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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
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↗
DOE OSTI2020

Deep Direct-Use Geothermal Feasibility Study for Hawthorne NV

The Hawthorne Nevada, deep direct-use geothermal study is a two-year effort funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to determine the techno-economic feasibility of implementing a large-scale, direct-use facility for the Hawthorne Army Depot (HAD) and the public facilities of the city of Hawthorne and Mineral County. The approach links a production side analysis (PSA) and a demand side analysis (DSA) into a whole-system analysis (WSA) to provide an integrated assessment of the resource and the probability of delivering economically viable direct-use energy to Hawthorne. Hawthorne, Nevada is in the western part of the Basin and Range province and has been the focus of geothermal investigations for over 40 years. Over the last 15 years, several studies completed by the U.S. Navy Geothermal Program Office (GPO) in conjunction with industry professionals quantified the existence of several low temperature geothermal prospects, the most promising of which is called Prospect A. The promise of Prospect A is based on drilling and flow testing that produced ~100 °C water at flow rates of up to 31 l/s (500 gallons per minute). Measured productivity indexes range from 40-85 l/s/MPa, suggesting a warm and productive heat source. Despite the promise of the resource, uncertainties in its spatial extent and long-term sustainability mean that techno-economic analyses must include probabilities of the sustainability of the resource under different operating scenarios. Here, the PSA is conducted by integrating a wide range of disparate data to estimate lognormal P90, P50, and P10 resource capacities. These capacities are used as input to a thermal-hydrologic (T-H) model to estimate thermal drawdown for each capacity estimate for several different DSA scenarios. Using a systems-based approach, the WSA links the dynamic T-H simulations of the PSA/DSA combinations with the techno-economic model GEOPHIRES to account for both the temporal dynamics and uncertainties in the system to produce probabilistic distributions of several performance metrics including the levelized cost of heat (LCOH) and the return on investment (ROI). This report is the final delivery for the project and documents the study's activities and results.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Electric Grid Security (EGS) FY24 Annual Report

Sandia’s Electric Grid Security program advances a national vision of a secure, resilient, and affordable electric system for all users. Our achievements reflect a strategic approach combining technology development; modeling, simulation, and data analytics; and partnered demonstrations and outreach to further the adoption of advanced grid and storage technologies. Our FY24 efforts leverage the strengths of our partnerships—spanning Sandia’s core science and technology competencies as well as external technology leaders—to develop the solutions today which enable the grid of tomorrow. Key accomplishments in this report that support our strategy span our technical program areas and include: • The advancement of energy storage technologies, including creation of a national Long Duration Energy Storage Consortium; • Applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhanced grid operations and planning; • Development of solid-state power conversion technologies and a new medium-voltage research lab; • New technologies to assess wildfire vulnerabilities and mitigate potential impacts; • Advanced applications of new cybersecurity technologies with industry partners; • Contributions to understanding the impacts of electromagnetic pulses and geomagnetic disturbances on grid components; and • Digital twin development for hybrid microgrids with multiple generators, storage, and loads.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2019

