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At least 757 records · Page 42
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

First-Principles Cost Estimation of a Sodium Fast Reactor Nuclear Plant

A multi-tiered cost analysis is performed to estimate full costs of a nuclear power plant (NPP) based on sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) technology. To address the lack of fully transparent cost estimations from past undertakings for NPPs, we have developed a detailed and first-principles-based cost estimate for a generalized SFR NPP. Our intent is to achieve a high degree of transparency with our cost assumptions and develop a cost model that is flexible and easily extendable to variations in NPP design and other nuclear reactor types. Furthermore, we strive to achieve a clear organization of costs and complete identification of key cost drivers based on first principles. To this end, the cost results of our analysis as given in Table 24 and Table 25 are organized and categorized into a code of accounts (COA) under development at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Varying degrees of first-principles methods are employed, such as design for manufacture and assembly® (DFMA® ), to elucidate costs in all process levels of the plant equipment, buildings and site structures, personnel, and other miscellaneous but significant cost elements. These approaches have been successfully applied in past cost analysis projects and are designed to enable rapid and flexible cost estimation. Application of these techniques for evaluating NPP costs is similar in concept to the full, detailed estimation of construction and fabrication costs determined in a later stage of NPP development. Note that our approach tries to avoid use of other past analysis results and data such as those from the legacy Energy Economic Data Base (EEDB) Program, as these resources are based on historical NPP costs and thus may not be indicative of new reactor technologies or construction and fabrication/manufacturing techniques. However, we provide a comparison of our SFR NPP cost results in Table 90 against those included in the EEDB for a representative pressurized water reactor (PWR).

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Enabling Extreme Fast Charging with Energy Storage Final Report

The objective of this project was to develop and demonstrate an extreme fast charging (XFC) station with three 350 kW charging ports that operate at a combined power exceeding 1 MW and mitigate the grid impact by employing smart charging algorithms, using an energy storage system, and connecting directly to a medium-voltage (15 kV-class three-phase) distribution feeder. This final report describes the team's achievements in all aspects of the technology development.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Impacts of Fast Critical Assembly Fuel Discards on Liquid Waste Processes

The Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) Fast Critical Assembly (FCA) mission is reestablishing the electrolytic dissolver for processing of Pu and Pu-U materials clad in stainless steel (SS). H-Canyon is planning to dissolve and neutralize FCA fuel without recovering the special nuclear material (i.e., Pu) prior to discarding to the Concentration, Storage, and Transfer Facilities (CSTF) operated by the Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC) Liquid Waste (LW) Organization. The FCA discards will be combined with sludge in the CSTF after Low Temperature Aluminum Dissolution (LTAD) if needed. The combined waste will be washed, concentrated, and vitrified at the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF). The high level waste canisters produced will be temporarily stored in the Glass Waste Storage Buildings prior to transfer to a future federal repository. Decants from LTAD and sludge washing will be combined with DWPF recycle and dissolved salt cake to prepare salt batches for processing in the Salt Waste Processing Facility. The resulting decontaminated salt solution will be processed in the Saltstone Production Facility.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2025

Plutonium Solubility and Supernate Concentration for Neutralized Fast Critical Assembly Discards to Savannah River Site Tank Waste

