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All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2023

Hydroelectric Power and Hydrogen Production Integration

Hydropower-based hydrogen production could introduce opportunities for new revenue streams for hydropower plants, including from energy storage and regeneration as well as from sale of the hydrogen product to external markets. Hydrogen-based energy storage and regeneration could also help support Idaho Power’s decarbonization goals by decreasing dependence on fossil-based peaking power plants. Additionally, integration of hydrogen production with hydropower generation could help address the issue of low dissolved oxygen river water conditions that commonly accompany hydropower plant operations by utilizing the oxygen byproduct from an electrolytic hydrogen production process as a resource for mitigation of low dissolved oxygen water conditions. Comprehensive techno-economic analysis of the hybrid hydroelectric and hydrogen energy storage system has revealed critical insights into the pathways and considerations for optimizing the economic value and environmental benefits of such systems. Among the three identified pathways of natural gas blending, regeneration, and direct sale of hydrogen, the direct sale of hydrogen emerges as the most profitable, particularly given the current pricing dynamics of hydrogen and electricity. However, as we anticipate a future grid characterized by higher renewable energy penetration, the landscape may evolve, featuring lower average electricity prices, heightened fluctuations, and more significant seasonal variations. Consequently, the attractiveness of electricity regeneration through hydrogen and the benefits of long-duration hydrogen storage are expected to increase substantially in such a dynamic energy scenario. The careful selection of component sizes within the hybrid system proves to be paramount for ensuring cost-effectiveness. Notably, the size of the hydrogen market has emerged as a critical determinant for the optimal size of the electrolyzer. Hydrogen storage should be sized to meet energy shifting requirements. The appropriate size of the fuel cell/microturbine generator hinges on the shape of electricity prices and the available revenue streams derived from participating in grid services. Striking the right balance among these components is essential for maximizing the overall efficiency and profitability of the hydrogen facility. Furthermore, the by-product of electrolysis, namely oxygen, introduces an additional dimension to the system's functionality. The oxygen generated can be effectively utilized for dissolved oxygen (DO) mitigation, particularly with larger electrolyzer sizes capable of satisfying the complete oxygen demand for this purpose. While the economic benefits derived from saved oxygen purchase costs may be relatively modest compared to other revenue streams, the environmental advantages of repurposing oxygen for DO mitigation could help Idaho Power meet their environmental obligations. In addition to the identified factors shaping the viability of hybrid hydrogen production and hydroelectric generation, it is noteworthy that the integration of hydrogen energy storage offers a unique advantage during unusually wet years. In such periods of increased water inflow, the hydrogen storage capacity serves as a valuable supplement to the reservoir. By utilizing hydrogen energy storage as a complementary reservoir, the system gains flexibility in reservoir management when dealing with fluctuations in water availability.

08 HYDROGEN↗

DOE OSTI2020

Long short-term memory embedded nudging schemes for nonlinear data assimilation of geophysical flows

Reduced rank nonlinear filters are increasingly utilized in data assimilation of geophysical flows, but often require a set of ensemble forward simulations to estimate forecast covariance. On the other hand, predictor-corrector type nudging approaches are still attractive due to their simplicity of implementation when more complex methods need to be avoided. However, optimal estimate of nudging gain matrix might be cumbersome. In this paper, we put forth a fully nonintrusive recurrent neural network approach based on a long short-term memory (LSTM) embedding architecture to estimate the nudging term, which plays a role not only to force the state trajectories to the observations but also acts as a stabilizer. Furthermore, our approach relies on the power of archival data and the trained model can be retrained effectively due to power of transfer learning in any neural network applications. In order to verify the feasibility of the proposed approach, we perform twin experiments using Lorenz 96 system. Our results demonstrate that the proposed LSTM nudging approach yields more accurate estimates than both extended Kalman filter (EKF) and ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) when only sparse observations are available. With the availability of emerging AI-friendly and modular hardware technologies and heterogeneous computing platforms, we articulate that our simplistic nudging framework turns out to be computationally more efficient than either the EKF or EnKF approaches.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2021

Behavior of thermally quenched topological defects in quasicrystal artificial spin ices

