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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 613 records · Page 34
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

What Makes You Hold on to That Old Car? Joint Insights From Machine Learning and Multinomial Logit on Vehicle-Level Transaction Decisions

What makes you hold on to that old car? While the vast majority of household vehicles are still powered by conventional internal combustion engines, the progress of adopting emerging vehicle technologies will critically depend on how soon the existing vehicles are transacted out of the household fleet. Leveraging a nationally representative longitudinal data set, the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, this study examines how household decisions to dispose of or replace a given vehicle are: 1) influenced by the vehicle’s attributes, 2) mediated by households’ concurrent socio-demographic and economic attributes, and 3) triggered by key life cycle events. Coupled with a newly developed machine learning interpretation tool, TreeExplainer, we demonstrate an innovative use of machine learning models to augment traditional logit modeling to both generate behavioral insights and improve model performance. We find the two gradient-boosting-based methods, CatBoost and LightGBM, are the best performing machine learning models for this problem. The multinomial logistic model can achieve similar performance levels after its model specification is informed by TreeExplainer. Both machine learning and multinomial logit models suggest that while older vehicles are more likely to be disposed of or replaced than newer ones, such probability decreases as the vehicles serve the family longer. Pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles are less likely to be disposed of or replaced than cars, and leased vehicles are more likely to be transacted than owned vehicles. We find that married families, families with higher education levels, homeowners, and older families tend to keep their vehicles longer. Life events such as childbirth, residential relocation, and change of household composition and income are found to increase vehicle disposal and/or replacement. We provide additional insights on the timing of vehicle replacement or disposal, in particular, the presence of children and childbirth events are more strongly associated with vehicle replacement among younger parents.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Rapid Screening of Liquid Metal Wetting for a Materials Compatibility Library

Wetting behavior of molten metals on solid substrates is a critical phenomenon influencing numerous industrial applications, including welding, anti-corrosion coatings, and metal additive manufacturing (AM). In particular, molten metal jetting (MMJ), an emerging AM technology, requires that the molten metal remain pinned at the nozzle exit. Thus, each new metal requires a specific nozzle material to ensure consistent droplet ejection and deposition, making it important to rapidly identify the appropriate wetting combinations. However, traditional measurements of wetting angles require expensive equipment and only allow one combination of materials to be investigated at a time which can be time consuming. This work introduces a rapid screening method based on sessile droplet experiments to evaluate wetting profiles across multiple metal–substrate combinations simultaneously. This study investigates the wetting interactions of molten Al alloy (Al4008), Cu, and Sn on various ceramic and metal substrates to identify optimal material combinations for MMJ nozzle designs. Results demonstrate that Al4008 achieves wetting on ceramic substrates such as AlN, TiO 2 , and SiC, with varying mechanisms including chemical reactions and weak surface interactions. Additionally, theoretical predictions regarding miscibility gaps and melting point differences were verified for Cu and Sn on refractory metals like Mo and W. Findings from this study contribute to the establishment of a materials compatibility library, enabling the selection of wetting/non-wetting combinations for stable MMJ operation. This resource not only advances MMJ technologies but also provides valuable insights for broader applications such as welding, coating, and printed electronics.

Materials science↗
DOE OSTI2023

Neuromorphic Photonics Based on Phase Change Materials

Neuromorphic photonics devices based on phase change materials (PCMs) and silicon photonics technology have emerged as promising solutions for addressing the limitations of traditional spiking neural networks in terms of scalability, response delay, and energy consumption. In this review, we provide a comprehensive analysis of various PCMs used in neuromorphic devices, comparing their optical properties and discussing their applications. We explore materials such as GST (Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 ), GeTe-Sb 2 Te 3 , GSST (Ge 2 Sb 2 Se 4 Te 1 ), Sb 2 S 3 /Sb 2 Se 3 , Sc 0.2 Sb 2 Te 3 (SST), and In 2 Se 3 , highlighting their advantages and challenges in terms of erasure power consumption, response rate, material lifetime, and on-chip insertion loss. By investigating the integration of different PCMs with silicon-based optoelectronics, this review aims to identify potential breakthroughs in computational performance and scalability of photonic spiking neural networks. Further research and development are essential to optimize these materials and overcome their limitations, paving the way for more efficient and high-performance photonic neuromorphic devices in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