Dissolution of Light Curium Oxide with a Catalyzed Electrolytic Process

The ability to produce transcurium elements and isotopes, such as 249 Bk and 252 Cf, requires the appropriate feed material and a high thermal neutron flux. Currently, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) provides one of the world’s highest steady state thermal neutron fluxes. The feed material consists of recycled curium from the decades of production of 249 Bk, 252 Cf, 253 Es, and 255/257 Fm at the Radiochemical Engineering Development Center (REDC). Over time, the feed material has been depleted and needs to be replenished. The current feed material is called “heavy recycled curium” and consists of over 50 wt% of 246/248 Cm isotopes. In order to replenish this stock material, additional curium is needed. The only curium material that is currently available consists predominantly (greater than 80 wt%) of 244 Cm. This material also contains 240 Pu from the radioactive decay of the 244 Cm. Because of the amount of 244 Cm is greater than 50% of the total Cm, this material is termed “light curium.” Today, 249 Bk and 252 Cf are produced in only two places in the world: the United States and Russia. In the United States, the US Department of Energy and its predecessors have made these isotopes and others available to research agencies and commercial users since the late 1960s as part of the Department of Energy heavy-element production program located at ORNL. Currently these materials are provided through the DOE Office of Science Nuclear Physics-Isotope Development and Production for Research and Applications and the Basic Energy Science-Heavy Element Chemistry. Feedstock for the production of 252 Cf and other transcurium element by-product isotopes was originally prepared by means of irradiation of multi-kilograms of 239 Pu in the large production reactors at the Savannah River Site. Products of the Savannah River Site irradiation were predominantly 242 Pu, 243 Am, and 244 Cm. These materials were shipped to ORNL for production of multi-milligram amounts per year of 252 Cf and other transcurium element isotopes by means of irradiation in the HFIR, followed by separation and purification processing in the Radiochemical Engineering Development Center (REDC). The transcurium element isotopes produced were distributed to other US and collaborating foreign laboratories for research studies to determine the nuclear and chemical properties of these rare materials. The Cm feed material plays a key role in the efficient production of 252 Cf. The early targets irradiated in HFIR contained only the 242 Pu, 243 Am, and 244 Cm produced at Savannah River Site, and the rate of production of 252 Cf was less than 1 mg per 8 g of target material as shown in Figure 1. Also, shown in Figure 1 is the significant difference in 252 Cf production between the light and heavy curium; it differs by approximately 2 orders of magnitude.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Cyberguardians Webinar

Robust solar industry growth is creating a shortage of U.S. workers who are knowledgeable in emerging Distributed Energy Resource (DER) technologies including networking, operational software, smart advanced inverters, smart advanced PV modules, and cybersecurity. Retraining military veterans and other qualified individuals to fill workforce gaps in those technologies is the project focus. The project leverages the experience and contributions of DER and cybersecurity experts, educational organizations offering accreditation, and groups serving our nation’s veterans to meet its goals. To bridge this workforce skills gap, the Cyberguardians and STEM Warriors project will establish a complete learning and career advancement system for veterans, transitioning military personnel and other qualified individuals into the DER workforce. The project will guide participants successfully through the process of program/vocation selection, curriculum enrollment, academic mentoring, degree or certificate attainment, job board enrollment, introduction to hiring managers at DER companies, and successful job acquisition. This webinar was used to promote the Cyberguardians program and to ensure ample news coverage to reach veterans, employers, and others that would benefit from this program.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

HIGH-LOW FIDELITY THERMAL HYDRAULIC COUPLING USING AI/MACHINE LEARNING ALGORITHMS

The primary goal of the US Department of Energy (DOE) office of Nuclear Energy Integrated Energy Systems (IES) program is to develop the tools and framework for coupling multi-scale and multi-physical thermal and electrical energy usage and storage systems. High- and low-fidelity (high–low) coupling is a key feature of multi-scale, multi-component systems and has been an important focus of research in the nuclear energy community for the past two decades. An essential feature of demonstrating the capability to couple high-fidelity and low-fidelity systems for real-time applications are surrogate/reduced order models (ROM). For the purposes of this study, surrogate models are essentially Blackbox models, typically developed using supervised Machine learning (ML) algorithms. The surrogate models can be used to mimic the response of high-fidelity models to represent large historical datasets and coupled with more general low-fidelity system models distributed as Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) or Functional Mock-up Units (FMU) modules. The example is demonstrated with Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) First Target Station flow loop data. The flow loop is a liquid mercury loop with a pump, piping, heat exchange, and internal heat generation in the target window. This work elucidates some of the potential benefits and future needs of developing tools for high–low system coupling of energy systems.