The Savannah River Site (SRS) plans to dissolve non-irradiated stainless steel (SS)-clad bundles of Fast Critical Assembly (FCA) materials in eighteen batches.1 FCA dissolution is currently underway in the 6.3D dissolver by simultaneous chemical and electrolytic dissolution, which is required to generate the harsh conditions necessary for dissolution of metal-oxide (MOX) and non-aluminum spent nuclear fuels (NASNFs).2 Nitric acid and potassium fluoride are used to promote chemical dissolution.2 Gadolinium will be added during processing as a thermal neutron poison for criticality control. There are no plans for recovering plutonium from this waste stream. After FCA dissolution, the acidic (HNO3/KF) “discards” containing the dissolved metals will be neutralized by addition of 50 wt% sodium hydroxide to a final free hydroxide concentration of 1.2 M.1 Neutralization will precipitate a slurry of insoluble solids, predominantly metal oxides/hydroxides of plutonium, uranium, and SS components. Small fractions of the SS components, Pu, U, and Gd will remain dissolved in the supernate. The neutralized slurry will be composited to existing radioactive waste storage tanks within the SRS Concentration, Storage, and Transfer Facilities (CSTF) containing other similar sludge batch (SB) materials.1 The fate of soluble plutonium and freshly-precipitated, colloidal plutonium from this process are of concern since the total Pu can challenge the waste acceptance criteria (WAC) at the downstream SRS Liquid Waste (LW) facility. Supernate decants including the neutralized FCA discards (nFCAd) within the CSTF will be composited with salt batch (StB) materials and transferred to the SRS Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF), where total plutonium is also of concern.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multilayer Electrodes with Metalized Polymer Current Collector for High-Energy Lithium-Ion Batteries with Extreme-Fast-Charging Capability

The pursuit of batteries capable of extreme fast charging (XFC), that also satisfy high energy and safety criteria, poses a significant challenge to current lithium-ion battery technologies. Additionally, the increasing demand for aluminum (Al) and copper (Cu) in electrification, and vehicle light weighting is driving these metals towards near-critical status in the medium term. This study introduced metalized polymer films by depositing an Al or Cu thin layer onto two sides of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film – named mPET/Al and mPET/Cu, as lightweight, cost-effective alternatives to traditional metal current collectors in LIBs. We have utilized current collectors that significantly reduce weight (by 73%), thickness (by 33%), and cost (by 85%) compared to traditional metal foil counterparts. We conducted an extensive evaluation of their mechanical and electrical properties, including in-plane and through-plane resistivities, affirming their suitability for the roll-to-roll battery manufacturing process. Additionally, a novel XFC testing protocol was employed to thoroughly assess the cells' (both half and full-cell) performance across various C-rates and under long-term tests. These advancements have the potential to enhance energy density to 280 Wh/kg at the electrode level under 10-minute charging at 6C. Through testing, including a novel XFC protocol across various C-rates and long-term cycling (up to 1000 cycles) in different cell configurations, we have demonstrated the superior performance of these metalized polymer films. Notably, mPET/Cu and mPET/Al foils exhibited comparable capacities to conventional cells under XFC, with the mPET cells showing a 27% improvement in energy density at 6C and maintaining significant energy density after 1000 cycles. This study underscored the potential of mPET foils to revolutionize the roll-to-roll battery manufacturing process and significantly advance the performance metrics of LIBs in EV applications. Moreover, our results suggest that there is potential to enhance the performance of mPET foils, especially mPET/Al, by optimizing the manufacturing process to achieve higher conductivity.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Design Considerations for Fast Charging Lithium Ion Cells for NMC/MCMB Electrode Pairs

Lithium ion cells that can be quickly charged are of critical importance for the continued and accelerated penetration of electric vehicles (EV) into the consumer market. Considering this, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has set a cell recharge time goal of 10–15 min. The following study provides an investigation into the effect of cell design, specifically negative to positive matching ratio (1.2:1 vs. 1.7:1) on fast charging performance. By using specific charging procedures based on negative electrode performance, as opposed to the industrial standard constant current constant voltage procedures, we show that the cells with a higher N:P ratio can be charged to ~16% higher capacity in the ten-minute time frame. Cells with a higher N:P ratio also show similar cycle life performance to those with a conventional N:P ratio, despite the fact that these cells experience a much higher irreversible capacity loss, leading to a lower reversible specific capacity.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Modeling of Combined Lead Fast Reactor and Concentrating Solar Power Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Cycles to Demonstrate Feasibility, Efficiency Gains, and Cost Reductions

