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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 1,207 records · Page 67
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Comparative analysis of thermal management systems in electric vehicles at extreme weather conditions: Case study on Nissan Leaf 2019 Plus, Chevrolet Bolt 2020 and Tesla Model 3 2020

With the surge in electric vehicle (EV) adoption and the need for extended driving ranges, optimizing energy efficiency, particularly through thermal management, is critical, especially in extreme weather. Managing the substantial energy needed for cabin climate control and battery temperature regulation can increase energy demands by over 50 %, severely limiting range. This study conducts a comparative analysis of thermal management systems (TMS) in three popular EV vehicles, 2020 Chevrolet Bolt, 2019 Nissan Leaf Plus, and 2020 Tesla Model 3, evaluating their distinct TMS configurations and performance under varied weather conditions. Using both numerical simulations and experimental data collected on a controlled test bench at Argonne National Laboratory, we assess how TMS architecture and operational modes influence energy consumption and range. A comprehensive TMS model was developed, integrating cabin and battery thermal sub-models in the Autonomie software platform, to simulate temperature fluctuations and range impacts. Cabin climate was modeled using a mono-zonal approach, while battery cell temperature distribution was estimated through a 2D nodal structure. Each vehicle's distinct TMS setup was evaluated: the Chevrolet Bolt and Tesla Model 3 use a dual evaporator vapor compression cycle with a PTC heater for the cabin and a coolant loop for battery thermal management; the Nissan Leaf Plus employs a heat pump with a PTC heater for the cabin and air-cooling for the battery. Tests conducted at ambient temperatures of 35°C, 22°C, -7°C, and -18°C reveal significant differences in energy use and range reduction across both configurations and conditions. At 35°C, the Tesla Model 3, Chevrolet Bolt, and Nissan Leaf Plus have a range reduction of 8%, 9%, and 13%, respectively, due to air conditioning. In winter, heating technology is paramount; at -7°C, the Nissan Leaf's heat pump configuration achieves a lower range reduction (19.3%) compared to the Tesla and Chevrolet Bolt PTC heaters, which reduce range by 28.3% and 31%, respectively. Further, this study provides valuable insights for automotive engineers, EV technology researchers, and thermal management system designers aiming to enhance electric vehicle performance by understanding how different weather conditions and TMS architectures impact energy consumption and driving range.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2027

Market participation strategy of hybrid energy resources: A New York ISO case study

Drawing on existing market designs with independent resource participation in electricity markets, this study analyzes participation models for hybrid resources combining renewable generation and storage. Two models are considered: in the first, the components operate independently, with the Independent System Operator (ISO) managing the storage state of charge (SoC); in the second, the hybrid resource acts as an integrated unit, submitting offers as a “black box” and managing its SoC internally. Using a production cost model for the zonal New York Bulk Power System, we evaluate trade-offs in system reliability, market efficiency, and asset profitability. Our results provide several key insights for policymakers, showing that the ISO-managed granular model enhances social welfare through explicit SoC management, while the simpler integrated model is more computationally efficient, but may cause more real-time violations and lower overall profits.

Bansal, Rajni Kant↗
DOE OSTI2022

Effect of fuel composition and EGR on spark-ignited engine combustion with LPG fueling: Experimental and numerical investigation

This paper presents an experimental and numerical investigation of a spark-ignited (SI) cooperative fuel research (CFR) engine fueled with different liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fuels and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). Here, the effects of LPG fuel composition on engine combustion characteristics are initially evaluated at two different compression ratios (CR). Results show normal combustion at CR 7 and heavy knocking combustion at CR 10 for all the tested fuels, with a more substantial impact for the LPG fuel with high proportions of n-butane species. The Livengood-Wu (LW) integral method is then used to analyze the knock occurrence risk of individual fuel based on the reactivity of the tested fuels. The introduction of EGR then demonstrates the potential of knock intensity reduction below the borderline knock limit. A zonal-based kinetic interactions study is also performed to understand the knock mitigation effectiveness of EGR over the pressure–temperature domain relevant to SI engine operation. Finally, a multidimensional, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation model is shown to predict the LPG combustion characteristics and presents the evolution of in-cylinder temperature and chemical species to demonstrate the development of end-gas autoignition events without and with EGR.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2020

Intersection-distribution-based remapping between arbitrary meshes for staggered multi-material arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian hydrodynamics

