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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 991 records · Page 55
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Quantifying the Opportunity Limits of Automatic Residential Electric Load Shaping

Electric utility residential demand response programs typically reduce load a few times a year during periods of peak energy use. In the future, utilities and consumers may monetarily and environmentally benefit from continuously shaping load by alternatively encouraging or discouraging the use of electricity. One way to shape load and introduce elasticity is to broadcast forecasts of dynamic electricity prices that orchestrate electricity supply and demand in order to maximize the efficiency of conventional generation and the use of renewable resources including wind and solar energy. A binary control algorithm that influences the on and off states of end uses was developed and applied to empirical time series data to estimate price-based instantaneous opportunities for shedding and adding electric load. To overcome the limitations of traditional stochastic methods in quantifying diverse, non-Gaussian, non-stationary distributions of observed appliance behaviour, recent developments in wavelet-based analysis were applied to capture and simulate time-frequency domain behaviour. The performance of autoregressive and spectral reconstruction methods was compared, with phase reconstruction providing the best simulation ensembles. Results show spatiotemporal differences in the amount of load that can be shed and added, which suggest further investigation is warranted in estimating the benefits anticipated from the wide-scale deployment of continuous automatic residential load shaping. Empirical data and documented software code are included to assist in reproducing and extending this work.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Role of Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) in Nuclear Energy Materials Research

The Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) is one of a diverse number of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) user facilities established to provide researchers with the most advanced tools of modern science. The NSUF is unique and represents a consortium of capabilities distributed across the U.S. at twenty-one institutions. The NSUF is centered at and managed from the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), where it was originally founded, but it coordinates activities at twenty “partner” institutions that include universities, the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES), national laboratories, and a nuclear industry vendor. These institutions have capabilities that include neutron, ion, and gamma irradiation, hot cells, advanced materials characterization equipment, and high-performance computing resources. Many of these capabilities were beyond reach for most researchers before NSUF. The NSUF provides researchers to access these capabilities at no cost to nuclear energy researchers to produce the highest quality research results to increase understanding of advanced nuclear energy technologies important to DOE-NE and support national priorities by adapting to the needs of DOE-NE programs, industry, and new innovative concepts for sustainable nuclear future.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tuning successive linear programming to solve AC optimal power flow problem for large networks

Successive linear programming (SLP) is a practical approach for solving large-scale nonlinear optimization problems. Alternating current optimal power flow (ACOPF) is no exception, particularly the large size of real-world networks. However, in order to achieve tractability, it is essential to tune the SLP algorithm presented in the literature. This paper presents a modified SLP algorithm to solve the ACOPF problem, specified by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Grid Optimization (GO) Competition Challenge 1, within strict time limits. The algorithm first finds a near-optimal solution for the relaxed problem (i.e., Stage 1). Then, it finds a feasible solution in the proximity of the near-optimal solution (i.e., Stage 2 and Stage 3). The numerical experiments on test cases ranging from 500-bus to 30,000-bus systems show that the algorithm is tractable. Here the results show that our proposed algorithm is tractable and can solve more than 80% of test cases faster than the well-known Interior Point Method while significantly reduce the number of iterations required to solve ACOPF. The number of iterations is considered an important factor in the examination of tractability which can drastically reduce the computational time required within each iteration.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2020

The MPACT 2020 Milestone: Safeguards and Security by Design of Future Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities.

The Materials Protection, Accounting, and Control Technologies (MPACT) campaign, within the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy, has developed a Virtual Facility Distributed Test Bed for safeguards and security design for future nuclear fuel cycle facilities. The purpose of the Virtual Test Bed is to bring together experimental and modeling capabilities across the U.S. national laboratory and university complex to provide a one-stop-shop for advanced Safeguards and Security by Design (SSBD). Experimental testing alone of safeguards and security technologies would be cost prohibitive, but testbeds and laboratory processing facilities with safeguards measurement opportunities, coupled with modeling and simulation, provide the ability to generate modern, efficient safeguards and security systems for new facilities. This Virtual Test Bed concept has been demonstrated using a generic electrochemical reprocessing facility as an example, but the concept can be extended to other facilities. While much of the recent work in the MPACT program has focused on electrochemical safeguards and security technologies, the laboratory capabilities have been applied to other facilities in the past (including aqueous reprocessing, fuel fabrication, and molten salt reactors as examples). This paper provides an overview of the Virtual Test Bed concept, a description of the design process, and a baseline safeguards and security design for the example facility. Parallel papers in this issue go into more detail on the various technologies, experimental testing, modeling capabilities, and performance testing.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
DOE OSTI2024

