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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 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Distribution of nickel(II) ions adsorbed at the muscovite mica (001)-water interface determined by in-situ resonant anomalous X-ray reflectivity

Mineral-water interfaces mediate adsorption, ion exchange, and secondary mineral formation that control element mobility in natural and engineered systems. Reliable prediction and control of these processes require a fundamental understanding of the interfacial structure that links adsorbed ion speciation to macroscopic sorption capacity and strength. Here, we determine atomic-scale changes in hydration and distribution of Ni(II) at the muscovite mica (001)-water interface using in situ high-resolution X-ray reflectivity (XR) and resonant anomalous X-ray reflectivity (RAXR) at 1 mM NiCl2 and pH 5.7. XR reveals reorganization of the primary hydration structure relative to that in deionized water: the water layer adsorbed in the cavity sites at a height of ~1.3 Å disappears, while distinct solution layers emerge at ~2.3, ~4.1, and ~5.6 Å above the basal oxygen plane. RAXR resolves three interfacial Ni(II) species: a dominant outer-sphere complex at 3.65 Å (~80% of the total coverage), a minor inner-sphere complex at 0.75 Å, and a low-coverage, more distant outer-sphere species at 5.63 Å. These three adsorbed Ni(II) species account for a total Ni(II) coverage of 0.54 ± 0.02 ion per unit cell area that compensates for the surface charge. These results highlight the role of interfacial hydration in controlling the speciation and stability of adsorbate cations on the negatively charged mica surface, providing quantitative insight into predicting the geochemical behavior of divalent metal cations in the aqueous environments.

Lee, Sang Soo↗
DOE OSTI2024

R-Adaptivity to Enable Compression of Elementary Computations in Extreme-Scale Finite Element Simulators

Modern computing systems are capable of exascale calculations, which are revolutionizing the development and application of high-fidelity numerical models in computational science and engineering. While these systems continue to grow in processing power, the available system memory has not increased commensurately, and electrical power consumption continues to grow. A predominant approach to limit the memory usage in large-scale applications is to exploit the abundant processing power and continually recompute many low-level simulation quantities, rather than storing them. However, this approach can adversely impact the throughput of the simulation and diminish the benefits of modern computing architectures. We present three novel contributions to reduce the memory burden while maintaining, and sometimes improving, performance in simulations based on finite element discretizations. The first contribution develops dictionary-based data compression schemes that detect and exploit the structure of the discretization, due to redundancies across the finite element mesh. While these schemes are shown to reduce memory requirements by more than 99% on meshes with large numbers of identical mesh cells, there are applications where this structure does not exist. The second contribution leverages a recently developed augmented Lagrangian optimization algorithm to enable r-adaptivity for meshes with the goal of enhancing the redundancies in the mesh. The third contribution extends these methods to patch-based linear solvers and preconditioners by compressing local matrices. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods to detect, enhance and exploit mesh structure on a suite of examples inspired by large-scale applications.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Feature Based Qualification (FBQ) of Wire Arc Additively Manufactured (WAAM) 17-4PH Martensitic Stainless Steels

The Department of Defense (DOD) programs of records desire to reduce the time and cost of the development and delivery loop in metal additive manufacturing (AM), including establishing forwarded AM capabilities. The success of these efforts relies on a robust and qualified process. To achieve this, the United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Ground Vehicle Systems Center Materials Engineering (GVME) needs to be able to quickly evaluate, test, and develop feedstocks, processes, and parts. This report is directed towards demonstrating the need for a framework for metal AM processes, defining and exploring geometries for metal AM process qualification, testing resultant deposition, and delivering actionable data.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Design and Development of the Handling Frame Assembly Table for the National Ignition Facility Blast Shields

The Handling Frame Assembly Table is a custom designed piece of equipment developed to support the NIF Sustainment Project. The goal of the NIF Sustainment Project is to refurbish the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world’s largest and most energetic laser, so it can continue advancing research in fusion energy, national security, and high energy density physics. A key aspect of this effort involves replacing all 1,728 blast shields on the NIF, which requires specialized equipment such as the Handling Frame Assembly Table to support the production of new blast shields. This project follows a systems engineering approach that guides the design sequence. This report documents the design process from initial concept through final design, including stakeholder analysis, requirements development, conceptual design, final design, and design validation. Future work will focus on building and commissioning the system.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Update on Parallel Process Execution in the Next Generation System Analysis Model (NGSAM)

