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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 739 records · Page 41
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC Technical Assistance With Energy Cloud (Final CTAP Report)

Sandia provided technical assistance to Energy Cloud to support the assessment of Energy Cloud’s technology for air filtration of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The Energy Cloud system was developed to filter the SARS-CoV-2 virus from commercial HVAC systems, ducts, and enclosed rooms without generating ozone. The project included a 3-week experimental series with aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 virus at the University of Southern California’s biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory. USC provided the facility as well as experimentally derived measurements and assessment of the Energy Cloud system efficacy for SARSCoV-2 filtration from air handling systems.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Solar +: Clean Energy Strategies for the Sunshine State (Final Technical Report (FTR) of the Florida Alliance for Accelerating Solar and Storage Technology Readiness (FAASSTeR))

This reports on a four-year effort to provide foundational research, analysis, strategies and assistance to help Florida, and other states that might learn from this work, to grow solar energy in conjunction with other distributed energy resources by addressing and overcoming existing barriers, and in way that delivers increased value. The start of this effort coincided with an inflection point of sorts into a new dawn for solar energy in Florida, where the Sunshine state’s national ranking in total installed solar, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), has rose from 13th to 4th. Florida has now become the national leader in annual utility-scale solar growth as dozens of large plants have come online. Also, during this time, Florida utilities have expressed a strong and growing interest in understanding the role of energy storage and how to best plan for and deploy this unique resource as part of strategies to grow solar. The utility-scale solar growth experienced has been fueled by the economics of solar cost-parity with natural gas combined cycle plants and Florida Public Service Commission’s (PSC) approval of cost-recovery for the Investor-Owned Utilities (IOU’s), primarily through the Solar Base Rate Adjustment (SoBRA) mechanism. This has led to gigawatts (GW’s) of rate-based solar capacity additions over several years, along with fairly significant amounts of energy storage. Meanwhile, municipal electric utilities, which, collectively, are the third largest source of power in the state, have been increasing solar considerably through power purchase agreements (PPA’s) and are on track to have close to 1 GW of grid-connected solar by 2024. Florida’s municipal utilities and the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) have been key partners in the Florida Alliance for Accelerating Solar and Storage Technology Readiness (FAASSTeR), formed to carry out this effort. The six largest of these have been Core Team utilities, engaging throughout the project in weekly calls, discussions, and project direction, participating in and hosting workshops and benefiting from technical assistance in several areas.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Precision Electroweak and QCD Studies with Polarized Electrons (Final Technical Report)

In this final technical report, we report on the main products from the scope of the work of the award, in particular the Ph.D. dissertations that summarize the work done by the three graduate students who completed their requirements and defenses during calendar 2021, after completing data analyses on the PREX-II and CREX experiments which made precision measurements of neutron RMS radii of 208 Pb and 48 Ca nuclei.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Enhancing Convection Parameterization for Next Generation E3SM (Final Technical Report)

This technical report summarizes the achievements during the project period. The general goal of the project is to enhance the representation of atmospheric deep convection in the DOE global climate model E3SM. By implementing a stochastic convection scheme into E3SM, we improved the simulation of precipitation intensity and frequency. As a result, it has a profound impact on the simulation of other fields in the model, including aerosol scavenging by precipitation and aerosol radiative effects. We also implemented a convective cloud microphysics scheme into E3SMv2 to represent more accurately the interaction between convection and grid-scale clouds. An extensive analysis of model simulations as part of the Next Generation Development (NGD) convection scheme assessment project found that including the convective microphysics scheme improved the simulation of Madden-Julian oscillations (MJO) in the model. To make convective parameterization schemes more scale-aware as the GCM resolution increases, we analyzed the output from cloud-resolving model (CRM) simulations of both organized and unorganized convection by coarse-graining the CRM data to different GCM resolutions. Using a novel approach to modify the convective closure, we demonstrated that the convection scheme used in E3SM (ZM scheme) can be made scale-aware.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Deciphering dark matter in the Milky Way (Final Technical Report)

The goal of this research grant was to test new methods to test theories of dark matter, whether by detecting the dark matter in the Milky Way in underground experiments, or by tracing the stars in the Milky Way and beyond. This is a final technical report summarizing the research publications over the grant period.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

DARHT : Enduring Lessons from a Technical Project in a National Laboratory Context [Slides]

The Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test (DARHT) facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is the world’s first flash x-ray facility able to take multiple high-resolution radiographs of the interior features of fast-moving dense objects during a single experiment. DARHT’s radiography and complimentary diagnostics makes it an important diagnostic tool in support of the US Department of Energy’s (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)’s stewardship of the US nuclear deterrent. The project to construct DARHT ran from 1988 through 2003. Initial Operating Capability along a single axis began in 1999. A technical issue delayed Critical Decision 4 for the full dual-axis capability until 2008. DARHT was characterized by several directed changes resulting from an environmental impact study, changes to the global security context resulting from the end of underground nuclear testing, and rapid evolution of applicable technology. Conventional building and lab-space construction were part of the project, but the project was dominated by Special Facility Equipment that, together with the mission to support the nuclear weapons program, required the project to be completed by national laboratories. Although the project pre-dated implementation of DOE Order 413.3, several important lessons for national laboratory projects remain applicable today and will be discussed here, including projects appropriate for the national laboratory environment, scope stability, risk acceptance and mitigation, communication, and collaboration. Finally, considerations for DOE contractor project managers are offered based upon the DARHT experience.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

Path Integral Monte Carlo Simulations of Iron Plasmas (Final Technical Report)

This documents is the final technical report for our grant entitled "Path Integral Monte Carlo Simulations of Iron Plasmas" that focused on developing path integral Monte Carlo (PIMC) computer simulations. This techniques will be developed to study plasmas composed of heavier elements including iron and other third row elements. Equations of state (EOS) and transport properties will be derived in the regime of warm dense matter (WDM) and dense plasmas where existing first-principles methods cannot be applied. While standard density functional theory (DFT) has been used to accurately predict the structure of many solids and liquids up to temperatures on the order of 100,000 K, this method is not applicable at much higher temperature because the number of partially occupied electronic orbitals reaches intractably large numbers or the use of finite-temperature free energy functionals in orbital-free DFT introduces an uncontrolled approximation. Here we focus on PIMC methods that become more and more efficient with increasing temperatures and still include all electronic correlation effects. In this approach, electronic excitations increase the efficiency rather than reduce it. While it had commonly been assumed this method could only be applied to elements without core electrons, we showed that PIMC with free-particle nodes works well for first-row elements (PRL 108 (2012) 115502). Most recently, we extended the applicability range of all-electron PIMC to second-row elements by adopting localized nodal surfaces (PRL 115 (2015) 176403). To simulate third-row elements efficiently under WDM conditions, we propose a new method to remove core electrons by introducing pseudo-nodes. We explain our approach step by step and present preliminary results. We focus our method development on getting PIMC simulations of iron to work because of its fundamental importance for WDM and astrophysics. Then we move on to krypton and copper-doped beryllium, a ICF ablator material. We plan to continue working on key second-row material such as Na, Mg, MgO, Al, silica, and silicon-doped plastic ablators. Our collaborators at LLNL, will use our PIMC EOS data both as comparisons to existing semi-empirical, EOS-generating schemes, and as input for continuum radiation hydrodynamics simulations. We will establish an efficient pipeline from PIMC to macroscopic continuum studies of materials response. An emphasis will be placed on benchmarking such methods for plasmas of heavy elements at the very high temperatures (~100 eV) and low densities that are generated when Hohlraum radiation heats the ablator material in indirect drive laser experiments. Results from changes to the EOS will be of immeasurable importance to the designers at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and at other facilities. Starting with our EOS of Cu-doped Be, our second collaborator at LLE, will perform real-time simulations of laser fusion experiments at the Omega laser and at the NIF to determine how sensitive the compression path depends on the ablator EOS. Since our collaborator also has experience in performing orbital-free DFT calculations, we propose to compare predictions from this method with PIMC results. In joint publications, we plan to analyze the accuracy of different free-energy functionals in order to understand why existing orbital-free DFT calculations do not predict compression peaks along the shock Hugoniot curve that we see with PIMC. The peaks are caused by the ionization of various electron shells. Their accurate characterization is important to compare with experimental results. We will break new ground by developing PIMC techniques that can simulate iron and all other third row elements in the plasma and WDM regimes. We introduce the concept of pseudo-nodes for the efficient treatment of the core-electrons. The EOS and transport properties will be derived and published online in the form of a new WDM database. Our PIMC EOS calculations will benchmark and possibly replace semi-analytical EOS tables like QEOS or SESAME, which will impact the hydrocode simulation community and will affect the design of NIF targets. Our PIMC results will help to improve the accuracy of orbital-free DFT simulations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Freight Analysis Framework Version 5 (FAF5) Base Year 2017 Data Development Technical Report

The Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) integrates data from a variety of sources to create a comprehensive national picture of freight movements among states and major metropolitan areas by all modes of transportation. The latest of this data series is FAF5, which is the fifth generation FAF and is benchmarked on Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) 2017. Except for FAF1 that provided estimates for truck, rail, and water tonnage for calendar year 1998, later generations of FAF (FAF2 through FAF5) were built based on their benchmark year CFS data, for 2002, 2007, 2012, and 2017 respectively. The FAF is produced under a partnership between Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). As a major data product of the FAF program, the FAF regional database provides a national picture of freight flows to, from, and within the United States (among regions and states), by commodity and mode for the base year, as well as for forecasts up to 30 years into the future in a 5-year interval. Additional FAF data products also include FAF network flows database, where truck movements are routed onto the national highway network, estimates of annual projections, and synchronized historical data series. This report is a technical document prepared to describe the data sources and methodologies applied in the process of building the FAF5 base-year 2017 regional database, released as FAF5.0 in February 2021. This report offers a description of the diverse data sources and modeling methods used in constructing the base year FAF5 regional database. The FAF5 base-year database is used as the base for development of forecasts and for assignment of truck flows on highway network. Similarly, the FAF5 base-year database will be used as the base to generate FAF5 annual estimates. In addition to this report, users are encouraged to refer to the FAF5 User’s Guide, which provides basic information of the data, including definitions of the data attributes, information on how to access the data and tool, as well as detailed data dictionary and code tables.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Los Alamos National Laboratory Floodplain Assessment for the Technical Area 72 Outdoor Live Fire Range Safety Upgrades Project

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is proposing new construction and upgrade activities in lower Sandia Canyon at Technical Area (TA) 72 at the Outdoor Live Fire Range facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The proposed upgrades are intended to improve range safety to help fulfill the mission requirements of maintaining a trained and qualified armed Protective Force.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

HYSPLIT/MACCS Atmospheric Dispersion Model Technical Documentation and Benchmark Analysis

The nuclear accident consequence analysis code MACCS has traditionally modeled dispersion during downwind transport using a Gaussian plume segment model. MACCS is designed to estimate consequence measures such as air concentrations and ground depositions, radiological doses, and health and economic impacts on a statistical basis over the course of a year to produce annualaveraged output measures. The objective of this work is to supplement the Gaussian atmospheric transport and diffusion (ATD) model currently in MACCS with a new option using the HYSPLIT model. HYSPLIT/MACCS coupling has been implemented, with HYSPLIT as an alternative ATD option. The subsequent calculations in MACCS use the HYSPLIT-generated air concentration, and ground deposition values to calculate the same range of output quantities (dose, health effects, risks, etc.) that can be generated when using the MACCS Gaussian ATD model. Based on the results from the verification test cases, the implementation of the HYSPLIT/MACCS coupling is confirmed. This report contains technical details of the HYSPLIT/MACCS coupling and presents a benchmark analysis using the HYSPLIT/MACCS coupling system. The benchmark analysis, which involves running specific scenarios and sensitivity studies designed to examine how the results generated by the traditional MACCS Gaussian plume segment model compare to the new, higher fidelity HYSPLIT/MACCS modeling option, demonstrates the modeling results that can be obtained by using this new option. The comparisons provided herein can also help decision-makers evaluate the potential benefit of using results based on higher fidelity modeling with the additional computational burden needed to perform the calculations. Three sensitivity studies to investigate the potential impact of alternative modeling options, regarding 1) input meteorological data set, 2) method to estimate stability class, and 3) plume dispersion model for larger distances, on consequence results were also performed. The results of these analyses are provided and discussed in this report.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Lehigh University Industrial Assessment Center (Final Technical Report for the Period 2016 to 2021)

This is the final technical report summarizing the activities Industrial Assessment Center at Lehigh University sponsored by the Department of Energy for the period September 1, 2016 till September 30, 2021. During this period, the Industrial Assessment Center at Lehigh University was successful in training numerous energy engineers of the future, and helped many manufacturing plants in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. The center and its activities helped save a great deal of energy, related fuel costs and along the way mitigated tons of CO2 emissions. The report covers many of the numerical details related to the center activities. The Industrial Center at Lehigh University is one of the most successful ones and this is made evident by the statistics included as part of this report and best center award bestowed upon the center.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

