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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 847 records · Page 47
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

High spatial resolution neutron imaging of lithium-ion batteries: Correlating microstructure and lithium transport

Thick electrodes for lithium-ion batteries can increase the overall energy density, but increasing the electrode thickness introduces charge transport limitations. These limitations may be mitigated through proper electrode structuring. Here, high spatial resolution neutron imaging was used to understand the correlation between microstructure and lithium transport in lithium-ion anodes. Batteries with distinct graphite anode microstructures were produced and studied with high spatial resolution in operando neutron radiography to observe the effects of structure on transport. High spatial resolution neutron computed tomography was performed following in operando neutron radiography. X-ray computed tomography and scanning electron microscopy were used to observe the finer scale anode structure to complement neutron imaging. Solvent-free anodes containing a tightly-packed layered structure confined lithium movement close to the separator. This structure limited capacity, but supported better rate capability. Conversely, a more open pore structure in the wet cast anodes yielded higher capacity with reduced rate capability. Together, these results show that lithium distributions can be controlled by the macroscopic structure of the electrodes, the microstructural pore network, and the microscale active areas that support electrochemical reactions. Furthermore, multimodal imaging applying the complementary strengths of neutron and X-ray methods is shown as a tool for advancing battery design.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Operational Resilience of Nuclear-Renewable Integrated-Energy Microgrids

The increasing prevalence and severity of wildfires, severe storms, and cyberattacks is driving the introduction of numerous microgrids to improve resilience locally. While distributed energy resources (DERs), such as small-scale wind and solar photovoltaics with storage, will be major components in future microgrids, today, the majority of microgrids are backed up with fossil-fuel-based generators. Small modular reactors (SMRs) can form synergistic mix with DERs due to their ability to provide baseload and flexible power. The heat produced by SMRs can also fulfill the heating needs of microgrid consumers. This paper discusses an operational scheme based on distributed control of flexible power assets to strengthen the operational resilience of SMR-DER integrated-energy microgrids. A framework is developed to assess the operational resilience of SMR-DER microgrids in terms of system adaptive real-power capacity quantified as a response area metric (RAM). Month-long simulation results are shown with a microgrid developed in a modified Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)-30 bus system. The RAM values calculated along the operational simulation reflect the system resilience in real time and can be used to supervise the microgrid operation and reactor’s autonomous control.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Research Priorities and Opportunities in United States Wholesale Electricity Markets

The power system is currently undergoing a number of changes, including a rapidly evolving resource mix, growth of distributed energy resources (DERs), more active consumer participation, increased deployment of energy storage and hybrid resources, and more advanced communication and control requirements. These changes in the power system present numerous technical, economic, implementation, and policy challenges and research opportunities for power system operators. To help address these challenges, a collaboration among five research institutions—Argonne National Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Electric Power Research Institute, and Johns Hopkins University—has been established to provide technical assistance to the seven U.S. Independent System Operators (ISOs) and Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs). The 3-year project aims to leverage the advanced methods, tools, datasets, and resources of the collaborators to provide robust analytical support to address the high-priority market challenges that will be faced in the 2- to 10-year time horizon.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Typical Use Cases for Energy Storage in Rural Areas

Public power utilities and cooperatives play a crucial role in delivering reliable and affordable electricity to remote and sparsely populated regions. Unlike their urban counterparts, these utilities often face a unique set of challenges that can complicate their operations and service delivery. One of the primary challenges is the vast geographical area they must cover, which often results in higher transmission and distribution costs per customer. Additionally, public power utilities in rural areas often cannot afford the investments required to maintain and upgrade aging grid infrastructure to provide reliable and resilient power or withstand the impacts of recurring, severe weather events, which can cause extended outages and disrupt service delivery. Energy storage has emerged as a promising tool to help public power utilities meet these challenges. By enabling the storage of excess energy during low demand periods and providing a source of backup electricity during outages, energy storage systems can help utilities balance supply and demand more effectively. Additionally, they can help integrate a portfolio of various energy sources, reduce the need for expensive peak power purchases and provide ancillary services that stabilize the grid. This white paper describes potential use cases for energy storage in rural areas as well as documents a set of relevant example projects by project types.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Hybrid Solar System (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

