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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 1,063 records · Page 59
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2020

Robotics System Process and Concept for On-orbit Assembly for Potential Mars Sample Return

Proposed Mars Sample Return (MSR) missions would require on-orbit assembly of containment vessels to meet backward Planetary Protection requirements and transfer of the sample container through various stations and positions. Some operations would have to be performed autonomously, and others would require ground-in-loop decision-making stages and verification processes. One concept design for an Earth Return Orbiter (ERO) Capture, Contain, and Return System (CCRS) Transfer Mechanism (TM) is a multi-Degree of Freedom (DOF) manipulator that utilizes a passive End Effector (EE) to assist in containment vessel assembly. To converge on a feasible design, a robotic system process has been instantiated. This process is composed of three main phases: robotic problem definition (operating environment, operations/functions, system goals), robotic solution selection (trade studies on the number of degrees of freedom, number of mechanisms, types of mechanisms), robotic solution design, implementation, and verification and validation (kinematic configuration, robotic and kinematic analysis and topology optimization of components). As a final product of this process, a half-scale functional prototype of the TM was developed to demonstrate the end-to-end operation capability.

Strahle, Jackson W↗
NASA NTRS2026

Space Nuclear Propulsion for Space Applications: Multi-Mission Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Vehicle Design

This NASA Technical Memorandum (TM) is intended to capture design work that the Advanced Concepts Office (ACO) at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) performed on behalf of the Space Nuclear Propulsion (SNP) Project during an SNP-driven design and mission analysis initiative in FY2025. Specifically, this TM focuses on several spacecraft design concepts intended to explore the feasibility of nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) for use in a selection of notional, unmanned space missions. While references to the missions will be made in this TM, the primary focus will be on the spacecraft design concepts themselves, the ground rules and assumptions used for designing the spacecraft, a description of the various subsystems and their performance parameters, and the methodologies used to design them. The TM will also highlight areas of future work and additional considerations that may need to be taken into account when evaluating the feasibility of NTP space systems for other applications. The report will discuss the results from ACO’s analysis as they pertain to the different vehicle concepts that were evaluated. Each discipline section in this report will discuss the discipline-specific ground rules and assumptions, the methodology and design approaches employed, and present the results along with any relevant discussion, and highlight areas of future work where applicable.

Mitchell A Rodriguez↗
DOE OSTI2023

Continuous precipitation‐filtration process for initial capture of a monoclonal antibody product using a four‐stage countercurrent hollow fiber membrane washing step

The significant increase in product titers, coupled with the growing focus on continuous bioprocessing, has renewed interest in using precipitation as a low‐cost alternative to Protein A chromatography for the primary capture of monoclonal antibody (mAb) products. In this work, a commercially relevant mAb was purified from clarified cell culture fluid using a tubular flow precipitation reactor with dewatering and washing provided by tangential flow microfiltration. The particle morphology was evaluated using an inline high‐resolution optical probe, providing quantitative data on the particle size distribution throughout the precipitation process. Data were obtained in both a lab‐built 2‐stage countercurrent washing system and a commercial countercurrent contacting skid that provided 4 stages of continuous washing. The processes were operated continuously for 2 h with overall mAb yield of 92 ± 3% and DNA removal of nearly 3 logs in the 4‐stage system. The high DNA clearance was achieved by selective redissolution of the mAb using a low pH acetate buffer. Host cell protein clearance was 0.59 ± 0.08 logs, comparable to that based on model predictions. The process mass intensity was slightly better than typical Protein A processes and could be significantly improved by preconcentration of the antibody feed material.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evaluating offshore legacy wells for geologic carbon storage: A case study from the Galveston and Brazos areas in the Gulf of Mexico

