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Bringing Research to New Heights: How CASEI Integrates Data Curation, Discovery, and Education in Earth and Atmospheric Science

A challenging aspect of any project is finding all the relevant data and information needed to address the research objective. Searching for data and its contextual metadata can become overwhelming for both undergraduate and graduate students, potentially hindering their work and affecting the scientific discoveries that could be made in the long run. To ease this, the NASA Airborne Data Management Group (ADMG), part of the Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team (IMPACT), has developed the new Catalog of Archived Suborbital Earth science Investigations (CASEI). CASEI includes a web portal that users, be they professionals or students, can use to search, browse, discover, and locate relevant observations associated with NASA’s airborne and field campaigns. Users are able to query data in a variety of ways (via keywords, locations, timeframe, etc) from one online portal, minimizing the amount of time needed to search. CASEI also allows access to key contextual metadata and data from a wide array of Earth and Atmospheric Science topics such as aerosols and boundary layer processes, as well as ice and glacial properties or processes. Users are able to access the data via DOI links to data set landing pages. This presentation will demonstrate how CASEI can be used for classwork and student research. Teachers can provide CASEI to their students as a tool for their studies, or use it to find data themselves while constructing their curriculums. Additionally, users can leverage CASEI to learn about NASA’s Earth and Atmospheric Science research efforts and to find data relevant for assignments or other research projects. The metadata in CASEI has been carefully curated, and highlights important information about the campaigns and their data. Students can explore and learn about the scientific objectives of the campaigns, as well as descriptions of the campaign’s best research days. Having access to contextual metadata in an easy to understand way can help plant the seeds of new ideas in students at any point in their academic journey. From class projects to theses/dissertations and other research, CASEI is a valuable emerging tool for data discovery, giving access to all users and guiding researchers to NASA’s unique airborne data to answer the burning Earth Science questions of our time.

education↗
DOE OSTI2015

Science-based HRA: experimental comparison of operator performance to IDAC (Information-Decision-Action Crew) simulations

Information-Decision-Action Crew (IDAC) operator model simulations of a Steam Generator Tube Rupture are compared to student operator performance in studies conducted in the Ohio State University’s Nuclear Power Plant Simulator Facility. This study is presented as a prototype for conducting simulator studies to validate key aspects of Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) methods. Seven student operator crews are compared to simulation results for crews designed to demonstrate three different decision-making strategies. The IDAC model used in the simulations is modified slightly to capture novice behavior rather that expert operators. Operator actions and scenario pacing are compared. A preliminary review of available performance shaping factors (PSFs) is presented. After the scenario in the NPP Simulator Facility, student operators review a video of the scenario and evaluate six PSFs at pre-determined points in the scenario. This provides a dynamic record of the PSFs experienced by the OSU student operators. In this preliminary analysis, Time Constraint Load (TCL) calculated in the IDAC simulations is compared to TCL reported by student operators. We identify potential modifications to the IDAC model to develop an “IDAC Student Operator Model.” This analysis provides insights into how similar experiments could be conducted using expert operators to improve the fidelity of IDAC simulations.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2015

The Science Training Program for Young Italian Physicists and Engineers at Fermilab

Since 1984 Fermilab has been hosting a two-month summer training program for selected undergraduate and graduate Italian students in physics and engineering. Building on the traditional close collaboration between the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) and Fermilab, the program is supported by INFN, by the DOE and by the Scuola Superiore di Sant`Anna of Pisa (SSSA), and is run by the Cultural Association of Italians at Fermilab (CAIF). This year the University of Pisa has qualified it as a “University of Pisa Summer School”, and will grant successful students with European Supplementary Credits. Physics students join the Fermilab HEP research groups, while engineers join the Particle Physics, Accelerator, Technical, and Computing Divisions. Some students have also been sent to other U.S. laboratories and universities for special trainings. The programs cover topics of great interest for science and for social applications in general, like advanced computing, distributed data analysis, nanoelectronics, particle detectors for earth and space experiments, high precision mechanics, applied superconductivity. In the years, over 350 students have been trained and are now employed in the most diverse fields in Italy, Europe, and the U.S. In addition, the existing Laurea Program in Fermilab Technical Division was extended to the whole laboratory, with presently two students in Master’s thesis programs on neutrino physics and detectors in the Neutrino Division. And finally, a joint venture with the Italian Scientists and Scholars North-America Foundation (ISSNAF) provided this year 4 professional engineers free of charge for Fermilab. More details on all of the above can be found below.