We report that understanding the formation of topological defects in connected magnetic nanowires such as in artificial spin ices (ASIs) is critical to controlling their behavior. Moreover, emergent frustration behavior of these defects can be expected due to complex underlying lattice geometry of the ASIs. We have explored in situ thermalization and quenching of quasicrystalline ASIs, which exhibit additional frustration due to aperiodicity from near the Curie temperature, and we observe the formation of two sets of topological vortex defects: within the magnetic bars and within the vertices at which the bars meet. By varying the laser fluence, we show that the number of defects in the vertices varies as the quenching rate changes following a power law relation, which we interpret as being related to the ferromagnetic-to-paramagnetic phase transition. Conversely, the defects formed within the bars are metastable states related to the spontaneous magnetization reversal of the magnetic bars and are therefore strongly dependent on underlying lattice geometry. These results provide insight into the emergence and control of topological defects in confined frustrated magnetic systems.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2023

An Assessment of Nuclear Fuel Options for Microreactors

A design options trade-off study was conducted for various nuclear fuel system options. This study developed requirements for ideal fuel system characteristics and weighted ranking criteria specifically for microreactor designs. A semiquantitative method of consensus ranking on a numeric scale was used with input from several nuclear fuel experts. The purpose of this study was to assess options and provide recommendations for further nuclear fuel technology development to better support small reactor cores. Modern microreactor designs have only recently begun emerging and have little in common except their diminutive size. The purpose of this study was not to determine which reactor type is best (e.g., coolant type and/or neutron energy spectrum), but rather to assess fuel system options within five broad categories of reactor types inspired by: 1) Very High Temperature Reactors (VHTR), 2) Sodium Fast Reactors (SFR), 3) System for Nuclear Auxiliary Power (SNAP) reactors, 4) Gas Fast Reactor (GFR), and 5) Molten Salt Reactors (MSR). The order in which these reactor types were listed generally represents the amount of current interest and technological maturity in the microreactor development community (in descending order). As such, the conclusions drawn for each reactor type category have varying levels of certainty, but there is confidence in the general conclusion that known fuel technologies can support small reactors, but that microreactors will be able to maximize their performance potential if these fuel systems were further optimized. These optimization opportunities were found to revolve around increasing uranium loading and improving behaviors/understanding for long time-at-temperature conditions. Further details about these recommendations can be found in the concluding section of this report.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

NASA NTRS2003

Probabilistic Analysis of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Based Hybrid Gas Turbine System

The emergence of fuel cell systems and hybrid fuel cell systems requires the evolution of analysis strategies for evaluating thermodynamic performance. A gas turbine thermodynamic cycle integrated with a fuel cell was computationally simulated and probabilistically evaluated in view of the several uncertainties in the thermodynamic performance parameters. Cumulative distribution functions and sensitivity factors were computed for the overall thermal efficiency and net specific power output due to the uncertainties in the thermodynamic random variables. These results can be used to quickly identify the most critical design variables in order to optimize the design and make it cost effective. The analysis leads to the selection of criteria for gas turbine performance.

Gorla, Rama S. R.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Design Constraints Regarding The Use Of Fluids In Emergency Medical Systems For Space Flight

The Exploration Medical Capability Project of the Human Research Program is tasked with identifying, investigating and addressing gaps existing gaps in either knowledge or technology that need to be addressed in order to enable safer exploration missions. There are several gaps that involve treatment for emergency medical situations. Some of these treatments involve the handling of liquids in the spacecraft environment which involve gas-liquid mixtures handling, dissolution chemistry and thermal issues. Some of the recent technology efforts include the Intravenous fluid generation (IVGEN) experiment, the In-Suit Injection System (ISIS) experiment, and medical suction. Constraints include limited volume, shelf life, handling biohazards, availability of power, crew time and medical training.

