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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 811 records · Page 45
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Protect Your Family: Reduce Contamination at Home: A Summary of a Study Conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Congress enacted the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) without including specific provisions for protecting the privacy of healthrelated information. The law gave Congress three years to enact such requirements and provided that if it failed to do so the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) was obligated to promulgate regulations to implement the statutory standards. When Congress failed to meet the deadline, the obligation to issue privacy regulations passed to DHHS. DHHS received over 52,000 comments on the proposed regulations. Responses to the comments and the final rule were published in the Federal Register on December 28, 2000. The cost of implementing the regulations over a ten-year period was estimated at $17.6 billion by DHHS. Industry estimates the cost at five times that amount.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Planning is Key for Storm Water Regulatory Compliance [Slides]

Most construction projects at LANL are subject to a EPA regulated storm water discharge permit (NPDES Construction General Permit). Each identified non-compliance is a regulatory liability to both the subcontractor & Triad.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Report series: Evaluation, Finding of Effect, and Mitigation Documentation for the 1960s Dormitories and 1950s Quonset Hut Foundations, Mercury, Area 23, Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada [3 Reports Consolidated]

The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) plans to modernize the town of Mercury at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) in Nye County, Nevada, to meet current and future National Weapons Science, Global and Homeland Security Programs, and Environmental Management mission requirements. These plans—including anticipated demolitions, consolidations, and rebuilding at Mercury—are considered an undertaking subject to review under Title 54 U.S.C. § 306108, commonly known as Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Title 54 U.S.C. § 300101, et seq., and its implementing regulations, 36 C.F.R. Part 800. Desert Research Institute (DRI) completed an architectural survey of Mercury in 2017. This effort resulted in the identification, recording, and evaluation of the Mercury Historic District, as well as the identification of its contributing components. This district was recommended eligible to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP or National Register) under Criteria A and C, but was unevaluated under Criteria B and D at that time. The Mercury Historic District contains 153 individual landscapes, buildings, and structures. Of these resources, DRI recommends all except one as contributing elements of the historic district during its period of significance corresponding to nuclear testing from 1951 through 1992. During most of the Cold War, the land now called the NNSS was referred to as the Nevada Test Site (NTS). This report evaluates resources dating to the 1950s and 1960s between Jangle and Knothole Streets and south of Ranger Avenue in Mercury prior to the proposed demolition of all resources in that area between Sandstone and Greenhouse Avenues as a phase of the larger modernization program mentioned above. Although the Mercury Historic District as a whole is eligible to the National Register, further evaluation of these properties, as detailed in this report, indicates that none are individually eligible under any of the Secretary of Interior’s Significance Criteria, either at the national or local level.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

cis -Regulatory Elements in Plant Development, Adaptation, and Evolution

cis-Regulatory elements encode the genomic blueprints that ensure the proper spatiotemporal patterning of gene expression necessary for appropriate development and responses to the environment. Accumulating evidence implicates changes to gene expression as a major source of phenotypic novelty in eukaryotes, including acute phenotypes such as disease and cancer in mammals. Moreover, genetic and epigenetic variation affecting cis-regulatory sequences over longer evolutionary timescales has become a recurring theme in studies of morphological divergence and local adaptation. Here, we discuss the functions of and methods used to identify various classes of cis-regulatory elements, as well as their role in plant development and response to the environment. We highlight opportunities to exploit cis-regulatory variants underlying plant development and environmental responses for crop improvement efforts. Although a comprehensive understanding of cis-regulatory mechanisms in plants has lagged behind that in animals, we showcase several breakthrough findings that have profoundly influenced plant biology and shaped the overall understanding of transcriptional regulation in eukaryotes.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Summary of Expansions and Updates in GREET® 2020

The GREET® (Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies) model has been developed by Argonne National Laboratory with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). GREET is a life-cycle analysis (LCA) tool, structured to systematically examine the energy and environmental effects of a wide variety of transportation fuels and vehicle technologies in major transportation sectors (i.e., road, air, marine, and rail) and other end-use sectors, and energy systems. Argonne has expanded and updated the model in various sectors in GREET 2020, and this report provides a summary of the release.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
NASA NTRS2007