The Road to Useful Quantum Computers

Building a useful quantum computer is a grand science and engineering challenge, currently pursued intensely by teams around the world. In the 1980s, Richard Feynman and Yuri Manin observed independently that computers based on quantum mechanics might enable better simulations of quantum phenomena. Their vision remained an intellectual curiosity until Peter Shor published his famous quantum algorithm for integer factoring, and shortly thereafter a proof that errors in quantum computations can be corrected. Since then, quantum computing R&D has progressed rapidly, from small-scale experiments in university physics laboratories to well-funded industrial efforts and prototypes. Hype notwithstanding, quantum computers have yet to solve scientifically or practically important problems -- a target often called quantum utility. In this article, we describe the capabilities of contemporary quantum computers, compare them to the requirements of quantum utility, and illustrate how to track progress from today to utility. We highlight key science and engineering challenges on the road to quantum utility, touching on relevant aspects of our own research.

Emerging Technologies (cs.ET)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Framework for Modeling 3D-Printed Concrete Construction to Assess Energy Efficiency and Backup Power Trade-Offs in a Mixed-Use, New Construction Neighborhood Development

This paper presents a framework that expands the URBANopt(TM) modeling platform to include 3D-printed concrete wall assemblies and assess energy efficiency and backup power trade-offs in new housing developments. Applied to a planned mixed-use neighborhood in Oil City, Pennsylvania, the workflow integrates building energy and distributed energy resource (DER) modeling to evaluate envelope and equipment upgrades alongside DER operations. Results show that advanced 3D-printed envelopes combined with efficient systems and onsite photovoltaics (PV) and storage reduce energy use intensity and sustain critical loads during outages. The framework supports planning for emerging construction technologies by quantifying key trade-offs between energy efficiency and backup power performance.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Accelerating Next-Generation Cybersecurity R&D Using AI Workflows: BADGER Project Development

The Broadband Automation for Distributed Grid Efficiency and Resilience (BADGER) project aligns with national strategic priorities for integrating emerging wireless technologies and advancing AI-driven security. As critical infrastructure modernizes toward increasingly software-defined and interconnected systems, the ability to leverage 5G/NextG networks and AI-enabled control becomes essential. This report outlines work at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) to develop a NextG-native security architecture powered by AI-RAN concepts and evaluate workflows that enable efficient and reliable architectures. Together, these efforts position the laboratory to accelerate innovation while directly supporting national security and resilience objectives.

5G/6G↗
DOE OSTI2020

From Atom to Engine: Understanding Fundamental Effects of Structure on Combustion Using Tandem Experiment and Computation

The ability to tie structural features to a fuel candidate’s ignition properties provides a path for rational design of advantaged fuels that facilitate higher-efficiency, lower-emitting combustion in engines. The time evolution of a fuel’s radical population directly correlates with global combustion parameters, and because the generated radicals depend on the initial structure and reaction pathways of the fuel molecule, it follows that the molecular structure of a fuel has a direct impact on this cascade, and therefore salient ignition-tied fuel properties. This work aims to understand the impact of structural features in the context of global combustion properties for direct application to emerging engine technologies. Specifically, we highlight the ability to identify potential fuel blendstocks for specific engine strategies by examining and elucidating the radical cascade tied to ignition. A representative subset of alcohols possessing a variety of structural features (e.g. branching, chain length) was selected for study using a robust combination of experimental and computational methods. The approach begins with identifying short-lived radicals and likely abstraction sites upon pyrolysis in a microreactor coupled with photoionization mass spectrometry for direct detection of product species. In tandem, electronic structure calculations were performed to calculate the relevant potential energy surfaces for fuel pyrolysis as well as the subsequent O2 addition-isomerization reactions, which govern ignition behavior. Furthermore, the theoretical energetic and ro-vibrational data are used to calculate rate constants for direct ignition modeling to explore how structural effects impact NTC behavior. The microreactor data combined with electronic structure theory calculations provide a well-informed picture of the reactions relevant to ignition for each fuel in this study, as well as the most likely radicals generated under engine conditions. This thorough fundamental picture of fuel decomposition and ignition chemistry is used to correlate the observed ignition behavior to molecular structural effects.