Barzi, Emanuela↗
DOE OSTI2013

Discussing spent nuclear fuel in high school classrooms: addressing public fears through early education

The Inreach program combines the Deep River Science Academy (DRSA) 'learning through research' approach with state of the art communication technology to bring scientific research to high school classrooms. The Inreach program follows the DRSA teaching model where a university student tutor works on a research project with scientific staff at AECL's Chalk River Laboratories. Participating high school classes are located across Canada. The high school students learn about the ongoing research activities via weekly web conferences. In order to engage the students and encourage participation in the conferences, themed exercises linked to the research project are provided to the students. The DRSA's Inreach program uses a cost-effective internet technology to reach a wide audience, in an interactive setting, without anyone leaving their desks or offices. An example Inreach research project is presented here: an investigation of the potential of the Canadian supercritical water cooled reactor (SCWR) concept to burn transuranic elements (Np, Pu, Am, Cm) to reduce the impact of used nuclear fuel. During this project a university student worked with AECL (Atomic Energy of Canada Limited) researchers on technical aspects of the project, and high school students followed their progress and learned about the composition, hazards, and disposition options for used nuclear fuel. Previous projects included the effects of tritium on cellular viability and neutron diffraction measurement of residual stresses in automobile engines.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Investing in STEM Benefits Community, Company, and Industry - 20243

Like many organizations and groups, the Department of Energy Environmental Management program and the nuclear industry are facing an aging employee population and record numbers of employee retirements. This 'silver tsunami' of retirees means the industry as a whole is recruiting graduates at a fast pace. So, how do we ensure the nuclear industry has a robust pipeline of graduates with the necessary background? Fluor Idaho's investment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education programs helps promote the next generation of technical professionals, benefiting both the company and the industry. Through community outreach initiatives and student mentoring programs, Fluor Idaho promotes kids' interest in STEM. The programs are designed to spark STEM interest in grade school and then foster and grow that interest through high school and higher education. After igniting student excitement about STEM topics in school, Fluor Idaho focuses on providing work-specific opportunities including mentoring and intern programs. These programs give students a better look at real-world job opportunities while still stimulating their interest in STEM. These programs ultimately provide career opportunities for the students and a pipeline of workers. Fluor Idaho's strategy for its summer interns has been to place students in a wide variety of projects - from the commissioning of a first-of-a-kind nuclear processing facility, to operating nuclear waste management facilities, to developing computer programs and applications - and give them responsibilities that make them feel like valued contributors. This approach has created a positive and rewarding summer-intern program experience for the students. Fluor Idaho's investment in its future today is reducing the knowledge gap - or cliff - that many contractors in the nuclear industry are facing. It's a worthwhile investment that is readily visible within its many cleanup projects. The next generation of technical professionals is making an impact now - benefiting both the company and the nuclear industry. This paper will review Fluor Idaho's programs, including STEM community outreach and education and mentoring programs. It will also present statistics about the reach of those programs and their successes. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2017

