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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 775 records · Page 43
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Interfacial Unit-Dependent Catalytic Activity for CO Oxidation over Cerium Oxysulfate Cluster Assemblies

Atomically precise cerium oxo clusters offer a platform to investigate structure–property relationships that are much more complex in the ill-defined bulk material cerium dioxide. We investigated the activity of the MCe 70 torus family (M = Cd, Ce, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Zn), a family of discrete oxysulfate-based Ce 70 rings linked by monomeric cation units, for CO oxidation. CuCe 70 emerged as the best performing MCe 70 catalyst among those tested, prompting our exploration of the role of the interfacial unit on catalytic activity. Temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) studies of the catalysts indicated a lower temperature reduction in CuCe 70 as compared to CeCe 70 . In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) indicated that CuCe 70 exhibited a faster formation of Ce 3+ and contained CO bridging sites absent in CeCe 70 . Isothermal CO adsorption measurements demonstrated a greater uptake of CO by CuCe 70 as compared to CeCe 70 . The calculated energies for the formation of a single oxygen defect in the structure significantly decreased with the presence of Cu at the linkage site as opposed to Ce. Furthermore, this study revealed that atomic-level changes in the interfacial unit can change the reducibility, CO binding/uptake, and oxygen vacancy defect formation energetics in the MCe 70 family to thus tune their catalytic activity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Sustainability metrics for assessing water resource recovery facilities of the future

Abstract The recovery of water, energy, and nutrients from water resource recovery facilities ( WRRF s) is needed to address significant global challenges, such as increasing water demand and decreasing availability of nonrenewable resources. To meet these challenges, innovative technological developments must lead to increased adoption of water and resource recovery processes, while addressing stakeholder needs (e.g., innovators, practitioners, regulators). A test bed network of over 90 partner facilities within the United States and abroad will help accelerate innovation and widespread adoption of novel processes through multiscale testing and demonstration of technologies. In this paper, we define a common set of environmental, economic, technical, and social performance metrics for innovative technologies, that will meet the needs of multiple stakeholders in the decision‐making process. These triple bottom line performance metrics can be used to track the sustainability of technologies in a consistent and transparent manner, while aiding the decision‐making process for WRRF s. Practitioner points The Facilities Accelerating Science and Technology (FAST) Water Network includes over 90 test bed facilities dedicated to accelerating innovation and adoption of water energy, and nutrient recovery systems. A common set of environmental, economic, technical, and social performance metrics should be measured and reported when a new technology is evaluated in the FAST Water Network. Performance metrics can aid sustainable decision‐making at WRRF, while meeting the needs of multiple stakeholders.

Cornejo, Pablo K.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Solar Row Zero Energy Townhomes - Boulder, CO

Wonderland Development has constructed a new "near zero energy" row home design in North Boulder consisting of 9 units: one 5-plex and two duplexes. NREL has performed short-term tests and installed long-term monitoring equipment in three of these units. Two of these units used a solar thermal combi system with a boiler for radiant space heating and water heating and mini-split system for space conditioning. The third unit used a high efficiency tank water heater for space heating. In addition to studying the overall performance of the homes, one unit was used for a detailed study on hot water draws at each fixture. Several reports and presentations were produced on this project, however, due to shifting funding and staffing priorities, a comprehensive final report for this project was never completed. This dataset contains a wealth of raw and analyzed data and several unpublished reports.

Array↗
DOE OSTI2020

Achieving the End State for the Pahute Mesa Corrective Action Units at the Nevada National Security Site - 20355

Underground nuclear testing at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) ended in 1992. To address the impact of radionuclide contamination from underground nuclear testing on the groundwater resources of Nevada, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management (EM) Nevada Program created the Underground Test Area (UGTA) activity to characterize the radionuclides in groundwater, understand the nature and extent of radionuclide migration, and forecast the distribution of radionuclides in groundwater for 1,000 years. The UGTA activity is regulated by the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO), an agreement negotiated between the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP), DOE, and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). DOE is close to achieving the end state (closure in place with monitoring and institutional control) for three of the five UGTA corrective action units (CAUs) on the NNSS. A number of challenges remain to achieve the end state of the other two CAUs, both located on Pahute Mesa. Pahute Mesa was the location of 82 underground nuclear tests, less than 10% of the total number of tests on the NNSS. Yet, Pahute Mesa contains slightly more than 60% of the total radionuclides (in curies). Based on groundwater sampling in monitoring wells, two radionuclide plumes have migrated several kilometers (km) in groundwater from selected test cavities and have crossed the boundary of the NNSS (yet remain within the boundaries of Federally controlled land). The path to achieve the end state continues to evolve as more data are collected and a better understanding of radionuclide migration in groundwater is developed. DOE has invested in drilling and sampling more than 50 characterization and monitoring groundwater wells over the past 25 years. The data indicate that the primary radionuclide of concern is tritium as it is about 89% of the total radionuclide inventory (in curies). As well, only tritium has been measured in groundwater outside of cavities at concentrations exceeding the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) standard. For one of the tritium plumes that has migrated across the NNSS boundary, the average rate of migration has been measured as about 45 meters (m) per year with the rate of migration at the leading edge of the plume of about 85 meters per year. At that rate of migration, the tritium plume will decay to safe levels and not reach the publicly accessible environment at concentrations above the SDWA standard. Other radionuclides, at concentrations below the SDWA standards, will be monitored to ensure they remain at safe levels. Consequently, the end state path forward for Pahute Mesa has evolved to take full advantage of the data from the monitoring network to constrain uncertainty in model forecasts and to reduce reliance on probabilistic simulations. The focus of the end state approach relies on developing a monitoring well network that is protective of human health by increasing confidence that no radionuclide plume in the groundwater will migrate undetected to the accessible environment, located about 22 km from the nearest up-gradient underground nuclear test. Using the measured data to remove uncertainty, the evaluation of radionuclide migration from Pahute Mesa is directed toward meeting the goals of the end state. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2014

