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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 1,009 records · Page 56
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Droop Control-Based Dispatch of an Islanded Microgrid With Multiple Grid-Forming Sources

Before rotating, fossil fuel-based, synchronous generators (SGs) are phased out, in line with renewable generation goals, grid-forming (GFM) inverters are expected to parallel SGs. Primary droop control allows GFM inverters to share power without communication; however, it is necessary to dispatch GFM inverters and/or SGs with the desired output power for better energy management (e.g., one GFM inverter needs to charge the battery due to a low state of charge). Therefore, this paper develops an analytic approach to dispatching GFM inverters and SGs with the desired output power by shifting the droop intercept up/down while maintaining the same frequency operating point for improved transient stability. This concept is demonstrated through a pure hardware setup with two off-the-shelf inverters and one diesel generator under an islanded microgrid, and we provide insight on the real-world implementation of the proposed concept.

droop control↗
DOE OSTI2025

Spin Correlations in the Parent Phase of Li 1–x Fe x ⁢ ODFeSe

Elucidating spin correlations in the parent compounds of high-temperature superconductors is crucial for understanding superconductivity. We used neutron scattering to study spin correlations in Li 1–x Fe x ⁢ ODFeSe, an insulating material with reduced electron carriers compared to its superconducting counterpart (T c = 41 K), serving as the undoped parent compound. Our findings show a reduced total fluctuating moment in this insulator relative to FeSe and 122 iron pnictides, likely due to increased interlayer distances from intercalation, which enhance fluctuations and reduce the intensity of spin excitations. Moreover, we observed a V-shaped spin wavelike excitation dispersion, contrasting with the twisted hourglass pattern in the superconducting counterpart. Electron doping shifts spin excitation from (π,0) point to an incommensurate position towards (π,π) direction below 65 meV. In conclusion, this transition from V-shaped to hourglasslike dispersion, akin to behaviors in hole-doped cuprates, suggests a potential shared mechanism in magnetism and superconductivity across these diverse systems.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2026

Enhanced Manganese Oxidation at the Biofilm–Fluid Interface Drives Pore-Scale Patterns in Mineral Precipitation

Microbial oxidation of manganese (Mn) from aqueous Mn(II) to solid-phase Mn(III, IV) minerals catalyzes Mn(II) removal in natural and engineered porous systems. However, little is known about the spatiotemporal evolution of Mn biomineralization in confined spaces that experience simultaneous Mn(II) delivery and Mn oxide precipitation. Here, we combine time-lapse microscopy, image analysis, and mass spectrometry to quantify the extent and rate of Mn biomineralization by Pseudomonas putida GB-1 in an optically transparent two-dimensional porous medium. We found that Mn(II) oxidation initially occurred within biofilms but shifted over time toward the edges of biofilms in contact with pore fluid. Minerals precipitated outside of the initial biofilm footprint likely due to surface-mediated oxidation of Mn(II) by nascent biogenic Mn oxides, reinforcing a gradient in mineral accumulation from the Mn(II) source near the reactor inlet to the outlet. The rate of mineral precipitation outside the biofilm footprint surpassed the rate of mineral accumulation inside biofilms within 6 h and accounted for two-thirds of the total Mn oxide mass in the pore space at the end of the experiment. This work advances a mechanistic understanding of coupled biotic and abiotic Mn oxidation in porous environments while providing a novel platform to quantify microbe-mineral-fluid interactions.

