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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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Assessing and Advancing the Potential of Quantum Computing: A NASA Case Study

Quantum computing is one of the most enticing computational paradigms with the potential to revolutionize diverse areas of future-generation computational systems. While quantum computing hardware has advanced rapidly, from tiny laboratory experiments to quantum chips that can outperform even the largest supercomputers on specialized computational tasks, these noisy- intermediate scale quantum (NISQ) processors are still too small and non-robust to be directly useful for any real-world applications. In this paper, we describe NASA’s work in assessing and advancing the potential of quantum computing. We discuss advances in algorithms, both near- and longer-term, and the results of our explorations on current hardware as well as with simulations, including illustrating the benefits of algorithm-hardware codesign in the NISQ era. This work also includes physics-inspired classical algorithms that can be used at application scale today. We discuss innovative tools supporting the assessment and advancement of quantum computing, and describe improved methods for simulating quantum systems of various types on high performance computing systems that incorporate realistic error models. We provide an overview of recent methods for benchmarking, evaluating, and characterizing quantum hardware for error mitigation, computational purposes.

quantum computing↗
DOE OSTI2025

Supporting New Advanced Nuclear Technologies for Commercial-Maritime Applications

The ANS summary doesn't require an abstract, but I will produce one for the purpose of LRS: The large demand for maritime nuclear power underscores the need for experimental campaigns and modeling and simulation of new advanced reactors, which offer numerous advantages in terms of safety, efficiency, and compactness. INL, through the work conducted by NRIC and ABS, has addressed some of the technical, regulatory, and economic aspects of potential nuclear commercial maritime applications. However, on the technical side, there remain important physical phenomena, particularly for advanced reactors, that are not yet fully understood. Addressing these knowledge gaps requires a combination of experiments and advanced modeling and simulation techniques. INL possesses significant expertise in Multiphysics modeling and simulation. By collaborating with INL, the maritime nuclear sector can leverage this expertise to advance the development and deployment of innovative nuclear technologies.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Environmental Durability Assessment and Development of Subcomponent Test Methods for Advanced Materials in Marine Energy Applications: Preprint

Marine energy developers are beginning to rely more heavily on advanced composite materials for their load bearing structures. Understanding how these materials respond and degrade in harsh marine environments is a complex problem. Much research has been performed at smaller laboratory scales to understand the fundamental physical and chemical degradation mechanisms, but little structural testing research has been performed at larger scales to understand how these physical and chemical interactions scale and how they should be accounted for in the design process. The Advanced Materials project is a multilaboratory research collaboration that has been addressing these issues with the intention of reducing risks and barriers to marine energy developers wanting to adopt advanced composite materials. The National Laboratory of the Rockies has been playing a leading role in developing larger scale testing infrastructure and test methods to validate complex numerical degradation models and standardize testing procedures to do so. This paper provides a review of past structural testing activities and how they have grown into current research activities and will continue to evolve into the future to directly address industry needs. This paper covers key research areas large-scale water absorption and subsequent structural validation testing, qualification of bolted and adhesive connections, and conducting combined submerged fatigue testing at increasing scales. This paper provides insights into the complex requirements for testing infrastructure and test method development to effectively qualify materials and certify marine energy structures for harsh marine environments. This research program paves the way for better guidance and standardization within the industry when adopting advanced composite materials.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

Providing Experimental Infrastructure for Accelerating Advanced Reactor Demonstrations through the National Reactor Innovation Center

A suite of experimental infrastructure projects has been developed by the National Reactor Innovation Center to accelerate advanced reactor demonstrations and facilitate their development, addressing crucial gaps in data, materials characterization, and modeling. First, the Molten Salt Thermophysical Examination Capability (MSTEC) provides a specialized platform for post-irradiation characterization of molten salt reactor fuel, coolant salts, and structural materials, essential for supporting the design and operation of advanced reactors and future commercial molten salt reactor development and licensing. The Virtual Test Bed (VTB) complements these efforts by leveraging advanced modeling and simulation tools to evaluate reactor performance and safety. Serving as a library of reference models, the VTB offers a database of multiphysics reactor models, facilitating rapid safety evaluations and includes continuous software quality assurance, crucial for accelerating deployment while maintaining reliability. Additionally, the Helium Component Test Facility (HeCTF) addresses the need for high-temperature helium-cooled reactor component testing. As the first-of-its-kind facility in the United States, HeCTF emulates high-temperature gas reactor conditions, reducing time and cost associated with component validation, thereby accelerating reactor development. Finally, In-cell Thermal Creep Frames provide a unique solution for obtaining thermal creep data from irradiated materials, critical for materials qualification and licensing. Developed by the National Reactor Innovation Center, these compact frames enable the examination of previously irradiated materials, overcoming traditional limitations and enhancing the understanding of mechanical properties crucial for reactor development. Collectively, these experimental infrastructure projects form a comprehensive framework aimed at expediting advanced reactor demonstrations, fostering innovation, and ensuring the viability of next-generation nuclear energy solutions.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Evapotranspiration of advanced perennial bioenergy grasses produced on marginal land in the U.S. Midwest