McQuillen, John↗

DOE OSTI2025

Corral Summit Pumped Storage Hydropower Hybrid: Site Suitability Assessment

In 2024, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) initiated a technical-assistance project to support Cat Creek Energy, LLC, (CCE) in evaluating site suitability for the proposed Corral Summit Pumped Storage Hydropower (PSH) project in south-central Idaho near Mackay Reservoir. The Corral Summit facility incorporates battery storage and photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays in a Trybrid configuration to deliver large-volume long-duration (LVLD) storage solutions for rural electric cooperatives in eastern Idaho. The evaluation process focused on determining the most-suitable location for the upper reservoir of the PSH system, guided by a comprehensive assessment framework spanning multiple categories, including physical characteristics, environmental constraints, building infrastructure, regulatory constraints, cultural resources and sensitivity, social factors, and power market and grid integration. Each site was analyzed based on a ranking scale (0–1), which scores ranging from “severely disfavored” to “highly favored,” allowing detailed comparisons of site-specific conditions. Categories such as hydraulic head, utilities corridor, land ownership, and transmission-grid limitations emerged as key contributors to the overall assessment. Site 2 (Idaho Trust) demonstrated a slight advantage over Site 1 (Bureau of Land Management) primarily due to favorable outcomes in regulatory constraints, building infrastructure, and power-market integration. However, Site 1 outperformed Site 2 in factors related to physical characteristics and social factors. The report emphasizes the need for further evaluation of both sites before clear determination of which site is preferred, due to the limited information available on either site at the time of this report. Key areas of evaluation to clearly define the preferred site are ecological impacts, cultural-resource surveys, and economic-feasibility assessments. For successful project execution, recommended follow-up actions include seismic and geotechnical surveys, groundwater and habitat monitoring, regulatory reviews of water rights and right-of-way agreements, cultural engagement with local tribal governments, and enhanced stakeholder strategies. These efforts will ensure the Corral Summit Trybrid facility meets local energy needs while balancing environmental, social, and regulatory responsibilities.

13 - HYDRO ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2021

Structure and Shape of Surface-Mediated Assembly of Surfactants

Achieving controls on the self-assembly of cationic and block copolymer micelles has significant implications for advancing novel material systems for energy, environmental, and biological applications and for tuning fluid flow behavior in subsurface geologic environments. While it is known that the aggregation of micelles is influenced by the composition of the surrounding fluid, the influence of a solid interface has been less explored. In this study, we probe the organization of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) micelles in the absence and presence of the Pluronic P123 block copolymer and quartz substrate using transmission and grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering measurements and classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. In the absence of the quartz interface, CTAB with and without P123 molecules assemble as ellipsoid core–shell micelles. Densification of the core on adding P123 is noted from the decrease in the core radius from 15.9 to 14.6 Å. Here, the presence of a quartz substrate causes the micelles to elongate, which is noted by the emergence of a power-law slope in the low q region (<0.02 Å –1 ). Moreover, in the presence of both P123 and the quartz substrate, the micelle shape changes from ellipsoid core–shell to cylindrical core–shell, and a significantly higher number of aggregates are formed. The higher number of aggregates, and faster aggregation kinetics are linked to the organization of the solvent structures as noted from the MD simulations. These findings demonstrate the effects of adding a block copolymer and including a quartz substrate on the self-assembly of cationic (CTAB) micelles, which can be used to inform the design of functional material systems that harness surfactant chemistries.

42 ENGINEERING↗

NASA NTRS1978

Orbital service module systems analysis study documentation. Volume 1: Executive summary

Potentially feasible system concepts for providing additional power, thermal control, and attitude to the baseline orbiter were investigated in order to support a greater variety of space missions and to extend the orbiter's ability to remain in orbit. Results of these analyses include an incremental growth plan that offers the flexibility of adding capability as, and when, it is needed in order to satisfy emerging user requirements.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1978

Satellite Power System (SPS)

Potential organizational options for a solar power satellite system (SPS) were investigated. Selection and evaluation criteria were determined to include timeliness, reliability, and adequacy to contribute meaningfully to the U.S. supply; political feasibility (both national and international); and cost effectiveness (including environmental and other external costs). Based on these criteria, four organizational alternatives appeared to offer reasonable promise as potential options for SPS. A large number of key issues emerged as being factors which would influence the final selection process. Among these issues were a variety having to do with international law, international institutions, environmental controls, economics, operational flexibility, congressional policies, commercial-vs-governmental ownership, national dedication, and national and operational stategic issues.

