Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Advanced Fueling Infrastructure”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Technical Assistance 101 - How Can the Joint Office Support You?

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office), in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), provides free technical assistance on the planning, deployment, operation, and maintenance of a national network of electric vehicle chargers, zero-emission fueling infrastructure, and zero-emission transit and school buses. This help sheet shares how technical assistance can support stakeholders.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY PLANNING, POLIC↗
NASA NTRS2003

High Power MPD Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) for Artificial Gravity HOPE Missions to Callisto

This documents the results of a one-year multi-center NASA study on the prospect of sending humans to Jupiter's moon, Callisto, using an all Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) space transportation system architecture with magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thrusters. The fission reactor system utilizes high temperature uranium dioxide (UO2) in tungsten (W) metal matrix cermet fuel and electricity is generated using advanced dynamic Brayton power conversion technology. The mission timeframe assumes on-going human Moon and Mars missions and existing space infrastructure to support launch of cargo and crewed spacecraft to Jupiter in 2041 and 2045, respectively.

McGuire, Melissa L.↗
NASA NTRS2013

A Dynamic Earth: 50 Years of Observations from Space

Observations of the surface of the Earth began more than a half century ago with the earliest space missions. The global geopolitical environment at the beginning of the space age fueled advances in rocketry and human exploration, but also advances in remote sensing. At the same time that space-based Earth Observations were developing, global investments in infrastructure that were initiated after World War II accelerated large projects such as the construction of highways, the expansion of cities and suburbs, the damming of rivers, and the growth of big agriculture. These developments have transformed the Earth s surface at unprecedented rates. Today, we have a remarkable library of 50 years of observations of the Earth taken by satellite-based sensors and astronauts, and these images and observations provide insight into the workings of the Earth as a system. In addition, these observations record the footprints of human activities around the world, and illustrate how our activities contribute to the changing face of the Earth. Starting with the iconic "Blue Marble" image of the whole Earth taken by Apollo astronauts, we will review a timeline of observations of our planet as viewed from space.

Evans, Cynthia A.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dynamic Life Cycle Assessment for Evaluating the Global Warming Potential of Geothermal Energy Production Using Inactive Oil and Gas Wells for District Heating in Tuttle, Oklahoma

Repurposing abandoned oil and gas infrastructure for geothermal energy production has great potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study quantified the life cycle global warming potential of geothermal energy production using four inactive oil and gas wells repurposed for district heating in Tuttle, Oklahoma. A cradle-to-grave prospective life cycle assessment was performed to compare GHG emissions between the geothermal district heating system and conventional natural gas-fired heating system from 2020 to 2050. For initial implementation of the geothermal system, we investigated two approaches: 1) repurposing abandoned infrastructure from a nearby oil and gas well site, and 2) production and injection well drillings including new construction of a central heat exchange station. Environmental impacts from the geothermal system were estimated for five scenarios where a natural gas peaking boiler is incorporated to supply peak heat demand. The prospective results indicated that cumulative reduction in GHG emissions from transitioning to the geothermal district heating system increase over time as a function of future renewable resource penetration and technological advancements within electricity, fuel, and steel production. Over 30 years, the global warming potential associated with the district heating demand will have been reduced by up to 24 % with the repurposed system. These results imply that repurposing existing oil and gas infrastructure for geothermal energy systems of district heating will bring future climate benefits.

abandoned oil and gas wells↗
DOE OSTI2023

Optimizing Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure Plans on Freight Corridors for Heavy-Duty Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles

The development of a future hydrogen energy economy will require the development of several hydrogen market and industry segments including a hydrogen-based commercial freight transportation ecosystem. For a sustainable freight transportation ecosystem, the supporting fueling infrastructure and the associated vehicle powertrains making use of hydrogen fuel will need to be co-established. This article introduces the OR-AGENT (Optimal Regional Architecture Generation for Electrified National Transportation) tool developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which has been used to optimize the hydrogen refueling infrastructure requirements on the I-75 corridor for heavy-duty (HD) fuel cell electric commercial vehicles (FCEV). This constraint-based optimization model considers existing fueling locations, regional-specific vehicle fuel economy and weight, vehicle origin and destination (O-D), and vehicle volume by class and infrastructure costs to characterize in-mission refueling requirements for a given freight corridor. The authors applied this framework to determine the ideal public access locations for hydrogen refueling (constrained by existing fueling stations), the minimal viable cost to deploy sufficient hydrogen fuel dispensers, and associated equipment, to accommodate a growing population of hydrogen fuel cell trucks. The framework discussed in this article can be expanded and applied to a larger interstate system, expanded regional corridor, or other transportation network. This article is the third in a series of papers that defined the model development to optimize a national hydrogen refueling infrastructure ecosystem for HD commercial vehicles.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2023

ARIES/Flatirons Facility - Hydrogen System Capability Buildout

Under the "Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems" (ARIES) initiative, hydrogen system capabilities including a MW-scale electrolyzer, storage system, and MW-scale fuel cell generator will be designed and commissioned at NREL's Flatirons Campus. This hydrogen infrastructure will support H2@Scale goals by enabling integrated systems R&D to study the science of scaling for hydrogen energy systems.The system is designed with flexibility to provide a testbed to demonstrate systems integration, grid services, energy storage, direct renewable hydrogen production, and innovative end use applications (e.g. HD transportation, natural gas blending, etc.).

Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems↗
DOE OSTI2022

Capability Needs for Irradiated and Radioactive Materials Research (Ad hoc Committee Summary Report)

It is essential for the U.S. nuclear energy community to have access to world-leading equipment suitable for conducting research on both nuclear fuels and structural materials, including neutron irradiated–and therefore activated–materials. To address future research infrastructure requirements to support the DOE-NE mission, the Office of Reactor Fleet and Advanced Reactor Deployment established an ad hoc committee to gather information on potential capability gaps for radioactive materials and radiation effects research. This document summarizes the discussions of the committee addressing the high-level challenges in irradiated and radioactive materials research and the capabilities needed to address these challenges. After considering the various needs, the committee agreed on the four top-level targets and priority capability gaps.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
NASA NTRS1997

Study of Acoustic Emissions from Composites

The nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of future propulsion systems utilizing advanced composite structures for the storage of cryogenic fuels, such as liquid hydrogen or oxygen, presents many challenges. Economic justification for these structures requires light weight, reusable components with an infrastructure allowing periodic evaluation of structural integrity after enduring demanding stresses during operation. A major focus has been placed on the use of acoustic emission NDE to detect propagating defects, in service, necessitating an extensive study into characterizing the nature of acoustic signal propagation at very low temperatures and developing the methodology of applying AE sensors to monitor cryogenic components. This work addresses the question of sensor performance in the cryogenic environment. Problems involving sensor mounting, spectral response and durability are addressed. The results of this work provides a common point of measure from which sensor selection can be made when testing composite components at cryogenic temperatures.

Walker, James L.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Study Acoustic Emissions from Composites

The nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of future propulsion systems utilizing advanced composite structures for the storage of cryogenic fuels, such as liquid hydrogen or oxygen, presents many challenges. Economic justification for these structures requires, light weight, reusable components with an infrastructure allowing periodic evaluation of structural integrity after enduring demanding stresses during operation. A major focus has been placed on the use of acoustic emission NDE to detect propagating defects, in service, necessitating an extensive study into characterizing the nature of acoustic signal propagation at very low temperatures and developing the methodology of applying AE sensors to monitor cryogenic components. This work addresses the question of sensor performance in the cryogenic environment. Problems involving sensor mounting, spectral response and durability are addressed. The results of this work provides a common point of measure from which sensor selection can be made when testing composite components at cryogenic temperatures.