4th Penn State Bioinorganic Workshop

The research area of biological inorganic chemistry encompasses a wide variety of subfields, including molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics, inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, and theoretical chemistry, as well as many different methods, such as biochemical characterization of enzymes, reaction kinetics, a plethora of spectroscopic techniques, and computational methods. The above methods are combined to understand the formation, function, and regulation of the many metallo-cofactors found in Nature as well as to identify novel metallo-cofactors. Many metalloenzyme-catalyzed reactions are extremely complex, but are of fundamental importance to science and society. Examples include (i) the reduction of the chemically inert molecule, dinitrogen, to ammonia by the enzyme nitrogenase (this reaction is fundamental for the production of nitrogen fertilizers); (ii) the oxidation of water to dioxygen by the Mn4Ca cluster found in photosystem II; and (iii) myriad reactions in which aliphatic, inert C-H bonds are cleaved for subsequent functionalization of the carbon atoms (the latter reactions are important in the biosynthesis of many natural products). Because of the broad range of areas and techniques employed in this field, research in bioinorganic chemistry is typically carried out collaboratively between two or more research groups. It is of paramount importance that researchers working in this field have a good, basic, working knowledge of many methods and approaches employed in the field, in order to design and discuss experiments with collaborators. Therefore, the training of students working in bioinorganic chemistry is an important aspect of this field. Hugely successful “bioinorganic workshops” were offered in the 1990s at The University of Georgia. These workshops laid the foundation for many of the extant collaborative research efforts in this area today. The large and diverse group of bioinorganic chemists at The Pennsylvania State University and our unique laboratory space are well suited for the continuation of such training workshops. The co-principal investigators of this award lead these efforts. After a smaller “trial workshop” in 2010, the Penn State bioinorganic group, led by the co-PIs, offers these workshops biennially. The 2012, 2014, and 2016 workshops provided training to 123, 162, and 153 participants, respectively, by offering (i) a series of lectures given by faculty experts on the given topic, (ii) hands-on training in small groups by experts in the various methods, and (iii) sharing research results of the participants by oral and poster presentations. The centerpiece of the workshops is the hands-on training, in which approximately half of the participants from all ranks (undergraduate students to faculty) served as teachers. In this section, the traditional roles of teachers and students were sometimes reversed to the extent that undergraduate students taught faculty in the students' areas of specialty. We anticipate that these workshops will facilitate research in bioinorganic chemistry and will help establish future collaborations among “workshop alumni” to carry out cutting-edge research in bioinorganic chemistry that will address many important topics relevant to our society.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Expert Text Analysis in the Inclusion of History and Philosophy of Science in Higher Education

The history and philosophy of science (HPS) plays a special role in education. An elective HPS course onthe philosophy of scientific experimentation for young scientists and graduate students of natural scienceis presented. The course bears a pragmatic character, and its main aims include the development of criticalthinking (CT), familiarization with philosophical problems in the relevant areas of knowledge, and thecultivation of a taste for reflective, critical analysis, both individual and group-based, which contributes todeeper understanding of the features of scientific practice in the context of modern complex groupcooperation. Students are offered a classical HPS program that included debates on the relationship betweenempiricism and rationalism, the role of Kant’s transcendental philosophy, modern topics associated withthe practical success of rationalism in the emergence of modern natural science, and the theory-ladennessof experimentation. Particular attention during the course is paid to the problems of megascience, theinclusion of which is justified by the specifics of the students’ engagement with science, technology,engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Emphasis is placed on the structure and typology of the collectivesubject in the modern educational process as well as in experimental practice. Lessons on the methodologyof expert text analysis (META), which are aimed at the development of critical thinking skills and thecreation of an interdisciplinary discussion space, are included in the course and relied on the example ofthe history and philosophy of high energy physics to motivate professional reflection. META classesincluded in the course prepare graduate students for teamwork in big science, proto-megascience, andmegascience. The course offers practical recommendations that could be applied to students’ own researchand could be useful for practitioners.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Siting landfills and incinerators in areas of historic unpopularity: Surveying the views of the next generation

Highlights: • Opinions and knowledge of young people in Italy about waste were studied. • Historic opposition to construction of waste facilities is difficult to overcome. • Awareness of waste management develops with knowledge of environmental issues. • Many stakeholders’ views are needed when siting a new waste management facility. • Respondents’ opinions were influenced by their level of environmental knowledge. - Abstract: The Campania Region in Southern Italy has suffered many problems with municipal solid waste management since the mid-1990s, leading to significant public disturbances and subsequent media coverage. This paper reports on the current views and knowledge of young people (university students) in this region about waste management operations and facilities, specifically the siting of landfills and incinerators. By means of a structured questionnaire, opinion and knowledge were systematically examined by degree type and course year. The study took place in 2011 at the University of Salerno campus. A sample of 900 students, comprising 100 students for each of the nine considered faculties, and 20 students for every academic course year, was randomly selected. Only about a quarter of respondents were not opposed to the siting of a landfill or an incinerator in their city. This clearly highlights that historic opposition to the construction of waste facilities is difficult to overcome and that distrust for previous poor management or indiscretions is long-lived and transcends generations. Students from technical faculties expressed the most reasonable opinion; opinion and knowledge were statistically related (Chi-square test, p < 0.05) to the attended faculty, and the knowledge grew linearly with progression through the university. This suggests that awareness of waste management practices develops with experience and understanding of environmental issues. There is general acceptance that many stakeholders – technicians, politicians and citizens – all have to be part of the decision process when siting a new waste management facility. The opinions of the young respondents were significantly influenced by their level of environmental knowledge.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE PULSAR SEARCH COLLABORATORY: DISCOVERY AND TIMING OF FIVE NEW PULSARS

