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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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Tailored Bioblendstocks With Low Environmental Impact To Optimize MCCI Engines

The prohect goal is to develop and demonstrate a microalgae bio-blendstock with greater than 60% greenhouse gas reduction potential relative to petroleum diesel, that can reduce sooting propensity, increase cetane number and improve engine thermal efficiency relative to a baseline diesel engine operating on conventional fuel.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tailored Bioblendstocks With Low Environmental Impact To Optimize MCCI Engines

This project seeks to overcome impediments to expansion of algae cultivation and conversion into fuels to displace petroleum and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The overall objective of the project is to develop and demonstrate a microalgae bio-blendstock with greater than 60% greenhouse gas reduction relative to petroleum diesel, reduce sooting propensity, increase cetane number, improve engine thermal efficiency relative to a baseline diesel engine operating on conventional fuel. These objectives are being accomplished by: Applying cultivation of algae polycultures to achieve robustness and productivity, Converting whole algae to bio-hydrocarbons via Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) to make a biocrude and up-grading the biocrude via hydroprocessing to obtain tailored bioblendstocks for diesel fuel, Optimizing diesel (MCCI) combustion through blending model compounds into diesel fuel to represent the tailored bioblendstocks through experiments and numerical simulation.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Tailored Bioblendstocks with Low Environmental Impact to Optimize MCCI Engines

The overall objective of the project is to develop and demonstrate a microalgae bio-blendstock with greater than 60% greenhouse gas reduction potential relative to petroleum diesel, that can reduce sooting propensity, increase cetane number and improve engine thermal efficiency relative to a baseline diesel engine operating on conventional fuel. Specific objectives include: (1) development of a new framework for both LCA and TEA that explicitly considers temporal variation in productivity and the frequency of crop loss; (2) determination of how fuel compounds that can be produced from the algal biomass can be ‘bio-tailored’ based on the species composition and biological production process, and subsequent processing via HTL to biocrude, and upgrading of the biocrude; (3) execution of a feedback loop (algae production  biocrude refining  combustion optimization  feedback to refining stage), for optimization of fuels for MCCI combustion; (4) optimization of MCCI combustion and emissions performance, accounting first for the biological processes that dictate the chemical composition of biocrude oil, and second for the subsequent chemical processes that comprise mixing controlled compression ignition combustion; (6) simulation of MCCI engine combustion processes to demonstrate the incorporation of relevant fuel chemistry that captures the specific impacts of optimized algal fuels.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evaluation of Low Environmental Impact Distributed Scroll Booster Technology for Supermarket Refrigeration

A distributed scroll booster refrigeration system is proposed as an alternative for current refrigeration systems used in supermarket applications. The distributed scroll booster system is configured to enable the use of low-pressure refrigerants such as R-1234yf, which has a global warming potential (GWP) of less than 1, in a cycle configuration that employs a two-stage compression process. This scroll booster system is comprised of medium-temperature compressors (high stage) coupled with low-temperature compressors (low stage). This two-stage system architecture allows both low-temperature and medium-temperature refrigerated display cases to be integrated in the same system. By design, this system reduces the refrigerant charge, produces higher efficiencies (two-stage compression), uses existing components minimizing cost impact, and will be able to use ultra-low GWP class A2L (low toxicity and low flammability) refrigerants such as R-1234yf when standards and building codes are updated (expected by 2025).

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

Clean Indoor Air and Lower Environmental Impacts: Heat Recovery Ventilation in Cold Climates

Over half of Alaska homes are at risk of poor indoor air quality, which increases the risk of respiratory and other illnesses for people and animals. Heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) provide warm, fresh air to a building interior while minimizing energy use. They can be programmed to provide varying amounts of fresh air to ensure adequate ventilation for occupants and can be configured to filter air during wildfires or other events. In addition to improving the safety of indoor air and extending the life of a building, HRVs can improve surrounding outdoor air because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels needed to heat a building. Recent research by CCHRC has focused on lowering barriers to using HRVs in cold climates through laboratory evaluations and homeowner education. This poster will cover data on indoor air quality in Alaska, results of CCHRC research, and future research questions.

buildings↗
DOE OSTI2023

Environmental Impact Assessment of Lithium Recovery from Geothermal Brines in the SS-KGRA: An Overview

There is increasing interest in securing a reliable, domestic source of lithium in the United States to support an electrified grid and energy secure future. The Salton Sea Known Geothermal Resource Area (SS-KGRA) has garnered attention for this purpose due to the abundance of lithium in brines brought to the surface for geothermal energy production in this region. Geothermal production from this field is already expected to grow from the current 400 MWe to 920 MWe in the next 3-4 years with a potential total geothermal capacity in the region estimated at nearly 2,950 MWe. With this growth, there is potential for construction and operation of new direct lithium recovery and processing facilities to meet domestic demands for lithium. In this work, we estimate the potential impact of geothermal expansion and lithium extraction in the SS-KGRA on water use, direct air emissions from facilities, and solid waste production and management.

Busse, MM↗
DOE OSTI2025

Geographic, sectoral, and constituent characteristics of US off‐site manufacturing wastewater disposal

This study employs recent US Environmental Protection Agency off-site manufacturing wastewater disposal data and a socioenvironmental assessment tool for the United States to understand the characteristics of such disposal in terms of geography, major contributing sectors and pollutants, and environmental impacts. Environmental impact analyses of manufacturing are insufficient without encompassing the extended physical boundary of waste management. Our analysis reveals that off-site manufacturing wastewater disposal occurs disproportionately in populations residing in census tracts already negatively impacted by environmental hazards (impacted populations, or IPs) with 44% of transfers and 55% of Risk Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI) Hazard going to these areas, compared to their national share of 37%. Disposal hazard is concentrated in a small number of populations, with a Gini coefficient of 0.99 for RSEI Hazard. Four manufacturing sub-sectors are significant generators: Chemicals, Fabricated Metals, Primary Metals, and Transportation Equipment, with Chemicals off-site wastewater disposal largely occurring in IPs. For individual contaminants, chromium compounds and chromium represent more than 85% of the hazard but less than 10% of transfers. We explore transfer distances and waste generation and disposal hotspots, finding that the Midwest hosts a disproportionate share of off-site wastewater disposal. Further, RSEI Hazard steeply rises at shorter distances and plateaus over distances >500 miles, revealing opportunities to reduce hazard by reducing 20–500-mile transfers. Our findings strongly support targeted mitigation strategies like process substitutions, control technologies, on-site recycling and treatment, and minimizing transfer distances. This article met the requirements for a gold-gold JIE data openness badge described at http://jie.click/badges.

Fuchs, Heidi [Lawrence Berkeley National Laborator↗