Development of a Computational Framework for Multiphysics Multiphase Species Tracking using NEAMS Tools

This report implements a high-fidelity multiphysics modeling framework using the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program tools to track isotopic species in Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs), with a specific focus on the 91-depletion chain within the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE). The model integrates neutronics, thermal-hydraulics, depletion, and thermochemistry to simulate the production, transport, and phase transitions of isotopes under steady-state and transient conditions. The main findings reveal that isotopes such as bromine-91 largely remain in the liquid phase, while others, including krypton-91and yttrium-91, transition to the gas phase, significantly influencing the reactor’s radiological source term. The study also shows that during transients, like a reactivity insertion transient, rapid void formation and the expansion of the liquid-gas interface led to substantial transfers of dissolved isotopes into the gas phase, altering isotope distribution and largely increasing the source term in the off-gas system. Additionally, the research highlights that short-lived isotopes dominate the initial off-gas response during transients, while longer-lived isotopes determine the equilibrium state, underscoring the necessity of dynamic simulations for accurate species tracking and reactor safety analysis. The developed methodology will be applied in the future to the tracking of a larger number of species and introduce other species tracking mechanisms, such as deposition and plating.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Microgrid Optimal Scheduling With Chance-Constrained Islanding Capability

To facilitate the integration of variable renewable generation and improve the resilience of electricity sup-ply in a microgrid, this paper proposes an optimal scheduling strategy for microgrid operation considering constraints of islanding capability. A new concept, probability of successful islanding (PSI), indicating the probability that a microgrid maintains enough spinning reserve (both up and down) to meet local demand and accommodate local renewable generation after instantaneously islanding from the main grid, is developed. The PSI is formulated as mixed-integer linear program using multi-interval approximation taking into account the probability distributions of forecast errors of wind, PV and load. With the goal of minimizing the total operating cost while preserving user specified PSI, a chance-constrained optimization problem is formulated for the optimal scheduling of mirogrids and solved by mixed integer linear programming (MILP). Numerical simulations on a microgrid consisting of a wind turbine, a PV panel, a fuel cell, a micro-turbine, a diesel generator and a battery demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheduling strategy. Lastly, we verify the relationship between PSI and various factors.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Performance Monitoring of African Micro-Grids: Good Practices and Operational Data

This report investigates the current understanding and use of performance monitoring in the micro-grid sector by developers. It highlights the importance of performance monitoring by providing key performance monitoring indicators and suggesting performance monitoring activities that improve projects and programs. This report also presents the analysis of the performance data of 36 micro-grids currently operating in Africa, in one of the largest such assessments conducted to date within the sector and concludes by recommending potential next steps towards integrating performance monitoring into the micro-grid sector.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2018

NSUF 2016 Annual Report

The Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) and its partner facilities represent a prototype laboratory that utilizes a distributed partnership, with each facility bringing exceptional capabilities to the relationship including reactors, beamlines, state-of-the-art instruments, hot cells, and equally important, expertise. These capabilities and people together create a nationwide infrastructure that allows the best ideas to be tested using the most advanced capabilities. Through the NSUF, researchers and their collaborators are building on current knowledge to better understand the complex behavior of materials and fuels in a nuclear reactor. The NSUF’s partnership program in 2016 included eight universities, one research and education consortium, three national laboratories, and one industry partner. The avenues opened through these partnerships facilitate cooperative research across the country, matching people with capabilities and students with mentors. The NSUF in 2016 included Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the following institutions: • Argonne National Laboratory • Center for Advanced Energy Studies (a research and education consortium between Boise State University, INL, Idaho State University, University of Idaho, and University of Wyoming) • Illinois Institute of Technology • Massachusetts Institute of Technology • North Carolina State University • Oak Ridge National Laboratory • Pacific Northwest National Laboratory • Purdue University • University of California, Berkeley • University of Michigan • University of Nevada, Las Vegas • University of Wisconsin • Westinghouse Materials Center of Excellence. This report contains details on new capabilities brought into the NSUF in 2016, the evidence of the increasing research facilitated by the NSUF, and new tools and activities to propel nuclear research and development forward to meet energy reliability and security needs. Learn about the NSUF Nuclear Fuels and Materials Library and the Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Database, and how the robust NSUF website continues to evolve to support new tools. Read about how the NSUF supports Department of Energy (DOE) missions through efforts like the 2016 NSUF Ion Beam Options Workshop, which led to a prioritiza-tion of ion beam facilities according to their ability to support Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) missions.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Hardening DOE R&D Software Tools for Web-based Visualization SBIR Phase I Final Report