As of the end of 2022, it is estimated that over 90,000 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) were stored at various commercial nuclear power reactor sites (both operating and shutdown) across the United States [1]. The Office of Storage and Transportation within the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy is planning for the transportation, storage, and eventual disposal of SNF and high-level radioactive waste (HLW). To aid in this effort and inform decision-makers about the backend of the spent fuel cycle, systems analysis tools capable of analyzing the various options with respect to SNF and HLW management are being used as well as continuously improved to meet the evolving needs of the program. System analysts typically use these tools to vary underlying assumptions (shipping rates, available facilities, start dates, interim storage capacity, etc.) and study the associated system implications such as timing for clearing sites of SNF, various cost elements, transportation infrastructure acquisition needs, etc.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Design and Development of the Handling Frame Assembly Table for the National Ignition Facility Blast Shields

The Handling Frame Assembly Table is a custom designed piece of equipment developed to support the NIF Sustainment Project. The goal of the NIF Sustainment Project is to refurbish the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world’s largest and most energetic laser, so it can continue advancing research in fusion energy, national security, and high energy density physics. A key aspect of this effort involves replacing all 1,728 blast shields on the NIF, which requires specialized equipment such as the Handling Frame Assembly Table to support the production of new blast shields. This project follows a systems engineering approach that guides the design sequence. This report documents the design process from initial concept through final design, including stakeholder analysis, requirements development, conceptual design, final design, and design validation. Future work will focus on building and commissioning the system.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Design and Development of the Handling Frame Assembly Table for the NIF Sustainment Project (Draft)

The Handling Frame Assembly Table is a custom designed piece of equipment developed to support the NIF Sustainment Project. The NIF Sustainment project's goal is to refurbish the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world’s largest and most energetic laser, so it can continue advancing research in fusion energy, national security, and high energy density physics. A key aspect of this effort involves replacing all 1,728 blast shields on the NIF, which requires specialized equipment such as the Handling Frame Assembly Table to support the production of new blast shields. This project follows a systems engineering approach that guides the design sequence. This report documents the design process from initial concept through final design, including stakeholder analysis, requirements development, conceptual design, design analysis and validation, and final design. Future work will focus on building and commissioning the system.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Engineering Against Digital Risk in CIP Applications: Cyber-Informed Engineering Use Cases

Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE) addresses the reality that cyber attacks on engineered systems can have consequences far beyond data loss or disruption of digital networks. When control systems are compromised, safety, reliability, and performance of the physical process itself may be threatened. This presentation discusses engineered controls of 7 categories and the CIE database of controls that provides clear examples and guidance for defining and applying engineered controls in CIE. It explains what engineered controls are, how they differ from information security measures, and how they are integrated into system design.

99 - GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Systems Engineering and Analysis in Support of a US Federal Staging Facility for UNF

The US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) Office of Spent Fuel and High-Level Waste Disposition is examining a set of system options and conducting supporting analyses to inform the development of an integrated waste management system, which may include one or more federal staging facilities (FSFs) for used nuclear fuel (UNF ) sited using a collaborative siting process. This paper focuses on the ongoing activities in two systems engineering and analysis work areas: (1) data and tools development, validation, and maintenance and (2) systems engineering execution. Within the first work area, the STANDARDS 5.0 UNF data and analysis tool, formerly known as UNF-ST&DARDS, is being developed as a foundational resource to assist in the management of UNF data. It has the key capability to model UNF throughout the entire back end of the fuel cycle. STANDARDS also includes several compatible analysis tools for the time-dependent characterization of UNF and related systems by interfacing with the SCALE code system for nuclear analysis and COBRA-SFS for thermal analysis. Also, within the data and tools area is the Next Generation System Analysis Model (NGSAM), which is an agent-based simulation software tool expressly designed to be capable of modeling the waste management system, including the transportation of UNF to and from a FSF. NGSAM has been developed to enable informed decision-making by providing the capability to analyze various potential system options for the management of UNF and high-level radioactive waste. Finally, in the systems engineering execution area, the team has begun to apply a disciplined systems engineering approach at the system level along with supporting analysis to guide the development of the FSF project requirements (including associated transportation infrastructure). Systems engineering principles and practices and their adaptation/application to design and development activities will ensure that the waste management system is effectively implemented as work proceeds. Other activities include investigating the implications of changes in various assumptions and parameters related to waste management systems, such as UNF acceptance rates, receipt logic, facility capacities and capabilities, use of standardized canisters, and different assumed facility operation start dates. Keywords: federal staging facility (FSF), used nuclear fuel (UNF), integrated waste management (IWM) system, Next Generation System Analysis Model (NGSAM), STANDARDS, systems engineering