The production of dedicated energy crops for biofuel and co-products can help develop a sustainable and viable bioeconomy under a changing climate. The co-production of perennial bioenergy and commodity crops in an agricultural landscape has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide numerous ecosystem services. However, as production of advanced, higher-yielding cultivars occurs, their impact on water resources needs to be considered. Estimates of evapotranspiration (ET) of perennial grasses compared to commodity crops are not always consistent in the literature. In this study, ET was estimated using an energy-balance model with Landsat satellite imagery and ground-based weather data to compare the large-scale production of advanced switchgrass cultivars (‘Independence’, ‘Liberty’, and ‘Carthage’), predecessor cultivars (‘Shawnee’ and ‘Sunburst’), and other perennial grasses (big bluestem and a low-diversity mixture) to corn grown continuously on marginal soils in the U.S. Midwest. Results showed significant differences in ET between corn and perennial grass treatments at four of the five field sites. However, differences between crop treatments were not consistent across sites, nor were the differences between advanced and predecessor switchgrass varieties. Production year played a large role in daily and cumulative ET across all sites. Differences in crop biomass yield between establishment and post-establishment years may contribute to these interannual differences. Site and interannual variations in precipitation and temperature may also be major contributing factors. Overall, the results of this study indicate that differences in ET between perennial bioenergy grasses and corn are likely dependent upon location of production and weather conditions.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Operating advanced scientific instruments with AI agents that learn on the job

Advanced scientific user facilities, such as next generation X-ray light sources and self-driving laboratories, are revolutionizing scientific discovery by automating routine tasks and enabling rapid experimentation and characterizations. However, these facilities must continuously evolve to support new experimental workflows, adapt to diverse user projects, and meet growing demands for more intricate instruments and experiments. This continuous development introduces significant operational complexity, necessitating a focus on usability, reproducibility, and intuitive human-instrument interaction. In this work, we explore the integration of agentic AI, powered by Large Language Models (LLMs), as a transformative tool to achieve this goal. We present our approach to developing a human-in-the-loop pipeline for operating advanced instruments including an X-ray nanoprobe beamline and an autonomous robotic station dedicated to the design and characterization of materials. Specifically, we evaluate the potential of various LLMs as trainable scientific assistants for orchestrating complex, multi-task workflows, which also include multimodal data, optimizing their performance through optional human input and iterative learning. We demonstrate the ability of AI agents to bridge the gap between advanced automation and user-friendly operation, paving the way for more adaptable and intelligent scientific facilities.

Large Language Models↗
DOE OSTI2025

Material Needs and Measurement Challenges for Advanced Semiconductor Packaging: Understanding the Soft Side of Science

This Perspective builds upon insights from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-organized workshop, “Materials and Metrology Needs for Advanced Semiconductor Packaging Strategies,” held at the 35th annual Electronics Packaging Symposium in Binghamton, NY, on September 5, 2024. It outlines critical challenges and opportunities related to polymer-based “soft” materials in advanced semiconductor packaging, with emphasis on polymer science, measurement science (metrology), and the strategic development of Research-Grade Test Materials (RGTMs). These efforts, led by the NIST CHIPS team, aim to advance the fundamental understanding of structure-property-processing relationships, promote standardized guidelines and innovative methods for material characterization, and accelerate the development, qualification, and adoption of next-generation packaging materials. The Perspective also distills key insights from the panel discussion with industry experts, emphasizing the need for close collaboration among materials scientists, process engineers, and metrology experts to enable a holistic strategy, further highlighting the importance of cross-sector partnerships among industry, academia, and government to address pressing challenges in packaging materials and processes.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Minkowski difference-based advancing front packing technique for generating convex noncircular particles in complex domains