Solar power has innate issues with weather, grid demand and time of day, which can be mitigated through use of thermal energy storage for concentrating solar power (CSP). Nuclear reactors, including lead-cooled fast reactors (LFRs), can adjust power output according to demand; but with high fixed costs and low operating costs, there may not be sufficient economic incentive to make this worthwhile. We investigate potential synergies through coupling CSP and LFR together in a single supercritical CO 2 Brayton cycle and/or using the same thermal energy storage. Combining these cycles allows for the LFR to thermally charge the salt storage in the CSP cycle during low-demand periods to be dispatched when grid demand increases. The LFR/CSP coupling into one cycle is modeled to find the preferred location of the LFR heat exchanger, CSP heat exchanger, sCO 2 -to-salt heat exchanger (C2S), turbines, and recuperators within the supercritical CO 2 Brayton cycle. Three cycle configurations have been studied: two-cycle configuration, which uses CSP and LFR heat for dedicated turbocompressors, has the highest efficiencies but with less component synergies; a combined cycle with CSP and LFR heat sources in parallel is the simplest with the lowest efficiencies; and a combined cycle with separate high-temperature recuperators for both the CSP and LFR is a compromise between efficiency and component synergies. Additionally, four thermal energy storage charging techniques are studied: the turbine positioned before C2S, requiring a high LFR outlet temperature for viability; the turbine after the C2S, reducing turbine inlet temperature and therefore power; the turbine parallel to the C2S producing moderate efficiency; and a dedicated circulator loop. While all configurations have pros and cons, use of a single cycle offers component synergies with limited efficiency penalty. Using a turbine in parallel with the C2S heat exchanger is feasible but results in a low charging efficiency, while a dedicated circulator loop offers flexibility and near-perfect heat storage efficiency but increasing cost with additional cycle components.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Fast Response Temperature by airborne measurements over BNF

The original data were collected during the AAF Engineering Flights (AEF2025) in the vicinity of the ARM Bankhead National Forest (BNF) Atmospheric Observatory (https://www.arm.gov/capabilities/observatories/bnf ) in northwestern Alabama in March 2025. The ARM Aerial Facility ArcticShark uncrewed aerial system (UAS, https://www.arm.gov/capabilities/observatories/aaf/uas) was based at the public-use airport of Posey Field, Alabama (FAA LID: 1M4, 34.28027778° N, 87.60055556° W, 283m MSL) from March 9 through March 24, 2025. The ArcticShark UAS performed nine flights, including eight research flights over the AMF3 (BNF Main Site) and Supplemental Facilities to measure atmospheric state, turbulence, surface IR temperature and imagery, and aerosol number concentration and size distribution. The current data set presents fast response temperature in the atmospheric boundary layer and lower free troposphere measured on the airborne platform throughout the field campaign. The primary instruments used to create the current data set were the fine wire thermocouple probe, the Aircraft Integrated Meteorological Measurement System (AIMMS-30), the Pitot-static system (part of UAS flight control), and the infrared gas analyzer sensor for H2O and CO2 (LI-840). All parameters used in temperature calculations (static pressure, True Air Speed, and absolute humidity in form of dew point temperature) were included in the data set. For user convenience, one additional parameter was also included: the type of flight flag (level, up, down, turn, and combination of thereof).

