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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 631 records · Page 35
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Observation of W W γ Production and Search for H γ Production in Proton-Proton Collisions at s = 13 TeV

The observation of W W γ production in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with an integrated luminosity of 138 fb − 1 is presented. The observed (expected) significance is 5.6 (5.1) standard deviations. Events are selected by requiring exactly two leptons (one electron and one muon) of opposite charge, moderate missing transverse momentum, and a photon. The measured fiducial cross section for W W γ is 5.9 ± 0.8 ( stat ) ± 0.8 ( syst ) ± 0.7 ( modeling ) fb , in agreement with the next-to-leading order quantum chromodynamics prediction. The analysis is extended with a search for the associated production of the Higgs boson and a photon, which is generated by a coupling of the Higgs boson to light quarks. The result is used to constrain the Higgs boson couplings to light quarks. © 2024 CERN, for the CMS Collaboration 2024 CERN

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Aboveground Rather Than Belowground Productivity Drives Variability in Miscanthus × giganteus Net Primary Productivity

Quantifying the carbon (C) uptake of Miscanthus × giganteus ( M × g ) in both aboveground and belowground structures (e.g., net primary productivity (NPP)) and differences among methodological approaches is crucial. Our objectives were to directly measure Mxg NPP and evaluate the effects of nitrogen application, location, and belowground biomass sampling methods. We hypothesize that increased nitrogen application increases the overall NPP of M × g and that quantifying rhizome biomass using excavations will produce the lowest variability between replicates. We collected biomass from mature M × g stands from three locations in Iowa with three nitrogen application rates and one site in Illinois. We destructively sampled at two time points, when rhizome mass is anticipated to be at a minimum (initial) and anticipated to be at its maximum (peak). Biomass was collected from 1 × 1 m quadrats in which one in-clump and one beside-clump cores were collected and then excavated to 30 cm depth to extract all rhizomes. We found that aboveground M × g NPP ranged from 15.4 Mg DM ha –1 year –1 to 36.4 Mg DM ha –1 year–1 and belowground M × g NPP ranged from 4.4 Mg DM ha –1 year –1 to 19.6 Mg DM ha –1 year –1 . M × g NPP varied across sites, fertilization, and calculation assumptions. Aboveground NPP (yield) was on average 68.7% of the total NPP. Root-to-shoot ratios at peak biomass decreased with nitrogen application rate, from an average of 1.9 for 0 N plots to 0.89 for 224 N fertilized plots. There was more variation in core data than from excavations; however, when in-clump and beside-clump cores were averaged together, core and excavation averages were not different. Overall, these results show that the range of mature M × g NPP is driven by aboveground productivity, influenced by nitrogen application and site. Our results provide useful data to constrain agro-ecosystem models and provide crucial insights for future perennial belowground sampling.

Hartman, Theodore [Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Cha↗
DOE OSTI2019

Glass production rate in electric furnaces for radioactive waste vitrification

Correlating the melting rates of feeds in electric melters with results of simple laboratory experiments can help evaluate melter feed additives and their effects on melting rate, and support the feed scheduling and plant operation. A recently proposed melting rate correlation (MRC) equation, relating the melting rate to melt viscosity, feed-to-glass conversion heat, and cold-cap bottom temperature, was tested using data from experiments covering various feed compositions and melter operating parameters. The MRC equation is shown to reasonably represent the measured data and thus can be used to quantify how individual variables (melt viscosity, cold-cap bottom temperature, conversion heat, melter operating temperature, and bubbling rate) affect the glass production rate.

Lee, Seung Min↗
DOE OSTI2014

Biochemical and Structural Studies of NADH-Dependent FabG Used To Increase the Bacterial Production of Fatty Acids under Anaerobic Conditions

