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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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Sustainability assessment of alternative jet fuel for the U.S. Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense (DoD) is considering replacing the 2.8 billion gallons of petroleum jet fuel consumed within the continental United States (CONUS) annually with alternative jet fuels to reduce vulnerability to price and supply fluctuations and improve sustainability. We evaluate the feasibility of replacing DoD CONUS jet fuel with alternative jet fuel from domestic feedstocks and assess the cost, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, energy balance, land, water, and fertilizer impacts of nine alternative jet fuel pathways. The feedstocks include terrestrial crops (soy, corn, wood, and grass), marine microalgae, and by-products (forestry residue, municipal solid waste, and waste oil) converted by extraction, fermentation, or thermo-chemical conversion, paired with upgrading steps. We found that domestic biomass feedstocks can meet the DoD CONUS jet fuel demand without significantly affecting food supply. Alternative pathways cost more than petroleum jet fuel ($0.78 l -1 and emitting 89 g CO 2 equivalent (CO 2e ) MJ -1 ), but many lowered GHG emissions. The forestry residue and waste oil pathways yielded the lowest costs ($\$0.92$ and $\$0.82$ l -1 , respectively), decreased emissions (23 and 35 g CO 2 e MJ -1 , respectively), and had negligible effects on land, water, and fertilizer resources. Finally, tradeoffs among sustainability metrics are further explored with a sensitivity analysis and by evaluating carbon-cost scenarios.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Weather effects on the lifecycle of U.S. Department of Defense equipment replacement (WELDER)

Extreme weather has a direct and significant impact on buildings and infrastructure, resulting in billions of dollars of damage each year. This problem continues to grow as climate patterns change and buildings are exposed to new and different hazards than what they were designed to withstand. In order to better plan for the long-range sustainment, restoration, modernization, and eventual recapitalization of these buildings, organizations with large building portfolios, such as the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), must have an awareness of the risks that these extreme weather events present. This research aimed to develop an approach to estimate condition loss and reduction in service life for the components of a building due to extreme weather hazards, to understand the risks that may be present in certain buildings and building systems. To achieve this objective, a damage association matrix was developed that categorizes climate hazards, the damage modes that they produce, and the individual component types impacted. This damage matrix formally links state-of-the-art climate model output, which provides projections of the probability of various climate hazards with a damage effects model that quantifies the consequence on component-level condition and service life. This method is applied to an actual portfolio of buildings in a particular geographic location and with a pre-defined component inventory that comprises the building. This approach can be aggregated to the system-, facility-, and site-level thus helping support billions of dollars in recapitalization decisions related to restoration/modernization of facilities.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Validating Safecast data by comparisons to a U. S. Department of Energy Fukushima Prefecture aerial survey

Safecast is a volunteered geographic information (VGI) project where the lay public collects radiation measurements via hand-held sensors that are uploaded to a central server and then made freely available. However, Safecast data fidelity is uncertain given that the these sensors are hand assembled with various levels of technical proficiency, and that the sensors may not be properly deployed. We validated Safecast data gathered in the Fukushima Prefecture shortly after the Daiichi nuclear power plant catastrophe by comparing it with authoritative data collected by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) during the same period. We found that the two data sets were highly correlated, though the DOE/NNSA observations were generally higher than the Safecast measurements. We concluded that this high correlation alone makes Safecast a viable data source for detecting and monitoring fallout during radiological emergencies.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2019

Bioaccumulation of 137 Cs in anuran larvae utilizing a contaminated effluent canal on the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site

As a result of activities such as nuclear weapons testing, nuclear power generation and waste disposal, and nuclear accidents, radiocesium ( 137 Cs) is a widely distributed radio-contaminant of concern that readily accumulates in exposed wildlife. Although bioaccumulation of 137 Cs is an important factor for understanding its fate within the environment, there are currently limited data available on bioaccumulation patterns of 137 Cs in amphibians, despite their widespread distribution and potential to transport contaminants between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the amount of time necessary for anuran larvae experimentally placed in a contaminated system to reach a steady-state whole-body 137 Cs concentration, and to determine the threshold at which that steady-state 137 Cs concentration occurred for tadpoles within our study system. By restricting uncontaminated bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) larvae to three experimental enclosures located along a 137 Cs contaminated effluent canal on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site, we modeled 137 Cs uptake through time using the von Bertalanffy modification of the Richards Model. The results of our modified Richards Model indicate that bullfrog tadpoles achieved steady-state 137 Cs concentrations of 3.68-4.34 Bq/g 137 Cs dry whole-body weight after 11.63-15.50 days of exposure among sampling sites, with an average of 3.94 Bq/g after 14.07 days exposure. Radiocesium accumulation in bullfrog tadpoles was more rapid than that reported for other biota studied from other contaminated systems, likely due to incidental ingestion of sediments and a diet consisting of periphyton and other items that accumulate high levels of 137 Cs. Furthermore, given their rapid accumulation of 137 Cs and inability to leave aquatic environments prior to metamorphosis, our data suggest amphibian larvae may be useful indicators for monitoring 137 Cs distributions and bioavailability within aquatic systems.