GTI Energy (GTI) teamed with the University of California at Merced (UCM) to scaleup the hybrid solar system (HSS) technology for demonstrating its performance at the US Gypsum (USG) plant in Plaster City, California. The technology integrates two-stage concentrating solar collector with matching particle thermal transport and storage (TSS) system to deliver cost-effective, and on-demand distributed high temperature industrial process heat up to 600°C with solar thermal, in this case to a gypsum kettle, to reduce its fuel use and carbon footprint. Current solar technologies, which reach these temperatures, are not distributable (towers) or cost-effective (dish). The research team developed a conceptual system design for host site retrofit, including preliminary heat balance, process flow diagram, particle to process heat exchanger and equipment placements at the site. Subsequently, parallel efforts were carried out at UCM to design, build and test a 12 m long commercial scale prototype concentrating thermal-only collector system and at GTI to design, build and test a matching 650°C capable particle TTS system. The nominal 50 kWth collector consists of a parabolic trough and three 4 m long two-stage receivers in series. Prior to on-sun testing, a 4 m long receiver was fabricated and successfully tested at 650 °C in a laboratory setting for 100 hrs of continuous operation showing less than 15% radiation loss. A 7 m wide x 17 m long parabolic trough was then installed at UCM for on-sun testing of the 12 m long receiver, and concurrently several 4 m long receivers were built. The optics of the parabolic trough were calibrated, and on-sun test were carried out on 12 m long receivers. During tests, the intense solar radiation (53x) caused the absorber tubes in the receivers to bend, reducing the overall optical efficiency. To address the bending issue, a self-consistent algorithm that includes ray tracing, thermal and deformation models was developed to perform thermal stress analysis on absorbers for parabolic solar collectors. Results obtained with this algorithm showed a dramatic rise in deformation as absorber tube length increases. A combined efficiency parameter that includes the occluded area for the mounts was developed to obtain an optimized tube length obtained. Based on the results, a length of 2.7 m for the absorber + 0.2 m for the coupler was chosen to minimize any bending and optimize optical efficiency while maintaining ease of mounting. The associated particle TTS system was designed, built and successfully tested at GTI. It includes storage, receiving and lock hoppers and piping that simulates the transfer of captured solar energy to an actual industrial furnace. Tests over 77 charge-discharge cycles demonstrated <2% particle degradation, with no problematic particle accumulations and no flow interruptions. The piping pressure drop was about 5 psi. The team also worked with Stanley Consultants (Stanley) to prepare conceptual and preliminary engineering packages to facilitate follow-on development and commercialization efforts. These include process and instrumentation diagram’s (P&ID’s), general arrangements, electrical one-line, project definitions document, equipment data sheets, schedule, and construction cost estimate for 2 MWth system. Updated HSS technology commercialization and customer engagement plans and detailed costs and evaluated market trade-offs and manufacturing.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Role of Cell Wall Polysaccharides in Water Distribution During Seed Imbibition of Hymenaea courbaril L.

Seed water imbibition is critical to seedling establishment in tropical forests. The seeds of the neotropical tree Hymenaea courbaril have no oil reserves and have been used as a model to study storage cell wall polysaccharide (xyloglucan - XyG) mobilization.We studied pathways of water imbibition in Hymenaea seeds. To understand seed features, we performed carbohydrate analysis and scanning electron microscopy. We found that the seed coat comprises a palisade of lignified cells, below which are several cell layers with cell walls rich in pectin. The cotyledons are composed mainly of storage XyG. From a single point of scarification on the seed surface, we followed water imbibition pathways in the entire seed using fluorescent dye and NMRi spectroscopy. We constructed composites of cellulose with Hymenaea pectin or XyG. In vitro experiments demonstrated cell wall polymer capacity to imbibe water, with XyG imbibition much slower than the pectin-rich layer of the seed coat.We found that water rapidly crosses the lignified layer and reaches the pectin-rich palisade layer so that water rapidly surrounds the whole seed. Water travels very slowly in cotyledons (most of the seed mass) because it is imbibed in the XyG-rich storage walls. However, there are channels among the cotyledon cells through which water travels rapidly, so the primary cell walls containing pectins will retain water around each storage cell.The different seed tissue dynamic interactions between water and wall polysaccharides (pectins and XyG) are essential to determining water distribution and preparing the seed for germination.