Major efforts in bioenergy research have focused on producing fuels that can directly replace petroleum-derived gasoline and diesel fuel through metabolic engineering of microbial fatty acid biosynthetic pathways. Typically, growth and pathway induction are conducted under aerobic conditions, but for operational efficiency in an industrial context, anaerobic culture conditions would be preferred to obviate the need to maintain specific dissolved oxygen concentrations and to maximize the proportion of reducing equivalents directed to biofuel biosynthesis rather than ATP production. A major concern with fermentative growth conditions is elevated NADH levels, which can adversely affect cell physiology. The purpose of this study was to identify homologs of Escherichia coli FabG, an essential reductase involved in fatty acid biosynthesis, that display a higher preference for NADH than for NADPH as a cofactor. Four potential NADH-dependent FabG variants were identified through bioinformatic analyses supported by crystallographic structure determination (1.3- to 2.0-Å resolution). In vitro assays of cofactor (NADH/NADPH) preference in the four variants showed up to ~35-fold preference for NADH, which was observed with the Cupriavidus taiwanensis FabG variant. In addition, FabG homologs were overexpressed in fatty acid- and methyl ketone-overproducing E. coli host strains under anaerobic conditions, and the C. taiwanensis variant led to a 60% higher free fatty acid titer and 75% higher methyl ketone titer relative to the titers of the control strains. With further engineering, this work could serve as a starting point for establishing a microbial host strain for production of fatty acid-derived biofuels (e.g., methyl ketones) under anaerobic conditions.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Measurements of spin observables in pseudo-scalar meson photo-production using polarized neutrons in solid HD

A measurement of psuedo-scalar meson photo production from longitudinally polarized solid HD has been carried out with the CLAS at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jlab) with circularly and linearly polarized photon beams. Its aim is to measure a complete set of spin observables for the neutron simultaneously from the same experiment. As a polarized neutron, deutron in HD was used. Preliminary asymmetries are shown for the π{sup −} channel.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Measurement of the $t\bar{t}$ production cross section in the tau + jets channel using the ATLAS detector

A measurement of the top quark pair production cross section in the final state with a hadronically decaying tau lepton and jets is presented. The analysis is based on proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, with a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.67 fb -1 . The cross section is measured to be σ $t\bar{t}$ production cross section in the tau + jets channel using the ATLAS detector = 194 ± 18 (stat) ± 46 (syst.) pb and is in agreement with other measurements and with the Standard Model prediction.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Search for resonant diboson production in the $\mathrm {\ell \ell }q\bar{q}$ final state in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 8$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

This study reports on a search for narrow resonances in diboson production in the ℓℓqq¯ final state using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20 fb –1 collected at √s=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. No significant excess of data events over the Standard Model expectation is observed. Upper limits at the 95 % confidence level are set on the production cross section times branching ratio for Kaluza–Klein gravitons predicted by the Randall–Sundrum model and for Extended Gauge Model W' bosons. These results lead to the exclusion of mass values below 740 and 1590 GeV for the graviton and W' boson respectively.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Measurements of electroweak $Wjj$ production and constraints on anomalous gauge couplings with the ATLAS detector

Measurements of the electroweak production of a W boson in association with two jets at high dijet invariant mass are performed using √s = 7 and 8 TeV proton–proton collision data produced by the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding respectively to 4.7 and 20.2 fb -1 of integrated luminosity collected by the ATLAS detector. Lastly, the measurements are sensitive to the production of a W boson via a triple-gauge-boson vertex and include both the fiducial and differential cross sections of the electroweak process.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Search for Higgs boson pair production in the γγWW* channel using $pp$ collision data recorded at $\sqrt{s}$ $=13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

Searches for non-resonant and resonant Higgs boson pair production are performed in the γγWW* channel with the final state of γγℓνjj using 36.1 fb -1 of proton–proton collision data recorded at a centre-of-mass energy of √s= 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. No significant deviation from the Standard Model prediction is observed. A 95% confidence-level observed upper limit of 7.7 pb is set on the cross section for non-resonant production, while the expected limit is 5.4 pb. A search for a narrow-width resonance X decaying to a pair of Standard Model Higgs bosons HH is performed with the same set of data, and the observed upper limits on σ(pp→X) × B(X→HH) range between 40.0 and 6.1 pb for masses of the resonance between 260 and 500 GeV, while the expected limits range between 17.6 and 4.4 pb. When deriving the limits above, the Standard Model branching ratios of the H→γγ and H→WW* are assumed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Accelerator Reactor Coupling for Energy Production in Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles

This article is a review of several accelerator–reactor interface issues and nuclear fuel cycle applications of acceleratordriven subcritical systems. The systems considered here have the primary goal of energy production, but that goal is accomplished via a specific application in various proposed nuclear fuel cycles, such as breed-and-burn of fertile material or burning of transuranic material. Several basic principles are reviewed, starting from the proton beam window including the target, blanket, reactor core, and up to the fuel cycle. We focus on issues of interest, such as the impact of the energy required to run the accelerator and associated systems on the potential electricity delivered to the grid. Accelerator-driven systems feature many of the constraints and issues associated with critical reactors, with the added challenges of subcritical operation and coupling to an accelerator. Reliable accelerator operation and avoidance of beam trips are critically important. One interesting challenge is measurement of blanket subcriticality level during operation. We also review the potential benefits of accelerator-driven systems in various nuclear fuel cycle applications. Ultimately, accelerator-driven subcritical systems with the goal of transmutation of transuranic material have lower 100,000-year radioactivity than a critical fast reactor with recycling of uranium and plutonium.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Biomass Productivity Technology Advancement Towards A Commercially Viable, Integrated Algal Biomass Production Unit: BETO 2017 Project Peer Review (Final Report)

In response to the BETO’s ABY funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0000811), SEI proposed to advance our current biomass production technologies across three priority areas to meet the target 2,500 gallons of oil per acre per year by 2018. –Priority Area 1: Improve Algal Biomass Productivity –Priority Area 2: Improve Pre-Processing Technologies –Priority Area 3: Integration of Algal Biomass Unit Operations

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Economic Extraction and Recovery of REEs and Production of Clean Value-Added Products from Low-Rank Coal Fly Ash

The University of North Dakota (UND) Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) teamed with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) , the North Dakota Industrial Commission Lignite Research Program, and commercial partners Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Great River Energy, and Southern Company to execute a Cooperative Agreement funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) focused on identifying unique pathways and pretreatments to extract rare-earth elements (REEs) from low-rank coal (LRC) ash in a more economical and environmentally benign manner than current methods. The EERC drew upon the unique and deep knowledge of the team regarding LRC geochemistry, ash transformation mechanisms during combustion, and fly ash chemistry in the approach to understand the portioning of REEs in LRC ash. A comprehensive characterization effort was undertaken to fully establish the form, associations, and partitioning of the REEs and other elements/minerals of interest in fly ash, as well as the ash chemistry, mineralogy, and morphology. Using this information, the team tested methods of REE extraction to take advantage of the unique and advantageous properties of LRC ash. Multiple complementary approaches were evaluated that combined both novel and proven methods to develop an extractive process for REEs and other high-value metals from LRC ash that provide technological and economic progress on the current state of the art. Methodologies were also evaluated for the potential to synergistically remove toxic metals while extracting other high-value metals from the ash, generating a clean, safe ash material as a value-added product. This would eliminate waste and offer significant additional revenue potential. Based on laboratory-scale testing, an initial high-level technical and economic analysis to estimate operating expenses and product revenues to guide future phases of technology development was implemented. By focusing on minimizing process steps and consumptive use of extraction solutions, a tunable, economically viable process for REE extraction from LRC ash was developed. The tunable process has the ability to be adjusted to adapt to the differing ash chemical and physical properties that are characteristic of LRC ash. This is key to deployment as a commercial process. In demonstrating the process, the EERC was able to illustrate mixed REE concentration greater than the goal of 2 wt%. High-level economic analysis of the process with LRC ash of moderate REE levels demonstrated the potential of the process, but recovery of just the REEs was insufficient to cover operational costs. With the additional extraction of other high-value metals found in LRC ash, the process economics approach would break even, and it is anticipated that with process optimization, the developed process could potentially be economically sound. The same economic analysis performed utilizing LRC ash with high levels of REEs showed the recovery of the REEs alone would make the process economically viable even without further optimization.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2019

Trade Compliance Insurance Product: Revisiting the feasibility of an insurance product to strengthen trade compliance and reduce proliferation risks

In October 2018, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) published a report (PNNL-28094) in collaboration with the Stimson Center on the feasibility of an insurance product that would reduce proliferation risks associated with small and medium-sized enterprises by encouraging stronger trade control compliance. This preliminary report concluded that a Trade Compliance Insurance Product (TCIP) is feasible and identified existing insurance analogs, challenges, and outstanding questions for further industry outreach. From October 2018 to September 2019, PNNL attempted to validate this preliminary report through a series interviews with representatives from the manufacturing, finance, insurance and shipping industries. This report follows up on the initial 2018 Report and summarizes the findings of the industry interviews related to the TCIP and makes recommendations for the next steps and insurance incentives more broadly.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Improving the Productivity and Performance of Large-Scale Integrated Algal Systems for Wastewater Treatment and Biofuel Production