Biofilms↗
DOE OSTI2023

Sub-1 Volt and high-bandwidth visible to near-infrared electro-optic modulators

Abstract Integrated electro-optic (EO) modulators are fundamental photonics components with utility in domains ranging from digital communications to quantum information processing. At telecommunication wavelengths, thin-film lithium niobate modulators exhibit state-of-the-art performance in voltage-length product ( V π L ), optical loss, and EO bandwidth. However, applications in optical imaging, optogenetics, and quantum science generally require devices operating in the visible-to-near-infrared (VNIR) wavelength range. Here, we realize VNIR amplitude and phase modulators featuring V π L ’s of sub-1 V ⋅ cm, low optical loss, and high bandwidth EO response. Our Mach-Zehnder modulators exhibit a V π L as low as 0.55 V ⋅ cm at 738 nm, on-chip optical loss of ~0.7 dB/cm, and EO bandwidths in excess of 35 GHz. Furthermore, we highlight the opportunities these high-performance modulators offer by demonstrating integrated EO frequency combs operating at VNIR wavelengths, with over 50 lines and tunable spacing, and frequency shifting of pulsed light beyond its intrinsic bandwidth (up to 7x Fourier limit) by an EO shearing method.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Orbital Hybridization and Magnetic Coupling at Cuprate–Manganite Interfaces Driven by Manganite Doping

Fundamental understanding of interface mechanisms that generate unexpected physical properties in the cuprate/manganite heterostructures is essential for possible applications as spintronic devices. In this study, CaCuO 2 /La 1–x Sr x MnO 3 (CCO/LSMO) superlattices are investigated, where the infinite-layer cuprate CCO does not have apical oxygen for Cu in the Ca-plane so that the Mn–O–Cu superexchange coupling can be only present at the MnO 2 –(La,Sr)O–CuO 2 interface. Two different doping states for the manganites are studied, namely x = 0.1 and x = 0.3, corresponding to the ferromagnetic insulating and ferromagnetic metallic states, respectively, in the manganite phase diagram. Linear and circular dichroism in X-ray absorption by synchrotron radiation at Cu and Mn L-edges clearly demonstrate that in the absence of apical oxygen in the cuprate block, the magnetic coupling between the LSMO and CCO is weakly ferromagnetic when LSMO is metallic, while it is antiferromagnetic when LSMO is insulating, along with an increased Cu 3d(3z 2 –r 2 ) and Mn 3d(3z 2 –r 2 ) orbital occupation. It is proposed that the Mn 3d valence band upward shift driven by the enhancement of Mn 3+ content in the underdoped sample enhances the orbital hybridization. The stronger hybridization at the interface MnO 2 –(La,Sr)O–CuO 2 gives rise to the antiferromagnetic coupling between cuprate and underdoped manganite.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Superionic conduction in solid polymer electrolytes – decoupling ion transport from segmental relaxation

Solvent-free, solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are promising candidates for next-generation, electrochemical energy storage systems due to their potential to enhance safety and performance, enable flexible device architectures, and streamline manufacturing processes. Conventional SPEs suffer from limited ionic conductivity due to the strong coupling between ion transport and (generally slow) polymer segmental relaxation. The realization of superionic conduction in SPEs, in which ions move faster than the structural relaxation of the polymers, requires a shift in design principles to promote this type of decoupled ion motion. In this perspective, we discuss how polymer architecture, ion–ion correlations, and ion–polymer interactions can unlock superionic behavior. We highlight several key design features, such as crystallinity, bulky side groups, high molecular weight, and percolating ionic aggregation, with a focus on creating low-barrier transport pathways in various polymer systems. We also demonstrate opportunities to combine polymer chemistry and data science through high-throughput and automated screening approaches to reveal how phase behavior, ion dynamics, and ionic interactions govern transport, thereby potentially enabling data-driven discovery of superionic polymer electrolyte materials.

Yang, Mengying [Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (Uni↗
DOE OSTI2022

The role of Co valence in charge transport in the entropy‐stabilized oxide (Mg 0.2 Co 0.2 Ni 0.2 Cu 0.2 Zn 0.2 )O