Walker, James L.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Validation of an Advanced High-Pressure PEM Electrolyzer and Composite Hydrogen Storage

One of the challenges associated with transitioning our nation’s transportation economy to any alternative fuel is bringing fuel production, storage, transportation, and end-customer delivery infrastructure online. There are challenges associated with planning and implementing hydrogen fueling stations at locations relevant to the parallel effort of bringing the related transportation vehicles into the market. There are additional challenges associated with the operation of hydrogen fueling stations and reducing operating costs through energy reduction. Through calculation and design efforts it was concluded that elevating the pressure of a PEM cell stack and further developing hydrogen processing equipment that support elevated pressures while maintaining similar characteristics to their current production counterparts will yield in energy savings and by extension cost reductions. In this report, the design of a 57-bar (827-psig) electrolysis system and electrolysis cell stack is described. Furthermore, the fabrication, component verification, and integrated testing are summarized. Prior to this development effort, Proton had demonstrated thousand of hours of durability on 30-bar (435-psig) differential pressure PEM electrolysis hardware. Proton has sold and installed many of these 30-bar devices at customer sites. Through this project, Proton has developed and tested 57-bar PEM electrolysis, thereby extending the proven capability of PEM electrolysis as a hydrogen generation and electrochemical compression device. A design and validation effort to arrange hydrogen processioning equipment for refueling OEM vehicles was also undertaken within this project. By arranging equipment within two 6-meter ISO shipping containers and further developing NFPA 2 Hydrogen Technologies Code to support containerized hydrogen equipment, efforts to site, install, and commission, and approve hydrogen fueling stations were reduced and now provide a groundwork for future installations.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2024

Development of New Reactor Core Configuration for Power Uprate - Fuel Reload & Heat Processing Analyses, Core Design, System Safety Assessments, and Fuel Performance Analyses

With the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022, the United States stands at a critical juncture for the future of nuclear power. These landmark policies provide significant support for clean energy initiatives, positioning nuclear power as a key component of the nation’s strategy to reduce carbon emissions and achieve energy security. This growing emphasis on nuclear energy is driven by the need for reliable, low-carbon power sources as the country transitions away from fossil fuels. Federal policy, along with increasing state-level support, is encouraging investment in nuclear technology advancements to meet these demands. Building new nuclear power plants (NPPs), however, presents significant challenges due to high costs and long construction timelines. As a result, increasing the power output of existing NPPs through power uprates has emerged as a more feasible and cost-effective strategy. One key area of advancement is the development of accident-tolerant fuel (ATF), such as chromium-coated zirconium alloy cladding, which offers enhanced material performance, enabling power uprates in light water reactors (LWRs). Given the growing demand for nuclear energy fueled by federal policies and state initiatives, it is essential to evaluate the feasibility and benefits of significant power uprates in existing pressurized water reactors (PWRs) using advanced fuel technologies. The introduction of ATF concepts opens new opportunities for safely and economically achieving these power increases. Assessing whether these innovations can support substantial power uprates while maintaining operational safety is crucial to maximizing the potential of the nation’s existing nuclear infrastructure. This project aims to explore how power uprates can be achieved by boosting reactor thermal power output and optimizing reactor core design, while ensuring the safety and economic viability of NPPs. Specifically, it will focus on demonstrating the technical and economic feasibility of power uprates in a PWR using low 5-10% enrichment uranium (LEU+) high burnup (HBU) fuel combined with ATF concepts. In fiscal year 2024 (FY24), the research and development focus on building foundational models and conducting multi-physics performance and safety analyses to support the power uprate. The findings of the study would be shared through LWRS Seasonal Meetings, conferences and workshops with utility companies and researchers. These also serve as a basis for further study of fuel reloading optimization with ATF claddings.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Levelized Cost of Dispensed Hydrogen for Heavy-Duty Vehicles