Solutions Network Formulation Report. NASA's Potential Contributions for Using Solar Ultraviolet Radiation in Conjunction with Photocatalysis for Urban Air Pollution Mitigation and Increasing Air Quality

This Candidate Solution is based on using NASA Earth science research on atmospheric ozone and aerosols data as a means to predict and evaluate the effectiveness of photocatalytically created surfaces (building materials like glass, tile and cement) for air pollution mitigation purposes. When these surfaces are exposed to near UV light, organic molecules, like air pollutants and smog precursors, will degrade into environmentally friendly compounds. U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is responsible for forecasting daily air quality by using the Air Quality Index (AQI) that is provided by AIRNow. EPA is partnered with AIRNow and is responsible for calculating the AQI for five major air pollutants that are regulated by the Clean Air Act. In this Solution, UV irradiance data acquired from the satellite mission Aura and the OMI Surface UV algorithm will be used to help understand both the efficacy and efficiency of the photocatalytic decomposition process these surfaces facilitate, and their ability to reduce air pollutants. Prediction models that estimate photocatalytic function do not exist. NASA UV irradiance data will enable this capability, so that air quality agencies that are run by state and local officials can develop and implement programs that utilize photocatalysis for urban air pollution control and, enable them to make effective decisions about air pollution protection programs.

Underwood, Lauren↗
DOE OSTI2021

Environmentally-Friendly Fixatives with Embedded Intelligence for Dust Management at Contaminated Sites – 21266

Wind or rain can potentially spread loose hazardous contaminants from piles of rubble and soil waiting to be trucked to a landfill site for disposal. Water, which is plentiful near remediation sites, is the traditional dust suppressant during demolition, post-demolition sizing and encapsulation as well as soil trucking activities. However, water can mobilize the toxic metal contaminants in the soil into the ground water. Ground water is highly regulated and contaminant removal is costly. InnoSense LLC (ISL) is developing DustSafe™ as a cost-effective alternative to water for various decontamination & decommissioning (D&D) applications. It is a sprayable dust abatement solution designed to actively trap, remediate, and aid in visualizing hazardous materials while preventing their dispersion by wind, water or impact. Aside from application as a dust suppressant to trap airborne toxic and radiological hazards during demolition activities, with customization DustSafe can be used to locate/characterize and remediate hazards prior to D&D activities.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Perennial grass bioenergy cropping systems: Impacts on soil fauna and implications for soil carbon accrual

ABSTRACT Perennial grass energy crop production is necessary for the successful and sustainable expansion of bioenergy in North America. Numerous environmental advantages are associated with perennial grass cropping systems, including their potential to promote soil carbon accrual. Despite growing research interest in the abiotic and biotic factors driving soil carbon cycling within perennial grass cropping systems, soil fauna remain a critical yet largely unexplored component of these ecosystems. By regulating microbial activity and organic matter decomposition dynamics, soil fauna influence soil carbon stability with potentially significant implications for soil carbon accrual. We begin by reviewing the diverse, predominantly indirect effects of soil fauna on soil carbon dynamics in the context of perennial grass cropping systems. Since the impacts of perennial grass energy crop production on soil fauna will mediate their potential contributions to soil carbon accrual, we then discuss how perennial grass energy crop traits, diversity, and management influence soil fauna community structure and activity. We assert that continued research into the interactions of soil fauna, microbes, and organic matter will be important for advancing our understanding of soil carbon dynamics in perennial grass cropping systems. Furthermore, explicit consideration of soil faunal effects on soil carbon can improve our ability to predict changes in soil carbon following perennial grass cropping system establishment. We conclude by addressing the major knowledge gaps that should be prioritized to better understand and model the complex connections between perennial grass bioenergy systems, soil fauna, and carbon accrual.

sustainability↗
DOE OSTI2022

Interspecific variation in the timing and magnitude of hydraulic redistribution in a forest with distinct water sources