We present the discovery and timing solutions of five new pulsars by students involved in the Pulsar Search Collaboratory, a NSF-funded joint program between the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and West Virginia University designed to excite and engage high-school students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and related fields. We encourage students to pursue STEM fields by apprenticing them within a professional scientific community doing cutting edge research, specifically by teaching them to search for pulsars. The students are analyzing 300 hr of drift-scan survey data taken with the Green Bank Telescope at 350 MHz. These data cover 2876 deg{sup 2} of the sky. Over the course of five years, more than 700 students have inspected diagnostic plots through a web-based graphical interface designed for this project. The five pulsars discovered in the data have spin periods ranging from 3.1 ms to 4.8 s. Among the new discoveries are PSR J1926-1314, a long period, nulling pulsar; PSR J1821+0155, an isolated, partially recycled 33 ms pulsar; and PSR J1400-1438, a millisecond pulsar in a 9.5 day orbit whose companion is likely a white dwarf star.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

MO-DE-BRA-01: Enhancing Radiation Physics Instruction Through Gamification and E-Learning

Purpose: This project sought to “gamify” the instruction of radiation interaction physics concepts for technology students. Gamification applies game mechanics and user interactions in active learning contexts. In one part of this project, a self-guided eModule was developed for conceptual radiation interaction instruction. In a second part, a web-based game, Particle Launch (http://particle-launcher.ist.unomaha.edu), was created to challenge students to quickly apply radiation interaction concepts in a way that is stimulating and motivating. Methods: The eModule, focused on conceptual interaction physics, was designed in Adobe Captivate and incorporates animation, web videos, and assessment questions in order to generate student interest. Navigating the whole module takes 40 minutes for beginners. Assessments after three main sections are comprised of 3–4 questions randomly selected from a question pool. In collaboration with the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s College of Information Science and Technology, the Particle Launch game was created with the Unity gaming engine and designed with a game-play look and feel. The object of the game is to utilize different particles, energies, and directions to destroy a target given a limited number of resources and time to complete the task. A rewards system encourages accurate shots. Results: The eModule part of the project encourages a flipped classroom model in which class time is devoted to application of concepts rather than information-based lectures. Currently, eModule assessments are not tracked but this feature could be incorporated to encourage participation. Furthermore, in a class of five technology students, the game was found to be fun and engaging and had the effect of reinforcing basic concepts from the eModule. Conclusion: Gamification has significant potential to alter medical physics instruction. Game-play feedback is an important part of the learning process. Students found Particle Launch inviting and challenging and further research could help game design. This project was generously supported by the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Southwestern United States Carbon Sequestration Training Center

The Southwest CO 2 Training Center was initiated in November 2009 in response to the need to develop a generation of workers with expertise in carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). Three universities ran the Training Center cooperatively: New Mexico Tech, the University of Utah and Texas A&M University. The overall approach of the Training Center was to conduct education and outreach at a wide range of educational levels, including K-12 students and teachers, undergraduate and graduate students, professionals, and the general public. Key activities included: (1) Outreach targeted development of a video game (Carbon Bond) for middle-school students. (2) A summer program for high-school students. (3) Training for K-12 educators in Utah with a program by the Keystone center on “the Climate Status” and two offerings of a Masters of Science Teaching class at New Mexico Tech (NMT) on Climate and Carbon Sequestration. (3) Development and approval of an undergraduate curriculum for a concentration in CCUS for geology majors offered at the Earth and Environmental Science Department at NMT. This included a new course in Carbon Sequestration Science and a field course in Reservoir and Caprock Geology. (4) A new graduate-level course in CCUS was developed and offered via distance education to students at the University of Utah (U of U), NMT and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). (5) Professional training via a reservoir modeling class, opening up the university courses to professionals, and conducting three webinars on outreach and public perception in CCUS. Overall we offered 60 CEU credits and 2,598 hours of professional training. A business plan was developed to continue the Training Center's CCUS education into the future. This involves a collaborative agreement with Schlumberger Carbon Services using the expertise and on-line materials developed by the Training Center for a commercial professional development website.