advanced biofuels↗
DOE OSTI2020

Role of Electric Vehicles in the U.S. Power Sector Transition: A System-Level Perspective

After over a century of petroleum dominance many anticipate that electrification could disrupt the transportation energy landscape. At the same time, the electric power systems are undergoing profound changes: variable renewables are displacing conventional generation sources; distributed generation is disrupting utility business models; energy storage and other new technologies are emerging; and the traditional system based on the premise that generation is dispatched to match an inelastic demand is evolving to create a system with greater participation in power system planning and operations from traditionally passive consumers. In this context, it is important to understand how transportation electrification will impact electricity demand and in turn electricity supply, including changes in the load shapes that characterize the system and the opportunity to leverage flexible electric vehicle (EV) charging to better integrate demand and supply. Assessing the impacts of electrification on the energy system requires an understanding of how it might impact the amount and shape of electricity consumption, and how this electricity can be supplied. In particular, increased adoption of electric vehicles introduces a new source of demand altogether, potentially very flexible. Moreover, electrification could shift the consumption of natural gas between sectors, thereby affecting the economics for natural gas-fired generation relative to other electricity generation options. Several factors will impact the evolution of the power system under a widespread electrified future, which, in turn, could have far-reaching effects on future energy costs and emissions.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

BETO 2021 Peer Review - Overview of the Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy Consortium

Catalysis plays a central role in converting biomass and carbon-rich waste feedstocks into fuels and chemicals; however, critical catalysis challenges exist that are limiting commercialization of emerging bioenergy technologies. By leveraging unique U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory capabilities and expertise, the Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy consortium seeks to overcome these catalysis challenges and accelerate the catalyst and process development cycle. The foundation of the consortium consists of an integrated and collaborative portfolio of catalytic technologies and enabling capabilities, which positions ChemCatBio to address both technology-specific and overarching catalysis challenges across the development cycle from discovery to scale-up. The core catalysis projects target technological advancements for specific conversion processes, such as catalytic upgrading of biochemical process intermediates, catalytic fast pyrolysis, C1 and C2 upgrading, and electrochemical CO2 reduction, while the enabling technologies provide access to world-class capabilities and expertise in computational modeling, materials synthesis, advanced in situ and in operando catalyst characterization, and catalyst design tools.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Short-Lived Modules Need to be Efficient, Lightweight, and Circular for the Energy Transition

Deployment projections for decarbonizing the grid predict 1.75 TW of PV is needed in the United States by 2050. This entails a cumulative demand of 97 million metric tonnes of virgin materials for c-Si modules. These material needs are extraction and energy intensive, making them a key target for improving PV sustainability. Emerging PV technologies, such as perovskites, are targeting 15-year modules, high efficiencies, and circular designs. Previous analysis found that by just modifying the life expectancy to 15 years (keeping target c-Si efficiencies and BOM), an additional 1.4 TW of replacement modules are required to maintain capacity, increasing virgin material demand by 1.75x unless >95% closed-loop recycling is maintained. This study examines the effect of achieving higher efficiencies with thin-film designs and a 15-year expectancy. Higher efficiencies and thin film designs can decrease deployment and material demands, making the level of circularity more attainable. If BOM mass is reduced by 50%, closed-loop recycling rates need to be >80% to reduce virgin material demands compared to a 35-yr c-Si module. If module efficiencies are 30%, closed-loop recycling rates can be reduced to 65%. This efficiency increase also reflects that 1500 million fewer modules can be deployed, however, this is still 2000 million more modules than a 35-year module needs to deploy to achieve energy transition targets, and no PV technology is closed-loop recycled for all component materials.

circular economy↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Tool Kit for Generating Simulated Radiation Measurements for Advanced Reactor Safeguards and Security

