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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 OSTI2021

Sea Level-Driven Marsh Migration Results in Rapid Net Loss of Carbon

Sea level rise alters coastal carbon cycling by driving the rapid migration of coastal ecosystems, salinization of freshwater systems, and replacement of terrestrial forests with tidal wetlands. Wetland soils accumulate carbon (C) at faster rates than terrestrial soils, implying that sea level rise may lead to enhanced carbon accumulation. Here, we show that carbon stored in tree biomass greatly exceeds carbon stored in adjacent marsh soils so that marsh migration reduces total carbon stocks by ~50% in less than 100 years. Continued marsh soil carbon accumulation may eventually offset forest carbon loss, but we estimate that the time for replacement is similar to estimates of marsh survival (i.e., centuries), which suggests that forest C may never be replaced. These findings reveal a critical C source not included in coastal C budgets driven by migrating ecosystems and rapidly shifting allocations between carbon stored in soils and biomass.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Evidence and attribution of the enhanced land carbon sink

Climate change has been partially mitigated by an increasing net land carbon sink in the terrestrial biosphere; understanding the processes that drive this sink is thus essential for protecting, managing and projecting this important ecosystem service. In this Review, we examine evidence for an enhanced land carbon sink and attribute the observed response to drivers and processes. This sink has doubled from 1.2 ± 0.5 PgC yr -1 in the 1960s to 3.1 ± 0.6 PgC yr -1 in the 2010s. This trend results largely from carbon dioxide fertilization increasing photosynthesis (driving an increase in the annual land carbon sink of >2 PgC globally since 1900), mainly in tropical forest regions, and elevated temperatures reducing cold limitation, mainly at higher latitudes. Continued long-term land carbon sequestration is possible through the end of this century under multiple emissions scenarios, especially if nature-based climate solutions and appropriate ecosystem management are used. In conclusion, a new generation of globally distributed field experiments is needed to improve understanding of future carbon sink potential by measuring belowground carbon release, the response to carbon dioxide enrichment, and long-term shifts in carbon allocation and turnover.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Wildfire exacerbates high-latitude soil carbon losses from climate warming

Abstract Arctic and boreal permafrost soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition has been slower than carbon inputs from plant growth since the last glaciation. Anthropogenic climate warming has threatened this historical trend by accelerating SOC decomposition and altering wildfire regimes. We accurately modeled observed plant biomass and carbon emissions from wildfires in Alaskan ecosystems under current climate conditions. In projections to 2300 under the RCP8.5 climate scenario, we found that warming and increased atmospheric CO 2 will result in plant biomass gains and higher litterfall. However, increased carbon losses from (a) wildfire combustion and (b) rapid SOC decomposition driven by increased deciduous litter production, root exudation, and active layer depth will lead to about 4.4 PgC of soil carbon losses from Alaska by 2300 and most (88%) of these loses will be from the top 1 m of soil. These SOC losses offset plant carbon gains, causing the ecosystem to transition to a net carbon source after 2200. Simulations excluding wildfire increases yielded about a factor of four lower SOC losses by 2300. Our results show that projected wildfire and its direct and indirect effects on plant and soil carbon may accelerate high-latitude soil carbon losses, resulting in a positive feedback to climate change.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Empirical estimates of regional carbon budgets imply reduced global soil heterotrophic respiration