In this work, a Minkowski difference-based advancing front approach is proposed to generate convex and non-circular particles in a predefined computational domain. Two specific algorithms are developed to handle the contact conformity of generated particles with the boundaries of the computational domain. The first, called the open form, is used to handle the smooth contact of generated particles with (external) boundaries, while the other, called the closed form, is proposed to handle the internal boundaries of a computational domain with a complex cavity. The Gilbert-Johnson-Keerthi (GJK) method is used to efficiently solve the contact detection between the newly generated particle at the front and existing particles. Furthermore, the problem of one-sided particle lifting, which can cause some defects in the packing structure in existing advancing front methods during packing generation, is highlighted and an effective solution is developed. Several examples of increasing complexity are used to demonstrate the efficiency and applicability of the proposed packing generation approach. The numerical results show that the generated packing is not only more uniform, but also achieves a higher packing density than existing advancing front methods.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Development of a Griffin model of the advanced test reactor

In the pursuit of a higher fidelity deterministic simulation capability of the Advanced Test Reactor, it is important to have a fast yet accurate deterministic neutronics model. Here, to achieve this, we employed an advanced two-step method. The first step involves generating homogenized cross sections using OpenMC, a cutting-edge Monte Carlo neutron transport code. OpenMC offers excellent modular capabilities, allowing for easy component integration and flexibility in incorporating new designs into the model. The second step involves deterministic transport calculations, which are performed using Griffin, a reactor physics application based on the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE). To ensure the accurate spatial resolution and assignment of material cross sections, a Cubit-generated mesh for the Advanced Test Reactor is utilized as an intermediate step between the OpenMC and Griffin models; Griffin utilizes the mesh for its finite element solution, while OpenMC material identifications are written to the mesh file to be used in Griffin material assignments. Additionally, a Python-based script converts the cross sections generated by OpenMC into the ISOXML format required by Griffin. Initial comparisons using the Griffin diffusion solver indicated good agreement between the neutron multiplication factors obtained from the standalone OpenMC model and the Griffin model, with differences of less than 10 pcm in the 2D geometry configuration; it was later determined that this agreement was likely due to compensating effect and was more likely on the order of –700 pcm relative to the OpenMC solution. However, in three-dimensional calculations, an unacceptably large error (almost 8,000 pcm) was found in the Griffin solution with the diffusion solver. Subsequent calculations using Griffin’s discrete ordinates solver demonstrated substantially improved agreement, within 116 pcm of the OpenMC solution used to generate the cross sections for Griffin. Building on this capability, future work will seek to perform more detailed validation calculations. The ultimate goal is to evaluate both transient and multiphysics simulations of the reactor.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2021

A NEA review on innovative structural materials solutions, including advanced manufacturing processes for nuclear applications based on technology readiness assessment

The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Expert Group on Innovative Structural Materials (EGISM) was established in 2008 under the guidance of the Nuclear Science Committee (NSC). Its objectives are to conduct joint and comparative studies to support the development, selection and characterisation of innovative structural materials that can be implemented in advanced nuclear fuel cycles, under long service lifetime and extreme conditions, such as high temperature, high dose/dose rate and corrosive chemical environments. In this context of growing interest and initiatives, the EGISM initiated at the beginning of 2018 an activity among its members to: Identify, in a non-exhaustive way, the currently existing programs on innovative materials and fabrication processes in NEA member countries and China; Establish a first cartography of the activities that are underway on these topics and identify common subjects and thematic; Propose a Technology Readiness Level scale to estimate the maturity of both innovative materials and fabrication processes; Carry out a reflection on what the enablers are to quickly climb this TRL scale, as well as the obstacles, in order to identify solutions to overcome them. This paper first gives definitions shared between the EGISM members on what are considered as advanced structural materials solutions. Next, some international initiatives for the accelerated development of high performance materials are presented both in non-nuclear and nuclear fields. Then, the methodology adopted for technology readiness assessment is explained. A non-exhaustive synthesis of the projects identified among the EGISM members on innovative structural materials and advanced manufacturing solutions such as additive manufacturing is presented. The TRL level of these projects is evaluated. A focus is also made on some of these projects to illustrate and explain the TRLs chosen as well as highlighting enablers or obstacles identified to climbing up the TRL scale.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