Independent dose per monitor unit review of eight U.S.A. proton treatment facilities

Purpose: Compare the dose per monitor unit at different proton treatment facilities using three different dosimetry methods. Methods: Measurements of dose per monitor unit were performed by a single group at eight facilities using 11 test beams and up to six different clinical portal treatment sites. These measurements were compared to the facility reported dose per monitor unit values. Results: Agreement between the measured and reported doses was similar using any of the three dosimetry methods. Use of the ICRU 59 N{sub D,w} based method gave results approximately 3% higher than both the ICRU 59 N{sub X} and ICRU 78 (TRS-398) N{sub D,w} based methods. Conclusions: Any single dosimetry method could be used for multi-institution trials with similar conformity between facilities. A multi-institutional trial could support facilities using both the ICRU 59 N{sub X} based and ICRU 78 (TRS-398) N{sub D,w} based methods but use of the ICRU 59 N{sub D,w} based method should not be allowed simultaneously with the other two until the difference is resolved.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2023

PIP-II SSR2 Cavities Fabrication and Processing Experience

The Proton Improvement Plan-II (PIP-II [1]) linac will include 35 Single Spoke Resonators type 2 (SSR2). A preproduction SSR2 cryomodule will contain 5 jacketed cavities. Several units are already manufactured and prepared for cold testing. In this work, data collected from the fabrication, processing and preparation of the cavities will be presented and the improvements implemented after the completion of the first unit will be highlighted.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy and magnetic circular dichroism as operando probes of complex oxide electrolyte gate transistors

Electrolyte-based transistors utilizing ionic liquids/gels have been highly successful in the study of charge-density-controlled phenomena, particularly in oxides. Experimental probes beyond transport have played a significant role, despite challenges in their application in electric double-layer transistors. Here, we demonstrate the application of synchrotron soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) as operando probes of the charge state and magnetism in ion-gel-gated ferromagnetic perovskite films. Electrochemical response via oxygen vacancies at positive gate bias in LaAlO 3 (001)/La 0.5 Sr 0.5 CoO 3-δ is used as a test case. XAS/XMCD measurements of 4–25 unit-cell-thick films first probe the evolution of hole doping (from the O K-edge pre-peak) and ferromagnetism (at the Co L-edges), to establish a baseline. Operando soft XAS/XMCD of electrolyte-gated films is then demonstrated, using optimized spin-coated gels with a thickness of ~1 μm and a specific composition. The application of gate voltages up to +4 V is shown to dramatically suppress the O K-edge XAS pre-peak intensity and Co L-edge XMCD, thus enabling the Co valence and ferromagnetism to be tracked upon gate-induced reduction. Soft XAS and XMCD, with appropriate electrolyte design, are thus established to be viable for the operando characterization of electrolyte-gated oxides.

Yu, Biqiong↗
DOE OSTI2022

Simulation of natural circulation cartridge loop experiments and application to molten salt reactors

This work uses the TRAC/RELAP Advanced Computational Engine (TRACE) thermal hydraulics (TH) code to model natural circulation cartridge loop experiments previously conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) using water and compares the simulated and experimental results. TRACE is also used to characterize natural circulation in the cartridge loop vehicle using FLiNaK as the working fluid. The experimental vehicle is a buoyancy-aided, annular cartridge loop, referred to as a thermosyphon, and is designed to aid in qualifying liquid–fueled and/or liquid–cooled irradiation experiments for the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR), which is currently being designed in the United States. Out-of-pile water experiments have been conducted using the cartridge and the Thermosyphon Test Loop facility at ORNL, and future experiments are anticipated that would use other molten salt surrogates as the working fluid, followed by eventual insertion of a similar cartridge into VTR. Additionally, this work aims to determine how well TRACE can replicate the natural convection conditions that were observed experimentally; this serves as an initial step for validating the modeling tool for design and safety calculations to support future irradiation experiments in VTR. Initial predictions of potential experiments were made using FLiNaK as the natural circulation fluid to demonstrate the relevance of the cartridge design to molten salt reactors (MSRs). Results from this study indicate that TRACE can accurately capture natural convection phenomena in the thermosyphon and that several design changes to the current cartridge vehicle are necessary to achieve hydraulic conditions similar to those expected in MSRs.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Humate Amendment Injection Viability Testing – Supplementary Batch Mixture and Soil Column Studies