Resolving regional carbon budgets is critical for informing land-based mitigation policy. For nine regions covering nearly the whole globe, we collected inventory estimates of carbon-stock changes complemented by satellite estimates of biomass changes where inventory data are missing. The net land–atmospheric carbon exchange (NEE) was calculated by taking the sum of the carbon-stock change and lateral carbon fluxes from crop and wood trade, and riverine-carbon export to the ocean. Summing up NEE from all regions, we obtained a global ‘bottom-up’ NEE for net land anthropogenic CO2 uptake of –2.2 ± 0.6 PgC yr -1 consistent with the independent top-down NEE from the global atmospheric carbon budget during 2000–2009. This estimate is so far the most comprehensive global bottom-up carbon budget accounting, which set up an important milestone for global carbon-cycle studies. By decomposing NEE into component fluxes, we found that global soil heterotrophic respiration amounts to a source of CO 2 of 39 PgC yr -1 with an interquartile of 33–46 PgC yr -1 —a much smaller portion of net primary productivity than previously reported.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Permafrost Active Layer Microbes From Ny Ålesund, Svalbard (79°N) Show Autotrophic and Heterotrophic Metabolisms With Diverse Carbon-Degrading Enzymes

The active layer of permafrost in Ny Ålesund, Svalbard (79°N) around the Bayelva River in the Leirhaugen glacier moraine is measured as a small net carbon sink at the brink of becoming a carbon source. In many permafrost-dominating ecosystems, microbes in the active layers have been shown to drive organic matter degradation and greenhouse gas production, creating positive feedback on climate change. However, the microbial metabolisms linking the environmental geochemical processes and the populations that perform them have not been fully characterized. In this paper, we present geochemical, enzymatic, and isotopic data paired with 10 Pseudomonas sp. cultures and metagenomic libraries of two active layer soil cores (BPF1 and BPF2) from Ny Ålesund, Svalbard, (79°N). Relative to BPF1, BPF2 had statistically higher C/N ratios (15 ± 1 for BPF1 vs. 29 ± 10 for BPF2; n = 30, p < 10 –5 ), statistically lower organic carbon (2% ± 0.6% for BPF1 vs. 1.6% ± 0.4% for BPF2, p < 0.02), statistically lower nitrogen (0.1% ± 0.03% for BPF1 vs. 0.07% ± 0.02% for BPF2, p < 10 –6 ). The d 13 C values for inorganic carbon did not correlate with those of organic carbon in BPF2, suggesting lower heterotrophic respiration. An increase in the δ 13 C of inorganic carbon with depth either reflects an autotrophic signal or mixing between a heterotrophic source at the surface and a lithotrophic source at depth. Potential enzyme activity of xylosidase and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase increases twofold at 15°C, relative to 25°C, indicating cold adaptation in the cultures and bulk soil. Potential enzyme activity of leucine aminopeptidase across soils and cultures was two orders of magnitude higher than other tested enzymes, implying that organisms use leucine as a nitrogen and carbon source in this nutrient-limited environment. Besides demonstrating large variability in carbon compositions of permafrost active layer soils only ∼84 m apart, results suggest that the Svalbard active layer microbes are often limited by organic carbon or nitrogen availability and have adaptations to the current environment, and metabolic flexibility to adapt to the warming climate.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2020

Empirical estimates of regional carbon budgets imply reduced global soil heterotrophic respiration

Resolving regional carbon budgets is critical for informing land-based mitigation policy. For nine regions covering nearly the whole globe, we collected inventory estimates of carbon-stock changes complemented by satellite estimates of biomass changes where inventory data are missing. The net land–atmospheric carbon exchange (NEE) was calculated by taking the sum of the carbon-stock change and lateral carbon fluxes from crop and wood trade, and riverine-carbon export to the ocean. Summing up NEE from all regions, we obtained a global ‘bottom-up’ NEE for net land anthropogenic CO2 uptake of –2.2±0.6 PgC/yr consistent with the independent top-down NEE from the global atmospheric carbon budget during 2000–2009. This estimate is so far the most comprehensive global bottom-up carbon budget accounting, which set up an important milestone for global carbon-cycle studies. By decomposing NEE into component fluxes, we found that global soil heterotrophic respiration amounts to a source of CO2 of 39 PgC/yr with an interquartile of 33–46 PgC/yr —a much smaller portion of net primary productivity than previously reported.