Edler, H. G.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Control of a Flexible Space Antenna: A Finite Dimensional Perspective Based on Distributed Parameter Theory

The methods presented are based on results from infinite dimensional control theory, but they can be described and used in a finite dimensional context. This blend leads to an approach which employs powerful ideas on convergence, and is also quite practical for systems of realistic complexity. Appropriate reduced order models are generated simultaneously with the development of the compensator. The required models change as a function of changes in the performance demanded, sensor and actuator location, inherent damping, disturbances, etc. Thus they are driven by the control and estimation problems at hand. The compensators which emerge are very close to the ideal compensators which would be obtained with a very large order model. However, some simplification is frequently possible. The method of balanced realizations was found to be effective for this purpose.

Mingori, D. L.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Periodic and chaotic spatiotemporal states in a phase-conjugate resonator using a photorefractive BaTiO3 phase-conjugate mirror

The dynamics of an externally pumped phase-conjugate resonator that uses four-wave mixing in BaTi03 is investigated experimentally. The emergence of spatiotemporal instabilities as the degree of transverse confinement is varied by changing the Fresnel number is described in detail. Local intensity time series show that relaxing the transverse confinement leads the system from a stationary state to periodic, then to quasi-periodic, motions and finally to chaotic behavior. In some regions of parameter space two frequencies are identified in the power spectra of the time series, indicating a route to chaos following the Ruelle-Takens-Newhouse scheme. Wave-front topological defects are identified by interferometry. As the system's confinement is varied, the phase-defect density and the spatial correlation index are found to follow similar trends, indicating that the observed spatiotemporal dynamics may indeed be an example of defect-mediated turbulence.

Liu, Siuying R.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Testing for the J-2X Upper Stage Engine

NASA selected the J-2X Upper Stage Engine in 2006 to power the upper stages of the Ares I crew launch vehicle and the Ares V cargo launch vehicle. Based on the proven Saturn J-2 engine, this new engine will provide 294,000 pounds of thrust and a specific impulse of 448 seconds, making it the most efficient gas generator cycle engine in history. The engine's guiding philosophy emerged from the Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS) in 2005. Goals established then called for vehicles and components based, where feasible, on proven hardware from the Space Shuttle, commercial, and other programs, to perform the mission and provide an order of magnitude greater safety. Since that time, the team has made unprecedented progress. Ahead of the other elements of the Constellation Program architecture, the team has progressed through System Requirements Review (SRR), System Design Review (SDR), Preliminary Design Review (PDR), and Critical Design Review (CDR). As of February 2010, more than 100,000 development engine parts have been ordered and more than 18,000 delivered. Approximately 1,300 of more than 1,600 engine drawings were released for manufacturing. A major factor in the J-2X development approach to this point is testing operations of heritage J-2 engine hardware and new J-2X components to understand heritage performance, validate computer modeling of development components, mitigate risk early in development, and inform design trades. This testing has been performed both by NASA and its J-2X prime contractor, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR). This body of work increases the likelihood of success as the team prepares for testing the J-2X powerpack and first development engine in calendar 2011. This paper will provide highlights of J-2X testing operations, engine test facilities, development hardware, and plans.

Buzzell, James C.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Getting a Cohesive Answer from a Common Start: Scalable Multidisciplinary Analysis through Transformation of a Systems Model

One of the challenges of systems engineering is in working multidisciplinary problems in a cohesive manner. When planning analysis of these problems, system engineers must trade between time and cost for analysis quality and quantity. The quality often correlates with greater run time in multidisciplinary models and the quantity is associated with the number of alternatives that can be analyzed. The trade-off is due to the resource intensive process of creating a cohesive multidisciplinary systems model and analysis. Furthermore, reuse or extension of the models used in one stage of a product life cycle for another is a major challenge. Recent developments have enabled a much less resource-intensive and more rigorous approach than hand-written translation scripts between multi-disciplinary models and their analyses. The key is to work from a core systems model defined in a MOF-based language such as SysML and in leveraging the emerging tool ecosystem, such as Query/View/Transformation (QVT), from the OMG community. SysML was designed to model multidisciplinary systems. The QVT standard was designed to transform SysML models into other models, including those leveraged by engineering analyses. The Europa Habitability Mission (EHM) team has begun to exploit these capabilities. In one case, a Matlab/Simulink model is generated on the fly from a system description for power analysis written in SysML. In a more general case, symbolic analysis (supported by Wolfram Mathematica) is coordinated by data objects transformed from the systems model, enabling extremely flexible and powerful design exploration and analytical investigations of expected system performance.