In this article, federal offshore waters in the Gulf of Mexico are of interest for large-scale geologic carbon storage (GCS). However, more than 80,000 offshore oil and gas wells exist in the region, which could impact the integrity of sealing intervals. In this study, we propose a screening methodology for ranking offshore legacy wells based on the challenge they may present to GCS. The methodology relies on the review of well regulatory records to 1) identify leakage pathways and assess the potential hazards that wells pose to planned GCS operations, 2) evaluate well features that impact the accessibility of wells to determine the feasibility of potential corrective actions, and 3) rank wells based on the overall challenge they may pose for GCS. We demonstrate our framework by evaluating the construction and abandonment of 156 wells across eight areas of interest (AOIs) in shallow federal waters along the Texas Gulf Coast. The majority (99.3 %) of wells considered were constructed and plugged in a manner that did not isolate prospective GCS targets in the Upper and Lower Miocene formations and may potentially require a challenging or uncertain corrective action prior to GCS. Dataset trends suggest that the observed well construction and plugging designs may be common in shallow offshore federal waters along the Texas Gulf Coast. Consequently, operators pursuing offshore GCS projects in the region may consider selecting areas that avoid challenging wells or performing robust evaluations of legacy well leakage risks to plan corrective action prior to CO 2 injection.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Carbon dioxide pipeline network transportation cost model: evaluating economic and geographic factors for efficient carbon capture, storage, and utilization

This study presents a comprehensive pipeline network modeling framework to estimate the CO 2 delivery cost for CO 2 utilization and geologic CO 2 storage across the United States. We developed a Python-based CO 2 pipeline transportation cost model leveraging Argonne National Laboratory’s pipeline engineering expertise and detailed natural gas transmission pipeline cost data across U.S. regions. Using existing road corridors as practical routing guides, the model designs pipeline networks that aggregate CO 2 from one or multiple sources and deliver it to selected destinations. It then minimizes the total transportation cost by optimizing pipeline diameters and incorporating booster pumps. A key contribution is the incorporation of up-to-date, region-specific cost factors with itemized components for materials, labor, miscellaneous construction expenses, and right-of-way acquisition. Results emphasize that regional variation and economies of scale associated with CO 2 pipeline costs are significant and should be explicitly accounted for in screening and planning studies. By combining realistic routing constraints with regionalized cost inputs, the model provides transparent design methodology and location-specific insights into source–destination delivery costs, including the effects of routing complexity along existing road networks. We demonstrate the model with two illustrative case studies – one for CO 2 storage and one for CO 2 utilization – in which the model designs pipeline networks spanning hundreds of miles across the states, collecting CO 2 from multiple sources and delivering it to designated endpoints while minimizing levelized cost of delivery via diameter and compression optimization. The model offers a practical, scalable approach for alternative design option screening and early-stage CO 2 transportation planning.

CCS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Optimizing CO 2 -Loaded Aqueous Amine Solutions for Higher Electrocatalytic CO 2 Reduction Activity

The activity of aqueous-based carbon dioxide reduction (CO 2 R) reactions is often limited by the solubility of CO 2 . The addition of amines can increase the total dissolved carbon in water through the formation of bicarbonate and carbamate species, which has been used to a great effect to capture CO 2 from dilute streams. Here, in this study, we explore the effect of 12 primary and secondary amines of varying Brønsted basicity, steric profile, and hydrogen-bonding capabilities on the aqueous CO 2 R to CO activity of a molecular Ni(cyclam)Cl 2 catalyst with a Hg electrode. Addition of some of the amines results in greater activity and selectivity for CO production compared to equivalent aqueous solutions without added amines. Under optimal conditions (0.4 M 3-amino-propionitrile), there is an over sevenfold increase in partial current density and greater selectivity for CO compared to equivalent conditions with no amine. Interestingly, the increase in activity did not correlate to any single property across the 12 amines. To elucidate the effect of the amine additives on catalysis, we used vapor–liquid equilibrium modeling (VLE), 13 C NMR spectroscopy, and computational analysis to determine the carbon speciation of the solutions. These results indicate that for amines without ethylalcohol functionalities, CO 2 R activity correlates with carbamate concentration, which is in turn governed by amine basicity and steric effects. However, this correlation does not persist for amines with ethylalcohol functionalities, which can form more stable carbamates through intramolecular-hydrogen bonding. These studies demonstrate that amine additives can enhance aqueous CO 2 R activity and selectivity and describe amine properties that lead to these higher performance metrics.

