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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Application of Raman Spectroscopy to Determine Uranium Content in ADUN Solution

The work presented in this report is part of the ongoing efforts to address the nuclear material control and accounting needs for advanced reactor fuel fabrication facilities. This work was supported by the Materials Protection, Accounting, and Control Technologies (MPACT) program under the US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy‘s Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Supply Chain program. The activities and engagements under the MPACT program are designed to support a robust US civilian nuclear energy enterprise. In the work described in this report, we supported MPACT objectives by developing measurement techniques that could be used for material accounting and process monitoring and by working with industry partners to identify existing gaps and areas for improvement. Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been working with commercial tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel fabricators such as Standard Nuclear to develop technology for rapid and cost-effective uranium content assessment. This work has focused on demonstrating advanced measurement techniques (e.g., Raman spectroscopy) that can be used for rapid, reliable, and cost-effective routine measurements of uranium content in feed solutions and liquid waste streams as well as for monitoring in-line process measurements and product streams. Specifically, this report explores techniques for accurately determining uranium content in acid-deficient uranyl nitrate (ADUN) solutions and detecting low uranium concentrations in ammonia solutions. Developing such measurement techniques will benefit TRISO fuel fabrication facilities, facilities involved in other parts of the fuel cycle that require online monitoring of aqueous solutions, and potentially molten salt fuel reactors. This work supports developing Raman spectroscopy procedures to determine uranium concentrations in ADUN solutions, which are used as feedstock in the sol–gel process for creating TRISO fuel. Some additional benefits of using Raman spectroscopy for uranium quantification in fabrication facilities include enabling online monitoring of the chemical process, which would provide near real-time feedback; eliminating the need for sample transfers, preparation, or dilution; providing nondestructive measurements; and user friendliness. In this fiscal year, FY25, we determined the identity of the unknown Raman band at approximately 853 cm−1 that was discovered in ADUN Raman spectra in FY24, created calibration curves and determined uranium concentrations of two ADUN solutions, and compared the Raman results to results obtained from inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and Davies–Gray titration. Furthermore, we have identified focus areas for experimentation in future fiscal years. A key result is that the accuracy of using Raman can provide accuracy comparable to destructive analysist techniques, With a well-developed calibration curve, using standards and a large number of samples (more than five samples), uncertainty on the order of 1%–3% is achievable. Given that the uncertainties achieved by Raman spectroscopy were on the order of the uncertainties achieved using ICP-MS, we conclude that with a well-developed procedure Raman spectroscopy can be used to determine uranium concentrations in ADUN solutions for NMC&A applications. The benefits of such an approach are that the time and effort will be less than that of comparable destructive analysis techniques, with approximately the same level of technical expertise. This will be attractive to operators of fuel fabrication facilities as it will lower costs and improve efficiencies.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

National User Resource for Biological Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (Final Report)