In this paper, we present a new intersection-distribution-based remapping method between arbitrary polygonal meshes for indirect staggered multi-material arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian hydrodynamics. All cell-centered material quantities are conservatively remapped using intersections between the Lagrangian (old, source) mesh and the rezoned (new, target) mesh. The new nodal masses are obtained by conservative distribution of all material masses in each new cell to the cell's corners and then collecting those corner masses at new nodes. This distribution is done using a local constrained optimization approach for each cell in the new mesh. In order to remap nodal momentum we first define cell-centered momentum for each cell in the old mesh, conservatively remap this to the new mesh and then conservatively distribute the new zonal momentum to each cell's bounding nodes, again using local constrained optimization. Our method also conserves total energy by applying a new nodal kinetic energy correction that relies on a process similar to that used for remapping nodal mass and momentum. Cell-centered kinetic energy is computed, conservatively remapped and then distributed to nodes. The discrepancy between this conservatively remapped and actual nodal kinetic energy is then conservatively distributed to the internal energies of the materials in the cells surrounding each node. Unlike conventional cell-based corrections of this type, this new nodal kinetic energy correction has not been observed to drive material internal energy negative in any of our testing. Unlike flux based remapping, our new intersection-distribution method can be applied to remapping between source and target meshes that are arbitrarily different, which provides superior flexibility in the rezoning strategy. Our method is accurate, essentially conservative and essentially bounds preserving.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

A comprehensive review on the loss of wellbore integrity due to cement failure and available remedial methods

With the recent abrupt fluctuations in oil pricing and the need of complying with environmental and social requirements, nowadays it is an urgent call for the oil and gas industry to produce the hydrocarbon without any loss as well as in a safe manner. Cements are placed in the annular space of casing to provide zonal isolation in between wellbore and surface during the operational life cycle of the well or even after the abandonment. But this is not what happens most of the time. Cement degrades or loses its integrity through debonding either from the casing or formation and generates cracks or fractures due to varied reasons throughout the life of the well. Multiple causes contribute to the loss of wellbore integrity – either by physical, mechanical, or chemical processes. These failures lead to sustained casing pressure (SCP) and contamination of surrounding environment. To combat this issue or to restore the well integrity, multiple remedial actions have also been either implemented in the industry or proposed based on experimental research to prevent the damage or to seal the leakage in the cement sheath. Here, this paper will provide an extensive review of the underlying reasons of cement failure and the available remedial actions to minimize the loss of well integrity issue. These information are not only useful to know about the different corrective options available for us to implement in industry but also it will provide us a knowledge base regarding how we can enhance the performance of the exiting systems to battle the cement integrity problem more efficiently.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2025

Reduced order modeling of a fluidized bed particle receiver for concentrating solar power with thermal energy storage

Oxide particles can serve as both the heat transfer and thermal energy storage (TES) media for next-generation concentrating solar power (CSP) plants where high-temperature TES enables dispatchable electricity from efficient power cycles with firing temperatures above 600 °C. Transferring heat to flowing particles at such high temperatures in a MW-scale central tower receiver remains a challenge for the CSP community. For indirect receivers with external walls to contain the particles, maintaining wall temperatures below the limits of structural metal alloys requires high heat transfer coefficients between the wall and the moving particle stream. Bubbling fluidization of downward-flowing particles can sustain high bed-wall heat transfer coefficients (> 1000 W m -2 K -1 ). Using experimentally calibrated correlations for bed-wall heat transfer and vertical particle dispersion, this study implements an axially discretized zonal model of a counterflow fluidized bed receiver to explore how bubbling fluidization may enable indirect cavity particle receivers. High bed-wall heat transfer coefficients support solar fluxes on angled cavity walls > 200 kW m -2 at peak aperture fluxes of 980 kW m -2 while maintaining external wall temperatures < 950 °C. Lateral particle dispersion enables hotter particles near the receiver leading edge to mix with cooler particles further from the leading edge to lower maximum external wall temperatures. Parametric studies identify how mass fluxes, particle dispersion, and solar concentrations impact indirect receiver thermal efficiency and uniformity for a CSP plant. These studies provide a basis for the design of indirect fluidized-bed cavity receivers that can maintain particle outlet temperatures for TES above 750 °C.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Capacity contributions of Southern Oregon offshore wind to the Pacific Northwest and California