carbon budget↗
DOE OSTI2022

Integrating Embodied Carbon Knowledge for Design Decisions: Preprint

Measuring energy consumption of buildings is well established, and techniques to evaluate the carbon associated with operating buildings are improving. Embodied carbon of buildings is more complex as it considers the release of carbon throughout the building material supply chain and building material end of life fate. Decisions made early during the design and construction of the building can influence and potentially reduce the embodied carbon of buildings. The design and construction communities are uniquely positioned to make decisions that reduce embodied carbon. The objective of this project is to understand barriers to low carbon design and delivery and to point the design and construction communities to useful resources that will result in decisions that reduce embodied carbon. The outcomes of this work include educational resources that familiarize designers and contractors with embodied carbon and life cycle assessments (LCA), case studies that focus on design changes from LCA results, an overview of LCA tools, and examples of readily available, cost-effective design and construction steps to lower embodied carbon. We present an evaluation of existing resources, organized in a decision tree guidance, and identify gaps for further resource development. Through this evaluation process we investigated ways to streamline the process of identifying barriers to implementing solutions quickly.

design professional decisions↗
DOE OSTI2024

Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS)

To achieve the ambitious net-zero emission goal by 2050, it is vital to explore practical approaches for removing carbon dioxide from the air. One promising method is Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS). BiCRS combines the natural ability of plants to convert carbon dioxide into biomass with human engineering to store the biomass, or derived products (char), belowground where it won't decompose. By securely storing these materials underground, we can trap the carbon dioxide absorbed by the plants during their growth, thus aiding in carbon removal from the atmosphere. BiCRS not only addresses carbon emissions but also has co-benefits such as wildfire risk reduction by utilizing forest residues. It is essential to establish best practices to ensure accurate measurements of net carbon dioxide removed by BiCRS for policymakers, businesses and communities. Presently, there is a lack of consistent methods for calculating these removals, considering variables like plant type, storage conditions, and conditions for converting the biomass to other products for storage like char. This project develops guidelines for monitoring and reporting BiCRS activities, offering a dependable framework for measuring carbon dioxide removal, enabling adoption of transparent BiCRS approaches for making significant contributions to reducing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

biomass carbon removal and storage↗
DOE OSTI2024

Comprehensive characterization of the irradiation effects of glassy carbon

Carbon materials have become increasingly diverse, finding applications in high-temperature and high-radiation environments. Glassy carbon, an allotrope known for its exceptional chemical inertness and desirable mechanical properties. However, understanding neutron irradiation effects in glassy carbon has proven challenging, primarily because of its unique nanopore structure. Here, this study presents a highly detailed microstructural characterization investigation of neutron-induced changes in glassy carbon, revealing how changes in nanopore structure and crystallinity impact the irradiation-induced shrinkage. Aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) reveals pore closure that leads to material densification in the irradiated samples. Dimensional analysis combined with comparison to historical data suggest significant length shrinkage to occur. Neutron and in situ electron irradiation experiments suggest that glassy carbon transforms into so-called carbon onions, supporting the concept of shrinkage saturation. Investigating irradiation temperature effects using STEM, electron energy loss spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy revealed partial amorphization at 210 °C–230 °C and preserved order in glassy carbon at 860 °C, coinciding with pore closure. Thermal property measurements were also conducted to assess the effects of densification and other changes in the atomic structure of glassy carbon. The results of this study have broad implications in the deployment of glassy carbon to nuclear environments, based around the observed changes in the thermal properties, and demonstrates the operational window for the onset of densification.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Reviving the carbon sink: The influence of moderate wind disturbance in a secondary temperate mixed forest