Lee, Robert↗
DOE OSTI2013

Microbial and Chemical Enhancement of In-Situ Carbon Mineralization in Geological Formation

Predictions of global energy usage suggest a continued increase in carbon emissions and rising concentrations of CO 2 in the atmosphere unless major changes are made to the way energy is produced and used. Various carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies are currently being developed, but unfortunately little is known regarding the fundamental characteristics of CO 2 -mineral reactions to allow a viable in-situ carbon mineralization that would provide the most permanent and safe storage of geologically-injected CO 2 . The ultimate goal of this research project was to develop a microbial and chemical enhancement scheme for in-situ carbon mineralization in geologic formations in order to achieve long-term stability of injected CO 2 . Thermodynamic and kinetic studies of CO 2 -mineral-brine systems were systematically performed to develop the in-situ mineral carbonation process that utilizes organic acids produced by a microbial reactor. The major participants in the project are three faculty members and their graduate and undergraduate students at the School of Engineering and Applied Science and at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University: Alissa Park in Earth and Environmental Engineering & Chemical Engineering (PI), Juerg Matter in Earth and Environmental Science (Co-PI), and Kartik Chandran in Earth and Environmental Engineering (Co-PI). Two graduate students, Huangjing Zhao and Edris Taher, were trained as a part of this project as well as a number of graduate students and undergraduate students who participated part-time. Edris Taher received his MS degree in 2012 and Huangjing Zhao will defend his PhD on Jan. 15th, 2014. The interdisciplinary training provided by this project was valuable to those students who are entering into the workforce in the United States. Furthermore, the findings from this study were and will be published in referred journals to disseminate the results. The list of the papers is given at the end of the report for reference.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Joint United States: European Union Theoretical and Practical Course on Molecular Approaches for in situ Biogradation

The Joint United States - European Union Theoretical and Practical Course on Molecular Approaches for in situ Biodegradation was held May 24 through June 7 at The University of Oklahoma. Twenty-four graduate and postgraduate students from both the United States and the European Union attended the course. Nine states and ten European countries were represented. Students were assigned living quarters and laboratory partners to maximize interactions between US and EU participants as well as to mix people with different technical backgrounds together. The students used the latest methods in molecular biology to characterize beneficial microorganisms and genes involved in the biodegradation of pollutants at a nearby landfill as well as an active hydrocarbon-producing site, part of which is undergoing bioremediation. Seminars by distinguished scientists were organized to expose the students to the breadth of the environmental field, including field assay and engineering applications, laboratory scale bioreactors, microbiology, genetics, regulation, pathway analysis, design of recombinant bacteria, and application of the associated techniques to the field. Lectures were given by various OU faculty on the principles behind the techniques to be used in the laboratory. These lectures included troubleshooting hints and encouraged questions and comments from the audience. The laboratory experiments covered chemical, microbiological, and molecular genetic analyses of soils; bioavailability of contaminants; enrichment cultures; gene probing; PCR amplification of known genes and gene families; identification of microbes based traditional and nontraditional approaches, nutritional capabilities, and 16S rRNA sequence; mRNA detection; and enzyme assays. Field trips were made to the USGS landfill field sampling site, and to the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve, a Nature Conservancy site which also featured long-term studies of bioremediation of crude oil and brine spills by one of the Principal Investigators in collaboration with University of Tulsa faculty. The students are expected to bring the methods that they learned back to their laboratories to enrich their own and their colleagues' ability to perform state of the art environmental biotechnology research.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Acquisition of Scientific Equipment