arabinoxylan↗
DOE OSTI2025

Innovative Pathways to Net Zero Emissions: Subnational Strategies for Distributed Solar Deployment to Improve Grid Quality and Reduce Energy Costs in Argentina

Through Net Zero World, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the National Energy Secretariat of Argentina, La Pampa's Energy and Mining Secretariat, Pampetrol, and the Administracion Provincial de Energia de La Pampa (APELP) conducted an integrated analysis of the power system of the La Pampa province in Argentina. The study assessed the impact that solar and battery energy storage systems could have on the region grid's reliability and electricity costs, providing insights into long-term decarbonization strategies across Argentina. The analysis demonstrated that these systems are expected not only to help with decarbonization efforts but also to bolster grid resiliency, reduce line losses, and improve voltage regulation while lowering electricity costs. The paper offers a replicable framework for similar studies across other Argentine provinces, which could inform a national grid reliability plan and promote regional coordination. Such coordination will play a key role in supporting a nationwide clean energy transition as Argentina increases its share of renewable energy. By coordinating subnational energy plans with national strategies, Argentina can secure a resilient clean energy future, leveraging the substantial renewable resources available across its provinces.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Heat pulse testing at monitoring wells to estimate subsurface fluid velocities in geological CO 2 storage

Monitoring the injected CO 2 during geological CO 2 storage (GCS) is essential to assure containment and identify CO 2 leakage. Here in this work, a new approach is introduced to estimate the evolution of the downhole fluid velocity at a monitoring well and identify CO 2 arrival time using in-well heat pulse/tracer test. The proposed technique involves using a downhole heater to generate a series of heat pulses and measuring their corresponding temperature response. The surface temperature of the downhole heater is controlled by the supplied electrical power and the heat loss by convection to the surroundings. Convective heat transfer is well described using Newton's law of cooling in which the temperature difference between the heater and the surrounding fluids drives the heat transfer, for which the convection heat transfer coefficient (h) controls the magnitude of heat loss. Among various factors that control h, it depends on the type of the flowing fluid and its velocity. Through analyzing the measured temperature at different heat pulses, the changes in h - due to mobilization of the in-situ brine or CO 2 arrival - can be estimated. Consequently, the velocity of the flowing fluid across the heater can be obtained. Since heat transfer by convection is sensitive to the type of the surrounding fluid, intrusion of CO 2 can be detected from the relatively higher surface temperature obtained at CO 2 arrival. Churchill and Bernstein (1977)'s correlation is adopted to estimate the change of fluid velocity in terms of the change in h. To demonstrate the validity of the proposed technique, the results are applied and validated against those of COMSOL Multiphysics simulation tool for single-phase brine (before CO 2 arrival) and single-phase CO 2 (after CO 2 arrival). The observed temperature heating is sensitive to the flowing fluid velocity and fluid type. The temperature signal observed at CO 2 arrival is large and easily detectable using temperature monitoring tool which provides reliable indication for tracking CO 2 arrival at monitoring wells compared with passive temperature monitoring. The results obtained using the proposed technique agree very well with the numerical results obtained from the simulation tool with a maximum estimation error of 7 percent.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2025

Economic Storage Size Optimization for Electric Vehicle Extreme-Fast Charging Stations

En-route charging infrastructure for electric vehicles is critical to support transportation needs. These charging stations are likely to have high loads and especially sharp peak loads given fast charging capabilities needed to meet transportation schedules. In order to reduce both strain on distribution grid infrastructure and charging station operational costs, many stations are likely to employ behind the meter storage. This paper demonstrates a behind the meter storage sizing optimization that employs an open-source agent-based vehicle behavior model (BEAM) to determine the best sizing across many scenarios. This optimization and analysis is novel in that it examines how storage size impacts not only charging station cost and peak load, but also vehicle queue times. The optimization is also applied across a wide analysis region with sufficient diversity and numbers to provide novel statistical analysis of optimal sizes.

