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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 OSTI2023

EVs@Scale Next-Gen Profiles - EV Profile Capture 2023

As part of the U.S. DOE EVs@Scale consortium Next-Gen Profiles (NGP) project, the profile capture of production electric vehicles undergoing high power charging (HPC) is conducted over a wide range of conditions to explore variance and performance. Charge session parameters are collected from both the electric vehicle (EV) and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) at a rate of 10Hz and entered into a time-series database for analysis. These charge profiles are captured under nominal and off-nominal conditions, exploring the impact of battery state of charge (SOC), battery temperature, vehicle condition, smart charge management (SCM), and EVSE limitations. Nominal conditions are defined to be ideal conditions that should transfer the maximum allowable energy in the minimum possible amount of time. Nominal condition profiles are compared across EVs to characterize state-of-the-art EV charging performance against one another. Off-nominal condition profiles are compared against its nominal condition profile counterpart to highlight the variance across less desirable starting conditions within a single EV. Under nominal conditions, most EVs can achieve the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) rated peak-power and charge times. Peak power across EVs has variance due to the vehicle design, battery topology, charging strategy, etc. These 10-100% nominal preconditioned charge profiles across 13 EVs (11 light-duty (LD), 2 heavy-duty (HD)) were used for analysis in power curve analysis, power distribution, SOC and range comparison, thermal impacts of current draw, battery pack size and energy charged, and ramp rates. Power curve analysis show the uniqueness in power vs time curves across all EVs, breaking down the features of a typical profile and where variation is typically seen. Power distribution results showed that over 50% of charge time is spent below 50kW and only 12.1% is spent above 200kW. SOC and range performance yielded different top performing EVs when exploring goals of performance from SOC and range gained after 10-min (EV2) and 20-min (EV8), and time-to-achieve 80% SOC (EV8) and 200 miles of range (EV1). Current draw from 400-volt EVs had a higher thermal impact to cable/connector temperatures when compared to 800-volt EVs, due to a higher current requirement to achieve similar power levels. There was high variance in C rating, a useful metric when comparing the relationship between peak/average charge session power and relative battery pack size, across EVs under test. Ramp rates during initial power transfer were examined, fastest and slowest speeds ranging from 192.5kW/second to 2.6kW/second respectively. A similar analysis of ramp rates was also conducted for OCPP curtailment testing, where EVs underwent a 2-minute 65A curtailment request before returning to full-power charge. Under off-nominal conditions, most EVs experienced variation from the nominal condition profiles. EVs that underwent the full set of NGP defined testing conditions were compared, analysis of which was categorized by 800-volt and 400-volt EVs. It should be noted that the 800-volt EVs had significantly higher peak power ratings than the 400-volt EVs, and thus were more prone to variance. Initial state of charge, battery temperature, and vehicle condition had a considerable impact on peak power levels and charge time for the 800-volt vehicles under test. EVSE limited tests lowered achievable power down to 200kW, greatly impacted 800-volt charging power, and had little to no effect on 400-volt charging power. Adapter testing was performed on a single 400-volt EV, where power and current limitations were found but overall charge time was not significantly impacted. Adapter and boost converter testing was performed on a single 800-volt EV, where both charge power and charge time were greatly impacted. Charge profiles are unique, and comparing such requires analysis that examines starting conditions, vehicle and battery topologies,

Charging↗
DOE OSTI2024

Strategies and Good Practices to Support Robust Stakeholder Engagement in Multi-Sector Energy Transition Planning

This document discusses strategies and good practices to facilitate diverse stakeholder engagement and inclusive decision-making within the context of complex energy system modernization studies and multi-sector energy transition planning, drawing upon the knowledge and expertise of numerous USAID, NREL, and other DOE laboratory practitioners with international and domestic energy planning experience. Examples of multi-sector energy transition analyses from the United States are included in this document to draw out relevant lessons learned and experience for the USAID-NREL Partnership - strategies and good practices will be updated over time as new insights emerge through collaboration with international partners and stakeholders. Considerations included within this document can also be used to support stakeholder engagement at the sector level (e.g., for power, transport, buildings), in addition to integrated approaches.

ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2024

A decade of curtailment studies demonstrates a consistent and effective strategy to reduce bat fatalities at wind turbines in North America

Abstract There is a rapid, global push for wind energy installation. However, large numbers of bats are killed by turbines each year, raising concerns about the impacts of wind energy expansion on bat populations. Preventing turbine blades from spinning at low wind speeds, referred to as curtailment, is a method to reduce bat fatalities, but drawing consistent inference across studies has been challenging. We compiled publicly available studies that evaluated curtailment at six wind energy facilities in North America across 10 years. We used meta‐regression of 29 implemented treatments to determine fatality reduction efficacy as well as sources of variation influencing efficacy. We also estimated species‐specific fatality reduction for three species that comprise most fatalities in North America: hoary bat ( Lasiurus cinereus ), eastern red bat ( Lasiurus borealis ) and silver‐haired bat ( Lasionycteris noctivagans ). We found that curtailment reduced total bat fatalities by 33% with every 1.0 ms −1 increase in curtailment wind speed. Estimates of the efficacy for the three target species were similar (hoary bats: 28% per ms −1 , 95% CI: 0.4%–48%, eastern red bats: 32% per ms −1 , 95% CI: 13%–47% and silver‐haired bats: 32% per ms −1 , 95% CI: 3%–53%). Across multiple facilities and years, a 5.0 ms −1 cut‐in speed was estimated to reduce total bat fatalities by an average of 62% (95% CI: 54%–69%). Mortality reductions at individual facilities in any given year were estimated to fall between 33%–79% (95% prediction interval). Inter‐annual differences rather than inter‐site or turbine characteristics accounted for most of the variation in efficacy rates. Species‐specific average mortality reduction at 5.0 ms −1 curtailment wind speed was 48% (95% CI: 24%–64%) for hoary bats, 61% (95% CI: 42%–74%) for eastern red bats and 52% (95% CI: 30%–66%) for silver‐haired bats. Practical implication . curtailment reduced bat mortality at wind turbines in this North American study. Efficacy increased proportionally as curtailment speed is raised, and patterns and rates of efficacy were similar across species. This indicates that curtailment is an effective strategy to reduce bat fatalities at wind energy facilities, but exploration of further refinements could both minimize bat mortality and maximize energy production.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Patterned Quasi-Liquid Surfaces for Condensation of Low Surface Tension Fluids

Extensive research concerns dropwise condensation of low surface tension fluids to promote energy efficiency and decarbonization in thermal energy systems. However, it is challenging as these fluids typically result in filmwise condensation. Drawing inspiration from the Namib desert beetle that enhances condensation through patterned wettability, conventional beetle-inspired surfaces excel in water condensation but flood when condensing low surface tension fluids. In this work, a patterned quasi-liquid surface is reported that achieves exceptional dropwise condensation of low surface tension fluids. The surface consists of alternating stripes with low surface energy, that is, a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) and fluorinated quasi-liquid surface (FQLS), that shows ultralow contact angle hysteresis for ethanol and hexane. Further, the PFPE stripes are slightly more slippery, acting as slippery bridges that accelerate droplet coalescence and removal. It is experimentally demonstrated that the striped PFPE-FQLS pattern exhibits a heat transfer coefficient 85%, 330%, and 550% higher than that of PFPE, fluorinated silane, and filmwise condensation, respectively. This study reveals that a high contact angle is desired to sustain dropwise condensation, irrespective of contact angle hysteresis. These findings provide a new paradigm for promoting the dropwise condensation of low surface tension fluids and offer valuable insights into surface design for energy sustainability.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Role of Histidine‐Containing Peptoids in Accelerating the Kinetics of Calcite Growth