Williams, Wesley↗
DOE OSTI2018

ARC algorithm: A novel approach to forecast and manage daily electrical maximum demand

This paper proposes an innovative algorithm for predicting short-term electrical maximum demand by using historical demand data. The ability to recognize in peak demand pattern for commercial or industrial customers would propose numerous direct and indirect benefits to the customers and utility providers in terms of demand reduction, cost control, and system stability. Prior works in electrical maximum demand forecasting have been mainly focused on seasonal effects, which is not a feasible approach for industrial manufacturing facilities in short-term load forecasting. The proposed algorithm, denoted as the Adaptive Rate of Change (ARC), determines the logarithmic rate-of-change in load profile prior to a peak by postulating the demand curve as a stochastic, mean-reverting process. The rationale behind this analysis, is that the energy efficient program requires not only demand estimation but also to warn the user of imminent maximum peak occurrence. This paper analyzes demand trend data and incorporates stochastic model and mean reverting half-life to develop an electrical maximum demand forecasting algorithm, which is statistically evaluated by cross-table and F-score for three different manufacturing facilities. Lastly, the aggregate results show an overall accuracy of 0.91 and a F-score of 0.43, which indicates that the algorithm is effective predicting peak demand in predicting peak demand.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2019

Approximate Scheduling of DERs with Discrete Complex Injections

Rapid penetration of renewable energy based Distributed Energy Resources (DER) has the potential to exacerbate the challenges inherent in grid frequency and voltage regulation. However, their real time controllability can be leveraged to not only mitigate such challenges, but improve the economics and quality of grid operations. A plethora of DER scheduling algorithms have been developed for fast and efficient scheduling of these resources. These algorithms schedule the complex - real and reactive power injected into (or drawn from) the grid by the DERs under various cost objective functions and grid constraints. However, a vast majority of such algorithms assume the feasible range of power injections to be continuous. In reality, the control options available for several DERs form a discrete space. This implies that the feasible range of power injections also forms a discrete space. This makes DER scheduling an NP-hard problem. Integer/Mixed Integer program based algorithms, which guarantee optimality in the objective value, have been developed. But these are prohibitively expensive in terms of computational time requirements. On the other hand, fast heuristic based solutions have also been developed. But as they do not provide any guarantee on the optimality of the objective, or on satisfying the constraints, they are unreliable for grid operations. Recent works have developed approximation algorithms which offer the best of both the approaches above: (near) optimality and low computational complexity, both of which are governed by a user defined accuracy parameter ϵ. In this work, we significantly improve upon such existing works by developing an approximation algorithm which schedules DERs with complex injections (as opposed to only real injection) and whose runtime is polynomial (as opposed to exponential) in 1/ϵ. We provide theoretical analysis and support them with experimental results to validate the guarantees provided by our approximation algorithm.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Advancing electrochemical impedance analysis through innovations in the distribution of relaxation times method

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is a key tool across various scientific disciplines, including energy sciences, chemistry, and biology, enabling the analysis of electrochemical systems. However, conventional methods for interpreting EIS data are often complex and model dependent. The distribution of relaxation times (DRT) offers a non-parametric approach that simplifies the interpretation process by providing a timescale interpretation of EIS data. This article provides a comprehensive review of current methods for DRT inversion. Additionally, a survey of practitioners highlights key challenges in the field. Here, the findings underscore the need for standardized DRT analysis and benchmarks, as well as the development of automated analysis tools. These advancements would improve the usability and interpretability of EIS data. Ultimately, implementing these improvements could not only propel the field forward but also expand the application of DRT in scientific research by making it accessible to a broader range of researchers, including those without specialized expertise in programming or statistics.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Diffusion and photon-stimulated desorption of CO on TiO2(110)

Thermal diffusion of CO adsorbed on rutile TiO2(110) was studied in the 20 - 110 K range using photon-stimulated desorption (PSD), temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and scanning tunneling microscopy. During UV irradiation, CO desorbs from certain photoactive sites (e.g. oxygen vacancies). This phenomenon was exploited to study CO thermal diffusion in three steps: first empty these sites during a first irradiation cycle, then replenish them with CO during annealing, and finally probe the active site occupancy in the second PSD cycle. The PSD and TPD experiments show that the CO diffusion rate correlates with the CO adsorption energy – stronger binding corresponds to slower diffusion. Increasing the CO coverage or hydroxylation of the surface decreases the CO binding and increases the CO diffusion rate. Relative to the reduced surface, the CO adsorption energy increases and the diffusion decreases on the oxidized surface. The CO diffusion kinetics can be modeled satisfactorily as an Arrhenius process with a “normal” prefactor (i.e. = 1012 s 1) and a Gaussian distribution of activation energies where the peak of the distribution is ~0.28 eV and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) is 0.1 eV at the lowest coverages. The observations are consistent with a significant electrostatic component of the CO binding energy on the TiO2(110) surface which is affected by changes in the surface dipole and dipole-dipole interactions.