Abstract Many of the studies on the entropy‐stabilized oxide (Mg 0.2 Co 0.2 Ni 0.2 Cu 0.2 Zn 0.2 )O have been heavily application‐based. Previous works have studied effects of cation stoichiometry on the entropy‐driven reaction to form a single phase, but a fundamental exploration of the effects of anion stoichiometry and/or redox chemistry on electrical properties is lacking. Using near‐edge X‐ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) and electrical measurements, we show that oxidizing thin film samples of (Mg 0.2 Co 0.2 Ni 0.2 Cu 0.2 Zn 0.2 )O affects primarily the valence of Co, leaving the other cations in this high‐entropy system unchanged. This oxidation increases electrical conduction in these thin films, which occurs via small polaron hopping mediated by the Co valence shift from 2+ to a mixed 2+/3+ state. In parallel, we show that bulk samples sintered in an oxygen‐rich atmosphere have a lower activation energy for electrical conduction than those equilibrated in a nitrogen (reducing) atmosphere. Combining feasible defect compensation scenarios with electrical impedance measurements and NEXAFS data, we propose a self‐consistent interpretation of Co redox‐mediated small polaron conduction as the dominant method of charge transfer in this system.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Incorporating adaptation and resilience into an integrated watershed and coral reef management plan

Changing environmental conditions are forcing natural resource managers and communities to adapt their strategies to account for global shifts in precipitation, temperature, sea level and more, all of which are occurring in addition to local human impacts. Adapting to threats from climate change requires a fundamental shift in the practice of natural resource management through the development of forward-looking “climate-smart” goals and strategies. Here we present a proof-of-concept application of a decision-support tool to help design climate-smart management actions for the watershed and coral reef management plan for Guánica Bay watershed in southwest Puerto Rico. We also explore the connection between adaptation planning and coral reef resilience, using a recently developed Puerto Rico-wide reef resilience assessment. In the first phase of the study, we used the publicly available Adaptation Design Tool to draft initial climate-smart versions of twelve proposed management actions. In the second phase, two actions (dirt road management on steep slopes, and coral reef restoration) were further refined through consultations with local experts to make more detailed design adjustments; this included the option to use information from the coral reef resilience assessment to inform design improvements. The first phase resulted in moderately detailed assessments that broadly accounted for anticipated direct and indirect effects of climate change on the planned management actions. The second phase resulted in more site-specific technical assessments and additional important design details. The expert panel charged with discussing climate-smart reef restoration around Guánica used the reef resilience assessment to guide discussion of reef restoration, highlighting the importance of having such information available for adaptation planning. This study demonstrates how climate change impacts can be effectively incorporated into a management plan at the most granular level of planning and how a structured, formalized process can be as valuable as the resulting adaptation information.

Gibbs, David A. (ORCID:0000000173898569)↗
DOE OSTI2025

HydroForecast Long-term: Improving hydropower’s resilience to climate change through accurate climate-scale

With hydrologic patterns and water availability across the globe shifting due to climate change, advancements in hydrologic prediction systems can help significantly reduce the uncertainties that utilities and water supply entities have in their decision making. Understanding and estimating hydrology at the climate scale is critical for managing water resources under changing climate scenarios. This project focuses on integrating state-of-the-art neural network modeling with downscaled climate projections to deliver the reliable water supply projections decades into the future to meet an urgent need from hydropower operators and water utilities. In this Phase 1 DOE SBIR proposal, we developed and validated a theory-guided neural network model, HydroForecast Long-term, for climate-scale hydrology and implemented the model within existing HydroForecast infrastructure. HydroForecast Long-term combines the most accurate streamflow modeling system with a flexible and scalable data architecture to generate water supply projections out to the year 2100. This report illustrates that we have achieved our four objectives: 1) create a prototype of HydroForecast Long-term, building the neural network prediction model, 2) build an automated data input pipeline that processes large amounts of data from the latest global temperature and precipitation climate models; 3) benchmark the accuracy of the hydrologic model over the recent two decades over a large set of diverse basins, and 4) create a set of output visuals and summary metrics informed by customer feedback that connect the data to critical decision points. This work empowers water users to make data-informed decisions supporting a resilient, renewable-powered grid and water system. The results advance the Department of Energy’s mission by addressing critical gaps in water supply planning under climate change.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Bridging knowledge gaps in liquid- and vapor-fed CO 2 electrolysis through active electrode area