Carbonate mineralization, the conversion of CO 2 into stable, thermodynamically favorable carbonate minerals, offers a promising strategy for permanent and environmentally friendly carbon storage, with minimal risk of long-term leakage and minimal monitoring requirements. Drawing inspiration from carbonic anhydrase (CA), a family of zinc-containing metalloenzymes that catalyze the hydration of CO 2 to bicarbonate and promote carbonate precipitation, a class of histidine-containing peptoids was designed that is capable of coordinating with Zn 2+ ions to act as CA mimetics for accelerating calcite step growth. In situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements reveal that these peptoids significantly enhance step advancement, with a more pronounced effect observed when combined with Zn 2+ ions and under higher calcium-to-carbonate activity ratios, indicating that peptoids facilitate the incorporation of CO 3 2− ions at step edges. Solution NMR and 3D atomic force microscopy (3D AFM) analyses show that the coordination of peptoids with Zn 2+ promotes both the deprotonation of HCO 3 − to CO 3 2− and restructures the interfacial hydration layers of calcite, collectively lowering the activation barrier for step growth. These findings establish a design framework for sequence-defined polymers to regulate carbonate mineralization, offering promising applications in CO 2 capture and long-term storage.

CO2 mineralization↗
DOE OSTI2022

Structural and Optical Properties of High Entropy (La,Lu,Y,Gd,Ce)AlO 3 Perovskite Thin Films

Mixtures of Ce-doped rare-earth aluminum perovskites are drawing a significant amount of attention as potential scintillating devices. However, the synthesis of complex perovskite systems leads to many challenges. Designing the A-site cations with an equiatomic ratio allows for the stabilization of a single-crystal phase driven by an entropic regime. This work describes the synthesis of a highly epitaxial thin film of configurationally disordered rare-earth aluminum perovskite oxide (La 0.2 Lu 0.2 Y 0.2 Gd 0.2 Ce 0.2 )AlO 3 and characterizes the structural and optical properties. The thin films exhibit three equivalent epitaxial domains having an orthorhombic structure resulting from monoclinic distortion of the perovskite cubic cell. An excitation of 286.5 nm from Gd 3+ and energy transfer to Ce 3+ with 405 nm emission are observed, which represents the potential for high-energy conversion. These experimental results also offer the pathway to tunable optical properties of high-entropy rare-earth epitaxial perovskite films for a range of applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Photo‐Induced Charge State Dynamics of the Neutral and Negatively Charged Silicon Vacancy Centers in Room‐Temperature Diamond

Abstract The silicon vacancy (SiV) center in diamond is drawing much attention due to its optical and spin properties, attractive for quantum information processing and sensing. Comparatively little is known, however, about the dynamics governing SiV charge state interconversion mainly due to challenges associated with generating, stabilizing, and characterizing all possible charge states, particularly at room temperature. Here, multi‐color confocal microscopy and density functional theory are used to examine photo‐induced SiV recombination — from neutral, to single‐, to double‐negatively charged — over a broad spectral window in chemical‐vapor‐deposition (CVD) diamond under ambient conditions. For the SiV 0 to SiV ‐ transition, a linear growth of the photo‐recombination rate with laser power at all observed wavelengths is found, a hallmark of single photon dynamics. Laser excitation of SiV ‒ , on the other hand, yields only fractional recombination into SiV 2‒ , a finding that is interpreted in terms of a photo‐activated electron tunneling process from proximal nitrogen atoms.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Modulating Iron Crystals with Lattice Chalcophile‐Siderophile Elements for Selective Dechlorinations Over Hydrogen Evolution