137Cs↗
DOE OSTI2017

Clinical Chart Audits as a Potential Process Improvement Strategy Within the Radiation Therapy Department of a Community-Based Cancer Center

Within the health care profession, many organizations rely on routine clinical chart audits to detect areas for enhancement and potential triggers for error. Effective clinician documentation within the electronic treatment record is mandatory should high-quality care be maintained. This study aimed to determine what type of information might be obtained from radiation therapy treatment chart audits. This information would help to inform areas for improvement within the department and to determine whether introducing clinical chart audits as routine would be of benefit.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Key insights from US Department of Energy Better Plants workforce development bootcamps (2022–2025)

This study examines the effectiveness of the US Department of Energy’s Better Plants Program Bootcamps, which are designed to enhance participants’ technical skills in improving energy efficiency and optimizing operations in manufacturing facilities. Through the analysis of survey data collected from 529 participants across 9 bootcamps, the research investigates the motivations, benefits, and demographic trends of attendees. The findings reveal that skill acquisition and improvement are primary drivers for participation, with key benefits including hands-on training on diagnostic equipment and software tools, networking opportunities, and access to technical resources. The analysis shows strong participation from sectors characterized by high energy consumption and employment, such as chemical and transportation equipment manufacturing. Over 50% of participants have job titles that include “EHS” or “Energy” showing their key roles in leading energy efficiency and energy management efforts in manufacturing. Furthermore, the analysis highlights the distribution of participants across managerial, engineering, and technical roles, revealing a higher representation of managers and engineers. This observation suggests a need for targeted outreach to engage technicians, equipment operators, maintenance staff, and floor workers to ensure comprehensive workforce development. The post-bootcamp survey showed that the participants highly valued the opportunities for peer learning and idea exchange, and the benefits they gained from them. This research contributes to the advancement of manufacturing education by demonstrating the efficacy of specialized training in addressing critical industry challenges and fostering a more competent and empowered workforce.

Energy efficiency↗
DOE OSTI2024

Comparative life cycle assessment of remote potable water supply for the Department of Defense

The Department of Defense (DOD) and other agencies, including relief organizations, require potable water for remote missions around the globe. As part of recent initiative by the U.S. Federal government through Executive Order 14057, the DOD has been instructed to investigate the sustainability of operations and practices within the context of climate change. One such practice that needs to be addressed is the procurement of potable water, an essential requirement of any remote mission or location. Currently, there are three primary means of procuring potable water at remote locations: bottled water, on-site purification, or tie-in to existing, local infrastructure. The first two operations are often considered the most secure options, but have sustainability concerns. The purpose of this study is to compare the environmental impacts of bottled water procurement versus on-site treatment via a mobile Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit (ROWPU), which uses multiple levels of filtration to make potable water from a local source. A cradle-to-gate assessment was developed for both systems to compare different options for potable water supply. An in person inventory was paired with data taken from the Ecoinvent 3.8 database to directly compare the two systems. The two systems are compared on a 5-year timeline to analyze the environmental impact of repeated bottled water transport versus diesel generator-fueled on-site treatment. Across all impact categories, the results indicate that high energy costs of the reverse osmosis process have significantly less impact on the environment than the repetitive transport and procurement of bottled water. The results of the study have important implications for advancing sustainable operations for remote communities or temporary settlements.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Review of the U.S. Department of Energy's "Deep Dive" Effort to Understand Voltage Fade in Li- and Mn-rich Cathodes