Amines↗
DOE OSTI2026

A dual membrane-adsorption evaporator for solar-powered lithium extraction from complex brines

A reliable supply of lithium is required to meet the increased demand for batteries over the coming decades. In this work, we demonstrated the potential to effectively extract lithium from brines by coupling solar-powered evaporation, adsorption, and membrane technologies together. We first synthesized a three-dimensional adsorptive evaporator by coating a lithium manganese oxide material onto a cotton stick using an easily scalable, one-step method. An osmotic membrane was then installed at the root of the evaporator to enhance the lithium to magnesium selectivity, prevent scaling caused by divalent cations, and thus further increase the water evaporation flux. The operation of the dual membrane-adsorption evaporator is entirely driven by osmosis and capillary force, demanding no extra energy input. The integration of the osmotic membrane was found to increase the lithium to magnesium selectivity over 10-fold to higher than 40. The dual process also produced high lithium to calcium selectivity and proved to sustain long-term stability by self-managing its internal osmotic pressure. Last, a test was done in three simulated brine solutions with varied brine chemistry and the evaporation rate stayed high and consistent throughout the long-term test. This illustrates that this technology can be used in varied brine solutions throughout the world providing efficient lithium capture and separation from competing divalent cations.

Eskafi, Aydin F. [University of California, Berkel↗
DOE OSTI2022

Capturing Ultrafast Electron Driven Chemical Reactions in Molecules

The goals of this project are to develop experimental tools to investigate the dynamics of dissociative electron attachment (DEA) reactions in real time. In a DEA reaction, the attachment of a low energy electron to a molecule results in bond breaking and the fragmentation of the molecule. A new instrument has been designed and is under construction to perform time-resolved photoelectron and photo-fragment spectroscopy following electron transfer from an iodide anion to a molecule within a mass-selected molecular dimer. Iodide binds only weakly through the dipole interaction with many polar molecules, and such molecules forming a dimer with iodide undergo only small changes from the equilibrium geometry in isolation. When the electron is transferred from the iodide, the iodine atom is no longer bound, so the electron transfer step can be considered analogous to electron attachment and brings the key advantage of ultrafast timing precision. The experiments proposed here will establish the experimental tools to interrogate the dynamics of dissociative electron attachment on the fundamental timescales of the nuclear motion, by simultaneously probing the valence electronic structure and the fragmentation pathways.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2001

Sensible Success

Commercial remote sensing uses satellite imagery to provide valuable information about the planet's features. By capturing light reflected from the Earth's surface with cameras or sensor systems, usually mounted on an orbiting satellite, data is obtained for business enterprises with an interest in land feature distribution. Remote sensing is practical when applied to large-area coverage, such as agricultural monitoring, regional mapping, environmental assessment, and infrastructure planning. For example, cellular service providers use satellite imagery to select the most ideal location for a communication tower. Crowsey Incorporated has the ability to use remote sensing capabilities to conduct spatial geographic visualizations and other remote-sensing services. Presently, the company has found a demand for these services in the area of litigation support. By using spatial information and analyses, Crowsey helps litigators understand and visualize complex issues and then to communicate a clear argument, with complete indisputable evidence. Crowsey Incorporated is a proud partner in NASA's Mississippi Space Commerce Initiative, with research offices at the John C. Stennis Space Center.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2018

The CAESAR New Frontiers Mission: Comet Surface Sample Acquisition and Preservation

NASA recently selected the Comet Astrobiology Exploration Sample Return (CAESAR) mission for Phase A study in the New Frontiers Program. This mission will acquire and return to Earth for laboratory analysis at least 80 g of surface material from the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (hereafter 67P). CAESAR will characterize the surface region sampled, preserve the sample in a pristine state, and return evolved volatiles by capturing them in a separate gas reservoir. The system protects both volatile and non-volatile components from contamination or alteration thatwould hamper their scientific analysis. Laboratory analyses of comet samples provide unparalleled knowledge about the presolar history through the initial stages of planet formation to the origin of life.