Air temperature, fast response↗
DOE OSTI2025

CHELAX-BNF: Fast Response Temperature by airborne measurements

The original data were collected on board the ARM Aerial Facility ArcticShark uncrewed aerial system (UAS; https://www.arm.gov/capabilities/observatories/aaf/uas ) during the “Characterizing HEterogeneous Land-Atmosphere eXchanges at BNF” field campaign (CHEAX-BNF; https://arm.gov/research/campaigns/aaf2025CHELAX-BNF ). The ARM Aerial Facility ArcticShark UAS was based at the public-use airport of Posey Field, AL (FAA LID: 1M4, 34.28027778° N, 87.60055556° W, 283m MSL) from May 28 to June 23, 2025. The ArcticShark UAS performed 5 flights, including 4 research flights over the BNF Main Site (ARM Mobile Facility 3, https://arm.gov/capabilities/observatories/amf ) and Supplemental Facilities to measure atmospheric state, turbulence, surface IR temperature and imagery, aerosol number concentration, and aerosol size distribution. The current data set presents fast response temperature in the atmospheric boundary layer and lower free troposphere measured on the airborne platform throughout the field campaign. The primary instruments used to create the current data set were the fine wire thermocouple probe, the Aircraft Integrated Meteorological Measurement System (AIMMS-30), the Pitot-static system (part of UAS flight control), and the infrared gas analyzer sensor for H2O and CO2 (LI-840). All parameters used in temperature calculations (static pressure, True Air Speed, and absolute humidity in the form of dew point temperature) were included in the data set. For user convenience, one additional parameter was also included: the type of flight flag (level, up, down, turn, and combination of thereof).

Air temperature, fast response↗
DOE OSTI2021

Evaluation of Experimental and Predicted Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium Data for Systems Relevant to Biomass Fast Pyrolysis and Catalytic Upgrading

The experimental vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) data for the binaries relevant to the catalytic fast pyrolysis of biomass have been collected and analyzed using the NIST-COSMO-SAC and NIST-modified UNIFAC models. The existing inconsistencies in the experimental data and the predicted values are discussed. For VLE with furan derivatives, PTxy data are normally reported, and the predicted values are in good agreement with them. For phenolic compounds, the gas phase compositions are available for only 36 % of the points, most results originate from a few laboratories, and each system has been typically studied in a single laboratory. The binaries are identified where more experimental VLE data are required to evaluate quality of the existing experimental and predicted results.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Quantifying Heterogeneities/Degradation During Fast Charge

Summarizing work completed by multi-lab/university thrust group examining heterogeneity within VTO extreme fast charging project. The thrust group is examining how local heterogeneity can lead to early onset of lithium plating.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2020

DC Fast Charging Infrastructure for Electrified Road Trips

To assess DC fast charging station network required for electrified road trips by 2030 in California, a new charging infrastructure simulation tool/model, EVI-Pro (Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Projection) RoadTrip, has been developed. In contrast to the existing EVI-Pro model that is primarily for short-distance travels, EVI-Pro RoadTrip is exclusively focused on road trips (long-distance travels, 100 or miles per day per vehicle). Also, the charging paradigm or strategy is different. EVI-Pro RoadTrip is built upon waypoint charging, in which vehicles are forced to stop to charge or replenish the on-board batteries, along the routes between origins and destinations. On the other hand, EVI-Pro is based on destination charging, in which charging is conducted when vehicles are parked in destinations (e.g., work, home). EVI-Pro RoadTrip takes coordinate-level origin and destination data for road trips (intra-state as well as domestic or international out-of-state) and estimates energy consumption and charging needs along the routes between origins and destinations on a minute-by-minute resolution. Based on charging demands for electrified road trips across the state, the optimal locations of charging stations are determined accounting for preferred land use types (e.g., commercial areas) and station service area (e.g., 5 or less miles). Based on station-by-station charging load profiles, the required number of plugs/connectors is estimated for each station and entire state. By comparing hosting capacity of the electric grid (circuit-level) and the charging load output from EVI-Pro RoadTrip, capacity deficit is also evaluated.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Cybersecurity for Electric Vehicle Fast-Charging Infrastructure: Preprint

The integration of electric vehicles (EVs) into electric grid operations can potentially leave the grid vulnerable to cyberattacks from both legacy and new equipment and protocols, including extreme fast-charging infrastructure. This paper introduces a co-simulation platform to perform cyber vulnerability analysis of EV charging infrastructure and its dependencies on communications and control systems. Grid impact scenarios through linkages to power system simulation tools such as OpenDSS and vehicle infrastructure-specific attack paths are discussed. An adaptive platform that assists with predicting and solving evolving cybersecurity challenges is demonstrated with a cyber-energy emulation that accelerates the analysis of cyberattacks and system behavior.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Advancing Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis Through Integrated Experimentation and Multi-Scale Computational Modeling