Joseph, Robert↗
DOE OSTI2025

Emergent properties of magnons coupled to microwave photons (Final Technical Report)

Studying the emergent properties of hybrid quantum material platforms holds great promise for advancing quantum technologies and transforming our ability to control quantum mechanical interactions. A key development in recent years is the recognition that magnons – the elementary quanta of spin waves – can serve as fundamental building blocks in quantum systems. Understanding the mechanisms behind the generation and control of hybrid quasiparticles based on magnons could pave the way for engineering new materials for quantum coherent processing and quantum computing. This research project focused on the precise control of light-matter interactions in magnetic hybrid systems and nanostructures, where light is carried by microwave photons and matter by magnons in engineered magnetic metamaterials. Furthermore, we investigated hybridized magnon interactions in magnetic nanostructures and devices. To this end, the project has developed new measurement techniques and systematically studied novel material systems for efficient magnon-photon coupling. A key focus was uncovering the fundamental mechanisms governing magnon-photon and magnon-phonon interactions – critical for utilizing magnons as coherent information transducers between carriers. Specifically, this research addressed: 1. Investigate the dispersion and collective properties of magnon hybrid systems in new material systems. 2. Develop magnonic hybrids with non-zero wavevectors and achieve effective control of magnon-polariton properties through engineered magnonic behaviors. 3. Determine how spin-orbit torques interact with electromagnetic fields in the strong coupling regime. This work generated new insights into the physics of magnonic hybrid systems and their emergent properties by broadening the range of material platforms and measurement techniques used to study magnon-photon and magnon-magnon coupling. The findings deepen our understanding of magnon-polaritons and lay the groundwork for novel spintronic devices with potential applications in quantum information science.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Retrofittable Advanced Combined Cycle Integration for Flexible Decarbonized Generation

This is the final scientific / technical report for Front End Engineering Design (FEED) study “Retrofittable Advanced Combined Cycle Integration for Flexible Decarbonized Generation” funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), Carbon Capture R&D Program under award DE-FE0032131. The prime recipient is General Electric Company working through its Gas Power division (GEGP) with subrecipients Southern Company and Linde Engineering plus subcontractor Kiewit. Southern Company’s Plant Barry, a 2x1 7F.04 CCGT, is the host site. GEGP led the overall integration of the carbon capture system (CCS) with the existing natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) facility. Linde provided the detailed process engineering and equipment costing for the carbon capture island. Kiewit focused on plant layout, constructability, and installation. With the FEED study finished, the engineering is approximately 50% complete towards the detailed design package needed to proceed to procure, install, build, commission, and operate the integrated NGCC+CCS facility. This FEED study focuses on retrofitting a 95% CO 2 capture system with attention on plant integration. The study was particularly challenging due to unique and substantial cost impacts related to global sourcing challenges associated with COVID. Additional incentives, regulatory support, and dispatch certainty are needed to move forward with implementing CCS at this or other sites in the US. This FEED study highlights the value of integrating NGCC+CCS and is a template for future CCS retrofit studies.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Reinforcement Learning-Based Oscillation Dampening: Scaling Up Single-Agent Reinforcement Learning Algorithms to a 100-Autonomous-Vehicle Highway Field Operational Test