Selective dechlorination of organic chlorides over hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) remains a challenge because of their coincidence. Nanoscale zerovalent iron (nFe 0 ) draws a promising picture of in situ groundwater dechlorination, but its indiscriminate reactivity limits the application. Here, nFe 0 crystals are designed with electron shuttles and improved hydrophobic nature based on elemental chalcophile-siderophile characteristics, where chalcophile-siderophile S served as a bridge to allow impregnating nFe 0 crystals with weakly siderophile and strongly chalcophile Cu. Even impregnations of lattice chalcophile-siderophile elements into the nFe 0 crystals are evidenced at both intraparticle and individual-particle levels. The modulated Fe microenvironment and physicochemical properties broke the reactivity-selectivity-longevity-stability trade-off. Compared to nFe 0 , superhydrophobic Cu─S─nFe 0 with lattice expansion promoted dechlorination by 20-fold but inhibited HER by 150-fold, utilizing ≈80–100% electrons from the Fe 0 reservoir. This work demonstrates the concept of engineering nFe 0 lattice with tunable structure-property relationships, mimicking reductive dehalogenases by selectively interacting with halocarbon functional groups for efficient dehalogenation and sustainable groundwater remediation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Understanding the Role of Cesium on Chemical Complexity in Methylammonium-Free Metal Halide Perovskites

Mixed cesium- and formamidinium-based metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are emerging as ideal photovoltaic materials due to their promising performance and improved stability. While theoretical predictions suggest that a larger composition ratio of Cs (≈30%) aids the formation of a pure photoactive α-phase, high photovoltaic performances can only be realized in MHPs with moderate Cs ratios. In fact, elemental mixing in a solution can result in chemical complexities with non-equilibrium phases, causing chemical inhomogeneities localized in the MHPs that are not traceable with global device-level measurements. Thus, the chemical origin of the complexities and understanding of their effect on stability and functionality remain elusive. Herein, through spatially resolved analyses, the fate of local chemical structures, particularly the evolution pathway of non-equilibrium phases and the resulting local inhomogeneities in MHPs is comprehensively explored. It is illustrated that Cs-rich MHPs have substantial local inhomogeneities at the initial crystallization step, which do not fully convert to the α-phase and thereby compromise the optoelectronic performance of the materials. These fundamental observations allow the authors to draw a complete chemical landscape of MHPs including nanoscale chemical mechanisms, providing indispensable insights into the realization of a functional materials platform.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Exciton Binding Energy in Organic Polymers: Experimental Considerations and Tuning Prospects

Discrepancies in reported values of exciton binding energy (E b ) for organic semiconductors (OSs) necessitate a comprehensive study. Traditionally, E b is defined as the difference between the transport gap (E t ) and the optical gap (E opt ). Here, the E b values of PBnDT‐TAZ polymer variants are determined using two commonly employed methods: a combination of ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy and low‐energy inverse photoemission spectroscopy (UPS‐LEIPS) and solid‐state cyclic voltammetry (CV). E b values obtained by UPS‐LEIPS show low dispersion and no clear correlation with the polymer structure and thedielectric properties. In contrast, CV reveals a larger dispersion (200 meV‐1 eV) and an apparent qualitative E b ‐molecular structure correlation, as the lowest E b values are observed for oligo‐ethylene glycol side chains. This discrepancy is discussed by examining the implications of the traditional definition of E b . Additionally, the impact of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors contributing to the derived experimental values of E t is discussed. The differences in intrinsic and extrinsic factors highlight the context‐dependent nature of measurement when drawing global conclusions. Notably, the observed E b trend derived from CV is not intrinsic to the pure materials but likely linked to electrolyte swelling and associated changes in dielectric environment, suggesting that high‐efficiency single‐material organic photovoltaics with low E b may be possible via high dielectric materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Hearing impairment and tinnitus among older construction workers employed at DOE facilities