Global forests are increasingly exposed to climate-driven perturbations, which may in turn alter their climate mitigation potential. As tropical cyclones expand poleward due to climate warming, wind disturbances in temperate forests have become increasingly frequent. The consequences of moderate wind disturbances remain poorly understood, hindering efforts to quantify their role in the global carbon cycle. Here, we used 16 years of continuous eddy covariance and biometric measurements to investigate the impacts of moderate wind disturbances on the structure and carbon sink dynamics of a temperate forest in Northeast China. Following Typhoon Maysak in 2020, the mortality of large trees (particularly the aging pioneer species) increased ninefold, whereas that of small trees decreased by nearly half. Both stand basal area and leaf area index were reduced between 2019 and 2023, with aging pioneer tree species being more vulnerable than mid-to-late species to wind disturbances. Shifts in species composition altered the environmental sensitivity of forest carbon sink function. Unexpectedly, wind disturbances reversed the declining trends in net ecosystem production and ecosystem carbon use efficiency of this secondary forest. A novel composite structural indicator—the standardized leaf area index (the maximum leaf area supported by per basal area of the stand)—provided robust predictions (R 2 > 0.4) of carbon sink dynamics throughout the study period. The selective removal of less efficient pioneer trees accelerated succession and reversed the aging-related decline in forest carbon sink strength and carbon use efficiency. In conclusion, these findings highlight the potential role of moderate wind disturbances in enhancing forest carbon sink function and offer a framework for understanding, assessing, and predicting forest carbon dynamics under increasing disturbance frequencies driven by climate change.

Carbon sink↗
DOE OSTI2021

Multi-scale investigation on mechanical behavior and microstructural alteration of C-S-H in carbonated Alite paste

Carbonation treatment is a promising option to enhance recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) quality and eventually improve concrete performance. This study investigated the multi-scale mechanical properties of calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H) in a mature alite paste subjected to accelerated carbonation treatment by testing macro compressive strength, microhardness and nanoindentation. The results show that, carbonation treatment resulted in a heterogeneous distribution of carbonation products in the alite sample. Reinforcement of C-S-H by the randomly precipitated calcite and vaterite crystals prevailed over the nano-structural and compositional alteration of C-S-H induced by carbonation, leading to an increase of nano-indentation modulus at the edge of the sample. Also, the microhardness at the edge zone was markedly higher than that at the core of the carbonated sample. The carbonated peripheral zone with improved nano-scale modulus and microhardness was likely serving as a “hard shell”, contributing to the improved macro compressive strength. The new insights into the multi-scale mechanical properties of carbonated C-S-H contribute to further understanding of the enhanced properties of RCA after carbonation treatment.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Evaluating the Rheo-electric Performance of Aqueous Suspensions of Oxidized Carbon Black

Here, the macroscopic properties of carbon black suspensions are primarily determined by the agglomerate microstructure built of primary aggregates. Conferring colloidal stability in aqueous carbon black suspensions should thus have a drastic impact on their viscosity and conductivity. Carbon black was treated with strong acids following a wet oxidation procedure. An analysis of the resulting particle surface chemistry and electrophoretic mobility was performed in evaluating colloidal stability. Changes in suspension microstructure due to oxidation were observed using small-angle X-ray scattering. Utilizing rheo-electric measurements, the evolution of the viscosity and conductivity of the carbon black suspensions as a function of shear rate and carbon content was thoroughly studied. The carboxyl groups installed on the carbon black surface through oxidation increased the surface charge density and enhanced repulsive interactions. Electrostatic stability inhibited the formation of the large-scale agglomerates in favor of the stable primary aggregates in suspension. While shear thinning, suspension conductivities were found to be weakly dependent on the shear intensity regardless of the carbon content. Most importantly, aqueous carbon black suspensions formulated from electrostatically repulsive primary aggregates displayed a smaller rise in conductivity with carbon content compared to those formulated from attractive agglomerates.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Energy-effective and low-cost carbon capture from point-sources enabled by water-lean solvents