COVID-19 Technical Assistance Program: Agrivoltaic for Rural Economic Development and Electric Grids Resilience

Over the past 50 years, the Renewable Energy Program at Sandia has advanced research in the field with a focus on three key goals; 1) reduce the cost, 2) improve resilience and reliability and, 3) decrease the regulatory burden of renewable energy. Sandia’s expertise, coupled with the Village of Questa’s expanding renewable energy portfolio, presents the opportunity to deploy the Labs’ deep science and engineering capabilities towards the energy goals of KCEC and the Village of Questa. Preliminary research efforts by Sandia technical staff has broadly identified early opportunities for further research, development, and demonstration in the emerging renewable energy segment of agrivoltaics. Agrivoltaics is an emerging and promising area of photovoltaics which entails land use considerations as well as concerns regarding landscape transformation, biodiversity, and ecosystem well-being. In recent years, agrivoltaics systems have been the subject of numerous studies due to their potential in the food-energy (and water) nexus. This document is a preliminary evaluation of the projects performance opportunities of agrivoltaics as a renewable energy technology strategy in the region of Questa, NM.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

ZrO 2 /MWCNT as a Support Platform for Acid and Metal Catalysis in Water: The Investigation of Pd-WO x -ZrO 2 /MWCNT Catalysts (Final Technical Report)

This final technical report covers the final renewal period, 08/01/2019 to 07/31/2020, and the no cost extension 08/01/2020 to 07/31/2021, that was required because of the pandemic interruption. The proposed research was in the area of sustainable recovery of fuels and/or chemicals from biomass; it was by design intended to address fundamental science of the catalysts and that required using a model reaction. The model reaction molecule was phenol because it is a reasonably simply molecule that can be derived from lignin, and requires both hydrogenation and dehydration catalytic reactions that can be performed in water. The needed bifunctional catalyst can be provided by a metal for hydrogenation and by an acid (preferably Brønsted acid) for the dehydration function. Therefore, phenol conversion to an alkane in liquid water at a practical temperature, e.g., 200°C, that will not require extreme pressures, captures many of the complications of biomass derived fuels so it may reveal fundamental science that is relevant to development and implementation of biomass refining.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Foundational Open Source Solar System Modeling Through Improvement and Validation of the System Advisor Model and PVWatts (FY19-FY21 Final Technical Report)

Accelerating intelligent deployment of solar energy technologies demands accurate system modeling every step of the way. From project development to policy research, grid integration studies to development of novel technologies, industry and researchers alike need validated, transparent, easy-to-use, extensible, cutting-edge, and accurate models of both the performance and financing of solar systems. The System Advisor Model (SAM) and PVWatts tools provide a platform to fill that need. The overarching goal of this set of software tools is to enable accurate PV system modeling across the industry, and our usage metrics indicate that we continue to succeed in that endeavor, with a user starting SAM every 2 minutes globally, and over 17 million PVWatts hits per month. This project leveraged DOEs past investment in the SAM and PVWatts platforms to continue to provide valuable and extensible PV, battery, and financial modeling resources to the larger solar community. We pursued multiple avenues in parallel: software maintenance and technical support that are foundational to the continued usability of the SAM and PVWatts platforms; platform and PV model improvements and stakeholder engagement activities that are core to the continued relevance of the platforms; and open source activities to foster the continued creation of a vibrant open-source community around the SAM and PVWatts tools, which opens up exciting new opportunities for industry interaction.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Molten Salt Reactor Technical and Safety Considerations Outside of Guidance Documents

This document provides information on distinctive characteristics of liquid salt–fueled molten salt reactors (MSRs) for US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) consideration as it seeks to achieve effective and efficient advanced reactor mission readiness. The NRC has requested that Oak Ridge National Laboratory provide advice regarding technical and safety considerations that might be advantageous to address via policy, rulemaking, or license conditions (i.e., beyond the scope of guidance documents) for accommodating MSRs. It is recognized that MSRs could be regulated based on existing rules, with exceptions, to reflect their distinctive characteristics and technologies. However, directly applying the existing regulatory processes that evolved with the light water reactor fleet to MSRs could be unduly burdensome to the point that their application would inhibit deployment of MSRs in the United States.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Los Alamos National Laboratory Floodplain Assessment for the Technical Area 72 Outdoor Live Fire Range Gate Installation Project

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is proposing new construction in lower Sandia Canyon at Technical Area (TA) 72 at the Outdoor Live Fire Range facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The proposed upgrades are intended to improve range safety.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