Few studies have defined the risk of hearing impairment and tinnitus after retirement. This report measures hearing impairment and tinnitus prevalence among older construction trades workers. The study cohort included 21,340 participants in a national medical screening program. Audiometric hearing impairment was classified according to the Global Burden of Disease Study. Tinnitus was determined by self-report. An internal subcohort of nonconstruction trades workers served as a reference group. Stratified analyses and multivariate analyses were used to measure the prevalence of hearing impairment and tinnitus by age, sex, and job category. Prevalence of any hearing impairment was 55.2% (males, 57.7%; females, 26.8%) and increased rapidly with age. Construction trades workers were 40% more likely to have hearing impairment than the reference group. The overall prevalence of tinnitus was 46.52% and followed patterns similar to hearing impairment. Workers with hearing impairment were more likely to also have tinnitus, but tinnitus was frequently reported in the absence of measured hearing impairment. Hearing impairment and tinnitus prevalence were much higher in this study than in previous research. A significant reason for the difference is that BTMed follows participants after they have retired. To draw conclusions about the risk for work-related chronic diseases and disorders it is important to monitor workers through their lifetimes. Also, tinnitus by itself should be given greater significance. We report the findings reinforce the need to promote noise reduction and hearing conservation in construction.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Boosting Hydrogenation of CO 2 Using Cationic Cu Atomically Dispersed on 2D γ‐Al 2 O 3 Nanosheets

The continuous development of novel catalytic approaches is crucial for advancing efficient CO 2 hydrogenation processes. Drawing inspiration from single-atom catalysis and 2D materials, we designed a new 2D single-atom catalyst with excellent thermal stability by thermally treating Cu-adsorbed γ-AlOOH nanosheets, which yielded a Cu/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst with high activity in the hydrogenation of CO 2 -yielding methanol (CH 3 OH), dimethyl ether (DME), and CO as products. The active Cu sites are monodispersed and highly stable due to their cationic oxidation state and their substitution for pentacoordinated aluminum (Al P ) sites on particle surfaces. This study demonstrates an efficient approach for achieving a high CO 2 hydrogenation rate (30.45 mol mol −1 h −1 ) using a catalyst system that lacks metallic Cu centers, traditionally considered essential for H₂ dissociation, and employs what was previously thought to be an inert metal oxide (γ-Al 2 O 3 ) for CO and CH 3 OH production. Ongoing mechanistic studies aim to elucidate the synergy between cationic Cu single atoms and γ-Al 2 O 3 , a Lewis acid support, in facilitating hydrogen (H 2 ) activation and methanol formation.

2D catalyst↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Versatile Electrochemical Cell for Operando XAS

In situ and operando X–ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) provides fundamental insight into the working principles of electrocatalysts and is an important tool for future catalyst development. However, the design of an operando XAS electrocatalytic cell is not facile, and researchers designing cells, whether new cells or modifications to previous cells, often spend many hours on cell design before obtaining high–quality XAS data. Here, we describe the design, with engineering drawings, and operation of a versatile XAS cell with options for gas flow, electrolyte flow, pH monitoring, temperature monitoring, and the ability to handle many catalyst forms (any catalyst that can be deposited onto a conductive X–ray transparent substrate). We benchmarked XAS spectra collected using the new experimental cell to a previous cell design showing its ability to produce quality XAS data. We demonstrate the viability of this cell by providing insight into electrocatalysts by studying cation effects and show the tetrabutylammonium cation prevents bulk oxidation of copper. Finally, we hope the availability of this cell allows researchers to convert time typically spent on cell design to time spent on breakthroughs in electrocatalysis.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Immersive Analytics in Critical Spatial Domains: From Materials to Energy Systems

Immersive analytics (IA) leverages virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality to transform how users interact with complex datasets across domains such as science, industry, and education. These immersive technologies offer spatial and multimodal environments that foster intuitive exploration, but they also introduce challenges related to cognitive load, interface design, and system performance. Here, this article presents a comprehensive review of visualization techniques, interaction models, and multimodal inputs utilized in IA. Drawing on case studies in scientific visualization, industrial training, and educational communication, we examine both the potential and limitations of current systems. Finally, we propose future research directions, focusing on real‐time collaboration, adaptive user interfaces, and scalable data exploration strategies to advance the field.