The goal of this project was to develop and demonstrate an integrated system for algal biofuel production system and wastewater treatment that can produce low-cost drop-in biofuels. Experimental data and techno-economic analysis showed the ability to produce drop-in biofuels from wastewater derived algal biomass at a cost of $3.32 and identified methods to further reduce costs. In particular, when accounting for wastewater treatment cost savings relative to conventional processes, the proposed integrated system can support a negative minimum fuel selling price. This means the normal costs of wastewater treatment are sufficient to cover all the costs of biofuel production with the integrated system.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2013

High throughput nanostructure-initiator mass spectrometry screening of microbial growth conditions for maximal β-glucosidase production

Production of biofuels via enzymatic hydrolysis of complex plant polysaccharides is a subject of intense global interest. Microbial communities are known to express a wide range of enzymes necessary for the saccharification of lignocellulosic feedstocks and serve as a powerful reservoir for enzyme discovery. However, the growth temperature and conditions that yield high cellulase activity vary widely, and the throughput to identify optimal conditions has been limited by the slow handling and conventional analysis. A rapid method that uses small volumes of isolate culture to resolve specific enzyme activity is needed. In this work, a high throughput nanostructure-initiator mass spectrometry (NIMS)-based approach was developed for screening a thermophilic cellulolytic actinomycete, Thermobispora bispora , for β-glucosidase production under various growth conditions. Media that produced high β-glucosidase activity were found to be I/S + glucose or microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), Medium 84 + rolled oats, and M9TE + MCC at 45°C. Supernatants of cell cultures grown in M9TE + 1% MCC cleaved 2.5 times more substrate at 45°C than at all other temperatures. While T. bispora is reported to grow optimally at 60°C in Medium 84 + rolled oats and M9TE + 1% MCC, approximately 40% more conversion was observed at 45°C. This high throughput NIMS approach may provide an important tool in discovery and characterization of enzymes from environmental microbes for industrial and biofuel applications.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

A Comparison of the Solubility Products of Layered Me(II)–Al(III) Hydroxides Based on Sorption Studies with Ni(II), Zn(II), Co(II), Fe(II), and Mn(II)

The precipitation of mixed metal–aluminum-layered double hydroxides (Me(II)–Al(III)-LDH)) may be an important control of the solubility of Mn(II), Fe(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), and Co(II) in soils, but assessment of this process is hindered by a lack of thermodynamic data. Here, we determined the solubility products (Ksp) of the Me(II)–Al(III)-LDHs formed by these metals based on long-term Me(II)–γAl2O3 sorption studies complemented with X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements. The LDH phases had the chemical formula Me(II)2/3Al1/3(OH)2Cl1/3. Solubility products were derived as Ksp = (Me2+)aq2/3(Al3+)aq1/3(OH−)aq2(Cl−)aq1/3, where brackets represent aqueous activity values determined from the equilibrium solution chemistry of the sorption samples. The Ksps are metal-dependent, with values increasing by two orders of magnitude in the order Ni(II) < Zn(II) < Co(II) < Fe(II) < Mn(II). Comparison to the solubility of β-Me(OH)2 suggests considerable thermodynamic preference of Me(II)–Al(III)-LDH over β-Me(OH)2 in soil environments and reveals a linear relation between the log-transformed Ksp values of Me(II)–Al(III)-LDH and β-Me(OH)2. Solubility plots suggest that Ni(II)–, Zn(II)–, and Co(II)–Al(III)-LDH may form in metal-polluted soils. Fe(II)–Al(III)-LDH may occur in riparian soils undergoing reduction, but precipitation of Mn(II)–Al(III)-LDH appears unlikely as it requires [Mn2+]aq much higher than commonly encountered in reducing soils. Additional thermodynamic and field studies are needed to further assess the importance of Me(II)–Al(III)-LDHs in soils and related geochemical systems.

Bhattacharya, Lasita↗