A framework to implement human reliability analysis during early design stages of advanced reactors

Nuclear power plants require human actions throughout their lifecycle from design, construction, operation, and decommissioning. However, for advanced reactors (e.g., Generation IV), the reliance on human intervention in safety-related actions is expected to be reduced or completely replaced by automated actions. The Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) Standard for Advanced Non-LWR Nuclear Power Plants requires that the impacts of all operator actions are captured and incorporated in the risk of the modeled plant. Moreover, the Modernization of Technical Requirements for Licensing Advanced Reactors requires human reliability analysis (HRA) to be included throughout all design and PRA development stages. However, due to the lack of details during the early design stages, HRA is often postponed until the design is mature enough. Conducting HRA in later design stages, though it may be adequate in capturing pre-, at-, and post-initiators comes short of informing the design itself in the iterative design lifecycle. Hence, this paper presents a framework to include HRA during the design's early stages, pre-conceptual or conceptual. The proposed framework provides a process for the removal of operator actions that do not contribute to the risk and the identification of all key operator actions that are critical to the safety of the design. The results of this framework are then used to inform the design of those safety-related operator actions to update the design further. Then, using information from the updated design, this framework can be reapplied to investigate the impact of the design update on human reliability. The PRA model of the X-energy's pre-conceptual Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled pebble-bed reactor (HTGR-PB) design is used to demonstrate the approach. In the pre-conceptual Xe-100 PRA model, also called Phase 0 PRA model, human actions were considered an integral part of analyzing the plant response to different initiating events. Hence, in this paper, all possible human actions in the Xe-100 PRA model are identified, analyzed, and removed to emulate a design relying only on the available automated control systems. The preliminary results of this assessment show how safe the Xe-100 design is even without crediting any human actions. The results also list necessary sequences in which operator actions are critical to the risk profile of the design.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Perovskite-Derived Cs 2 SnCl 6 –Silica Composites as Advanced Waste Forms for Chloride Salt Wastes

Advanced materials and processes are required to separate halides and fission products from complex salt waste streams associated with the chemical reprocessing of used nuclear fuels and molten salt reactor technologies for immobilization into chemically durable waste forms. Here, in this work, we explore an innovative concept using metal-halide perovskites as advanced host phases to incorporate Cs and Cl with very high waste loadings. Wet chemistry-synthesized Cs 2 SnCl 6 powders from CsCl salt solutions are successfully encapsulated into a silica matrix to form a composite using low-temperature spark plasma sintering with tunable Cs and Cl loadings up to 31 wt.% and 26 wt.%, respectively. Chemical durability testing of the composite waste forms by semi-dynamic leaching experiments demonstrates that incongruent leaching mechanism dominated. The metal-halide perovskite-silica composite waste forms display exceptional chemical durability with the long-term release rates of Cs and Cl comparable to or outperforming the state-of-the-art waste form materials but with significantly higher waste loadings. The scalable synthesis of the metal-halide perovskite from wet-chemistry processes opens up new opportunities in designing perovskite-glass composite waste forms for salt wastes with very high waste loadings and exceptional chemical durability for the sustainable development of advanced fuel cycles and next-generation reactor technologies.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2021

The advanced tokamak path to a compact net electric fusion pilot plant

Abstract Physics-based simulations project a compact net electric fusion pilot plant with a nuclear testing mission is possible at modest scale based on the advanced tokamak concept, and identify key parameters for its optimization. These utilize a new integrated 1.5D core-edge approach for whole device modeling to predict performance by self-consistently applying transport, pedestal and current drive models to converge fully non-inductive stationary solutions, predicting profiles and energy confinement for a given density. This physics-based approach leads to new insights and understanding of reactor optimization. In particular, the levering role of high plasma density is identified, which raises fusion performance and self-driven ‘bootstrap currents’, to reduce current drive demands and enable high pressure with net electricity at a compact scale. Solutions at 6–7 T, ∼4 m radius and 200 MW net electricity are identified with margins and trade-offs possible between parameters. Current drive comes from neutral beam and ultra-high harmonic (helicon) fast wave, though other advanced approaches are not ruled out. The resulting low recirculating power in a double null configuration leads to a divertor heat flux challenge that is comparable to ITER, though reactor solutions may require more dissipation. Strong H-mode access (x2 margin over L–H transition scalings) and ITER-like heat fluxes are maintained with ∼20%–60% core radiation, though effects on confinement need further analysis. Neutron wall loadings appear tolerable. The approach would benefit from high temperature superconductors, as higher fields would increase performance margins while potential for demountability may facilitate nuclear testing. However, solutions are possible with conventional superconductors. An advanced load sharing and reactive bucking approach in the device centerpost region provides improved mechanical stress handling. The prospect of an affordable test device which could close the loop on net-electric production and conduct essential nuclear materials and breeding research is compelling, motivating research to validate the techniques and models employed here.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