Trees regulate water availability among their rooting strata through a nocturnal, passive transference of water known as hydraulic redistribution (HR). This study investigates differences in HR and groundwater use among common canopy species in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill., Pinaceae) woodlands and explores environmental factors influencing HR. HR was estimated by sap flux of lateral roots and main stems of three mature canopy species (P. palustris, Quercus laevis Walter., Fagaceae and Quercus margarettae Ashe., Fagaceae). We used δ18O and δD of xylem water, soil water, and groundwater to determine water source. Finally, we related HR to environmental factors (Temperature, VWC, VPD) to better understand controls of HR dynamics. Pinus palustris had higher water use than either Quercus species, and also redistributed significantly more water as a nocturnal subsidy. HR fluxes were inversely related with mean nightly temperature and independent of shallow soil moisture. Stable isotope mixing models, based on δ 18 O and δD, indicated that all species have access to groundwater, but utilized shallow soil water in differing amounts when available. In systems with strong water potential gradients among soil strata, any species with access to a groundwater source is likely capable of HR; however, the magnitude of HR varies significantly by species, even among closely related taxa.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Site-specific field management adaptation is key to feeding the world in the 21st century

Rapid climate change and growing population threaten global food security across the globe. Several studies have proposed early planting, increased irrigation, and increased fertilizer applications as climate adaptation strategies, yet none have considered combined and site-specific field management strategies as a comprehensive solution. Here, we analyzed non-irrigated wheat yield responses to climate change and field management adaptation using a mechanistic crop model evaluated against observed global non-irrigated wheat-yield over 3-year intervals spanning 13 years at 3749 sites (RMSE = 36 gC m -2 ). Early planting with later-maturing varieties provided the most benefit to future yields among the proposed field management adaptation strategies. Improved water use efficiency from increased CO 2 led to relatively low benefits of additional irrigation. Here we estimated that spatially heterogeneous adaption strategies had the potential to improve global wheat yields by 91% by 2100 compared to the present day. The yield improvements from combined field adaptation strategies were larger than the sum of improvements from the individual strategies. These synergistic benefits were shown to result from complementary processes regulating nutrient and water uptake, physiological tolerance to heat stress, and internal carbon and nutrient cycling.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Passive radiative thermal management using phase-change metasurfaces

Abstract Realizing innovative composite materials with passive thermal management capabilities and minimal ecological footprints is a challenging but much sought-after goal that would have a transformative effect on renewable energy sciences. We demonstrate an environmentally friendly metasurface utilizing vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ) that offers responsiveness to ambient temperature and potentially long-term stability. The metasurface enables passive thermal management by self-adjusting its absorptivity and emissivity response over a broad bandwidth ranging from visible to mid-infrared (IR) wavelengths. Above the VO 2 phase transition the metasurface exhibits increased mid-IR emissivity and reduced visible/near-IR absorptivity, creating an efficient radiative emission channel in the first atmospheric transparency window with reduced absorption of solar radiation. In contrast, below VO 2 ’s transition temperature, the metasurface increasingly absorbs sun light while minimizing mid-IR radiative heat losses. Moreover, a functional silicon layer eliminates the need for an additional capping layer commonly employed to protect VO 2 from environmental degradation. The additional protective layer often impedes the use and performance of VO 2 based devices in terrestrial as well as spacecraft applications. Therefore, the proposed durable and eco-friendly metasurface will be an excellent candidate for essential passive thermal regulation systems across residential and terrestrial applications.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Trading water for carbon in the future: Effects of elevated CO 2 and warming on leaf hydraulic traits in a semiarid grassland

Abstract The effects of climate change on plants and ecosystems are mediated by plant hydraulic traits, including interspecific and intraspecific variability of trait phenotypes. Yet, integrative and realistic studies of hydraulic traits and climate change are rare. In a semiarid grassland, we assessed the response of several plant hydraulic traits to elevated CO 2 (+200 ppm) and warming (+1.5 to 3°C; day to night). For leaves of five dominant species (three graminoids and two forbs), and in replicated plots exposed to 7 years of elevated CO 2 , warming, or ambient climate, we measured: stomatal density and size, xylem vessel size, turgor loss point, and water potential (pre‐dawn). Interspecific differences in hydraulic traits were larger than intraspecific shifts induced by elevated CO 2 and/or warming. Effects of elevated CO 2 were greater than effects of warming, and interactions between treatments were weak or not detected. The forbs showed little phenotypic plasticity. The graminoids had leaf water potentials and turgor loss points that were 10% to 50% less negative under elevated CO 2 ; thus, climate change might cause these species to adjust their drought resistance strategy away from tolerance and toward avoidance. The C4 grass also reduced allocation of leaf area to stomata under elevated CO 2 , which helps explain observations of higher soil moisture. The shifts in hydraulic traits under elevated CO 2 were not, however, simply due to higher soil moisture. Integration of our results with others' indicates that common species in this grassland are more likely to adjust stomatal aperture in response to near‐term climate change, rather than anatomical traits; this contrasts with apparent effects of changing CO 2 on plant anatomy over evolutionary time. Future studies should assess how plant responses to drought may be constrained by the apparent shift from tolerance (via low turgor loss point) to avoidance (via stomatal regulation and/or access to deeper soil moisture).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Granal thylakoid structure and function: explaining an enduring mystery of higher plants