Ubiquitous web-based visualization is essential to delivering large-scale data visualization to various stakeholders, from the scientist to the board member. These stakeholders will not tolerate a stalled application or a pop-up window asking them to wait for the processing to complete. They require a responsive and interactive visualization environment with high-quality imagery suitable for detailed analysis and boardroom presentations. At Kitware, Inc., we have accomplished web visualization to this point, leveraging state-of-the-art tools like HTML5, CSS3, SVG, Canvas, and WebGL. Solutions that leverage a combination of these technologies are necessary to handle workloads that vary significantly in data size efficiently. However, it is not always practical to move large data to the web client for visualization. Kitware's ParaView as a Service combines client-side visualization using both distributed processing and remote rendering on big data impractical to move. Existing distributed processing and remote rendering solution's interactivity is below the expectations of web-based applications. Our project examined proposed solutions to the areas outlined above in ParaView as a Service. We have investigated concurrent pipelines, streaming images, progressive rendering, and optimization of algorithms and data movement to address these concerns. For the Phase I project, we completed the proposed work plan. As a result, the project produced three prototypes of essential importance for web visualization and the ParaView as a Service community. We created a simple desktop application for an interactive streamline placement prototype, a web-based interactive streamline placement prototype, and a web-based progressive rendering utilizing raytracing prototype. These prototypes relied on the hardening of emerging software toolkits funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) program (such as ParaView, VTK-m, and Mochi). We blended these components into web-based visualization prototypes that meet the industry's expectations for interactivity and responsiveness. The Phase I project had four essential focus areas: 1. Develop prototype ParaView as a Service backend server using asynchronous, non-blocking design principles. 2. Develop a prototype web application that uses the ParaView as a Service backend server for remote data visualization. 3. Implement image streaming with encoding/compression and progressive rendering capabilities in the proposed platform. 4. Evaluate the prototype developed and summarize observations, including the challenges and pitfalls of our approach. After our successful completion of Phase I, we are strongly positioned to propose a successful Phase II project.

Geveci, Berk↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measured Thermal and Fast Neutron Fluence Rates ATR Cycles 171A ATF (Rev. 1)

This report contains the thermal (2200 m/s) and fast (E>1MeV) neutron fluence rate data for ATR Cycle 171A ATF which were measured by the Radiation Measurements Laboratory (RML) as requested by the Power Reactor Programs (ATR Experiments) Radiation Measurements Work Order. This report contains fluence rate values corresponding to the particular elevations (relative to the 80-ft. core elevation) where the measurements were taken. The data in this report consists of (1) a table of the ATR power history and distribution, (2) a listing of the calculated thermal and fast neutron fluence rates, and (3) plots of calculated both the thermal and fast neutron fluence rates. The fluence rates reported are for the average power levels given in the table of power history and distribution. During the irradiation of Cycle 152A, the RML performed additional flux measurements to assess core reconfiguration issues. Measurements using cadmium covered as well as bare neutron monitors in the Southwest, Southeast, and H positions of the Center lobe were performed to determine the division in neutron energy between epithermal and thermal neutrons. This is defined as the resonance correction defined in this report. It is used to quantify both thermal and fast neutron flux. For more information please refer to letter, “RADIATION MEASUREMENTS LABORATORY MEASUREMENTS OF IN CORE ATR PHYSICS TESTING DURING CYCLE 152A” dated January 24, 2013, to Casey Stengel from C. C. Jensen. The measured values documented in RML Procedure, “ACMM-3600, Flux Monitoring,” will be used indefinitely until further measurements supersede the current values.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measured Thermal and Fast Neutron Fluence Rates ATR Cycles 171A IR TMIST 3B