Variable renewable energy generation poses unique capacity challenges, which increasingly depend on weather events at varying timescales. Facilitated by transmission planning, geographic and technological diversity of the generation fleet may provide a mitigation to capacity shortfalls. In this work, offshore wind (OSW) energy is sited in the areas off the West Coast between Coos Bay, Oregon, and Crescent City, California. Three generation and transmission scenarios are modeled within the Western Interconnection: (i) 3.4 gigawatts (GW) of installed OSW capacity connected to Southern Oregon through a High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) Radial Topology in 2030; (ii) 12.9 GW of installed OSW capacity connected to Washington, Oregon, and California through a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Radial Topology post-2030, and (iii) the same 12.9 GW connected to the same locations through a Multi-terminal DC (MTDC) Backbone Topology post-2030. Zonal dispatch simulations assuming coincident wind, solar, and hydropower production and loads over 18 meteorological years, accounting for temperature-dependent equipment derating and forced outages, serve as inputs to the Associated System Capacity Contribution (ASCC) methodology. The capacity credit is 33%, 25% and 34% for the 2030 HVAC Radial Topology, 2030+ HVDC Radial Topology, and 2030+ MTDC Backbone Topology, respectively. Transmission design is shown to mitigate the typical erosion of marginal capacity contribution as more OSW is developed, underscoring the opportunity for grid modernization while decarbonizing the generation mix.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Redesigning large-scale multimodal transit networks with shared autonomous mobility services

Here, this study addresses a large-scale multimodal transit network design problem, with Shared Autonomous Mobility Services (SAMS) as both transit feeders and an origin-to-destination mode. The framework captures spatial demand and modal characteristics, considers intermodal transfers and express services, determines transit infrastructure investment and path flows, and generates transit routes. A system-optimal multimodal transit network is designed with minimum total door-to-door generalized costs of users and operators, satisfying transit origin-destination demand within a pre-set infrastructure budget. Firstly, the geography, demand, and modes in each zone are characterized with continuous approximation. The decisions of network link investment and multimodal path flows in zonal connection optimization are formulated as a minimum-cost multi-commodity network flow (MCNF) problem and solved efficiently with a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) solver. Subsequently, the route generation problem is solved by expanding the MCNF formulation to minimize intramodal transfers. The model is illustrated through a set of experiments with the Chicago network comprised of 50 zones and seven modes, under three scenarios. The computational results present savings in traveler journey time and operator cost demonstrating the potential benefits of collaboration between multimodal transit systems and SAMS.

Autonomous vehicles↗
DOE OSTI2024

Ion-temperature- and density-gradient-driven instabilities and turbulence in Wendelstein 7-X close to the stability threshold

Electrostatic gyrokinetic instabilities and turbulence in the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator are studied. Particular attention is paid to the ion-temperature-gradient (ITG) instability and its character close to marginal stability [Floquet-type turbulence (Zocco et al., Phys. Rev. E, vol. 106, 2022, p. L013202) with no electron temperature gradient]. The flux tube version of the δƒ code stella (Barnes et al., J. Comput. Phys., vol. 391, 2019, pp. 365–380) is used to run linear and nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations with kinetic electrons. The nature of the dominant instability depends on the wavelength perpendicular to the magnetic field, and the results are conveniently displayed in stability diagrams that take this dependence into account. This approach highlights the presence of universal instabilities, which are less unstable but have longer wavelengths than other modes. A quasi-linear estimate of the heat flux suggests they are relevant for transport. Close to the stability threshold, the linear eigenmodes and turbulence form highly extended structures along the computational domain if the magnetic shear is small. Numerical experiments and diagnostics are undertaken to assess the resulting radial localisation of the turbulence, which affects the interaction of the latter with zonal flows. Increasing the amplitude of the magnetic shear (e.g.through current drive) has a stabilising effect on the turbulence and, thus, reduces the nonlinear energy transport.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Interaction of Soil pH and Mineralogy Controls Soil Organic Matter Persistence through Changes in the Composition and Amount of Microbial Necromass