Aqueous amines, as the most mature carbon capture technology, are subject to high energy and cost penalties due to the large water content in their formulations. Emerging technologies are in demand to enable a transition to a low-carbon global economy. However, rigorous process modeling and techno-economic analyses are limited for emerging carbon capture technologies. Here, four CO 2 -Binding Organic Liquids (CO 2 BOLs), all water-lean solvents were presented as promising options towards energy-effective and low-cost carbon capture from point sources. Rigorous solvent property and process models were developed in Aspen Plus for a coal-fired power plant with CO 2 BOL-based carbon capture unit. Techno-economic analyses were conducted in 2018 US pricing basis. The results suggest that water-lean formulations can minimize water condensation and vaporization, leading to a 36% energy saving compared with aqueous amines. Indeed, these CO 2 BOLs can capture up to 97–99% CO 2 from coal fired plant. The estimated carbon capture cost is about $40/tonne CO 2 at 90–97% carbon capture rate, about 12–23% less expensive than the conventional aqueous amine technology. The comparison between these CO 2 BOLs showed that in addition to vapor liquid equilibrium and kinetics (key properties for aqueous solvents), viscosity, volatility, and hydrophobicity, also have strong impacts on the performance of water-lean solvents. The methods presented in this work can be used to evaluate other emerging carbon capture technologies, while the results linking costs and performance of carbon capture solvents with their properties. Additionally, this work identifies research directions and targets for further reductions in total costs of capture from either cost or energy perspectives for these leading water-lean solvents.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Black carbon emissions and reduction potential in China: 2015–2050

Black carbon is a product of the incomplete combustion of carbonaceous fuels and has significant adverse effects on climate change, air quality, and human health. China has been a major contributor to global anthropogenic black carbon emissions. This study develops a black carbon inventory in China, using 2015 as the base year, and projects annual black carbon emissions in China for the period 2016–2050, under two scenarios: a Reference scenario and an Accelerated Reduction scenario. The study estimates that the total black carbon emissions in China in 2015 were 1100 thousand tons (kt), with residential use being the biggest contributor, accounting for more than half of the total black carbon emissions, followed by coke production, industry, agricultural waste burning, and transportation. This study then projects the total black carbon emissions in China in 2050 to be 278 kt in the Reference scenario and 86 kt in the Accelerated Reduction Scenario. Compared to the Reference scenario, the Accelerated Reduction scenario will achieve much faster and deeper black carbon reductions in all the sectors. The dramatic reductions can be attributed to the fuel switching in the residential sector, faster implementation of high-efficiency emission control measures in the industry, transportation, and coke production sectors, and faster phase-out of agricultural waste open burning. This analysis reveals the high potential of black carbon emission reductions across multiple sectors in China through the next thirty years.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Coal-derived carbon anodes for lithium-ion batteries: Development, challenges, and prospects

Lithium-ion battery (LIB) development has increased rapidly, requiring low-cost anode materials with a high capacity, high-rate performance, and stable lifespan. Carbon-based anodes possess various exceptional morphologies and structures, making them promising candidates for meeting the technical demands; however, conventional synthetic carbon anode processes need expensive feedstocks that increase anode cost and limit commercialization. Coal, the most affordable and abundant carbon resource, has attracted increasing attention as the primary feedstock for producing high-value carbon anode materials. This article reviews the lithium storage mechanisms, characteristics, and productions of some high-valuable carbon anode materials for LIBs from coal and coal derivatives. The high-value carbon anode materials reviewed in this article are graphite, graphene, mesophase microbeads (MCMB), carbon fiber, and hard carbons. Furthermore, the remaining challenges and prospects of using coal-derived carbon materials to create high-performance and low-cost lithium-ion batteries are also discussed.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Capacitive deionization using carbon derived from an array of zeolitic-imidazolate frameworks