Groundwater in the Lost Lake Aquifer Zone (LLAZ) in the Southern Sector of the M-Area Hazardous Waste management Facility (HWMF) is contaminated with chlorinated ethenes, including trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE). Treatment of contaminated groundwater with humic acid is being evaluated as a potential corrective action for these volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the LLAZ in Southern Sector (SRNS, 2019). Pilot scale injections of Huma-K brand humic acid for groundwater treatment were previously performed in M-Area between 2017 and 2020 (Amidon, 2023). Groundwater was extracted from the Lost Lake Aquifer Zone (LLAZ), then a solution of humate was mixed with recovered groundwater and subsequently re-injected into the same aquifer unit. Operations of the historical humate pilot testing were discontinued in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, low injection rates, and recirculation fluid spillage. No further field scale or laboratory research to investigate humate amended groundwater injection was performed at the SRS until 2024. At the request of Area Completion Projects (ACP), the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) performed supplementary testing to help determine the viability of further injection of humate as a remedial option for VOCs within the LLAZ in the Southern Sector of the M-Area HWMF.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2026

Reducing the Cost of Fatigue Crack Growth Testing for Storage Vessel Steels in Hydrogen Gas

Hydrogen storage pressure vessels are designed against fatigue crack growth, and the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code requires the fatigue crack growth rate (da/dN) vs. stress-intensity factor range (ΔK) relationship of the construction steel to be measured directly in hydrogen gas. These measurements are notoriously slow and expensive: the cyclic loading frequencies prescribed by standards (often 0.1 Hz) are two or more orders of magnitude below those for conventional fatigue testing, individual tests run for days to weeks, and the high-pressure test-chamber set-up imposes a significant per-specimen labor cost. Due to these time and cost constraints, near-threshold data—the regime most valuable for extending design fatigue life—are rarely generated for ferritic storage vessel steels in hydrogen gas.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2016

Net Zero Energy Manufactured Homes May Be on their Way

This article, published in Home Energy Magazine, describes a research project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America program, to construct and test the first manufactured home in the United States built to the performance criteria of DOE's Zero Energy Ready Home program. A 15-month study was conducted to compare the real-world performance of the DOE Zero Energy Ready home and two other manufactured homes - one built to just above industry standard construction and one built to the ENERGY STAR Certified Home criteria. The homes were built by Clayton Homes' Southern Energy Division and testing was sponsored by DOE's Building America program and conducted by the Levy Partnership. The DOE ZERH had increased initial construction costs of $6,607 compared to the standard home versus $4,340 for the ENERGY STAR home but reduced energy bills by $50 per month compared to a $33/month savings for the ENERGY STAR home, and monthly savings will continue for the life of the home. Savings were especially noticeable in the summer in this cooling-dominated test location. The DOE ZERH cut cooling costs in half compared to the ENERGY STAR home which performed only slightly better than the standard home in summer, while winter savings between the two advanced homes were more similar. Two technology advances were tested in the DOE ZERH home. Instead of the typical ducted heating and cooling system, the DOE ZERH home was equipped with a ductless heat pump; to condition the bedroom, holes were cut into bedroom walls and small fans were installed to pull air into those rooms, while door undercuts and transfer grilles provide return paths. A novel dense-pack attic insulation was also implemented.

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home↗
DOE OSTI2016

Net Zero Energy Manufactured Homes May Be on their Way

This article, published in Home Energy Magazine, describes a research project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America program, to construct and test the first manufactured home in the United States built to the performance criteria of DOE's Zero Energy Ready Home program. A 15-month study was conducted to compare the real-world performance of the DOE Zero Energy Ready home and two other manufactured homes - one built to just above industry standard construction and one built to the ENERGY STAR Certified Home criteria. The homes were built by Clayton Homes' Southern Energy Division and testing was sponsored by DOE's Building America program and conducted by the Levy Partnership. The DOE ZERH had increased initial construction costs of $6,607 compared to the standard home versus $4,340 for the ENERGY STAR home but reduced energy bills by $50 per month compared to a $33/month savings for the ENERGY STAR home, and monthly savings will continue for the life of the home. Savings were especially noticeable in the summer in this cooling-dominated test location. The DOE ZERH cut cooling costs in half compared to the ENERGY STAR home which performed only slightly better than the standard home in summer, while winter savings between the two advanced homes were more similar. Two technology advances were tested in the DOE ZERH home. Instead of the typical ducted heating and cooling system, the DOE ZERH home was equipped with a ductless heat pump; to condition the bedroom, holes were cut into bedroom walls and small fans were installed to pull air into those rooms, while door undercuts and transfer grilles provide return paths. A novel dense-pack attic insulation was also implemented.

U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Pr↗