In this article, we explore the technical details of the reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms that were deployed in the largest field test of automated vehicles designed to smooth traffic flow in history as of 2023, uncovering the challenges and breakthroughs that come with developing RL controllers for automated vehicles. We delve into the fundamental concepts behind RL algorithms and their application in the context of self-driving cars, discussing the developmental process from simulation to deployment in detail, from designing simulators to reward function shaping. We present the results in both simulation and deployment, discussing the flow-smoothing benefits of the RL controller. From understanding the basics of Markov decision processes to exploring advanced techniques such as deep RL, our article offers a comprehensive overview and deep dive of the theoretical foundations and practical implementations driving this rapidly evolving field. We also showcase real-world case studies and alternative research projects that highlight the impact of RL controllers in revolutionizing autonomous driving. From tackling complex urban environments to dealing with unpredictable traffic scenarios, these intelligent controllers are pushing the boundaries of what automated vehicles can achieve. Furthermore, we examine the safety considerations and hardware-focused technical details surrounding deployment of RL controllers into automated vehicles. As these algorithms learn and evolve through interactions with the environment, ensuring their behavior aligns with safety standards becomes crucial. Here, we explore the methodologies and frameworks being developed to address these challenges, emphasizing the importance of building reliable control systems for automated vehicles.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2026

Engineering Controls Database

Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE) addresses the reality that cyber attacks on engineered systems can have consequences far beyond data loss or disruption of digital networks. When control systems are compromised, safety, reliability, and performance of the physical process itself may be threatened. This database is meant to establish clear examples and guidance for defining and applying engineered controls in CIE. It explains what engineered controls are, how they differ from information security measures, and how they are integrated into system design. The goal is to ensure that resilience is engineered into systems from the outset. Unlike cybersecurity protections that defend the digital layer, engineered controls act directly at the physical and algorithmic levels to guarantee that unacceptable consequences are prevented or limited. CIE keeps the consequences of a cyber attack from impacting the safety, reliability, and performance of engineered systems.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2025

Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE) – Engineered Controls Database and Use

Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE) addresses the reality that cyber-attacks on engineered systems can have consequences far beyond data loss or disruption of digital networks. When control systems are compromised, safety, reliability, and performance of the physical process itself may be threatened. This database is meant to establish clear examples and guidance for defining and applying engineered controls in CIE. It explains what engineered controls are, how they differ from information security measures, and how they are integrated into system design. The goal is to ensure that resilience is engineered into systems from the outset. Unlike cybersecurity protections that defend the digital layer, engineered controls act directly at the physical and algorithmic levels to guarantee that unacceptable consequences are prevented or limited. CIE keeps the consequences of a cyber attack from impacting the safety, reliability, and performance of engineered systems.

42 - ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multidimensional Modeling of Mixture Formation in a Hydrogen-Fueled Heavy-Duty Optical Engine With Direct Injection

Hydrogen (H 2 ), as a carbon-free fuel, is considered as one of the most promising solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of hard-to-decarbonize energy and transportation sectors. As such, hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines (H 2 ICEs) have recently been receiving increasing attention, particularly in applications such as on-road/off-road heavy-duty transport and combined heat and power. The direct injection (DI) of gaseous hydrogen into the combustion chamber offers great potential for achieving high power density and high engine efficiency, while mitigating the risk of backfire and reducing pre-ignition. However, the numerical simulation of H 2 DI system remains a formidable challenge associated with the high computational cost of reproducing compressible supersonic flow and shocks in narrow injector passages and in near-nozzle regions. In general, there is a lack of well-established and validated practices for the modeling of high-pressure H 2 DI in large-bore engines. Here, to this end, this study focuses on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of the mixture formation process in a heavy-duty optical engine employing a medium-pressure H 2 DI system. Both large eddy simulations (LES) and Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulations are performed and evaluated against optical data. Gaseous hydrogen is injected into the combustion chamber via a centrally located outward opening hollow-cone injector at a pressure of 40 bar. Simulations are carried out for two injection timings, namely, −120 and −60 °CA. The numerical predictions for H 2 distribution in different horizontal and vertical planes during the compression stroke are systematically compared against optical data obtained through planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) measurements. Overall, the LES approach using the Dynamic Structure model is found to have good predictive capabilities for the early jet penetration in terms of length and shape, as well as the later H 2 distributions. However, the unsteady RANS approach with the renormalization group $k - ϵ$ model, which is widely used by industry to model heavy-duty ICEs, significantly underpredicts the H 2 mixing, even at similar mesh resolution to that used in LES. These results indicate that there is a need for the improvement of mixing submodels within the RANS approach when applied to H 2 DI simulations.