ATS (Advanced Terrestrial Simulator) integrated hydrology and reactive transport model output in Copper Creek, Colorado

This dataset is generated using the ATS (Advanced Terrestrial Simulator) model at Copper Creek, Colorado, the largest catchment in the East River watershed. ATS is an integrated hydrology and reactive transport model to simulate the Concentration-Discharge (C-Q) relationship, and is used to quantify the geochemical export and understand how watersheds respond to climate disturbances. Key hydrogeochemical variables, including discharge, precipitation, evapotranspiration, and geochemical concentrations, were simulated and output at a daily frequency at the Copper Creek outlet. A group of hydrology and geochemical model variables over the spatial domain are output at a bi-monthly frequency. The model used 1-km resolution daily frequency Daymet meteorological forcing, and mineral composition from previous studies. The simulations are performed on NERSC. The datasets include the input files for running the ATS (Advanced Terrestrial Simulator) simulation, including the mesh file, input script and geochemical model files. The output files from the ATS (Advanced Terrestrial Simulator) are the daily time-series discharge and geochemical concentration simulated at the outlet of Copper Creek, and the bi-monthly spatial output over the simulation domain.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Energy Consumption and Cost Reduction of Future Light-Duty Vehicles through Advanced Vehicle Technologies: A Modeling Simulation Study Through 2050

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) and Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) aim to develop sustainable, affordable and efficient technologies for transportation of goods and people. Translating investments in advanced transportation component technologies and powertrains to estimate vehicle-level fuel savings potential is critical for understanding DOE’s impact. In this work, we simulated technologies funded by VTO and HFTO for light duty vehicles. The simulations were performed across: Multiple powertrain configurations (i.e., conventional, power-split, extended-range electric vehicle, battery electric drive, and fuel-cell vehicles), Vehicle classes (i.e., compact car, midsize car, small sport utility vehicle [SUV], midsize SUV, and pickup trucks); and Fuels (i.e., gasoline, diesel, hydrogen, and battery electricity). These various technologies are assessed for six different timeframes: laboratory years 2015, 2020, 2025, 2030, and 2045. A delay of 5 years is assumed between laboratory year and model year (year technology is introduced into production). Finally, uncertainties are included for both technology performance and cost aspects by considering two cases: Low case, aligned with DOE technology manager estimates of expected original equipment manufacturer (OEM) improvements based on regulations, business as usual; and High case, aligned with aggressive technology advancements based on R&D targets developed through support by VTO & HFTO. These scenarios are not intended as predictions of future performances. The energy and cost impact of different technologies were estimated using Autonomie (www.autonomie.net), Argonne vehicle system simulation tool. Autonomie is a state-of-the-art vehicle system simulation tool used to assess the energy consumption, performance and cost of multiple advanced vehicle technologies across classes (from light to heavy duty), powertrains (from conventional to HEVs, FCEVs, PHEVs and BEVs), components and control strategies. Autonomie is packaged with a complete set of vehicle models for a wide range of vehicle classes, powertrain configurations and component technologies, including vehicle level and component level controls. These controls were developed and calibrated using dynamometer test data. Autonomie has been used to support a wide range of studies including analyzing various component technologies, sizing powertrains components for different vehicle requirements, comparing the benefits of powertrain configurations, optimizing both heuristic and route based vehicle energy control and predicting transportation energy use when paired with a traffic modeling tool such as POLARIS. This report documents the assumptions and estimates the vehicle-level energy consumption benefits and associated technology costs for the various types of light duty vehicles. All details of vehicle assumptions and simulation results are available in the spreadsheets accompanying this report.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2020