Summary In higher plants, photosystems II and I are found in grana stacks and unstacked stroma lamellae, respectively. To connect them, electron carriers negotiate tortuous multi‐media paths and are subject to macromolecular blocking. Why does evolution select an apparently unnecessary, inefficient bipartition? Here we systematically explain this perplexing phenomenon. We propose that grana stacks, acting like bellows in accordions, increase the degree of ultrastructural control on photosynthesis through thylakoid swelling/shrinking induced by osmotic water fluxes. This control coordinates with variations in stomatal conductance and the turgor of guard cells, which act like an accordion's air button. Thylakoid ultrastructural dynamics regulate macromolecular blocking/collision probability, direct diffusional pathlengths, division of function of Cytochrome b 6 f complex between linear and cyclic electron transport, luminal pH via osmotic water fluxes, and the separation of pH dynamics between granal and lamellar lumens in response to environmental variations. With the two functionally asymmetrical photosystems located distantly from each other, the ultrastructural control, nonphotochemical quenching, and carbon‐reaction feedbacks maximally cooperate to balance electron transport with gas exchange, provide homeostasis in fluctuating light environments, and protect photosystems in drought. Grana stacks represent a dry/high irradiance adaptation of photosynthetic machinery to improve fitness in challenging land environments. Our theory unifies many well‐known but seemingly unconnected phenomena of thylakoid structure and function in higher plants.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Summary of Expansions and Updates in GREET ® 2021

The GREET® (Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies) model has been developed by Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). GREET is a life-cycle analysis (LCA) tool, structured to systematically examine the energy and environmental effects of a wide variety of transportation fuels and vehicle technologies in major transportation sectors (i.e., road, air, marine, and rail) and other end-use sectors, and energy systems. Within the transportation sector, GREET covers road, air, water, and rail transportation sub-sectors. Recently, GREET was expanded to cover the building sector. Historically, GREET includes LCA of various materials such as steel, aluminum, cement, and different plastic types. Argonne has expanded and updated the model in various sectors in GREET 2021, and this report provides a summary of the release.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Notice of Illegal Foreign Pesticides Entering the United States: Information Bulletin v.01

This information bulletin is intended to generate a heightened awareness of illicit pesticide importation, distribution, and use in the United States. This bulletin focuses on solid, fumigant materials which are primarily used in the production of marijuana growth and cultivation. Exposure to illicit pesticides, fumigant fumes, or residual materials may pose a public health and officer safety concern. Many illegal fumigant pesticide products have been seized and determined to consist of a mixture of several pesticides and is often in contrast with the pesticide labelling. This information bulletin is not a complete account of all illegal pesticides found in country; it serves to highlight frequently encountered materials and present patterns in product presentation, packaging, and shipment containment which are intended to aid in identification and intervention. Other varieties of illegal pesticide fumigants are known to exist, and additional variations are expected to be encountered in policing intervention. This bulletin includes information on the presentation of illegal pesticides, label review recommendations, a field reference guide, which includes example photographs of seized pesticide/fumigants and their labels, and related United States federal regulation information, including relevant tariff code information for reference.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Galactic Rain: Cool Gas Inflows in Red Geyser Galaxies and Their Connection to Active Galactic Nuclei Activity and Interactions