CAESAR↗
NASA NTRS2020

Communication-Aware Orbit Design for Small Spacecraft Swarms around Small Bodies

Exploration of small Solar System bodies has traditionally been performed by single monolithic spacecraft carrying a number of science instruments. However, science instruments typically cannot be operated simultaneously due to the instrument requirements including optimal viewing angle, surface illumination, altitude and ground resolution, power, and data constraints. This observation has motivated interest in multi-spacecraft architectures where a swarm of small spacecraft, each carrying a single science instrument, studies a small body after being deployed by a carrier spacecraft, which then collects data from the vehicles and relays it to Earth. Such architectures hold promise to yield significant improvements in mission efficiency, increases in data quality, and shorter mission duration. A key difficulty in the design of such missions is the selection of orbits for the small spacecraft, which must satisfy not only instrument requirements, but also strict inter-spacecraft communication and on-board storage constraints. To address this, in this paper, we present a novel computationally-efficient optimization algorithm for \emph{communication-aware design} of the orbits of a small spacecraft swarm orbiting a small body. The proposed approach captures constraints including instrument requirements, inter-spacecraft communication bandwidths, and on-board memory usage, and it can accommodate highly irregular gravity field models and surface geometries. We propose an efficient algorithm for optimization of instrument observations and inter-spacecraft communications; we then leverage the differentiable nature of the proposed algorithm to accelerate a gradient-based global search algorithm. Numerical simulations of a six-spacecraft swarm studying 433 Eros show that the proposed approach successfully identifies high-quality orbits, and significantly outperform communication-agnostic optimization techniques, resulting in a 10% increase in scientific returns and a 30% increase in the quality of the collected data.

Rahmani, Amir↗
NASA NTRS2021

Mapping Boreal Forest Spruce Beetle Health Status at the Individual Crown Scale Using Fused Spectral and Structural Data

The frequency and severity of spruce bark beetle outbreaks are increasing in boreal forests leading to widespread tree mortality and fuel conditions promoting extreme wildfire. Detection of beetle infestation is a forest health monitoring (FHM) priority but is hampered by the challenges of detecting early stage (“green”) attack from the air. There is indication that green stage might be detected from vertical gradients of spectral data or from shortwave infrared information distributed within a single crown. To evaluate the efficacy of discriminating “non-infested”, “green”, and “dead” health statuses at the landscape scale in Alaska, USA, this study conducted spectral and structural fusion of data from: (1) Unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV) multispectral (6 cm) + structure from motion point clouds (~700 pts per sq. m); and (2) Goddard Lidar Hyperspectral Thermal (G-LiHT) hyperspectral (400 to 1000 nm, 0.5 m) + SWIR-band lidar (~32 pts per sq.m). We achieved 78% accuracy for all three health statuses using spectral + structural fusion from either UAV or G-LiHT and 97% accuracy for non-infested/dead using G-LiHT. We confirm that UAV 3D spectral (e.g., greenness above versus below median height in crown) and lidar apparent reflectance metrics (e.g., mean reflectance at 99th percentile height in crown), are of high value, perhaps capturing the vertical gradient of needle degradation. In most classification exercises, UAV accuracy was lower than G-LiHT indicating that collecting ultra-high spatial resolution data might be less important than high spectral resolution information. While the value of passive optical spectral information was largely confined to the discrimination of non-infested versus dead crowns, G-LiHT hyperspectral band selection (~400, 675, 755, and 940 nm) could inform future FHM mission planning regarding optimal wavelengths for this task. Interestingly, the selected regions mostly did not align with the band designations for our UAV multispectral data but do correspond to, e.g., Sentinel-2 red edge bands, suggesting a path forward for moderate scale bark beetle detection when paired with suitable structural data.

Janice Cessna↗
DOE OSTI2024

Hydrogen Leak Modeling for Development of Smart Distributed Monitoring Under Unintended Releases