The National User Resource for Biological Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (User Resource) will provide isotopic analysis (primarily radiocarbon or 14C) by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) for NIH- funded researchers across the United States and will be the only User Resource of its type in the United States. The User Resource will provide measurement capability and expertise to a research community that requires highly sensitive, quantitative isotope analyses. Since commissioning a new accelerator mass spectrometer in June 2014, we have measured over 4000 samples a year for collaborators and service users. The User Resource will enable us to continue to meet these research needs, as well as provide for new users whose research programs would benefit from AMS as a measurement tool. The User Resource’s forte will be ultra-high sensitivity quantitation of radiocarbon and selected other radioisotopes for research studies where isotopes are required. Radioisotope labeling studies have been and will continue to be an important tool for addressing many complex biomedical science problems. AMS is a specialized and unique type of mass spectrometry that provides absolute quantitation of radiocarbon and other relevant radioisotopes with extreme sensitivity, having limits of detection in real samples on the order of a few attomol/mg of sample at measurement precisions of ~3%. It is the only instrumental method capable of quantifying radioisotope-labeled agents routinely in real-world samples with such precision and sensitivity. The sensitivity of AMS allows for the quantification of radiolabeled metabolites in extremely complex matrices of cells and organisms at very low concentrations and in small samples. AMS allows studies to be conducted without perturbing metabolism leading to more relevant quantification of metabolic rates and pathways. In addition, it enables quantification of pharmacokinetic and metabolic properties of toxicants at environmentally relevant concentrations in model systems as well as the ability to quantify pharmacokinetics and other molecular endpoints directly in humans. Such quantitative assessments can 1) improve risk assessment for toxicants, 2) address safety and efficacy considerations for therapeutic entities, 3) deepen understanding of xenobiotic and intermediary metabolism, 4) help understand the interactions between critical molecular pathways, and 5) improve efforts to model and predict various metabolic and biological states. These capabilities have been applied in a number of areas including research in carcinogenesis, toxicology, nutrition, pharmacology/drug development and basic biological science. As a NIGMS National Resource the National User Resource for Biological Accelerator Mass Spectrometry will help NIH funded scientists achieve a deeper understanding of the etiology of human health concerns by (1) enabling the quantification of pharmacokinetics and other molecular endpoints directly in humans; (2) offering the ability to conduct quantitative studies using biologics such as proteins or lipids, and thereby reducing the amount of radioisotope usage in biomedical labs; and (3) enabling more relevant studies of metabolic pathways in health and disease through the use of much lower, more biologically-relevant, concentrations of metabolic substrates in cells and intact organisms. Such studies support NIGMS’s basic biomedical research areas that contribute to the understanding of fundamental cellular and physiological principles and enable research supported by the Biophysics, Biomedical Technology, and Computational Biosciences (BBCB); Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (GMCDB); Pharmacology, Physiology, Biological Chemistry (PPBC) and Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity (TWD) Divisions. Over the next five years, our goals are to: 1. Improve the efficiency of operation for AMS measurements through installation of new interfaces to our AMS systems, technical modifications to improve gas accepting ion source efficiency and upgrading our data analysis software for improved ease of use and data reporting. 2. Increase the accessibility and visibility of ultra-sensitive 14C measurements for the biomedical research community by training of new investigators and expanding our national user base. 3. Provide high throughput, ultra-sensitive 14C analysis for the NIGMS and NIH user community.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Tunable Few-Layer van der Waals Crystals and Heterostructures as Emerging Energy and Quantum Materials (Final Technical Report)

2D and layered (van der Waals) semiconductors offer extraordinary opportunities for manipulating optically excited charge carriers, many-body excitations, and non-charge based quantum numbers. To date, research has focused on a limited group of materials, mostly transition metal dichalcogenides in the monolayer limit. Other van der Waals semiconductors, and especially few-layer to multilayer crystals and their heterostructures, carry large potential for the discovery of phenomena of interest for future energy and information technologies. But they remain largely unexplored, often due to a lack of access to high-quality materials and approaches for measuring their properties at the relevant scales. The goal of this project was to develop an EPSCoR-State/National Laboratory Partnership that addresses the challenges of preparing high-quality van der Waals semiconductors and of probing their structure, composition, and especially their optoelectronic and photonic properties, near the atomic scale using electron microscopy techniques. A central component of the project was the development of advanced methods for electron microscopy and electron-excited spectroscopy, taking advantage of unique samples as well as leading capabilities and expertise at the partner institutions. Efforts to advance leading-edge techniques was supported by ancillary developments, such as precision sample preparation for electron microscopy/spectroscopy, coordinated chemical imaging, and analytical electron microscopy. Experiments in materials synthesis and technique development were closely linked to theory and computation. The results obtained under this project yielded multifaceted benefits to the involved partners and their institutions, DOE-BES, the wider scientific community, and society at large, particularly in the State of Nebraska through dividends from knowledge and human capital generated under the project.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Modeling COVID-19 Impacts on Prison Population

The goal of this project was to develop a unique, high-level, concept model that will (1) help examine the consequences COVID-19 has had on prison population and flow dynamics in Illinois and (2) explore (to the extent possible) how that will unfold in the short- and mid-term future. Argonne has unique expertise in dynamic systems modeling and highly specialized simulation capabilities, which will be helpful in developing such a model. The ultimate objective of this CRADA is to develop with the Illinois Public Sentencing Policy Advisory Council (SPAC) the capability to identify and understand factors and interactions associated with prison population and flow dynamics in Illinois. This understanding will then potentially lead to improvements in the allocation of various resources and services. This approach would also be useful to other states.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Science & Technology Review December 2025 - Optimizing Future Design