With roughly two-thirds of daily oil consumption in the United States allotted for transportation, the possibility of efficient and affordable electric vehicles suggests a way to substantially alleviate the Country’s dependence on oil and mitigate the rise of greenhouse gases. Although commercialized Li-ion batteries do not currently meet the stringent demands of a would-be, economically competitive, electrified vehicle fleet, significant efforts are being focused on promising new materials for the next generation of Li-ion batteries. The leading class of materials most suitable for the challenge is the Li- and manganese-rich class of oxides. Denoted as LMR-NMC (Li-manganese-rich, nickel, manganese, cobalt), these materials could significantly improve energy densities, cost, and safety, relative to state-of-the-art Ni- and Co-rich Li-ion cells, if successfully developed.1 The success or failure of such a development relies heavily on understanding two defining characteristics of LMR-NMC cathodes. The first is a mechanism whereby the average voltage of cells continuously decreases with each successive charge and discharge cycle. This phenomenon, known as voltage fade, decreases the energy output of cells to unacceptable levels too early in cycling. The second characteristic is a pronounced hysteresis, or voltage difference, between charge and discharge cycles. The hysteresis represents not only an energy inefficiency (i.e., energy in vs energy out) but may also complicate the state of charge/depth of discharge management of larger systems, especially when accompanied by voltage fade. n 2012, the United States Department of Energy’s Office of Vehicle Technologies, well aware of the inherent potential of LMR-NMC materials for improving the energy density of automotive energy storage systems, tasked a team of scientists across the National Laboratory Complex to investigate the phenomenon of voltage fade. Unique studies using synchrotron X-ray absorption (XAS) and high-resolution diffraction (HR-XRD) were coupled with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), neutron diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), first-principles calculations, molecular dynamics simulations, and detailed electrochemical analyses. These studies demonstrated for the first time the atomic-scale, structure–property relationships that exist between nanoscale inhomogeneities and defects, and the macroscale, electrochemical performance of these layered oxides. These inhomogeneities and defects have been directly correlated with voltage fade and hysteresis, and a model describing these mechanisms has been proposed. This Account gives a brief summary of the findings of this recently concluded, approximately three-year investigation. Lastly, the interested reader is directed to the extensive body of work cited in the given references for a more comprehensive review of the subject.

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

Impact of Extreme Heat on Emergency Department Admissions for Childhood and Adult Asthma: An Evaluation of Earth Observations and Heat Wave Definitions

Extreme heat has been associated with adverse health outcomes, yet its impact on asthma exacerbations remains understudied. This is, in part, due to data limitations: research that relies on weather station records and aggregated health statistics cannot resolve fine-scale differences in heat impacts. This study investigates the association between heat wave definitions and summertime asthma-related emergency department visits in Baltimore, Maryland from 2016 to 2022, including 819 adult and 695 pediatric exacerbations. Using geocoded electronic health records and air temperature measurements at several spatial resolutions, we applied a case-crossover design with conditional logistic regressions at the census block group and tract levels. We found strong associations between asthma exacerbations and nighttime heat wave definitions based on relative thresholds of minimum temperatures when census block group or tract level temperature estimates were used. These relationships were significant for both age groups and showed elevated risks in socially vulnerable areas. In contrast, heat wave definitions derived from the city's primary National Weather Service synoptic weather station show associations between asthma and daytime heat extremes, suggesting that the character of the heat hazard depends on the scale at which it is defined. The extreme heat event definition used by Baltimore City's Code Red system showed no significant association with exacerbations. These findings highlight the importance of data resolution in shaping health inferences related to extreme heat in urban environments. Further, this study demonstrates that, regardless of spatial scale, extreme heat is associated with asthma exacerbations in both age groups.

Corpuz, B. [Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, M↗
DOE OSTI2015

Implementation multi representation and oral communication skills in Department of Physics Education on Elementary Physics II

The ability of multi representation has been widely studied, but there has been no implementation through a model of learning. This study aimed to determine the ability of the students multi representation, relationships multi representation capabilities and oral communication skills, as well as the application of the relations between the two capabilities through learning model Presentatif Based on Multi representation (PBM) in solving optical geometric (Elementary Physics II). A concurrent mixed methods research methods with qualitative–quantitative weights. Means of collecting data in the form of the pre-test and post-test with essay form, observation sheets oral communication skills, and assessment of learning by observation sheet PBM–learning models all have a high degree of respectively validity category is 3.91; 4.22; 4.13; 3.88. Test reliability with Alpha Cronbach technique, reliability coefficient of 0.494. The students are department of Physics Education Unnes as a research subject. Sequence multi representation tendency of students from high to low in sequence, representation of M, D, G, V; whereas the order of accuracy, the group representation V, D, G, M. Relationship multi representation ability and oral communication skills, comparable/proportional. Implementation conjunction generate grounded theory. This study should be applied to the physics of matter, or any other university for comparison.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Investigation of public exposure resulted from the radioiodine delay tank facility of nuclear medicine department

The study is carried out to assess the exposure rate that could contribute to public exposure in a radioiodine ward delay tank facility of Radiotherapy, Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Department, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM). The exposure rate at several locations including the delay tank room, doorway and at the public walking route was measured using Victoreen 415P-RYR survey meter. The radioactive level of the {sup 131}I waste was measured using Captus 3000 well counting system. The results showed that exposure rate and total count of the delay tank sample increased when the radioiodine ward was fully occupied with patient and reduced when the ward was vacant. Occupancy of radioiodine ward for two consecutive weeks had dramatically increased the exposure rate around the delay tank and radioactive level of {sup 131}I waste. The highest exposure rate and radioactive level was recorded when the ward was occupied for two consecutive weeks with 177.00 µR/h and 58.36 kcpm respectively. The exposure rate decreased 15.76 % when the door of the delay tank room was closed. The exposure rate at public walking route decreased between 15.58 % and 36.92 % as the distance increased between 1 and 3 m.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Foreword: Special issue on the U.S. Department of Energy Microreactor Program