Operational QVT↗

NASA NTRS1986

Space power - Emerging opportunities

NASA programs directed towards the development of technologies to meet the cost-effective energy needs of future space missions are described. Consideration is given to the space photovoltaic program, which was developed along two paths: one leading to high-performance ultralight weight solar arrays, the other to high output arrays. The space power materials and energy storage technology are discussed, together with the developmental aspects of an advanced solar dynamic power system and its subsystems. Special attention is given to the Nasa SP-100 Advanced Technology Project and the free-piston Stirling engine technology for nuclear power application.

Brandhorst, H. W.↗

DOE OSTI2026

Emergent viscous hydrodynamics from a single quantum particle

We investigate an explicit example of how spatial decoherence can lead to hydrodynamic behavior in the late-time, long-wavelength regime of open quantum systems. We focus on the case of a single nonrelativistic quantum particle linearly coupled to a thermal bath of noninteracting harmonic oscillators at temperature T , a la Caldeira and Leggett. Taking advantage of decoherence in the position representation, we expand the reduced density matrix in powers of the off-diagonal spatial components, so that high-order terms are suppressed at late times. Truncating the resulting power series at second order leads to a set of dissipative transient hydrodynamic equations similar to the nonrelativistic limit of equations widely used in simulations of the quark-gluon plasma formed in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions. Transport coefficients are directly determined by the damping constant γ , which quantifies the influence of the environment. The asymptotic limit of our hydrodynamic equations reduces to the celebrated Navier-Stokes equations for a compressible fluid in the presence of a drag force. Furthermore, our results shed new light on the onset of hydrodynamic behavior in open quantum systems where a system with few degrees of freedom is coupled to a large thermal environment.

Hydrodynamics↗

DOE OSTI2025

Corral Summit Pumped Storage Hydropower Hybrid Site Suitability Assessment (Rev.1)

13 - HYDRO ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2020

Substation Secondary Asset Health Monitoring and Management System (SSHM)

Electric Power Group, LLC (EPG) was awarded DOE OE0000850 to design, develop, and demonstrate a real-time software application for substation secondary equipment health monitoring and management at host utility American Electric Power (AEP), a cost share partner. This project addresses the need for monitoring substation equipment health and providing operators with tools to identify and take pre-emptive action to avoid catastrophic equipment failure. By monitoring synchrophasor data in real time, data anomalies that indicate potential asset failure can be detected and alerts can be sent to operators in time to take corrective actions. EPG developed two data driven algorithms to identify abnormal equipment signature patterns as well as a method using substation linear state estimation (SLSE). The software has been deployed on hardened PC’s and tested and validated for cost share partner AEP’s substations - 138kV and 765 kV. The SSHM software has been accepted by AEP and final demonstration of DOE - OE0000850 for AEP and DOE was successfully completed on March 17th, 2020. EPG developed the Substation Secondary Asset Health Monitoring (SSHM) Platform to analyze equipment failure signatures in PMU data and alert substation personnel when pre-emptive inspection, repairs and other actions are warranted to prevent potential catastrophic failures. This is the first system that automatically monitors the health of substation secondary assets and alerts users to emerging failures using synchrophasor measurements. SSHM uses high resolution PMU data from PTs, CTs, and CCVTs to analyze equipment signatures and identify anomalies that are precursor indicators of potential equipment failure. When an anomaly is detected, there is a likelihood of potential failure of monitored equipment, the system alerts the user with visual alarms including alarm trend charts and indicator lights on a oneline diagram of the substation.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