the customer's electricity bill. -Power purchase agreement (PPA) projects where the system is connected to the grid at an interconnection point, and the project earns revenue through power sales. The project may be owned and operated by a single owner or by a partnership involving a flip or leaseback arrangement. -Third party ownership where the system is installed on the customer's (host) property and owned by a separate entity (developer), and the host is compensated for power generated by the system through either a PPA or lease agreement. For a more detailed description of SAM, see Blair et al. (2018), System Advisor Model (SAM) General Description (Version 2017.9.5), NREL/TP-6A20-70414. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy18osti/70414.pdf

Ryberg, David↗
DOE OSTI2024

Beyond the Hype: Navigating the Promise and Pitfalls of Multi-Modal Models for Materials Science

Multi-modal models offer great potential for accelerating discovery in materials and chemical systems, but their adoption raises crucial questions: What materials science challenges are best addressed by multi-modal approaches? How do we weigh the benefits against the resource investment required for multi-modal data acquisition? And critically, how can we optimize experimental workflows to leverage these models effectively? In this presentation, I will delve into the development of multi-modal characterization and analytics, focusing on their application in the demanding fields of next-generation microelectronics and energy storage materials. I will share challenges encountered in designing these workflows, highlighting lessons learned and posing questions that remain unanswered.

AI↗
DOE OSTI2020

Power and Wind Shear Implications of Large Wind Turbine Scenarios in the US Central Plains

Continued growth of wind turbine physical dimensions is examined in terms of the implications for wind speed, power and shear across the rotor plane. High-resolution simulations with the Weather Research and Forecasting model are used to generate statistics of wind speed profiles for scenarios of current and future wind turbines. The nine-month simulations, focused on the eastern Central Plains, show that the power scales broadly as expected with the increase in rotor diameter (D) and wind speeds at hub-height (H). Increasing wind turbine dimensions from current values (approximately H = 100 m, D = 100 m) to those of the new International Energy Agency reference wind turbine (H = 150 m, D = 240 m), the power across the rotor plane increases 7.1 times. The mean domain-wide wind shear exponent (α) decreases from 0.21 (H = 100 m, D = 100 m) to 0.19 for the largest wind turbine scenario considered (H = 168 m, D = 248 m) and the frequency of extreme positive shear (α > 0.2) declines from 48% to 38% of 10-min periods. Thus, deployment of larger wind turbines potentially yields considerable net benefits for both the wind resource and reductions in fatigue loading related to vertical shear.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Wind Turbine Maintenance Costs: Assessing the Potential of Gear Oil Improvements

Wind turbine operations & maintenance (O&M) costs constitute a sizable portion of total energy cost for wind power. There are many components in a utility-scale wind turbine that need to be lubricated with either oil or grease. This study uses gearbox oil as an example and assesses how lubricant technology improvements may impact wind turbine power production and levelized cost of energy. Using the modeling tools (i.e., WOMBAT, reV, and SAM) developed at National Renewable Energy Laboratory and lubrication oil technology scenarios defined based on inputs provided by ExxonMobil and industry stakeholders, we quantify the potential for increasing energy production and reducing maintenance costs across the current and future U.S. fleet of wind turbines as a result of improvements in lubrication technologies. The modeled improvements reduce the median levelized cost of energy by 1-2% across the U.S. fleet. Cumulative saving from gear oil technology improvements in 2050 for U.S. fleet is estimated to be approximately $6 billion. Extending the lubricant replacement interval has a larger impact on total cost and energy production than reducing lubricant cost.