This is a foreword for a sponsored Nuclear Technology Special Issue that is focused on the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) Microreactor Program and associated research and development (R&D) activities. Led by Idaho National Laboratory (INL), the DOE-NE Microreactor Program is one of four, national advanced reactor campaigns under the Advanced Reactor Technologies umbrella in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Deployment. The other three national advanced reactor campaigns are focused on Molten Salt, High Temperature Gas, and Fast reactor concepts providing a robust portfolio of national laboratory and university expertise and R&D infrastructure in support of enabling and accelerating commercial deployment of advanced reactor (generally non-light water cooled) concepts.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2013

The genome portal of the Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute: 2014 updates

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI), a national user facility, serves the diverse scientific community by providing integrated high-throughput sequencing and computational analysis to enable system-based scientific approaches in support of DOE missions related to clean energy generation and environmental characterization. The JGI Genome Portal (http://genome.jgi.doe.gov) provides unified access to all JGI genomic databases and analytical tools. The JGI maintains extensive data management systems and specialized analytical capabilities to manage and interpret complex genomic data. A user can search, download and explore multiple data sets available for all DOE JGI sequencing projects including their status, assemblies and annotations of sequenced genomes. In this paper, we describe major updates of the Genome Portal in the past 2 years with a specific emphasis on efficient handling of the rapidly growing amount of diverse genomic data accumulated in JGI.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Hourly Effect of Pretreatment With IV Antibiotics on Blood Culture Positivity Rate in Emergency Department Patients

Abstract Although it is intuitive that antibiotics administered before obtaining a blood culture would reduce the likelihood of obtaining a positive culture, it is not clear exactly how rapidly and to what extent blood becomes sterile after administration of intravenous (IV) antibiotics. Using a large data set of patients admitted from the UFHealth Shands Adult Emergency Department (ED) between 2012 and 2016 (n = 25 686), we had the opportunity to more closely examine the effect of starting IV antibiotics before vs after obtaining blood cultures. We present data on the effect of pretreatment with IV antibiotics for both septic and nonseptic ED patients on the blood culture positivity rate on an hour-by-hour basis, as well as the effects on distribution of species recovered and the impact of antibiotic resistance in empiric treatment with antibiotics.

Rand, Kenneth H.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Longitudinal Surveillance for Chronic Health Conditions in Former United States Department of Energy Site Workers

The aim of the study was to determine (1) the rate at which rescreening former Department of Energy site workers identifies noncommunicable chronic diseases and (2) the development of comorbid conditions. Incidence and prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, reduced kidney function, and peripheral neuropathy at both initial and return screenings were calculated. Risk ratio of chronic disease development at return screening based on the presence of other conditions at initial screening were estimated with generalized linear regression. Prevalence of reduced kidney function was 19% at initial examination and 30% at return examination. The screening program was responsible for identifying 81% of reduced kidney function cases. Similar findings were present for the other chronic conditions examined. As a result, former worker health surveillance programs help identify significant health conditions among DOE workers, subcontractors, and visitors. Longitudinal screening of participants detects additional chronic conditions.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

A comprehensive framework to assess elemental mercury in the Department of Energy: A descriptive analysis

Objective: This study investigated the relationship between personal breathing zone air samples and associated biological monitoring urine samples collected in the U.S. Department of Energy Operations. Methods: We performed standard descriptive analyses of the air sample and BEI monitoring data. We also provide a list of direct-reading instruments used in mercury field assessments. Results: A total of 2,330 air samples and 265 BEI data were analyzed. These data were grouped into 16 job titles, excluding categories with fewer than 10 samples, which resulted in 11 job titles. Conclusions: We conclude that industrial hygiene airborne sample data alone may not provide a complete assessment in exposure determination. We suggested the necessity of incorporating biological monitoring to determine the exposure.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

A comprehensive framework to assess elemental mercury in the Department of Energy: A time series analysis

Objective: This study investigated whether seasonal categories affect airborne mercury concentrations in the U.S. Department of Energy operations. Methods: We conducted an initial assessment of the general variability of airborne elemental mercury time-weighted average (TWA) samples. Then, we performed a two-component time series analysis to determine whether long-term, cyclical temperature change patterns affect mercury concentrations. Results: Both ARIMA time series models demonstrated stationary, non-random means (χ² = 83.8, p < 0.001) and standard deviation (χ² = 55.8, p < 0.001) of mercury concentrations. Here, our results indicate that the seasonal factors did not influence mercury concentration. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that mercury concentrations primarily emanate from operational activities, work practices, and/or transient environmental conditions rather than seasonal fluctuations.

Cannady, Ryan T. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (O↗