A tool kit was developed to simulate and analyze passive radiation measurements of molten salt reactor (MSR) operations to support development of nuclear safeguards approaches for this emerging reactor technology. A Transient Simulation Framework of Reconfigurable Modules (TRANSFORM) multiphysics simulation of an MSR produces time-dependent isotopic inventories at user-selected locations within the model. The tool kit implements the Gamma Detector Response and Analysis Software (GADRAS) application programming interface to inject the TRANSFORM isotopic inventories extracted/processed by a Python pipeline into GADRAS models of user-defined geometries. The TRANSFORM inventories are the source terms used to obtain synthetic measurements from GADRAS-defined detectors. The speed of TRANSFORM and GADRAS simulations enables surveying the large design space of MSRs (e.g., fuel type, fuel salt composition, number of loops) and the plethora of measurements (e.g., location, detector type, and collimation) within the reactor. This has enabled timely assessment of the various measurement locations and detectors to identify the most effective and efficient safeguards approach for a specific MSR design. Lastly, the tool kit also simulates extracted samples that can be aged to a desired dose, enabling stakeholders to optimize a measurement plan to use sample analysis as an element within a broader material accountancy plan.

Westphal, Greg↗
DOE OSTI2023

Fort Erie Case Study - Transition from Fixed-Route to On-Demand Transit

Rural and smaller-sized communities in North America face unique mobility challenges due to their low population density, lower public transit spending per capita compared to major cities, and a high reliance on private vehicles. In recent years, communities such as Fort Erie, Ontario, have restructured or advanced their public transit systems using on-demand services. Fort Erie is a relatively sparsely populated region of 32,901 residents, spread across a land area of 166 square kilometers (64 square miles), for an average population density of 193 residents per square kilometer (500 per square mile). In October 2021, the town implemented a mobility-on-demand system integrated with smartphone software to replace its fixed-route community bus system, which consisted of four buses with three routes, each with a roughly 1-hour, one-way loop. The new service utilizes a fleet of six minivans, two of which are retrofitted with wheelchair-accessible ramps. The system may require that a passenger requesting a standard van walk up to 400 meters (a quarter mile) to their pickup location to optimize vehicle routing while providing origin-to-destination service. The on-demand system proved effective in providing service, eclipsing pre-pandemic ridership by 40%, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions per ride by 63%, and decreasing the cost to the town per ride by 29%. This report documents both the previous system and the new system in terms of routes, ridership, costs, fuel, and other notable system parameters. This work is part of an ongoing series of case studies on providing small communities with on-demand, right-sized vehicle service coupled with a smartphone application.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY PLANNING, POLIC↗
DOE OSTI2023

NREL On-Demand Transit Research and Fort Erie Case Study

On-demand systems have increased in popularity in recent years, especially in rural and smaller-sized communities. This presentation provides a brief introduction to NREL's on-demand mobility research and an in-depth case study of the town of Fort Erie, Ontario. Fort Erie is a relatively sparsely populated region of 32,901 residents, spread across a land area of 166 square kilometers (64 square miles), for an average population density of 193 residents per square kilometer (500 per square mile). In October 2021, the town implemented a mobility-on-demand system integrated with smartphone software to replace its fixed-route community bus system, which consisted of four buses with three routes, each with a roughly 1-hour, one-way loop. The new service utilizes a fleet of six minivans, two of which are retrofitted with wheelchair-accessible ramps. The system may require that a passenger requesting a standard van walk up to 400 meters (a quarter mile) to their pickup location to optimize vehicle routing while providing origin-to-destination service. The on-demand system proved effective in providing service, eclipsing pre-pandemic ridership by 40%, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions per ride by 63%, and decreasing the cost to the town per ride by 29%. This presentation documents both the previous system and the new system in terms of routes, ridership, costs, fuel, and other notable system parameters. This work is part of an ongoing series of case studies on providing small communities with on-demand, right-sized vehicle service coupled with a smartphone application.

emerging technology↗
DOE OSTI2022

Multicomponent Nanoparticle Synthesis for Advanced Manufactured Melt Wire Development