Increased use of gas diffusion electrodes for CO 2 electroreduction widens the experimental phase space that was previously inaccessible using foil electrodes, raising fundamental questions over the impacts of key variables that translate between liquid- and vapor-fed CO 2 electrolysis systems. This work focuses on studying the interplay of current-potential profiles and electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) by implementing a Cu nanoflower catalyst morphology. The results show decreased overpotentials as much as 460 and 174 mV for foil and gas diffusion electrodes, respectively, while maintaining or improving multi-carbon product current density. Furthermore, these overpotential shifts and product activities normalized by ECSA lead to current-potential relationships akin to those of the Tafel description, which are found through a continuum model to be useful for describing the roughness dependence for both liquid- and vapor-fed systems. This analysis establishes a holistic approach for establishing catalyst design criteria to improve materials development for CO 2 .

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2026

Toward Energy-Efficient HPC: Insights from Power Profiling a Cloud-Resolving Earth System Model

Power is a fundamental constraint as supercomputing advances to exascale. Efficient operation within strict power budgets requires application-aware power management based on a detailed understanding of application-level power behavior. This work analyzes the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) atmosphere component, SCREAM, on Perlmutter (NERSC) and Frontier (OLCF). We characterize power variation across inputs, concurrency levels, and power caps, evaluate the energy impact of code optimizations, and attribute energy within the code using a newly developed GPU energy model. Results show that SCREAM’s peak power remains stable during its core execution phase and decreases gradually as concurrency increases. Power capping experiments reveal a performance–energy "sweet spot". On Perlmutter, limiting GPU power to 50% of thermal design power (TDP) achieves up to 15% energy savings with a 7% performance penalty. On Frontier, a 40% TDP cap yields up to 10% energy savings with less than 10% performance loss. Code optimizations reduce SCREAM energy by shortening run time without increasing power. Modeling reveals a critical insight: data movement accounts for approximately 70% of SCREAM’s GPU energy. This fundamentally shifts the optimization focus from FLOPS to data transfer reduction for this class of applications, offering the most impactful strategy for improving energy efficiency. This work establishes a foundation for practical, application-aware power management at exascale.

Zhao, Zhengji [Lawrence Berkeley National Laborato↗
DOE OSTI2020

Evaluation of smart charging for electric vehicle-to-building integration: A case study

Higher electric vehicle (EV) adoption will stress the importance of demand flexibility to achieve more economic, efficient, and reliable grid operation. Charging technologies will be paramount in shifting temporally to better fit the variable generation of wind and solar. As such, analysis is warranted on the benefits of EV charge scheduling with respect to installation cost, operation cost, difficulty of implementation, and grid flexibility. We tackle this by analyzing the cost savings of implementing an EV charge scheduling infrastructure to reduce demand charges and installation costs. In this paper, we analyze a case study for operation of 16 level 2 chargers and 1 fast charger for two different building types. We then evaluate various test phases for controlling building and charging loads using an adaptive charging network (ACN) algorithm to characterize the ACN’s potential to reduce overall project cost.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Study of the interplay between lower-order and higher-order energetic strain-gradient effects in polycrystal plasticity

in this report strain-gradient (SG) plasticity refers to a class of non-local theories in which gradients of plastic slip determine the storage of geometrically necessary dislocations, introducing a length-scale dependence in the mechanical behavior of crystalline materials, which is otherwise lacking in local theories. In this work, we incorporate lower-order (LO) and higher-order energetic (HOE) strain-gradient effects into a crystal plasticity fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based formulation to investigate the interplay of the length scale that each strain-gradient term introduces at the microscale, and the mechanical properties that result at the macroscale. For an applicable range of length scales, we consider two systems: a 1-D two-phase face centered cubic (FCC) laminate and a 3-D FCC polycrystal, and two uniaxial deformation modes: monotonic tension and cyclic tension–compression. We show that increases in the individual LO and HOE length scales increase the hardening rate and strength of the material, respectively. When combined, the strong LO hardening is less pronounced than the effect alone due to the lowering of the gradients due to the HOE microstress. We demonstrate that the LO and HOE hardening manifest as “isotropic” (yield surface expansion) and “kinematic” (yield surface shift) effects, respectively, consistent with their theoretical origins. We show that in cyclic loading, the Bauschinger effect emerges in both local and non-local calculations and link its origins and severity to the behavior in the strain field, slip-system rates, and the HOE microforce.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Wisconsin In Situ Penning (WISP) gauge: A versatile neutral pressure gauge to measure partial pressures in strong magnetic fields