Petrik, Nikolay G.↗
DOE OSTI2024

ORNL FY2024 Nuclear Data Evaluation Contributions: Cu, La, N, and Ta [Slides]

63,65 Cu angular distributions resolved for ENDF/B-VIII.1, consistent with both differential data and integral benchmark performance. 139 La RRR and URR evaluations will be merged with the LANL high energy evaluation, and to be submitted to the future ENDF-B release (post-VIII.1). 14 N RRR evaluation is planned to produce n+ 14 N, p+ 14 C, and a+ 11 B contributions to be submitted to the future ENDF-B release (post-VIII.1). 181 Ta covariances repaired and reported as intended in an errata to ENDF/B-VIII.1.

139-La↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Census of Star Formation in the Outer Galaxy. II. The GLIMPSE360 Field

We have conducted a study of star formation in the outer Galaxy from 65°< l < 265° in the region observed by the GLIMPSE360 program. This Spitzer warm mission program mapped the plane of the outer Milky Way with IRAC at 3.6 and 4.5 μm. We combine the IRAC, Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), and Two Micron All Sky Survey catalogs and our previous results from another outer Galaxy survey and identify a total of 47,338 young stellar objects (YSOs) across the field spanning >180° in Galactic longitude. Using the DBSCAN method on the combined catalog, we identify 618 clusters or aggregations of YSOs having five or more members. We identify 10,476 class I, 29,604 class II, and 7325 anemic class II/class III YSOs. The ratio of YSOs identified as members of clusters was 25,528/47,338, or 54%. We found that 100 of the clusters identified have previously measured distances in the WISE H ii survey. We used these distances in our spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting of the YSOs in these clusters, of which 96 had YSOs with <3σ fits. We used the derived masses from the SED model fits to estimate the initial mass function (IMF) in the inner and outer Galaxy clusters; dividing the clusters by galactocentric distances, the slopes were Γ = 1.87 ± 0.31 above 3 M {sub ⊙} for R {sub Gal} < 11.5 kpc and Γ = 1.15 ± 0.24 above 3 M {sub ⊙} for R {sub Gal} > 11.5 kpc. The slope of the combined IMF was found to be Γ = 1.92 ± 0.42 above 3 M {sub ⊙}. These values are consistent with each other within the uncertainties and with literature values in the inner Galaxy high-mass star formation regions. The slopes are likely also consistent with a universal Salpeter IMF.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

New U.S. Data Tools are Playing a Crucial Role in Decarbonizing Buildings at Speed, Scale, and Low Cost

Preparing buildings for retrofits traditionally requires expensive on-site audits or timeintensive simulation models. As a result, the majority of buildings fail to pursue cost-saving retrofits. To address these barriers, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has introduced the Building Efficiency Targeting Tool for Energy Retrofits (BETTER)-a new, free, on-line tool that utilizes a data-driven analytical engine and user-friendly web interface to automatically analyze a building's monthly energy usage in response to weather conditions. The tool benchmarks a building's electric and fossil energy usage against peers; estimates energy, cost, and emissions reductions at the building and portfolio levels; recommends energy efficiency measures; and prioritizes buildings for net-zero energy retrofits. Thanks to interoperability with the DOE's Standard Energy Efficiency Data (SEED) platform, BETTER is supporting U.S. jurisdictions to prepare buildings for retrofit at speed, scale, and low cost to comply with energy policies. This paper discusses the use of BETTER and SEED by one of the branches of the California state government to streamline a retrofit program across 455 public non-residential buildings to align with state goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It describes the organization's challenge to reduce energy consumption across a geographically diverse, aging portfolio; explores how BETTER and SEED improved workflow efficiency; presents preliminary results, including avoiding audit costs of $3.28 million and developing the groundwork for retrofit projects estimated to prevent emission of 2,271 t CO2e annually; and provides guidance for other jurisdictions seeking similar results.

BETTER↗