99 - GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Concurrent Enhancement of Acetylene Uptake Capacity and Selectivity by Progressive Core Expansion and Extra–Framework Anions in Pore–Space–Partitioned Metal–Organic Frameworks

A multi-stage core-expansion method is proposed here as one component of the integrative binding-site/extender/core-expansion (BEC) strategy. The conceptual deconstruction of the partitioning ligand into three editable parts draws our focus onto progressive core expansion and allows the optimization of both acetylene uptake and selectivity. Herein the effectiveness of this strategy is shown through a family of eight cationic pore-partitioned materials containing three different partitioning ligands and various counter anions. The optimized structure, Co 3 -cpt-tph-Cl (Hcpt=4-(p-carboxyphenyl)-1,2,4-triazole, H-tph=(2,5,8-tri-(4-pyridyl)-1,3,4,6,7,9-hexaazaphenalene) with the largest surface area and highest C 2 H 2 uptake capacity (200 cm 3 /g at 298 K), also exhibits (desirably) the lowest CO 2 uptake and hence the highest C 2 H 2 /CO 2 selectivity. The successful boost in both C 2 H 2 capacity and IAST selectivity allows Co 3 -cpt-tph-Cl to rank among the best crystalline porous materials, ionic MOFs in particular, for C 2 H 2 uptake and C 2 H 2 /CO 2 experimental breakthrough separation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Accelerating x-ray tracing for exascale systems using Kokkos

The upcoming exascale computing systems Frontier and Aurora will draw much of their computing power from GPU accelerators. The hardware for these systems will be provided by AMD and Intel, respectively, each supporting their own GPU programming model. The challenge for applications that harness one of these exascale systems will be to avoid lock-in and to preserve performance portability. We report here on our results of using Kokkos to accelerate a real-world application on NERSC's Perlmutter Phase 1 (using NVIDIA A100 accelerators) and Crusher, the testbed system for OLCF's Frontier (using AMD MI250X). By porting to Kokkos, we successfully ran the same X-ray tracing code on both systems and achieved speed-ups between 13 % and 66 % compared to the original CUDA code. Finally, these results are a highly encouraging demonstration of using Kokkos to accelerate production science code.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2026

California Trees Seasonally Use Augmented Water Sources: Water Isotope Tracking in a Groundwater‐Dependent Ecosystem

Sustainable groundwater management must account for the needs of groundwater dependent ecosystems. To understand the relationship of ecosystems and seasonal water use, we studied the stable isotope composition (δ 18 O and δ 2 H) of water in streamside trees in a semi-arid streamside environment (Livermore, California, USA). We sampled seven trees at two sites every other month from April 2024 through April 2025 for tree xylem stable water isotope signatures. These data were compared to potential source waters: precipitation, imported surface water, soil water and regional groundwaters. Large daily precipitation events were found to be isotopically similar to regional groundwater and were thus treated as one water source. A Bayesian mixing model using stable water isotopes was used to determine the ratios of these three potential source waters (small daily precipitation events, groundwater/large daily precipitation events and imported water) present in tree xylem water. On average, tree water sources include 32% imported water (SD = 9%), 35% small daily precipitation events (SD = 10%) and 33% groundwater (SD = 3%), with significant seasonal variation (t summer-winter = 30.8, p < 0.01), particularly drawing more imported water (more than 55%) in the summer. While small daily precipitation events contribute only 10% of the total precipitation in our dataset, it represents a third of water used by trees. In addition, while these ecosystems are designated as groundwater dependent ecosystems, the trees use approximately one third imported water and even more during dry summer months. This approach provides water managers with a practical tool for quantifying ecosystem water needs, supporting data-driven decisions and regulatory compliance. While California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act emphasizes supporting groundwater dependent ecosystems, it allows flexibility in demonstrating benefits. In conclusion, our methodology provides a way to document that management actions (such as managed aquifer recharge with imported water) deliver measurable co-benefits to GDEs.

Geosciences↗