Aka, Julius↗
DOE OSTI2022

Probabilistic Modeling of Climate Change Impacts on Renewable Energy and Storage Requirements for NM's Energy Transition Act (SAND Report)

This report provides a study of the potential impacts of climate change on intermittent renewable energy resources, battery storage, and resource adequacy in Public Service Company of New Mexico’s Integrated Resource Plan for 2020 – 2040. Climate change models and available data were first evaluated to determine uncertainty and potential changes in solar irradiance, temperature, and wind speed in NM in the coming decades. These changes were then implemented in solar and wind energy models to determine impacts on renewable energy resources in NM. Results for the extreme climate-change scenario show that the projected wind power may decrease by ~13% due to projected decreases in wind speed. Projected solar power may decrease by ~4% due to decreases in irradiance and increases in temperature in NM. Uncertainty in these climate-induced changes in wind and solar resources was accommodated in probabilistic models assuming uniform distributions in the annual reductions in solar and wind resources. Uncertainty in battery storage performance was also evaluated based on increased temperature, capacity fade, and degradation in round-trip efficiency. The hourly energy balance was determined throughout the year given uncertainties in the renewable energy resources and energy storage. The loss of load expectation (LOLE) was evaluated for the 2040 No New Combustion portfolio and found to increase from 0 days/year to a median value of ~2 days/year due to potential reductions in renewable energy resources and battery storage performance and capacity. A rank-regression analyses revealed that battery round-trip efficiency was the most significant parameter that impacted LOLE, followed by solar resource, wind resource, and battery fade. An increase in battery storage capacity to ~25,000 – 30,000 MWh from a baseline value of ~14,000 MWh was required to reduce the median value of LOLE to ~0.2 days/year with consideration of potential climate impacts and battery degradation.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Hydrogen Transportation and Distributed Energy Systems Risk and Feasibility Assessment for Airport Facilities - CRADA 555 (Abstract)

This CRADA presents the strategy that Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) will take to support PDX in performing a risk assessment for several hydrogen deployment scenarios. It is intended that the deployment of hydrogen at PDX could serve several roles, including decarbonizing its bus fleet and building out a distributed energy system which could also be used to facilitate emergency operations. PDX’s initial plans concern replacing their current fleet of 28 busses with FCEBs. To do so, PDX will need to deploy the hydrogen systems needed to support the buses. This includes hydrogen storage, production, delivery, filling, compression, and maintenance. PDX also has long range plans to build a distributed energy system to support normal and resilient operations. This study will investigate the risks of each plan individually, and a combined plan which serves both. Additionally, PDX is in an area with the potential for high seismic activity, as such this work will also include a seismic risk assessment. A detailed risk assessment using PDX as a test case is necessary to ensure the deployment of large-scale hydrogen is successful and to understand the benefits or drawbacks in contrast to electric only technologies. Many technologies have been proposed that claim to utilize hydrogen for both transportation and distributed energy systems; however, these technologies need to be analyzed as they apply to an actual site. The physical infrastructure and hydrogen use cases for PDX will be analyzed, a risk assessment will be performed on the hydrogen infrastructure and distributed energy system. These assessments will be useful for understanding how each of these technologies would perform as applied to a large public facility and public safety. The results of this CRADA, and an impact of the DOE funding, will evaluate hydrogen as a key fuel for PDX and will accelerate by several years availability of hydrogen, fuel cells, and other low-carbon technologies.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2020

Mochi: Composing Data Services for High-Performance Computing Environments

Technology enhancements and the growing breadth of application workflows running on high-performance computing (HPC) platforms drive the development of new data services that provide high performance on these new platforms, provide capable and productive interfaces and abstractions for a variety of applications, and are readily adapted when new technologies are deployed. The Mochi framework enables composition of specialized distributed data services from a collection of connectable modules and subservices. Rather than forcing all applications to use a one-size-fits-all data staging and I/O software configuration, Mochi allows each application to use a data service specialized to its needs and access patterns. This paper introduces the Mochi framework and methodology. The Mochi core components and microservices are described. Examples of the application of the Mochi methodology to the development of four specialized services are detailed. Finally, a performance evaluation of a Mochi core component, a Mochi microservice, and a composed service providing an object model is performed. The paper concludes by positioning Mochi relative to related work in the HPC space and indicating directions for future work.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Analysis of controls for integrated energy storage system in energy arbitrage configuration with concrete thermal energy storage