Red geysers are a population of massive (logM/M ⊙ ~ 10.5), quiescent galaxies with large-scale but weak, bisymmetric ionized gas outflows, interpreted as signatures of ongoing, low-level active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback. We investigate the kinematics and prevalence of cool (T ∼ 100–1000 K) neutral gas traced by Na I D absorption, and its connection to galaxy environment and AGN activity. Using 140 red geyser galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-IV Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (or MaNGA), we measure spatially resolved velocities and dispersions via double-Gaussian fits to the Na I D doublet. We find that ∼70% of the cool gas is inflowing, with a median velocity of ∼47 km s −1 (∼10% of the expected freefall velocity), and that it also exhibits kinematically ordered motions with σ NaD /σ* ∼ 0.4. Additionally, the Na I D absorption is more prevalent in red geysers than in a matched control sample, with a higher detection fraction (63% versus 40%) and reservoir areas ∼1.6 times larger. Acceleration (∼1 Myr) and accretion (∼20 Myr) timescales indicate that the Na I D-absorbing clouds are likely young and short-lived. Another intriguing result is that radio-detected red geysers (30% of the sample) show inflowing gas reservoirs ∼7 times larger than in non-radio systems. Similarly, galaxies subject to environmental effects host inflowing gas reservoirs ∼2.7 times larger than isolated red geysers. We take this as evidence that galaxy environments play a key role in replenishing the cool gas reservoirs of red geysers, fueling central AGN activity, sustaining radio emission, and regulating long-term quiescence. These findings reveal that quiescent systems are governed by cycles of inflow, feedback, and regulation.

Moghni, Arian [Univ. of California, Santa Cruz, CA↗
NASA NTRS1987

Self-regulating heater application to Shuttle/Centaur hydrazine fuel line thermal control

The Shuttle/Centaur high energy upper stage vehicle thermal environments were more severe than previous Centaur vehicle thermal environments, creating need for a new hydrazine fuel line thermal control technique. Constant power heaters did not satisfy power dissipation requirements, because the power required to maintain fuel line thermal control during cold conditions exceeded the maximum power allowable during hot conditions. Therefore, a Raychem Thermolimit self-regulating heater was selected for this application, and was attached to the hydrazine fuel line with Kapton and aluminum foil tapes. Fuel line/heater thermal modeling and subsequent thermal vacuum chamber testing simulated heater thermal performance during all worst-case Shuttle/Centaur thermal environmental conditions. Fuel line temperatures were maintained between the 4C to 71C limits during all analytical and test cases. Finally, the thermal model predictions were correlated with the test data, thereby ensuring that the model would provide satisfactory predictions for future missions and/or vehicles.

Unkrich, David B.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Development of Statistical Process Control Methodology for an Environmentally Compliant Surface Cleaning Process in a Bonding Laboratory

Bonding labs at both MSFC and the northern Utah production plant prepare bond test specimens which simulate or witness the production of NASA's Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM). The current process for preparing the bonding surfaces employs 1,1,1-trichloroethane vapor degreasing, which simulates the current RSRM process. Government regulations (e.g., the 1990 Amendments to the Clean Air Act) have mandated a production phase-out of a number of ozone depleting compounds (ODC) including 1,1,1-trichloroethane. In order to comply with these regulations, the RSRM Program is qualifying a spray-in-air (SIA) precision cleaning process using Brulin 1990, an aqueous blend of surfactants. Accordingly, surface preparation prior to bonding process simulation test specimens must reflect the new production cleaning process. The Bonding Lab Statistical Process Control (SPC) program monitors the progress of the lab and its capabilities, as well as certifies the bonding technicians, by periodically preparing D6AC steel tensile adhesion panels with EA-91 3NA epoxy adhesive using a standardized process. SPC methods are then used to ensure the process is statistically in control, thus producing reliable data for bonding studies, and identify any problems which might develop. Since the specimen cleaning process is being changed, new SPC limits must be established. This report summarizes side-by-side testing of D6AC steel tensile adhesion witness panels and tapered double cantilevered beams (TDCBs) using both the current baseline vapor degreasing process and a lab-scale spray-in-air process. A Proceco 26 inches Typhoon dishwasher cleaned both tensile adhesion witness panels and TDCBs in a process which simulates the new production process. The tests were performed six times during 1995, subsequent statistical analysis of the data established new upper control limits (UCL) and lower control limits (LCL). The data also demonstrated that the new process was equivalent to the vapor degreasing process.

Hutchens, Dale E.↗