This report contains the thermal (2200 m/s) and fast (E>1MeV) neutron fluence rate data for ATR Cycle 171A which were measured by the Radiation Measurements Laboratory (RML) as requested by the Power Reactor Programs (ATR Experiments) Radiation Measurements Work Order. This report contains fluence rate values corresponding to the particular elevations (relative to the 80-ft. core elevation) where the measurements were taken. The data in this report consists of (1) a table of the ATR power history and distribution, (2) a listing of the calculated thermal and fast neutron fluence rates, and (3) plots of calculated both the thermal and fast neutron fluence rates. The fluence rates reported are for the average power levels given in the table of power history and distribution. During the irradiation of Cycle 152A, the RML performed additional flux measurements to assess core reconfiguration issues. Measurements using cadmium covered as well as bare neutron monitors in the Southwest, Southeast, and H positions of the Center lobe were performed to determine the division in neutron energy between epithermal and thermal neutrons. This is defined as the resonance correction defined in this report. It is used to quantify both thermal and fast neutron flux. For more information please refer to letter, “RADIATION MEASUREMENTS LABORATORY MEASUREMENTS OF IN CORE ATR PHYSICS TESTING DURING CYCLE 152A” dated January 24, 2013, to Casey Stengel from C. C. Jensen. The measured values documented in RML Procedure, “ACMM-3600, Flux Monitoring,” will be used indefinitely until further measurements supersede the current values.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Current status and grand challenges for small wind turbine technology

While modern wind turbines have become by far the largest rotating machines on Earth with further upscaling planned for the future, a renewed interest in small wind turbines (SWTs) is fostering energy transition and smart grid development. Small machines have traditionally not received the same level of aerodynamic refinement as their larger counterparts, resulting in lower efficiency, lower capacity factors, and therefore a higher cost of energy. In an effort to reduce this gap, research programs are developing worldwide. With this background, the scope of the present study is 2-fold. In the first part of this paper, an overview of the current status of the technology is presented in terms of technical maturity, diffusion, and cost. The second part of the study proposes five grand challenges that are thought to be key to fostering the development of small wind turbine technology in the near future, i.e. (1) improving energy conversion of modern SWTs through better design and control, especially in the case of turbulent wind; (2) better predicting long-term turbine performance with limited resource measurements and proving reliability; (3) improving the economic viability of small wind energy; (4) facilitating the contribution of SWTs to the energy demand and electrical system integration; (5) fostering engagement, social acceptance, and deployment for global distributed wind markets. To tackle these challenges, a series of unknowns and gaps are first identified and discussed. Based on them, improvement areas are suggested, for which 10 key enabling actions are finally proposed.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Impacts of Biogas-to-Electricity Purchase Incentive on Electric Vehicle Market Penetration

The biogas-to-electricity pathway under the Renewable Fuel Standards allows for Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits to be generated when electricity produced from biogas is used in the transportation sector. This study describes and evaluates a potential credit allocation method under that pathway that distributes electricity RIN (E-RIN) credits between electricity generators and plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) users and assesses the impact on EV deployment. In this study, one part of the credit value is allocated to electricity generators to offset potential higher biogas electricity generation cost, measured by the levelized cost of electricity. The other part of credit value is allocated to consumers in terms of the PEV purchase incentive to stimulate PEV sales. An iterative simulation procedure is developed to fulfill two tasks: (1) one task is to estimate the incentive amount based on various factors, such as vehicle mileage, E-RIN equivalence value, and biogas capacity, and (2) the other task is to evaluate potential impacts of the E-RIN program on electrification of the future light duty vehicle fleet and energy use. Results indicate that the E-RIN program can significantly increase PEV market share by up to 2.3 million in sales and by up to 19.7 million in fleet size in 2030. However, effectiveness of the program is subject to different factors, such as the E-RIN equivalence value, biogas electricity generation cost, biogas electricity generation capacity, and potential competition in E-RIN credits by other entities.