LES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Update on Parallel Process Execution in the Next Generation System Analysis Model

As of the end of 2021, 88,880 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) (44,741 MTHM in dry storage; 44,139 MTHM in wet storage) of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) were stored at various reactor sites across the United States [1]. The Office of Storage and Transportation in the Department of Energy is planning for the transportation, storage, and eventual disposal of SNF and high-level radioactive waste (HLW). To aid in this effort and inform decision-makers about the backend of the spent fuel cycle, systems analysis tools capable of analyzing the various options with respect to SNF and HLW management are being used as well as continuously improved to meet the evolving needs of the program. System analysts typically use these tools to vary underlying assumptions (shipping rates, allocation priority, available facilities, start dates, etc.) and study the implications of these changes on site clearance schedules, campaign costs, transportation infrastructure acquisition, etc.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

The Novel Charfuel® Coal Refining Process 18 TPD Pilot Plant Project for Co- Producing an Upgraded Coal Product, and Commercially Valuable Co- Products: Area of Interest #3 – Coal Beneficiation Pilot Plant Testing (Final Report)

Operation of Carbon Fuels, LLC’s (“CF”) existing, permitted 18 TPD pilot plant located in Golden, Colorado using two individually ranked (ASTM D 388) coal types (two campaigns), employing the novel Charfuel® coal refining process to produce an upgraded coal product and a number of high-valued organic and inorganic coproducts (for which there presently exists large commercial markets) in order to produce engineering and product data which will then be utilized toward the design of a commercial scale integrated facility (pre-feed document). Carbon Fuels, LLC has developed the Charfuel® Coal Refining Process which refines domestically abundant, raw coal (in the same manner as crude oil is refined) to produce the identical, high value co-products that are refined from crude oil. Thus, gasoline, jet fuel, “green diesel”, fuel oil, and marine fuels, as well as petrochemicals such as benzene, toluene, xylene, and methanol are refined from raw coal using this process. The Charfuel® Coal Refining Process is not a coal conversion process, like pyrolysis, or indirect liquefaction. Nor is it an alternative energy system. Rather it is a coal refining process that has the ability to economically produce products traditionally associated with the refining of crude oil but using only abundant, raw coal as the refinery feed stock. The Charfuel® Coal Refining Process is more economical than crude oil refining and is environmentally benign. Therefore, this value added process yields a return on investment well above 50% for a commercial facility. Furthermore, the Charfuel® process, unlike alternatives such as ethanol and hydrogen, can utilize the existing transportation, delivery, and other petroleum based systems. Hence, there is no need for new engines, pipelines, tankers, or product acceptance. As a result, the profitability of the process is increased. Objectives: (1) Operation of the integrated 18 tpd pilot plant, using two coal types (ranks); (2) Demonstration of process flexibility in being able to produce different products (gas, liquid, and char), as well as determination of operating parameters for identifying scale up criteria for two coal types (ranks); (3) Generation of engineering and design information (process specifications) for use in designing a commercial scale plant (scale-up); (4) Determination of important environmental issues surrounding the process and the products such as fate of trace elements (mercury and other heavy metals) and distributions of SO2, NOx, and CO 2 by analysis of effluent streams; (5) Production of sufficient product to allow reliable commercial economic evaluation of both the refined coal product and the coproducts; and, (6) Assessment of longer-term reliability of unit operations. Period 1: reconfiguration of the 18 TPD plant to meet specific FOA requirements and to qualify the facility for operation; and, Period 2: operation of the 18 TPD plant for two campaigns using two coals types (ranks) which are widely commercially used and abundant - the first being a subbituminous (Powder River Basin (“PRB”)) coal, and the second a bituminous (Illinois #6) coal.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