In this short technical report, we explore the range of levelized costs of dispensed hydrogen (H2) from hydrogen refueling (or fueling) stations (HRS) for H2 heavy-duty fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) that are feasible in the 2030 timeframe. We explore different scenarios by varying hydrogen delivery distances, HRS sizes, HRS utilization rates, and economies of scale in the Hydrogen Delivery Scenario Analysis Model (HDSAM). Thus, we observe how the contribution to the levelized cost of each supply chain component changes.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Systems Analysis Perspectives of Methane Pyrolysis, Fossil-Based Ammonia Production, and H2 and NG/H2 Transport (FWP-1022467 (5, 7, 8))

This poster presentation provides an overview of NETL’s work focused towards supporting the development of technical solutions to: 1) produce economical and low-carbon hydrogen from natural gas; 2) advance hydrogen sensing technologies for the existing natural gas pipelines; 3) evaluating new infrastructure to be used to transport hydrogen safely at a large scale; and 4) produce sustainable chemicals and fuels, such as ammonia, from natural gas resources, including methane emissions from flare gas.

Sheriff, Alana↗
DOE OSTI2020

Advanced Electrochemical Hydrogen Compressor

U.S. automakers have invested significant resources in the research and development of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). However, to enable the widespread deployment of FCEVs, an additional major investment is required to achieve an infrastructure for compressing hydrogen in hydrogen fueling stations. In order to dispense hydrogen to FCEV tanks quickly, the hydrogen must be compressed above a pressure of 875 bar (12,687 psi) at the fueling station. Mechanical compressors currently in use have high maintenance costs, poor reliability, and are noisy. To eliminate the need for mechanical compressors, Plug Power is extending its extensive experience in high-pressure proton-exchange-membrane (PEM), to develop an electrochemical hydrogen compressor (EHC) system for refueling applications that can deliver hydrogen at pressures greater than 875 bar. The work performed during this project was a collaboration between the Nation Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and Gaia Energy Research Institute LLC (GAIA).

08 HYDROGEN↗
NASA NTRS2010

Spinoff 2010

Topics covered include: Burnishing Techniques Strengthen Hip Implants; Signal Processing Methods Monitor Cranial Pressure; Ultraviolet-Blocking Lenses Protect, Enhance Vision; Hyperspectral Systems Increase Imaging Capabilities; Programs Model the Future of Air Traffic Management; Tail Rotor Airfoils Stabilize Helicopters, Reduce Noise; Personal Aircraft Point to the Future of Transportation; Ducted Fan Designs Lead to Potential New Vehicles; Winglets Save Billions of Dollars in Fuel Costs; Sensor Systems Collect Critical Aerodynamics Data; Coatings Extend Life of Engines and Infrastructure; Radiometers Optimize Local Weather Prediction; Energy-Efficient Systems Eliminate Icing Danger for UAVs; Rocket-Powered Parachutes Rescue Entire Planes; Technologies Advance UAVs for Science, Military; Inflatable Antennas Support Emergency Communication; Smart Sensors Assess Structural Health; Hand-Held Devices Detect Explosives and Chemical Agents; Terahertz Tools Advance Imaging for Security, Industry; LED Systems Target Plant Growth; Aerogels Insulate Against Extreme Temperatures; Image Sensors Enhance Camera Technologies; Lightweight Material Patches Allow for Quick Repairs; Nanomaterials Transform Hairstyling Tools; Do-It-Yourself Additives Recharge Auto Air Conditioning; Systems Analyze Water Quality in Real Time; Compact Radiometers Expand Climate Knowledge; Energy Servers Deliver Clean, Affordable Power; Solutions Remediate Contaminated Groundwater; Bacteria Provide Cleanup of Oil Spills, Wastewater; Reflective Coatings Protect People and Animals; Innovative Techniques Simplify Vibration Analysis; Modeling Tools Predict Flow in Fluid Dynamics; Verification Tools Secure Online Shopping, Banking; Toolsets Maintain Health of Complex Systems; Framework Resources Multiply Computing Power; Tools Automate Spacecraft Testing, Operation; GPS Software Packages Deliver Positioning Solutions; Solid-State Recorders Enhance Scientific Data Collection; Computer Models Simulate Fine Particle Dispersion; Composite Sandwich Technologies Lighten Components; Cameras Reveal Elements in the Short Wave Infrared; Deformable Mirrors Correct Optical Distortions; Stitching Techniques Advance Optics Manufacturing; Compact, Robust Chips Integrate Optical Functions; Fuel Cell Stations Automate Processes, Catalyst Testing; Onboard Systems Record Unique Videos of Space Missions; Space Research Results Purify Semiconductor Materials; and Toolkits Control Motion of Complex Robotics.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2023