Xie, Fei↗
DOE OSTI2023

Grand Challenges for Small Wind: Results of the European Academy Study

While modern wind turbines have become by far the largest rotating machines on Earth with further upscaling planned for the future, a renewed interest in small wind turbines (SWTs) is fostering energy transition and smart grid development. Small machines have traditionally not received the same level of aerodynamic refinement as their larger counterparts, resulting in lower efficiency, lower capacity factors, and therefore a higher cost of energy. In an effort to reduce this gap, research programs are developing worldwide. With this background, the scope of the present study is 2-fold. In the first part of this paper, an overview of the current status of the technology is presented in terms of technical maturity, diffusion, and cost. The second part of the study proposes five grand challenges that are thought to be key to fostering the development of small wind turbine technology in the near future, i.e. (1) improving energy conversion of modern SWTs through better design and control, especially in the case of turbulent wind; (2) better predicting long-term turbine performance with limited resource measurements and proving reliability; (3) improving the economic viability of small wind energy; (4) facilitating the contribution of SWTs to the energy demand and electrical system integration; (5) fostering engagement, social acceptance, and deployment for global distributed wind markets. To tackle these challenges, a series of unknowns and gaps are first identified and discussed. Based on them, improvement areas are suggested, for which 10 key enabling actions are finally proposed.

ENGINEERING,WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Review of Sandia Energy Storage Research Capabilities and Opportunities (2020 to 2030)

Large-scale integration of energy storage on the electric grid will be essential to enabling greater penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources, modernizing the grid for increased flexibility security, reliability, and resilience, and enabling cleaner forms of transportation. The purpose of this report is to summarize Sandia's research and capabilities in energy storage and to provide a preliminary roadmap for future efforts in this area that can address the ongoing program needs of DOE and the nation. Mission and vision statements are first presented followed by an overview of the organizational structure at Sandia that provides support and activities in energy storage. Then, a summary of Sandia's energy storage capabilities is presented by technology, including battery storage and materials, power conversion and electronics, subsurface-based energy storage, thermal/thermochemical energy storage, hydrogen storage, data analytics/systems optimization/controls, safety of energy storage systems, and testing/demonstrations/model validation. A summary of identified gaps and needs is also presented for each technology and capability.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Congestion Management Solutions for Enhanced Distribution System Operations with Aggregated Distribution Grid Resources Providing Grid Services and Market Participation

Microgrids and other aggregations of distribution grid resources (DGRs) are poised to actively participate in electricity markets and provide essential grid services in the coming years. In fact, DGRs already play such a role through behind-the-meter (BTM) demand response programs and small-scale BTM dispatchable generation initiatives. At the same time, the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency datacenters imposes significant, often unpredictable, demands on the power distribution system. Aggregated DGRs can serve as flexible resources that help mitigate these pressures by using available transmission and distribution capacity more efficiently, supporting resource adequacy and other reliability services, and providing bridge strategies while long-term transmission infrastructure is being developed. The impacts this activity will have on distribution networks are not fully understood and could present significant challenges for distribution utilities due to capacity constraints and the need for congestion management. Technical issues include reverse power flow, variability and possible degradation of equipment integrity, voltage violations, and customer power quality concerns. These issues will likely intensify as electricity market operators across the United States implement Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Order 2222 over the next few years.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Utilities' Role in Major Grid Disruptions [Slides]

The Energy to Communities (E2C) peer-learning cohort program provides technical assistance to groups of 15 community entities around a common energy topic over the course of 6 months. Every month, participants join a virtual meeting where they hear from experts and exchange strategies and best practices with their peers. This cohort, "Planning for Major Energy Disruptions in the Southeast" focuses on strategies for entities in the Southeast to quickly recover from impacts to energy infrastructure caused by extreme events, such as severe weather and natural disasters. This presentation focuses on the role of utilities in preparing for and responding to major energy disruptions. The workshop is on April 23, 2026.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Overview of Community Solar Project Development [Slides]

The Energy to Communities (E2C) peer-learning cohort program provides technical assistance to groups of 15 community entities around a common energy topic over the course of 6 months. Every month, participants join a virtual meeting where they hear from experts and exchange strategies and best practices with their peers. This cohort, "Successful Energy Project Implementation" will explore common challenges in implementing energy projects and learn strategies to turn project plans into reality. Each participant will focus on a local energy project or priority as a cornerstone for their learning throughout the series. This presentation overviews the basics of developing community solar projects with emphasis on technical scope and ownership structures.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