Hydrogen is a versatile and clean energy carrier that can be produced from various renewable sources such as wind, solar, and hydropower. Hydrogen has the potential to play a crucial role in decarbonizing industrial processes that are currently reliant on fossil fuels and provide long-duration and/or seasonal energy storage to enable electricity decarbonization. Hydrogen can also be used as a fuel for fuel cell vehicles, providing a zero-emission alternative to traditional internal combustion engines. DOE launched the Hydrogen Energy Earthshot (Hydrogen Shot) in June 2021 to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen by 80% to $1 per 1 kilogram in 1 decade ("1 1 1"). While promising, Hydrogen is highly-flammable, and in the presence of oxygen, it can form explosive mixtures. . Therefore, understanding leak scenarios is essential to evaluate and mitigate the safety risks associated with potential hydrogen leaks. An increased understanding of leak behavior, and having tools to model leaks, can help assess how hydrogen would disperse in different environments, influencing emergency response plans and safety measures, and identify potential issues with materials and design systems that can withstand the challenges posed by hydrogen. Recently, researchers have attempted to study hydrogen leaks for development of risk management strategies. However, the focus has been on closed or semi-closed spaces like storage rooms, vehicles, garages, and fueling stations - all promising locations for future hydrogen infrastructure. In this presentation, the modeling environment extends the span of research further by modeling hydrogen leak in an outdoor, open space. We will present the key challenges with modeling hydrogen leaks in an uncontrollable environment, how they were handled, and how modeling results informed sensor selection and placement. A Hydrogen research facility at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) was used as a case study to model hydrogen leaks. In the future, Hydrogen wide area detection methodologies will be developed and tested at this site to monitor for unintended and operational hydrogen releases. The data generated from modeling will be used to develop a predictive model to detect hydrogen leak location based on concentration measured by sensors in this open space. Furthermore, the facility was also chosen because controlled hydrogen releases can be performed. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based modeling approach was taken to model hydrogen leak. The full-scale hydrogen facility was modeled with a large ambient domain. The electrolyzer at the facility can produce a controlled release rate of 27 kg-H2/hr. Site-specific atmospheric and weather condition data such as wind direction, wind speed at various altitudes, and temperature were used as inputs to the model. To capture the variability of weather conditions, a subset of the weather conditions experienced during daytime hours without precipitation over the course of three months was generated; using established data clustering techniques, a total of 100 condition sets were chosen. The results show statistical distributions and ranges of hydrogen concentrations at locations throughout the domain. These distributions are compared to experimental data from a constant mass flow, controlled hydrogen release at the facility. The stochastic wind conditions of the release make direct validation difficult, therefore, statistical comparison approaches were used. Wind conditions are found to significantly impact the release behavior, including direction and concentration. Sensor selection and placement is proposed for the facility and is now based on release behavior predicted for the facility given its weather patterns; this is much more informed than without the modeling results. The methodology and analysis procedure can be translated to other facilities using modified geometries and site-specific weather conditions. Hydrogen holds great promise as a renewable energy fuel, but ensuring safety in its production, storage, and use is paramount. Studying potential leak scenarios in an open space will help develop sensors to detect hydrogen on a large spectrum of concentration and eventually build a smart distributed monitoring system.

CFD↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multiplicity-dependent jet modification from di-hadron correlations in pp collisions at $ \sqrt{s} $ = 13 TeV

Short-range correlations between charged particles are studied via two-particle angular correlations in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV. The correlation functions are measured as a function of the relative azimuthal angle ∆φ and the pseudorapidity separation ∆η for pairs of primary charged particles within the pseudorapidity interval |η| < 0.9 and the transverse-momentum range 1 < p T < 8 GeV/c. Near-side (|∆φ| < 1.3) peak widths are extracted from a generalised Gaussian fitted over the correlations in full pseudorapidity separation (|∆η| < 1.8), while the per-trigger associated near-side yields are extracted for the short-range correlations (|∆η| < 1.3). Both are evaluated as a function of charged-particle multiplicity obtained by two different event activity estimators. The width of the near-side peak decreases with increasing multiplicity, and this trend is reproduced qualitatively by the Monte Carlo event generators PYTHIA 8, AMPT, and EPOS. However, the models overestimate the width in the low transverse-momentum region (p T < 3 GeV/c). The per-trigger associated near-side yield increases with increasing multiplicity. Although this trend is also captured qualitatively by the considered event generators, the yield is mostly overestimated by the models in the considered kinematic range. The measurement of the shape and yield of the short-range correlation peak can help us understand the interplay between jet fragmentation and event activity, quantify the narrowing trend of the near-side peak as a function of transverse momentum and multiplicity selections in pp collisions, and search for final-state jet modification in small collision systems.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Electrochemical chlor-iron process for iron production from iron oxide and salt water