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Bus (FCEB) Evaluations in US Public Transit Service

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory focused on renewable energy and energy efficiency. NREL has evaluated alternative fuel and advanced propulsion transit buses for DOE and the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA). These evaluations are focused on determining the status of fuel cell systems and the corresponding infrastructure in transit applications to help DOE and FTA assess the progress toward technology readiness. For the last 19 years NREL has evaluated FCEBs in service around the United States and in Canada. The results of these evaluations have been published in numerous reports that compare FCEB performance to conventional technology as well as document the implementation experience and lessons learned by the transit agencies and their demonstration teams. Currently, 70 fuel cell buses are in active service in the US and 66 FCEBs are in development. NREL is evaluating a subset of the active FCEBs that includes three transit agencies demonstrating 25 fuel cell electric buses in California. One bus has exceeded 35,000 hours in service and 12 have exceeded 25,000 hours. Fuel economy for the current generation of FCEBs has improved 35% over the previous generation and is double that of conventional buses. Maintenance cost for FCEBs is equivalent to diesel and BEBs. The most up-to-date performance results will be presented, including fuel economy, availability, reliability, and operational costs.

bus↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Roadmap Toward a Sustainable Aviation Ecosystem

This report outlines a holistic view of pathways to a sustainable aviation ecosystem, focusing on low-net-carbon aircraft energy carriers (fuels), airport ecosystems (airports and bases), and developments in sustainable aircraft components (aircraft). Taking this holistic ecosystem perspective, we identify critical components that contribute to sustainable energy solutions necessary to achieve deep decarbonization of the aviation industry, as well as the integrated energy system interfaces that must be comprehensively understood, planned for, and realized. Further, we outline necessary R&D needs to achieve sustainability across the aviation ecosystem, including advancing breakthrough innovations to rapidly achieve scalable solutions, with attention to their cross-sectoral dependencies and implications.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2020

NMDQi Nuclear Materials Discovery and Qualification Initiative Conference Overview

The Nuclear Materials Discovery and Qualification Initiative (NMDQi) is designed to accelerate nuclear materials qualification to fulfill the promises of early and advanced reactor technologies as a safe, clean, and low-cost baseload energy. Materials development and qualification in the nuclear industry is by definition challenging due to stringent safety requirements, limited availability of specialized facilities for materials irradiation and testing, and the challenging high-temperature, high-radiation environment. NMDQi will establish tools and capabilities that will greatly accelerate the nuclear fuels and materials development process. These tools will provide both computationally informed insights and high-throughput infrastructure with the goal of completing qualification in a single pass. In this approach, materials must be fabricated with a range of properties of interest so that materials performance can be examined in parallel, rather than with multiple discrete specimens. Advanced manufacturing (AM) techniques, which can produce complex component geometries, microstructures, and compositions, are ideal. The improved process monitoring and control that AM can provide are ideal for ensuring and reducing material variability, which will be particularly important as standards committees pursue regulations for AM components. However, gaining these benefits requires overcoming the substantial barrier of qualifying AM processes and the resulting materials and components for supporting research campaigns and eventually nuclear service.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