Microbial necromass–mineral associations are key to long-term soil organic matter (SOM) persistence. However, how soil pH and mineralogy interact to regulate SOM stability remains poorly understood. Here, we used artificial soils to test how three clay minerals (bentonite, kaolinite, and goethite), adjusted to four pH levels (5–8), affect microbial activity (respiration), microbial physiology (carbon use efficiency, CUE), microbial-derived residue material (necromass), and the formation and stability of mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM). Artificial soils were inoculated with a rhizosphere-derived microbial community cultured under the same pH conditions and on two representative simulated exudate types (organic acids and carbohydrates) and incubated for 6 weeks. In two complementary experiments, we added necromass from known microbial taxa to the same minerals across pH levels to isolate the role of necromass chemistry and loading. We found that soil pH shaped MAOM chemistry by altering microbial activity and necromass composition. In interaction with mineral type, pH also controlled MAOM thermal stability. Higher necromass loading weakened mineral-organic bonding, reducing MAOM stability, consistent with zonal mineral–organic interaction models. Our results demonstrate that microbial activity, rather than carbon use efficiency, better predicts MAOM formation and that pH-dependent necromass composition and loading govern MAOM persistence. These findings advance mechanistic understanding of SOM stabilization and have implications for predicting soil carbon dynamics under shifting environmental conditions.

carbon use efficiency↗
DOE OSTI2020

Relating CMIP5 Model Biases to Seasonal Forecast Skill in the Tropical Pacific

Abstract We examine links between tropical Pacific mean state biases and El Niño/Southern Oscillation forecast skill, using model‐analog hindcasts of sea surface temperature (SST; 1961–2015) and precipitation (1979–2015) at leads of 0–12 months, generated by 28 different models from the fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). Model‐analog forecast skill has been demonstrated to match or even exceed traditional assimilation‐initialized forecast skill in a given model. Models with the most realistic mean states and interannual variability for SST, precipitation, and 10‐m zonal winds in the equatorial Pacific also generate the most skillful precipitation forecasts in the central equatorial Pacific and the best SST forecasts at 6‐month or longer leads. These results show direct links between model climatological biases and seasonal forecast errors, demonstrating that model‐analog hindcast skill—that is, how well a model can capture the observed evolution of tropical Pacific anomalies—is an informative El Niño/Southern Oscillation metric for climate simulations.

Ding, Hui↗
DOE OSTI2020

Robust Multiyear Climate Impacts of Volcanic Eruptions in Decadal Prediction Systems

Abstract Major tropical volcanic eruptions have a large impact on climate, but there have only been three major eruptions during the recent relatively well‐observed period. Models are therefore an important tool to understand and predict the impacts of an eruption. This study uses five state‐of‐the‐art decadal prediction systems that have been initialized with the observed state before volcanic aerosols are introduced. The impact of the volcanic aerosols is found by subtracting the results of a reference experiment where the volcanic aerosols are omitted. We look for the robust impact across models and volcanoes by combining all the experiments, which helps reveal a signal even if it is weak in the models. The models used in this study simulate realistic levels of warming in the stratosphere, but zonal winds are weaker than the observations. As a consequence, models can produce a pattern similar to the North Atlantic Oscillation in the first winter following the eruption, but the response and impact on surface temperatures are weaker than in observations. Reproducing the pattern, but not the amplitude, may be related to a known model error. There are also impacts in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. This work contributes toward improving the interpretation of decadal predictions in the case of a future large tropical volcanic eruption.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Subseasonal Variability of Elevated Dust Concentrations Over South Florida

Dust mass concentrations have been measured daily at Miami, Florida, in the summer months, and biweekly throughout the remaining months, since 1974. The 43-year record of dust mass concentrations indicate large daily, seasonal, and interannual variations, with most of the dust arriving within 5–8 episodes each summer. On average, dust arrives to Miami, Florida, 10 days after emission from North Africa, with measured concentrations depending on characteristics of the lower free-tropospheric winds due to the vast travel distance. Daily dust mass concentrations from July and August, the months that contribute the most to the annual mean, are used to characterize the synoptic conditions most favorable for dust transport. Two key regions are linked with the highest daily dust mass concentrations above Miami: (i) easterly winds, averaged over 850–500 mb, over the Tropical West Atlantic [15–25°N, 45–80°W], and (ii) southerly winds, similarly averaged, over the Florida Peninsula [20–30°N,75–80°W]. Winds within these two regions are enhanced when the North Atlantic subtropical high is displaced south and zonally elongated, relocating the western edge over Florida. A dust-transport-efficiency index, based on the maximum potential for dust to arrive above Miami with limited loss to deposition or mixing, identifies high-dust loading cases on the subseasonal scale. Monthly dust-transport-efficiency values agree well with the monthly dust trends over the 43-year time span. While seasonal dust loadings have been decreasing over Florida in the past decade, the transport efficiency has been increasing, possibly due to trends in the North Atlantic subtropical high.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Quantifying Progress Across Different CMIP Phases With the ESMValTool