At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, we focus on science and technology research to ensure our nation’s security. We also apply that expertise to solve other important national problems in energy, bioscience, and the environment. Science & Technology Review is published eight times a year to communicate, to a broad audience, the Laboratory’s scientific and technological accomplishments in fulfilling its primary missions. The publication’s goal is to help readers understand these accomplishments and appreciate their value to the individual citizen, the nation, and the world.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Exploring anomalous electron decay in nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharges

Nanosecond pulsed discharges (typical pulse duration of about 10 nanoseconds) have attracted widespread attention due to their wide range of applications in plasma-assisted combustion and aerodynamic flow control, biomedicine, nanotechnology, and materials processing. This project investigated the plasma dynamics of nanosecond discharges in a pin-to-pin configuration using a combined experimental and theoretical modeling approach, leveraging the expertise and resources of Purdue University and the Princeton Collaborative Research Facility (PCRF).

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

DOE BSSD Performance Management Metrics Report Q1

Microbes play key roles in our biosphere, from driving global nutrient cycling to impacting plant, animal and human health and disease. Complex data from microbial genomes, proteins, and metabolites provide a window into these tiny engines that drive life on our planet. Yet these data are dispersed among researchers’ laboratories and various repositories, making it difficult to access. This calls for new ways of managing data, improving data interoperability, advancing community standards, and creating an infrastructure where data are shared efficiently. We have built the National Microbiome Data Collaborative (NMDC) to advance how scientists create, use, and reuse data to redefine the way we understand and harness the power of microbes. The vision of the National Microbiome Data Collaborative (NMDC) is to drive a microbiome data sharing network connecting data, people, and ideas to advance microbiome innovation and discovery. The NMDC was launched in 2019 and brought together DOE National Laboratories to collaborate across resources, capabilities, and expertise. The NMDC team was strategically assembled to include software developers, microbial researchers, metadata experts, and multi-omics specialists. The diversity of the NMDC team reflects the inherently interdisciplinary nature of microbiome science, and we leverage the strengths of the DOE National Laboratory system. Towards BER’s goal of advancing an iterative systems biology approach to the understanding of microbial genomes, the NMDC serves as a foundation for infrastructure, data standards, and community building. Together with the flagship DOE User Facilities, the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) and the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), we are developing core capabilities in metadata standards for environmental descriptors and sample handling and processing; standardized bioinformatic workflows; an interface for data search and access; and robust community engagement activities. The NMDC production platform supports long-term data infrastructure and community building for BER’s bioenergy and environmental research goals. Our approach leverages lessons learned and an ambitious framework for collaborative, interdisciplinary data infrastructure to support microbiome research. The NMDC supports data, information, and knowledge access through three defined software tools – the Submission Portal, NMDC EDGE, and the Data Portal – driven by community needs. Herein, we describe the value proposition for the microbiome research community, our overarching strategy, and challenges and opportunities for developing the NMDC as both an infrastructure and community engagement program.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Rigorous incorporation of pH effects into ab initio electrochemical models

This report summarizes the work carried out with support of the United States Department of Energy under Award DE-SC0023410. The theme of this project was to update electronically grand canonical atomistic simulations to properly incorporate pH effects, on a rigorous thermodynamic basis, and to compare this to experimental findings. This project was primarily conducted by PI Andrew Peterson and his group at Brown University, with an unfunded collaboration with the Quantum Simulations Group at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory with Dr. Joel Varley, who hosted the primary graduate student (Alexander Lackey) funded by this project and contributed to all major intellectual pursuits, utilizing the expertise and capabilities of the national laboratory to advance the project goals. Postdoctoral associate Dr. Juye Kim was also a major contributor to this project, and implementation of the final section included cooperation with several electronic-structure open-source software developers, including Colin Baker (Brown), Sandeep Sharma (CalTech), Georg Kastlunger (DTU), and Jens Jørgen Mortensen (DTU).

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

Preliminary Assessment of Alternate Chlorination Process

Recent advancements towards low-temperature chlorination with disulfur dichloride and thionyl chloride of Al-clad used nuclear fuel (UNF) have been summarized for work control technical expertise development at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). This technique aims to provide a more effective method for separating U from cladding or alloying elements. A preliminary assessment determined needs for unit operation developments in regard to reaction kinetics and reagent quality. Furthermore, an analysis of an Uruguay fuel plate (U-Al x fuel meat), with low-enriched uranium (LEU) and located at SRNL, was a potential candidate for future experiments with lightly irradiated (0.08% burnup) fuel to test for chlorination. Future proposed work would involve kinetic studies, reagent quality assessments, and the machining of the fuel plate down to an appropriate bench-scale size and testing the effectiveness of low-temperature chlorination on the fuel plate.