costs↗
DOE OSTI2024

Cyber Resilience and Social Equity: Twin Pillars of a Sustainable Energy Future

This paper examines the intersection of security and accessibility within energy systems amidst the rise of grid modernization and digitization, especially considering the regulatory changes and the imperatives of inclusive energy strategies. It addresses the dual need for secure, resilient infrastructure and a commitment to mitigate energy poverty while maintaining equitable access to energy. Amid escalating cybersecurity and physical threats, the paper advocates for sustainable energy delivery systems that ensure robust defenses without compromising the goals of reducing energy poverty and ensuring energy security. This paper identifies the pressing need for Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE) and Secure-by-Design (SbD) principles, highlighting how these strategies can protect critical infrastructure and democratize access to secure energy, particularly for disadvantaged communities. The analysis underscores the challenges presented by the expansion of attack surfaces, interoperability requirements, and grid-edge analytics, offering innovative solutions that leverage advanced technologies and data-driven insights. Furthermore, this paper addresses the workforce development gap, emphasizing the necessity for public-private partnerships and vendor engagement in creating a skilled cybersecurity workforce. This paper has a dual focus on both the technological aspect of cybersecurity and the social dimension of equity within the context of sustainable energy development. It suggests a comprehensive examination of how these two critical elements interact and support the overarching goal of a sustainable energy future.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evaluating the Impact of Off-Design CHP Performance on the Optimal Sizing and Dispatch on Hybrid Renewable-CHP Distributed Energy Resources

The maturation of distributed energy resources (DER) has prompted the exploration of their deployment in commercial building applications due to their potential to supply energy at lower costs and emissions rates compared to centralized generation. While several software tools exist for evaluating the techno-economic potential of integrated renewable energy and combined heat and power (CHP) systems for distributed generation applications, many suffer from poor accuracy in capturing off-design (part load and changes in ambient air temperature and pressure) performance characteristics of microturbines, combustion turbines, or internal combustion engines. Thus, this paper presents a methodology for integrating these off-design characteristics in the mixed-integer linear program within REopt, a hybrid DER screening tool. The economic impact of the CHP off-design performance is observed through several application studies of various hybrid system configurations in different climates. Each study indicates how CHP off-design performance influences optimal sizing and dispatch decisions and therefore overall system economic value. We observe through case studies that modeling without the off-design effects, depending on the CHP prime mover and site, can result in Net Present Value predictions of hybrid systems that can be overoptimistic in frequently hot climates (up to 52%), too conservative in frequently cold climates (up to 11%), or unaffected (+/-1%) in temperate climates. Cases also highlight several advantages of hybrid systems relative to non-hybrid systems such as total economic value and the systems' ability to mitigate potentially negative consequences attributed to off-design performance.

ambient de-rate↗
DOE OSTI2026

Controllable Formation of Threefold-Coordinated Oxygen in Graphene by Low-Energy Ion Implantation

The atomically precise engineering of impurities in graphene and the understanding of their structural and carrier-dependent electronic properties at the nanoscale are crucial for advancing graphene-based nanoelectronics, catalysis, and energy technologies. Here, we demonstrate controllable incorporation of the elusive 3-fold-coordinated O substitutions into graphene using low-energy O + ion implantation under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions. By combining high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/S), bond-resolved noncontact atomic force microscopy techniques, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we resolve both the structural and electronic properties of the O-related defects. The STM/S measurements, corroborated by DFT calculations, uncover a characteristic impurity state that is energetically pinned to the Dirac point across different charge-carrier doping regimes. Molecular dynamics simulations further reveal the distribution of implantation-induced configurations and identify the formation of 3-fold-coordinated O dopants. Furthermore, this work provides a viable route to incorporate 3-fold-coordinated O dopants and opens new opportunities for controlled defect engineering in graphene.

3-fold-coordinated oxygen↗
DOE OSTI2020

Engineering the Microstructure and Morphology of Explosive Films via Control of Interfacial Energy

Physical vapor deposition of organic explosives enables growth of polycrystalline films with a unique microstructure and morphology compared to the bulk material. This study demonstrates the ability to control crystal orientation and porosity in pentaerythritol tetranitrate films by varying the interfacial energy between the substrate and the vapor-deposited explosive. Additionally, variation in density, porosity, surface roughness, and optical properties is achieved in the explosive film, with significant implications for initiation sensitivity and detonation performance of the explosive material. Various surface science techniques, including angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and multiliquid contact angle analysis, are utilized to characterize interfacial characteristics between the substrate and explosive film. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy of pentaerythritol tetranitrate surfaces and fracture cross sections illustrate the difference in morphology evolution and the microstructure achieved through surface energy modification. X-ray diffraction studies with the Tilt-A-Whirl three-dimensional pole figure rendering and texture analysis software suite reveal that high surface energy substrates result in a preferred (110) out-of-plane orientation of pentaerythritol tetranitrate crystallites and denser films. Low surface energy substrates create more randomly textured pentaerythritol tetranitrate and lead to nanoscale porosity and lower density films. This work furthers the scientific basis for interfacial engineering of polycrystalline organic explosive films through control of surface energy, enabling future study of dynamic and reactive detonative phenomena at the microscale. Results of this study also have potential applications to active pharmaceutical ingredients, stimuli-responsive polymer films, organic thin film transistors, and other areas.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Computational design of microarchitected porous electrodes for redox flow batteries