The iron and steel industry accounts for ~8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Electrochemical reduction of iron ore to metal for electric arc furnaces can enable sustainable steel production, but existing electrochemical processes require expensive capital or electrolytes. Here we report a low-temperature, electrochemical cell that consumes low-cost and abundant iron oxide and aqueous sodium chloride, while co-producing sodium hydroxide and chlorine. Industrially relevant current densities and Faradaic efficiencies for iron production were demonstrated, with 94% selectivity to iron metal at an applied current density of 200 mA cm –2 . Freestanding films of phase-pure iron were formed after 4h of continuous, stable electrolysis. The process can lead to levelized costs of iron that are competitive with iron produced in fossil-fuel-powered blast furnaces, and the co-produced sodium hydroxide can be used for CO 2 capture from the air or ocean, creating a net-negative-emission process.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering with squeezed light: CARS for quantum-enhanced spectroscopy and imaging

We theoretically investigate quantum-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) using squeezed light to amplify vibrational transition rates at low photon flux. Quantum sensing approaches are needed for nondestructive nanometrology such as in bioimaging where reduced photodamage is desired while retaining resolution and sensitivity. We analyze both single-mode squeezing applied to the pump field and two-mode squeezing between the pump and Stokes fields. We also show that the ordering of displacement and squeezing operations—whether displacement precedes squeezing or squeezing precedes displacement—has an impact on the resulting CARS transition amplitudes due to a difference in the photon number and the quantum-enhancement coefficients, with the latter offering a stronger enhancement in the case of two modes squeezing of the pump and Stokes under experimentally accessible conditions. Furthermore, our calculations capture these quantum enhancements through the intrinsic photon-number correlations of squeezed light, eliminating the need for interferometric detection or higher pump powers that are otherwise required to reach comparable sensitivities in classical CARS. Finally, we outline a quantum plasmonic extension of our model in which local field enhancements caused by surface plasmon excitation in metallic nanoparticles can be incorporated via mode-selective field amplification factors, offering a pathway toward combining squeezed-light quantum optics with surface-enhanced nanoscale spectroscopy and imaging.