Capacitive deionization (CDI) represents one of the most thermodynamically efficient technologies for brackish water desalination. Its performance is highly reliant on the surface properties of carbon-based electrodes. Zeolitic-imidazolate framework (ZIF)-derived carbon materials have emerged among the most promising candidates owing to their high structural and compositional tuneability. However, the impacts of the precursory ZIF structure on the properties of the final carbon, and therefore, CDI capacity and efficiency remain to be further explored. In this work, four Zn-based ZIFs with different side-chain substitutions on the imidazolates were synthesized on a gram scale with high yields to produce N-doped carbons by pyrolysis. Next, the resulting carbons along with four commercial carbon blacks were characterized physically and electrochemically to explore the structure-performance relationship. We demonstrated that the imidazole side-chain substitution alters the ZIF's decomposition during pyrolysis, influencing the elemental compositions, surface properties, wettability and graphitization levels. The diverse carbon properties result in variable double layer capacitance and charge-transfer resistance, ultimately impacting the CDI performance. Among these carbons, Zn (4abIm)2-C afforded the greatest salt adsorption capacity of 14.19 mg NaCl $·g_C^{–1}$, while Zn (mIm) 2 -C showed the highest overall salt adsorption capacity and rate; both exceeded the performance of the commercial carbon blacks.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Probing Carbon Mineralization Mechanisms in Pore and Bulk Fluids by Harnessing Architected Calcium Silicates

The ability to synthesize materials with well-controlled pore structures gives us unprecedented control over probing fluid interactions with reactive interfaces and advancing calibrated insights into coupled chemo-morphological interactions. One of the primary challenges in developing crystalline silicate materials lies in achieving ordered pore structures. Existing approaches of producing amorphous mesoporous metal silicates via sol–gel methods and heat-treatment of these materials to produce crystalline phases cause the pore structures in the amorphous phases to collapse. To overcome this challenge, carbon coating of amorphous mesoporous calcium silicate particles is carried out to retain the pore structure, while the material is heated to produce crystalline calcium silicate with calcium sulfate inclusions. The pore diameter in these materials is about 3.9 nm, with a surface area and a pore volume of 28.75 m 2 /g and 0.092 cm 2 /g, respectively. The mechanisms of carbon mineralization are investigated by reacting architected calcium silicate with 1 M Na 2 CO 3 and monitoring the evolution in the structural phases using operando wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) measurements. Formation of stable calcium carbonate polymorph or calcite and metastable calcium carbonate polymorph or vaterite in pore and bulk fluids, respectively, resulting from the reaction between Na 2 CO 3 and CaSiO 3 , are noted. The mechanisms associated with carbon mineralization are delineated using ReaxFF molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The surface dissolution reaction is initiated by 2H + ions that replace a Ca 2+ ion in the Ca–silicate matrix. Ca 2+ ions in the solution initially react with water to form calcium hydroxide and eventually form calcium (bi)carbonate. A slow and gradual increase in the formation of sodium silicate in the solution resulting from the reactions of silicic acid or the silicon dioxide reaction with sodium hydroxide is noted. When carbon mineralization occurs in environments bearing interfacial fluids, calcite is the dominant calcium carbonate polymorph, as determined using experiments with pore fluids and molecular-scale simulations. In conclusion, these studies provide fundamental insights into the mechanisms underlying the carbon mineralization of calcium silicate informed by experiments and molecular-scale simulations.

Calcium↗
DOE OSTI2024

Carbonate-Metal Reactions in the Lower Mantle

Carbonates are important carbon-bearing phases in the mantle. While their role in upper mantle petrologic processes has been well studied, their effect on phase relations, melting, and transport properties in the lower mantle is less understood. The stability of carbonates in the mantle depends on a host of factors, including pressure, temperature, oxygen fugacity, and reactions with surrounding mantle phases. To understand the stability of carbonates in the presence of metal in the lower mantle, carbonate-metal reaction experiments on the Fe–Si–Ca–Mg–C–O system were conducted up to 124 GPa and 3200 K. We find that carbonates react with iron alloys to form silicates, iron carbides, and oxides. However, the temperature at which these reactions occur increases with pressure, indicating that along a geotherm in the lowermost mantle carbonates are the stable carbon-bearing phase. Carbon is found to be less siderophilic at high-pressure compared to silicon.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