Porous electrodes are used as the core reactive component across electrochemical technologies. In flowing systems, controlling the fluid distribution, species transport, and reactive environment is critical to attaining high performance. However, conventional electrode materials like felts and papers provide few opportunities for precise engineering of the electrode and its microstructure. To address these limitations, architected electrodes composed of unit cells with spatially varying geometry determined via computational optimization are proposed. Resolved simulation is employed to develop a homogenized description of the constituent unit cells. These effective properties serve as inputs to a continuum model for the electrode when used in the negative half-cell of a vanadium redox flow battery. Porosity distributions minimizing power loss are then determined via computational design optimization to generate architected porosity electrodes. The architected electrodes are compared to bulk, uniform porosity electrodes and found to lead to increased power efficiency across operating flow rates and currents. The design methodology is further used to generate a scaled-up electrode with comparable power efficiency to the bench-scale systems. Finally, the variable porosity architecture and computational design methodology presented here thus offers a novel pathway for automatically generating spatially engineered electrode structures with improved power performance.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Tuning bandgap and energy stability of Organic-Inorganic halide perovskites through surface engineering

Organohalide perovskite with a variety of surface structures and morphologies have shown promising potential owing to the choice of the type of heterostructure dependent stability. We systematically investigate and discuss the impact of 2-dimensional molybdenum-disulphide (MoS 2 ), molybdenum-diselenide (MoSe 2 ), tungsten-disulphide (WS 2 ), tungsten-diselenide (WSe 2 ), boron-nitiride (BN) and graphene monolayers on bandgap and energy stability of organic–inorganic halide perovskites. We found that MAPbI 3 deposited on BN-ML shows room temperature stability (-25 meV ~ 300 K) with an optimal bandgap of ~ 1.68 eV. The calculated absorption coefficient also lies in the visible-light range with a maximum of 4.9 × 10 4 cm –1 achieved at 2.8 eV photon energy. Furthermore, on the basis of our calculations, we suggest that the encapsulation of an organic–inorganic halide perovskite monolayers by semiconducting monolayers potentially provides greater flexibility for tuning the energy stability and the bandgap.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Healable Coatings as a Mechanism to Repair Leading Edge Erosion in Wind Energy

Wind turbine blades are highly engineered structures designed to face temperature extremes and high winds. However, erosion of the blade's leading edge and subsequent repair remains a significant and costly challenge for the wind energy industry. Repair of these leading edges can lead to large amounts of downtime for the turbine and significant operational inefficiencies. In this work, the strength of adhesion and healing ability of a commercially available vitrimer (Mallinda's VITRIMAX) was compared to that of a thermoplastic resin, which has previously been demonstrated in wind energy applications (Arkema's Elium) to evaluate their efficacy as surface coatings for wind turbine blades, particularly their leading edges. Vitrimers are a class of inherently reprocessable thermosets, and it was theorized that vitrimer-based leading edge coatings could enable more robust and efficient wind turbine blades with decreased operational downtime and safer maintenance practices. It was found that the VITRIMAX adhered better to the wind blades' surfaces than both the manufacturer's paint and Elium, with increases in pull-off strength of adhesion ranging from 24% to 83% above that of the original paint. Furthermore, the VITRIMAX adhered strongly to the underlying composite of each blade with strength of adhesion values increasing in ranges from 42% to 97% above that of the original paint. Finally, the vitrimer coating showed an 88% decrease in surface roughness compared to end-of-life blade materials, and initial healing demonstrations in which coatings were manually scratched and subsequently healed exhibited an ~84.5% decrease in scratch depths.

Hubbard, Amber [ORNL]↗