SMART Mobility. Advanced Fueling Infrastructure Capstone Report

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Systems and Modeling for Accelerated Research in Transportation (SMART) Mobility Consortium is a multiyear, multi-laboratory collaborative, managed by the Energy Efficient Mobility Systems Program of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Vehicle Technologies Office, dedicated to further understanding the energy implications and opportunities of advanced mobility technologies and services. The first three-year research phase of SMART Mobility occurred from 2017 through 2019 and included five research pillars: Connected and Automated Vehicles, Mobility Decision Science, Multi-Modal Freight, Urban Science, and Advanced Fueling Infrastructure. A sixth research thrust integrated aspects of all five pillars to develop a SMART Mobility Modeling Workflow to evaluate new transportation technologies and services at scale. This report summarizes the work of the Advanced Fueling Infrastructure Pillar. This Pillar investigated the charging infrastructure needs of electric ride-hailing and car-sharing vehicles, automated shuttle buses, and freight-delivery truck fleets. For information about the other Pillars and about the SMART Mobility Modeling Workflow, please refer to the relevant Pillar’s Capstone Report.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2021

Laser-based Adhesion Strength Measurements for Advanced Manufactured Sensor Adhesion Characterization

As part of the advanced manufacturing (AM) focus of the Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET) Advanced Sensors and Instrumentation (ASI) Program, new in-house capabilities to fabricate and test novel active and passive in-pile sensors are being developed at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). These advanced-manufactured sensors, such as peak temperature monitors and strain gauges, must be miniaturized and be able to provide real-time feedback, all while withstanding the coupled extremes of temperature and radiation typically observed in the environment of a nuclear test reactor. Fabricating durable and robust in-pile sensors with high fidelity requires a fundamental understanding of the optimal process parameters required in the AM technique, as well as the effect of deviations from optimal process parameters on the sensor-substrate adhesion and the ultimate robustness of the sensor. This report presents the use of a laser-based, non-contact approach for characterizing the adhesion of sensors manufactured using aerosol jet printing (AJP) that comprise of silver nanoparticle inks deposited and sintered on austenitic stainless steel (SS) 316L substrates. The effect of substrate surface roughness, surface energy, ink sintering time and sintering temperature on the printed sensor topography and the sensor-substrate adhesion has been systematically investigated. The sensor-substrate interfacial adhesion strength was determined from the critical laser pulse energy required to ablate/ detach the printed sensor from the substrate. Measurements of the sensor topography using optical profilometry revealed that post-deposition sintering at 400°C for 60 minutes resulted in a reduced sensor thickness, while plasma treating the substrate prior to printing yielded sensors with uniform thickness profiles transverse to the print direction. Sintering temperature and time were found to be the dominant parameters that affected sensor-substrate adhesion, followed by substrate surface roughness. The laser-based and locally-destructive approach for adhesion strength measurements shows promise in overcoming the challenges and limitations of current standardized peel tests and can be developed into a post-fabrication process control protocol for evaluating the durability of AM printed sensors in a high throughput fashion. Future studies will investigate the use of laser-induced spallation techniques as well as non-destructive laser ultrasonic methods for sensor-substrate adhesion characterization on sensors manufactured using AJP and other AM techniques such as plasma jet printing (PJP).

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Synthetic Electricity Market Data Generation and HERON Use Case Setup of Advanced Nuclear Reactors Coupled with Thermal Energy Storage Systems

This study evaluates and optimizes advanced nuclear reactors coupled with thermal energy storage (TES) systems in an Integrated Energy System (IES) architecture to enable advanced nuclear power plants (A NPP) to participate in multi-commodity markets, thus enhancing their economic competitiveness. Nuclear-TES coupling scenarios studied herein are designed attenuate the nuclear heat dynamics and defer energy delivery to a later time, enabling the nuclear reactor to continue operating at or near steady-state design conditions as usual while also enabling flexible generation. Three A-NPPs, namely, an advanced light-water reactor (A LWR), a high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) and a liquid-metal fast reactor (LMFR) were selected as the initial use cases for demonstrating the technoeconomic of thermally balanced energy storage coupling design for thermal power extraction. Each of the reactor technologies were evaluated in two different electricity markets. Stochastic optimization approach was adopted which included the evaluation of price signals from the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland (PJM) market, and Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), using an autoregressive moving average (ARMA) model. Risk Analysis Virtual Environment (RAVEN) tool and its dispatch optimization plugin, the Holistic Energy Resource Optimization Network (HERON), were used to perform dispatch and capacity optimization, using the price data provided by the ARMA models. The results from the Nuclear-TES use cases will be used to design and characterize dynamic integrated system behavior and feedback.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