Atomic & molecular structure↗
DOE OSTI2024

NORTH DAKOTA CARBONSAFE PHASE III: SITE CHARACTERIZATION AND PERMITTING OF GEOLOGIC STORAGE OF CARBON DIOXIDE

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC), in partnership with Minnkota Power Cooperative Inc. (Minnkota), SLB, and Computer Modelling Group Ltd. (CMG), supported wide-scale deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) as part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) Initiative Phase III. This phase included the acquisition, analysis, and development of information to fully characterize two storage complexes to demonstrate viable storage resources for commercial volumes of CO2 (defined by DOE as a minimum of 50 million tonnes [MMt] of CO2 within a 30-year period) (National Energy Technology Laboratory, 2024). Phase III also involved the preparation, submission, and approval of North Dakota underground injection control (UIC) Class VI storage facility permits (SFPs)—required precursors to applications for Class VI injection well permits. The presumed viability of commercial-scale CCS, situated adjacent to Minnkota’s Milton R. Young Station (MRYS), is validated by Minnkota’s continued pursuit of Project Tundra—an initiative to build the world’s largest lignite-based CCS project in central North Dakota (www.projecttundrand.com). Project Tundra comprises two scopes of work, Tundra Capture (installation of postcombustion CO2 capture at MRYS) and Tundra SGS (secure geologic storage). The efforts of North Dakota CarbonSAFE Phase III, Site Characterization and Permitting, supported Tundra SGS. Extensive site-specific characterization activities included a successful multimeasurement geophysical approach and drilling a stratigraphic test well (J-ROC 1, subsequently renamed Liberty-1) adjacent to MRYS. Core collection and analyses, downhole testing and fluid sampling, and geophysical logging were performed on J-ROC 1 and on a nearby stratigraphic test well (known as J-LOC 1), which was drilled, cored, and tested under a complementary project funded by the North Dakota Lignite Research Program. The injection tests performed on J-LOC 1 positively impacted the CarbonSAFE project, resulting in fewer proposed injection wells and significant construction, operations, and monitoring cost savings. The characterization data collected and analyses performed were integrated into geologic models, and successive numerical simulations were run to determine CO2 plume extent and subsurface pressure buildup associated with the planned CO2 injection rate of nearly 4 MMt per year. The latter doubles the CarbonSAFE Initiative goal with an estimated 100 MMt of CO2 stored in 20 years. Application of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) method for estimating the Class VI Rule area of review (AOR) to the overpressurized Broom Creek Formation inspired an alternative method of calculation, called risk-based AOR delineation. This peer-reviewed method was applied for the first time during the storage facility-permitting process. The two SFP applications submitted in 2021 successfully resulted in North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC) orders in 2022 authorizing the creation of the storage facility areas and amalgamation of pore space as well as establishing financial responsibility requirements. After approval of the SFPs, Minnkota filed in 2022 applications for permits to reenter the J-ROC 1 well and to drill two new wells—all with the intended purpose to become Class VI injection wells. To establish eligibility under the Internal Revenue Code for Section 45Q tax incentives, a monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) plan was prepared and submitted by Minnkota to EPA in 2022, resulting in the first such plan approved in North Dakota. Also in 2022, under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Minnkota prepared and submitted an environmental information volume (EIV) describing the proposed CCS project and associated potential environmental impacts. Based on the EIV, DOE determined that the proposed construction project required an environmental assessment, and Minnkota submitted the first draft in 2023 and a revised draft in 2024. Both submissions were followed by a public comment period. Subsequently, DOE issued a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) on September 13, 2024. A successful outreach program, strongly based in the production, presentation, and dissemination of informational material, fostered an environment to aid stakeholders in making informed decisions regarding the planned project. Opportunities for public input were provided at various steps along the way, including at county planning and zoning meetings, before and during the SFP administrative hearing, and during environmental assessment public comment periods. In addition, land/pore space owners and mineral owners had various points of contact, including granting access rights, securing pore space leasing, and mineral owner notifications. Based upon the successful storage facility permitting issued by NDIC, approval of the MRV plan by EPA, and receipt of a FONSI under the NEPA, Minnkota is continuing its pursuit of Project Tundra. In December 2023, the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations under its Carbon Capture Demonstrations Projects Program announced funding for the capture system (Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, 2023) and a proposal for CarbonSAFE Phase IV: Construction funding was submitted in March 2024 for the storage project. A go/no-go decision to proceed with construction and operations in the Broom Creek Formation is anticipated in 2024. References National Energy Technology Laboratory, CarbonSafe Initiative, https://netl.doe.gov/carbon-management/carbon-storage/carbonsafe (accessed August 2024). Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, 2023, OCED selects three projects in CA, ND, and TX to reduce harmful carbon pollution, create new economic opportunities, and advance carbon reducing technologies, December, www.energy.gov/oced/articles/oced-selects-three-projects-ca-nd-and-tx-reduce-harmful-carbon-pollution-create-new (accessed August 2024).

Peck, Wesley↗
NASA NTRS2019

Space Power Heritage Study Final Results

NASA space missions have long employed Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) and solar-based power generation architectures. RPS have been used to enable or significantly enhance missions that venture deep into the solar system to distances from the sun which can make using solar architectures unfeasible and to areas where the sun is obscured due to shadows or atmospheric phenomena. The destination, however, is not the absolute factor of the determination of RPS or solar. This is highlighted by the Jupiter missions Galileo and Juno, which employed RPS and solar architectures, respectively. When baselining either RPS or solar architectures for a planetary mission, numerous factors must be considered, including scientific objectives, cost, schedule, and mass just to name a few. In an effort to better understand the decision-making process and provide insight for potential future missions, the NASA RPS Program Office tasked The Aerospace Corporation (Aerospace) to study historical missions that used RPS and solar architectures. Data was collected for a variety of RPS and solar missions to look for possible trends from the selected implementation. Additionally, mission case studies were developed based on interviews with mission personnel who were responsible for defining the power architecture of their mission. Informed by the data collected and case studies, two Measures of Effectiveness (MoEs) were produced: one based on cost of RPS versus solar, and one based on science mission cost effectiveness. The final results of this study have been captured in this briefing package which is available for full and open release. Additionally, a final report document also provides the same details of this package. This briefing package also includes an appendix which contains data not for public release which was used to provide detailed answers to questions raised during this study. The results of these inquiries are discussed in the report, but the proprietary data is not included. Finally, an executive summary package is also publicly available which was used to present the results of the study at the 2018 Aerospace Space Power Workshop.

Study↗