Additive manufacturing (AM) based direct-write technologies have emerged as a predominant enabler for the fabrication of advanced passive sensors in-pile applications. This work continues previous efforts with the modification and optimization of synthesis methods for multi-component nanoparticle systems used to support the development, fabrication and testing of AM sensors for peak temperature detection. For this report, bismuth, bismuth/platinum, tin, tin/silver, tin/zinc, indium, and indium/silver bi-metallic nanoparticles were synthesized using the wet chemical methods. The nanoparticles were then characterized with x-ray fluorescence to evaluate the elemental composition and differential scanning to determine the melting point and mass loss of the samples. Results continue to show that bi-metallic nanoparticles are a viable pathway for the fabrication of high-resolution AM melt wires.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

EDGE COVID-19: a web platform to generate submission-ready genomes from SARS-CoV-2 sequencing efforts

Abstract Summary Genomics has become an essential technology for surveilling emerging infectious disease outbreaks. A range of technologies and strategies for pathogen genome enrichment and sequencing are being used by laboratories worldwide, together with different and sometimes ad hoc, analytical procedures for generating genome sequences. A fully integrated analytical process for raw sequence to consensus genome determination, suited to outbreaks such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, is critical to provide a solid genomic basis for epidemiological analyses and well-informed decision making. We have developed a web-based platform and integrated bioinformatic workflows that help to provide consistent high-quality analysis of SARS-CoV-2 sequencing data generated with either the Illumina or Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT). Using an intuitive web-based interface, this workflow automates data quality control, SARS-CoV-2 reference-based genome variant and consensus calling, lineage determination and provides the ability to submit the consensus sequence and necessary metadata to GenBank, GISAID and INSDC raw data repositories. We tested workflow usability using real world data and validated the accuracy of variant and lineage analysis using several test datasets, and further performed detailed comparisons with results from the COVID-19 Galaxy Project workflow. Our analyses indicate that EC-19 workflows generate high-quality SARS-CoV-2 genomes. Finally, we share a perspective on patterns and impact observed with Illumina versus ONT technologies on workflow congruence and differences. Availability and implementation https://edge-covid19.edgebioinformatics.org, and https://github.com/LANL-Bioinformatics/EDGE/tree/SARS-CoV2. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Produced Water Treatment Technologies: An Overview

Chapter 1 of <em>Solid-Liquid Separation Technologies: Applications for Produced Water.</em> Current and emerging produced water technologies are briefly reviewed. These technologies enable the reuse, safe disposal, and reinjection of produced water..

Gamwo, Isaac↗
DOE OSTI2024

Toward Practical Federal Spectrum Sharing for Advanced Wireless Technologies

Wireless communications have become critical to modern society as the foundation of vital services, business interactions, and social connections. As technology develops and new scenarios emerge, wireless communications become increasingly entrenched as a foundation for modern life. The materialization of 5G has been especially impactful as an enabler for a wide range of new scenarios and increased dependence. With increasing demand for wireless communications comes increasing demand for the radio frequency (RF) spectrum necessary to support these communications. This spectrum demand, largely driven by desire to realize ubiquitous 5G networks, both public and private, is currently driving a reconsideration of spectrum assignments and forcing legacy users of spectrum to update their use of spectrum. As one of the largest legacy users of spectrum, the U.S. Government (USG) is particularly impacted by the increasing demand for spectrum for non USG use. Unfortunately, there is no clear pathway for U.S. federal agencies to modernize their spectrum use and instead these agencies are forced to simply react to spectrum repurposing driven by overwhelming demand. Here we present preliminary work toward a roadmap for federal agencies to modernize their spectrum use through practical analysis and leveraging emerging spectrum sharing (SS) technologies. This effort utilizes the example of DOE spectrum use in the context of National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repurposing to examine the factors that must be considered to facilitate spectrum sharing by federal agencies. Furthermore, this work provides an initial survey of the SS models and SS technologies of highest relevance to federal use. We particularly examine the emerging capabilities of 5G itself to enable SS and unlicensed access through transformative capabilities such as new radio unlicensed (NR-U). This work is a step toward translating the large body of academic discussion on SS into a practical roadmap for federal agencies.

5G↗