A new type of in-vessel Penning gauge, the Wisconsin In Situ Penning (WISP) gauge, has been developed and successfully operated in the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) island divertor baffle and vacuum vessel. The capacity of the quantitative measurements of the neutral reservoir for light impurities, in particular, helium, is important for tokamaks as well as stellarator divertors in order to avoid fuel dilution and radiative energy loss. Penning gauges assisted by spectroscopy are a powerful tool to obtain the total neutral pressure as well as fractional neutral pressures of specific impurities. The WISP gauge is a miniaturized Penning gauge arrangement, which exploits the ambient magnetic field of magnetic confinement fusion experiments to establish the Penning discharge. Then, in situ spectroscopy is conducted to separate the fractional neutral pressures of hydrogen, helium, and possibly also other impurities. The WISP probe head was qualified using the magnetic field of the Magnetized Dusty Plasma Experiment at Auburn University between 0.25 T and 3.5 T [E. Thomas et al ., J. Plasma Phys. 81, 345810206 (2015)]. The in-depth quantitative evaluation for hydrogen and helium will be shown as well as an exploration of nitrogen, argon, and neon. A power law scaling between current I and pressure p, I = f (Gas,V) p n⁽Gas, B⁾ , was shown. The factor f is gas and anode potential dependent, while n is gas and magnetic field strength dependent. Pressure measurements from 0.1 mbar and down to 1 × 10 -5 mbar were achieved, demonstrating a reliable operating range for relevant pressure levels in the divertor and main vessel regions in current and future fusion devices, with a time resolution of up to 1 kHz. The lowest achievable pressure measurement increases with an increase in B and can be shifted with the anode potential V . At W7-X, the WISP probe head was mounted on an immersion tube setup that passes through the cryostat and places the probe head close to the plasma. Two probe heads were positioned in different divertor pump gaps, top and bottom, and one close to the plasma on the midplane in one module. The gauges were in situ calibrated together with the ASDEX pressure gauges [G. Haas and H.-S. Bosch, Vacuum 51, 39 (1998)]. Data were taken during the entire operation phase 1.2b, and measurements were coherent with other neutral gas pressure gauges. For the spectroscopic partial pressure measurements, channels of a spectroscopic detection system based on photo-multipliers, a so-called filterscope [R. J. Colchin et al ., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 74, 2068 (2003)], provided by the Oak Ridge National Lab were used.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Strong-Weak Duality via Jordan-Wigner Transformation: Using Fermionic Methods for Strongly Correlated su(2) Spin Systems

The Jordan-Wigner transformation establishes a duality between $su(2)$ and fermionic algebras. We present qualitative arguments and numerical evidence that when mapping spins to fermions, the transformation makes strong correlation weaker, as demonstrated by the Hartree-Fock approximation to the transformed Hamiltonian. This result can be rationalized in terms of rank reduction of spin shift terms when transformed to fermions. Conversely, the mapping of fermions to qubits makes strong correlation stronger, complicating its solution when one uses qubit-based correlators. The presence of string operators poses challenges to the implementation of quantum chemistry methods on classical computers, but these can be dealt with using established techniques of low computational cost. Here, our proof of principle results for XXZ and J1-J2 Heisenberg (in 1D and 2D) indicate that the JW transformed fermionic Hamiltonian has reduced complexity in key regions of their phase diagrams, and provides a better starting point for addressing challenging spin problems.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Initial Conditions of Planet Formation: Time Constraints from Small Bodies and the Lifetime of Reservoirs in the Solar Protoplanetary Disk