Whitworth University constructed a 63,00 sq. ft. biology and chemistry building which opened in the Fall of 2011. This project provided for new state-of-the-art science instrumentation enabling Whitworth students to develop skills and knowledge that are directly transferable to practical applications thus enhancing Whitworth student's ability to compete and perform in the scientific workforce. Additionally, STEM faculty undertake outreach programs in the area schools, bringing students to our campus to engage in activities with our science students. The ability to work with insturmentation that is current helps to make science exciting for middle school and high school students and gets them thinking about careers in science. 14 items were purchased following the university's purchasing policy, that benefit instruction and research in the departments of biology, chemistry, and health sciences. They are: Cadaver Dissection Tables with Exhaust Chamber and accessories, Research Microscope with DF DIC, Phase and Fluorescence illumination with DP72 Camera, Microscope with Fluorescence, Microcomputer controlled ultracentrifuge, Ultracentrifuge rotor, Variable Temperature steam pressure sterilizer, Alliance APLC System, DNA Speedvac, Gel Cocumentation System, BioPac MP150, Glovebox personal workstation,Lyophilizer, Nano Drop 2000/2000c Spectrophotometer, C02 Incubator.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2015

Fission Product Sorptivity in Graphite

Both adsorption and absorption (sorption) of fission product (FP) gases on/into graphite are issues of interest in very high temperature reactors (VHTRs). In the original proposal, we proposed to use packed beds of graphite particles to measure sorption at a variety of temperatures and to use an electrodynamic balance (EDB) to measure sorption onto single graphite particles (a few μm in diameter) at room temperature. The use of packed beds at elevated temperature is not an issue. However, the TPOC requested revision of this initial proposal to included single particle measurements at elevated temperatures up to 1100 °C. To accommodate the desire of NEUP to extend the single particle EDB measurements to elevated temperatures it was necessary to significantly revise the plan and the budget. These revisions were approved. In the EDB method, we levitate a single graphite particle (the size, surface characteristics, morphology, purity, and composition of the particle can be varied) or agglomerate in the balance and measure the sorption of species by observing the changes in mass. This process involves the use of an electron stepping technique to measure the total charge on a particle which, in conjunction with the measured suspension voltages for the particle, allows for determinations of mass and, hence, of mass changes which then correspond to measurements of sorption. Accommodating elevated temperatures with this type of system required a significant system redesign and required additional time that ultimately was not available. These constraints also meant that the grant had to focus on fewer species as a result. Overall, the extension of the original proposed single particle work to elevated temperatures added greatly to the complexity of the proposed project and added greatly to the time that would eventually be required as well. This means that the bulk of the experimental progress was made using the packed bed sorption systems. Only being able to recruit one graduate student meant that data acquisition with the packed bed systems ended up competing for the graduate student’s available time with the electrodynamic balance redesign and assembly portions of the project. This competition for available time was eventually mitigated to some extent by the later recruitment of an undergraduate student to help with data collection using the packed bed system. It was only the recruitment of the second student that allowed the single particle balance design and construction efforts to proceed as far as they did during the project period. It should be added that some significant time was also spent by the graduate student cataloging previous work involving graphite. This eventually resulted in a review paper being submitted and accepted. Our specific revised objectives in this project were as follows: Experimentally obtain isotherms of Iodine for reactor grade IG-110 samples of graphite particles over a range of temperatures and pressures using an EDB and a temperature controlled EDB; Experimentally obtain isotherms of Iodine for reactor grade IG-110 samples of graphite particles over a range of temperatures and pressures using a packed column bed apparatus; Explore the effect that charge has on the adsorption isotherms of iodine by varying the charges on and the voltages used to suspend the microscopic particles in the EDB; and To interpret these results in terms of the existing models (Langmuir, BET, Freundlich, and others) which we will modify as necessary to include charge related effects.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

AMS/DOE Fellowship Recipients

The AMS/DOE graduate fellowships were awarded to three students entering their first year of graduate study. The funds allowed each student to take a full course load during their first of year of graduate study which helps each of them to enter the professional, scientific community at an earlier date. Each recipient is academically outstanding, received glowing references of support and demonstrated their strong desire to perform scientific research. As part of the fellowship, each of the students was invited to attend the AMS Annual Meeting where they got to participate in the AMS student conference, attend scientific sessions and visit the exhibition hall. In addition, a student awards luncheon was held where each of the recipients got to meet their sponsor and receive a certificate.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Nevada Renewable Energy Training Project: Geothermal Power Plant Operators