Chlorination↗
DOE OSTI2025

Preliminary Assessment of Renewable Energy Options at the Sravasti Abbey [Slides]

Through the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy to Communities (E2C) program, NREL, other national laboratory experts, and select organizations provide Expert Match - free, short-term technical assistance to address near-term clean energy challenges and questions. Expert Match is for community stakeholders who have decision-making power or influence in their community but need access to additional clean energy expertise to inform key upcoming decisions. This Expert Match request supported the Sravasti Abbey in Washington a preliminary assessment of distributed energy technology financial feasibility for their site. The outcome consists of low estimated savings from these technologies due to their already low energy consumption.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Monitoring for Space Farming Institute [Slides]

Through the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy to Communities (E2C) program, NREL, other national laboratory experts, and select organizations provide Expert Match - free, short-term technical assistance to address near-term energy challenges and questions. Expert Match is for community stakeholders who have decision-making power or influence in their community but need access to additional energy expertise to inform key upcoming decisions. This Expert Match request supported the Space Farming Institute, a nonprofit organization located in Anchorage, AK, with an indoor air quality analysis. The NREL team analyzed indoor air quality data provided by the Space Farming Institute, which experts at PNNL used to design an indoor bioreactor to grow Ulva algae for indoor air quality mitigation purposes.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Safety of Mobile Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Applications: An Investigation by the Hydrogen Safety Panel

Safe practices in the production, storage, distribution, and use of hydrogen are essential for the widespread acceptance of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. A significant safety incident could damage public perception of hydrogen and fuel cells. Recent incidents involving multi-cylinder hydrogen transport vehicles in the United States have brought attention to the potential impacts of mobile hydrogen storage and transportation. Road transportation of bulk gaseous hydrogen presents unique hazards that can be very different from those for stationary equipment, and new equipment developers may have less experience and expertise than seasoned gas providers. In response to the aforementioned incidents, and in support of hydrogen and fuel cell activities in California specifically, the Hydrogen Safety Panel (HSP) has investigated the safety of mobile hydrogen and fuel cell applications (mobile auxiliary/emergency fuel cell power units, mobile fuelers, multi-cylinder transport vehicles, unmanned aircraft power supplies, and mobile hydrogen generators). The HSP examined the applications, requirements, and performance of mobile applications that are being used extensively outside of California to understand how safety considerations are applied. This report discusses the results of the HSP’s evaluation of hydrogen and fuel cell mobile applications along with recommendations to address relevant safety issues.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Quantifying and Optimizing the Energy Benefits of Mass Timber Construction

The International Mass Timber Alliance (IMTA) is a global organization of industry leaders, engineers, scientists, and associations dedicated to advancing mass timber construction. Its mission is to generate and disseminate scientific data supporting the development of standardized construction and energy efficient practices that promote the adoption of mass timber worldwide. IMTA collaborated with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to leverage ORNL’s expertise in building envelope modeling and testing to evaluate how mass timber construction can reduce peak heating and cooling demand, lower overall energy use, and improve resilience during power outages. A previous study of 80 mass timber buildings in Finland found measured energy use up to 50% lower than predicted by simulation. This project aimed to validate and extend those findings for U.S. buildings through analytical modeling, laboratory testing, and full-scale building evaluations. The research focused on the thermal performance of low-embodied-energy wall assemblies, such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels and log walls, with particular attention to the effects of thermal inertia on indoor comfort and energy performance. While mass timber’s structural and fire-resistance properties are well documented, its whole-building thermal behavior has received limited attention. Field data, simulation results, and resilience testing from this study will inform future modeling practices, design guidelines, and construction practices by quantifying the unique thermal and demand-flexibility benefits of mass timber construction.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2026