This review explores the timescales of the initial phase of planet formation, from nebular dust (CAIs and chondrules) to planetesimal accretion and differentiation, using evidence from meteorite research. Aluminium-Mg systematics of CAIs indicate either an extended period of CAI formation (∼0.3 Ma) or an initial 26 Al heterogeneity, with evidence supporting a homogeneous 26 Al abundance in the protoplanetary disk. Thermal and aqueous alteration on the parent body can disturb the U-Pb and Al-Mg chronometers in chondrules. Focusing on relatively robust isochron data from plagioclase of pristine (types ≤3.05) chondrites indicates a shift in chondrule formation locations, moving from the inner to the outer disk over time. Ages of basaltic achondrites show that silicate differentiation on small bodies was well underway within the first few million years (Ma) of our solar system. Their age record, however, reveals inconsistencies between different chronometers, partly caused by (i) secondary disturbances due to thermal metamorphism, aqueous alteration, or impacts, (ii) the presence of xenolithic minerals, and (iii) potentially variable initial 26 Al abundances due to disturbances at the mineral scale. Nucleosynthetic isotope data indicate that parent bodies of iron and stony meteorites formed in two distinct regions within the protoplanetary disk: the inner, non-carbonaceous (NC) and the outer, carbonaceous (CC) region. Based on Hf-W chronometry it has been demonstrated that NC and CC parent bodies of magmatic iron meteorites segregated their cores within ∼1–3 Ma after CAI formation, implying that parent body accretion occurred within <1 Ma in both reservoirs. Combining accretion ages with nucleosynthetic data further reveals that, at first order, NC and CC reservoirs in the solar protoplanetary disk were established within 1 Ma and existed over several Ma with limited exchange between them. In the CR chondrite accretion region of the disk, planetary bodies formed over at least 3 Ma, while in most other regions, formation spanned at least 1 Ma, with minimal changes in nucleosynthetic isotope compositions. Aerodynamical size sorting of dust likely introduced or amplified some of these variations.

26Al distribution↗
DOE OSTI2021

Storage Futures Study: Four Phases Framework and Modeling

This webinar, presented by Paul Denholm and Will Frazier, incorporates material from two publications of the NREL Storage Futures Study: "The Four Phases of Storage Deployment: A Framework for the Expanding Role of Storage in the U.S. Power System" (https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy21osti/77480.pdf) and "Storage Futures Study: Economic Potential of Diurnal Storage in the U.S. Power Sector" (https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy21osti/77449.pdf).

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗
DOE OSTI2023

Influence of Molybdenum on Rapid Solidification Microstructure and Microsegregation in Primary Ferrite Solidified Stainless Steel

Due to the widespread use and familiarity of austenitic stainless steels in many industries these alloys are often the first materials used when adapting new processing techniques. The rapid cooling and solidification rates that occur during fusion based additive manufacturing processes like powder bed fusion cause a fundamental shift in the solidification behavior of the material. While the effects that Cr and Ni have on the microstructure have been fairly well documented across a range of solidification conditions, the impact of alloying elements like Mo are not as well understood at rapid solidification rates. For this study, four custom stainless steel alloy feedstocks were made with targeted modification of the Cr and Mo concentrations to maintain a constant Cr/Ni eq ratio of ~1.7. Two-piston splat quenching was used to produce rapidly solidified samples and the solidification mode, phase, and cell size were investigated. Solidification rates were estimated to be between 0.4 and 1.5m/s. A comparison of the microsegregation and partitioning behavior of Cr, Ni and Mo in ferrite solidified material was also performed for the different alloy compositions. Variations of the Mo concentration between each feedstock showed no measurable influence on the solidification/cooling rates, solidification morphology, or the partitioning of Mo. Furthermore, higher concentrations of Mo were found to significantly increase the amount of ferrite phase in the microstructure by suppressing the ferrite to austenite massive transformation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