Abstract More than 40 model groups worldwide are participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6), providing a new and rich source of information to better understand past, present, and future climate change. Here, we use the Earth System Model Evaluation Tool (ESMValTool) to assess the performance of the CMIP6 ensemble compared to the previous generations CMIP3 and CMIP5. While CMIP5 models did not capture the observed pause in the increase in global mean surface temperature between 1998 and 2013, the historical CMIP6 simulations agree well with the observed recent temperature increase, but some models have difficulties in reproducing the observed global mean surface temperature record of the second half of the twentieth century. While systematic biases in annual mean surface temperature and precipitation remain in the CMIP6 multimodel mean, individual models and high‐resolution versions of the models show significant reductions in many long‐standing biases. Some improvements are also found in the vertical temperature, water vapor, and zonal wind speed distributions, and root‐mean‐square errors for selected fields are generally smaller with reduced intermodel spread and higher average skill in the correlation patterns relative to observations. An emerging property of the CMIP6 ensemble is a higher effective climate sensitivity with an increased range between 2.3 and 5.6 K. A possible reason for this increase in some models is improvements in cloud representation resulting in stronger shortwave cloud feedbacks than in their predecessor versions.

Bock, L.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Four Theories of the Madden‐Julian Oscillation

Abstract Studies of the Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) have progressed considerably during the past decades in observations, numerical modeling, and theoretical understanding. Many theoretical attempts have been made to identify the most essential processes responsible for the existence of the MJO. Criteria are proposed to separate a hypothesis from a theory (based on the first principles with quantitative and testable assumptions, able to predict quantitatively the fundamental scales and eastward propagation of the MJO). Four MJO theories are selected to be summarized and compared in this article: the skeleton theory, moisture‐mode theory, gravity‐wave theory, and trio‐interaction theory of the MJO. These four MJO theories are distinct from each other in their key assumptions, parameterized processes, and, particularly, selection mechanisms for the zonal spatial scale, time scale, and eastward propagation of the MJO. The comparison of the four theories and more recent development in MJO dynamical approaches lead to a realization that theoretical thinking of the MJO is diverse and understanding of MJO dynamics needs to be further advanced.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Lack of QBO–MJO Connection in CMIP6 Models

Observational analysis has indicated a strong connection between the stratospheric quasi–biennial oscillation (QBO) and tropospheric Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), with MJO activity being stronger during the easterly phase than the westerly phase of the QBO. We assess the representation of this QBO–MJO connection in 30 models participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6. While some models reasonably simulate the QBO during boreal winter, none of them capture a difference in MJO activity between easterly and westerly QBO that is larger than that which would be expected from the random sampling of internal variability. The weak signal of the simulated QBO–MJO connection may be due to the weaker amplitude of the QBO than observed, especially between 100 to 50 hPa. This weaker amplitude in the models is seen both in the QBO–related zonal wind and temperature, the latter of which is thought to be critical for destabilizing tropical convection.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Weakening of the Extratropical Storm Tracks in Solar Geoengineering Scenarios

Solar geoengineering that aims to offset global warming could nonetheless alter atmospheric temperature gradients and humidity and thus affect the extratropical storm tracks. Here, we first analyze climate model simulations from experiment G1 of the Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project, in which a reduction in incoming solar radiation balances a quadrupling of CO 2 . The Northern Hemisphere extratropical storm track weakens by a comparable amount in G1 as it does for increased CO2 only. The Southern Hemisphere storm track also weakens in G1, in contrast to a strengthening and poleward shift for increased CO 2 . Using mean available potential energy, we show that the changes in zonal-mean temperature and humidity are sufficient to explain the different responses of storm-track intensity. We also demonstrate similar weakening in a more complex geoengineering scenario. Here, our results offer insight into how geoengineering affects storm tracks, highlighting the potential for geoengineering to induce novel climate changes.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