Electromagnetic Transient Modeling of Large Data Centers for Grid-Level Studies

The magnitude and complexity of electricity usage patterns from large data centers are having significant impacts on the operation and dynamics of the power grid; grid operators and planners require a range of specialized data center models to properly evaluate these impacts and specify technical solutions as needed. Towards addressing this need, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has developed a library of electromagnetic transient (EMT) models for grid-level studies of data centers called the data center model library (DML). This report describes how the DML was created and how it may properly be used. The models present in the DML are generic models; subject matter expertise and additional technical data are needed to modify these models before they can represent any real data center. However, they will significantly reduce the level of effort required to develop site-specific models and can serve as a common starting point to guide industry towards a more refined consensus. Most of the models within DML are dedicated to representing the power electronics interfaces commonly used in modern data centers, such as double-conversion uninterruptible power supplies and single-phase power factor correction converters. These models are intended for use in grid-level studies and are a simplified aggregation of many small components. That said, background material on the physical and electrical design of large data centers is provided as companion material so that users can be aware of many of the details which have been omitted or streamlined as a matter of practical necessity. Additionally, guidance on the application of EMT analysis for data center interconnection studies is provided, which aids users in identifying when the DML is necessary and what sort of additional model development may be necessary for conducting real-world studies.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Computerized Assignment of Reviewers to Applicants for the Truman Fellowship

This report presents a user-friendly tool for assigning reviewers to the President Harry S. Truman Postdoctoral Fellowship applicants, replacing a previous program that required technical skills. Built with Python libraries, it organizes reviewer preferences and balances workloads, outputting five solutions as Excel files. Validation confirms its effectiveness, making it suitable for broader applications while ensuring efficient assignments without technical expertise.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Baseline Cost Model for Hydropower: Documentation (2025)

Hydropower currently contributes about 80 GW of conventional and 23 GW of pumped storage capacity to the United States (US) power grid. Previous studies have estimated a considerable amount of remaining US hydropower resources, including non-powered dams (NPD) (Hadjerioua et al., 2012), new stream-reach developments (NSD) (Kao et al., 2014), pumped storage hydropower (PSH) and canal/conduit (Kao et al., 2022). The combined theoretical capacity potential of these various hydropower resources is comparable to the existing US hydropower capacity. There is a continuing interest in developing this hydropower potential, particularly to help meet the increasing demand for electricity. However, available data (Sasthav and Oladosu, 2022) show that the rate of new hydropower development has slowed considerably over time despite the interest of industry stakeholders. This is partly due to the competition from other energy resources and from the highly dispersed nature of remaining hydropower resources, which lead to high information requirements for evaluating the feasibility of potential projects. Cost information provides the most succinct summary of the feasibility of a potential hydropower project required by stakeholders, including developers, investors, policymakers, consumer groups, etc., considering investment options. The best estimates of hydropower costs can be obtained through detailed engineering design and cost assessments of individual projects. However, this approach has high data and resource (time, funds, cross-disciplinary expertise) requirements that render it inapplicable for rapid cost estimation with limited data. Although innovative approaches can overcome some of these impediments (see Oladosu and Ma, 2024 for such an application to potential NPD projects), the development of such approaches still requires significant amounts of resources and are not generally applicable to all hydropower project types. Therefore, statistical and parametric methods using simpler cost specifications remain of significant utility to hydropower stakeholders and are, at the least, complementary to more detailed approaches, particularly when evaluating many potential projects.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Optimizing Fleet Operations With Telematics [Slides]

Through the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy to Communities (E2C) program, NLR, other national laboratory experts, and select organizations provide Expert Match - free, short-term technical assistance to address near-term energy challenges and questions. Expert Match is for community stakeholders who have decision-making power or influence in their community but need access to additional energy expertise to inform key upcoming decisions. This Expert Match request supported Prince William County, VA with information about fleet charging and telematics.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Data Centers Gap Analysis [Slides]

Data centers and other large loads are a significant driver of unprecedented, near-term demand growth in the United States. Power system planners, utilities, regulators, and other stakeholders are grappling with how to integrate data centers on the system without comprising reliability, resiliency, and energy affordability. NLR is pursuing work to develop a siting and decision-making tool that would draw on power systems modeling expertise to achieve granular representation of trade-offs involved in data center sitting and development. This slide deck supports the same workstream by reviewing the literature to identify mitigation options to facilitate near-term integration of large loads and by presenting options for pursuing data development and/or modeling projects to improve representation of siting options.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