Novel highly detailed NuScale reactor and turbo-generator models have been built in Modelica to analyze potential controls for an integrated energy system (IES) configuration combining a nuclear reactor and concrete thermal energy storage (CTES) operating in energy arbitrage. A shakedown test demonstrates the viability of the control schemes to operate across expected operating conditions while maintaining safety limits and buffers. A five-day data set from Idaho is used to show a load-following application of this system that increases the average reactor power level by 20% over the data set and matching demand at nearly all points. Here, by integrating these models, feedback mechanisms across the primary and secondary sides of the nuclear reactor are integrated, and realistic control evaluation is done. All models are consistent with the Hybrid repository, a suite of Modelica models, maintained at Idaho National Laboratory.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Demonstrating the data center as a flexible grid asset using a C-HIL setup

Increasing data center demand is outpacing grid infrastructure development. Artificial intelligence workloads and hyperscale cloud growth are creating unprecedented demand for power, while traditional grid expansion faces multiyear development timelines. Verrus is developing an innovative datacenter solution for this challenge, data centers that act as active grid-supportive assets rather than passive loads. Our approach integrates a novel grid-aware power flow management system with battery energy storage systems(BESS) into a microgrid-controlled, medium-voltage power distribution architecture that delivers critical capabilities, such as: * Fast response to grid disturbances such over/ under voltage or over/ under frequency * Demand flexibility that can service requests from the utility within 10 s * Uninterrupted transition to islanded operation during grid outages * Continuous uptime assurance for compute loads while maintaining all customer service level agreements. Through Verrus' strategic partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), these capabilities were validated using NREL's Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) virtual emulation environment to model a 70-MW grid-interactive data center. This paper outlines the design, methodology, and results of this emulated deployment, demonstrating that data centers can provide both critical load resilience and ancillary grid support without compromising uptime requirements. Specifically, we present a digital real time simulation of a 70 MW data center integrated with a physical microgrid controller, and demonstrate the data center response in the event of a grid voltage and frequency event, utility demand response request and utility outage.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Shelf-life of ball-milled catalyst inks for the fabrication of fuel cell electrodes

A major factor driving fuel cell costs is the quantity of precious metal required. Therefore, it is important to understand a timeframe where inks can be reused. Here, in this work, we explore differences between a freshly prepared catalyst ink and one that has been stored for over a year – comparing ink properties, cathode catalyst layer microstructure, and their respective fuel cell performance. Ink studies revealed smaller agglomerate sizes and a decrease in shear viscosity for the aged ink. Longer storage time also results in fewer cracks and a more uniform ionomer distribution, as evidenced by microscopy characterization of rod-coated electrodes. Lastly, polarization curves show improved performance at higher current densities for the electrode prepared from the aged ink. We rationalize such effect in terms of enhanced ionomer adsorption onto the catalyst over time.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2020

Link Between CO 2 –Induced Wettability and Pore Architecture Alteration

Changes in pore (throat) size, surface roughness and mineralogy induced by supercritical-CO 2 -water-rock reactions impact petrophysical properties such as porosity, permeability, and especially wettability. Herein, we show that these changes directly impact relative permeability and capillary pressure curves, a fact rarely studied in the literature. In this work, we show that CO 2 contact angle changes emerge after Madison Limestone samples were soaked for 400 hours in CO 2 -enriched brine. Coreflooding results show that the water production rate and cumulative water production increased after the rock was exposed to carbonic acid. Moreover, the mercury capillary pressure decreased in meso- and macro-pores, indicating the increase of size in these pores due to reactions. This compounded wettability and pore network alteration can directly affect CO 2 injectivity, migration and storage capacity. Furthermore, this fundamental insight into CO 2 geological storage processes should aid practitioners to reduce uncertainties in forecasting CO 2 distribution via injection simulation.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