This webinar will highlight recent results from a multi-disciplinary research effort in which integrated reaction testing was coupled with particle- and reactor-scale computational modeling to advance catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) for the production of renewable hydrocarbon fuels. Data will be presented from a series of ex situ CFP experiments in which a fixed bed of Pt/TiO2 was utilized with co-fed H2 to upgrade woody biomass pyrolysis vapors. Further discussion will include the application of these data towards the development of (1) a multiscale simulation framework to de-couple apparent kinetics from both intraparticle and reactor-scale transport phenomena and (2) a finite element computational model to understand and predict thermal excursions during catalyst regeneration. Throughout the presentation, the speakers will emphasize synergistic outcomes derived from the collaborative approach and highlight ongoing research efforts to accelerate technology maturation.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Cybersecurity for Fast Charging EV Infrastructure

The integration of electric vehicles (EVs) into electric grid operations can potentially leave the grid vulnerable to cyberattacks from both legacy and new equipment and protocols, including extreme fast-charging infrastructure. This paper introduces a co-simulation platform to perform cyber vulnerability analysis of EV charging infrastructure and its dependencies on communications and control systems. Grid impact scenarios through linkages to power system simulation tools such as OpenDSS and vehicle infrastructure-specific attack paths are discussed. An adaptive platform that assists with predicting and solving evolving cybersecurity challenges is demonstrated with a cyber-energy emulation that accelerates the analysis of cyberattacks and system behavior.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,POWER TRANSMISSION AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Co-Hydrotreating of Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis Oils with Straight-Run Diesel

Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis (CFP) of biomass provides an opportunity for producing stabilized bio-oils (CFP oils) that can be further processed into hydrocarbon transportation fuels via hydroprocessing. Standalone hydrotreating of CFP oils has been pursued and has been shown to be able to produce hydrocarbon products with low oxygen contents of <1wt%, but the process is costly due to the high requirements of hydrogen and high capital costs. The costs can be reduced by co-processing in refineries, which takes advantage of the existing refinery infrastructure and the economies of the larger scale of petroleum processing operations. In this contribution, we evaluated co-hydrotreating of CFP oil with straight-run diesel in a laboratory continuous hydrotreating reactor. The CFP oil had been produced over a bi-functional metal-acid catalyst (Pt/TiO2) and contained 17 wt% oxygen on dry basis, and it was fed to the reactor together with straight-run diesel in the proportion of 20 vol%:80 vol%. The co-hydrotreated diesel products had acceptable cetane numbers (>40), and the calculated carbon efficiencies were high (~95%) for the CFP portion of the feed mixtures. Biogenic carbon incorporation in the product was confirmed by C-14 analysis. Sulfided NiMo catalyst gave better performance with respect to the diesel product quality than CoMo did due to the higher hydrogenation activity of NiMo. A comparison of standalone hydrotreating of the CFP oil and the straight-run diesel to co-hydrotreating showed good correspondence. Major challenges and risks associated with co-hydrotreating are discussed in this presentation.

biomass↗
DOE OSTI2022

Assessing the Technical Potential of Fast Frequency Response in Grid-Supportive Loads

Fast frequency response (FFR) is a critical tool for grid operators to manage contingency events in low-inertia systems. While large generators and loads are more commonly used, many smaller end use loads, in aggregate, can provide FFR across a large system. This work considers the technical potential of power electronics-based loads for autonomous FFR in low-inertia grids. We consider multiple factors that might influence the impact of FFR for various end use loads, with a focus on residential loads.

ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY,POWER TRANSMI↗