The purpose of this project was to develop and institute a training program for certified geothermal power plant operators (GPO). An advisory board consisting of subject matter experts from the geothermal energy industry and academia identified the critical skill sets required for this profession. A 34-credit Certificate of Achievement (COA), Geothermal Power Plant Operator, was developed using eight existing courses and developing five new courses. Approval from the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents was obtained. A 2,400 sq. ft. geothermal/fluid mechanics laboratory and a 3,000 sq. ft. outdoor demonstration laboratory were constructed for hands-on training. Students also participated in field trips to geothermal power plants in the region. The majority of students were able to complete the program in 2-3 semesters, depending on their level of math proficiency. Additionally the COA allowed students to continue to an Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Energy Technologies with an emphasis in Geothermal Energy (26 additional credits), if they desired. The COA and AAS are stackable degrees, which provide students with an ongoing career pathway. Articulation agreements with other NSHE institutions provide students with additional opportunities to pursue a Bachelor of Applied Science in Management or Instrumentation. Job placement for COA graduates has been excellent.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Solar Living House Final Technical Report

The Solar Living House is a high-performance solar-powered dwelling designed by a team of faculty and students from the University of Florida, in collaboration with Santa Fe College, the National University of Singapore, and Alachua Habitat for Humanity. The project was designed in accordance with the Solar Decathlon 2015, a research, design, education, and outreach program developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The Solar Living House is fundamentally a house for living, centered on people and the activities of daily life while quietly introducing advanced design, construction, and engineering technologies. The 993 square-foot two-bedroom one-bath home was designed to embrace and frame an exterior courtyard space. This courtyard acts as an extension of the interior living spaces, maximizing the spatial potentials of a modest building footprint and introducing natural light into the primary living spaces of the house. Research Outcomes: The Solar Living House advances work on high-performance buildings through three principal technological innovations: wet/dry modular construction, a building automation system, and solar dehumidification systems. Wet / Dry Modular Construction: The house is designed as a series of five modules, including one that is designated as the “wet core.” The wet core consolidates the mechanical systems and bathroom into a single module to reduce plumbing runs, efficiency losses, and on-site construction time. The other four modules are designed to eliminate interior load bearing walls to allow for maximum flexibility in the reconfiguring of the space over time. The modules are designed to meet the structural challenges of both Florida’s hurricanes and California’s earthquakes. Building Automation System: The house is equipped with an integrated building automation system, allowing the houses environmental systems, lights, security systems, and smoke detectors to be programmed, monitored, and controlled through any mobile or computing device. These systems allow for more precise calibrations of temperature/humidity/lighting to correspond with user needs and preferences, minimizing energy losses with economical night- or day-time setbacks. Solar Dehumidification System: The most significant technological innovation in the Solar Living House is the solar thermal dehumidification system. This system generates hot water through two rooftop-mounted evacuated tube solar thermal collectors. The hot water is used to continually dry a regenerative solid desiccant material, typically white silica gel. The solid desiccant is used to adsorb moisture and humidity from the air without additional mechanical cooling. This strategy allows humidity to be modulated independently of air temperature, providing greater thermal comfort and reducing the opportunity for the growth of mold spores within the house while also reducing the overall energy consumption of the HVAC system. Economic Feasibility: The team set aggressive goals for affordability, targeting a construction cost of $138,710. An independent professional cost estimator determined the overall project costs, as designed, would be $333,799, or $336.15 per square foot of finished floor area. This is more than 2.4 times the target construction cost. By comparison, the average construction cost for a home in the United States in 2015 was $289,415, or $103.29 per square foot of finished floor area. Following work on the Solar Living House, team leaders incorporated many of its objectives into a net-zero energy home on a site in Gainesville, Florida. This site-built home avoided many of the constraints and complications of modular construction necessitated by the Solar Decathlon, allowing it to be built for a much more modest budget. This two-bedroom two bath 1,800 square foot home was constructed for $135.39 per square foot, including active photovoltaic solar systems, careful attention to continuous air barriers, increased insulation levels, and permanent site constructions. This project suggest that high-performance buildings can be realized for more modest budgets. Public Benefits: Work on the Solar Living House and Solar Decathlon 2015 offered our student team unparalleled learning opportunities. Because of the duration of the project, a number of students participated at different points in their education, from first year undergraduates all the way through to advanced graduate students. The opportunity for collaboration with students and faculty from the National University of Singapore was also extraordinary, allowing for a sharing of technical knowledge and cultural exchange. The wider public has benefited from this work as its findings have been shared through public presentations and publications. It serves as a useful stepping stone along the path towards affordable, high-performance buildings.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