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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 1,423 records · Page 79
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

The Jefferson Lab Eta Factory Experiment and Applications of PbWO4 Calorimeters in Future Experimental Facilities

The goal of the new JLab Eta Factory (JEF) experiment, conducted with the GlueX detector in Hall D at Jefferson Lab, is to perform measurements of various ¿(') decays with a primary focus on rare neutral modes. The experiment’s physics program ranges from precision tests of low-energy QCD to searches for gauge bosons with masses below 1 GeV that could couple the Standard Model (SM) sector to the dark sector. The experiment will collect a high-statistics data sample of ¿(') mesons produced via a beam of tagged photons. The GlueX detector features a large, nearly uniform acceptance for both neutral and charged particles, enabling efficient identification of complex multi-particle final states. To meet the requirements of the JEF experiment, the inner section of the forward lead-glass calorimeter in the GlueX detector has been upgraded with lead tungstate (PbWO4) scintillating crystals. PbWO4 offers exceptional characteristics, such as a small radiation length and Molire radius, and large light yield, that make it ideal for constructing high- granularity, high-resolution, radiation-hard detectors. These properties enable excellent spatial separation and energy resolution of reconstructed electromagnetic showers, establishing PbWO4 as the material of choice for many high-precision experiments. The JEF experiment began data collection in April 2025 and will operate concurrently with the GlueX experiment, whose primary objective is the search for gluonic excitations in the meson spectrum. I will give an overview of the JEF experiment, the GlueX detector, and the feasibility of further upgrades to support future ¿ physics studies. Special attention will be given to the newly constructed PbWO4 scintillating calorimeter and recent advancements in calorimeter instrumentation.

Somov, Alexander↗
DOE OSTI2025

Lessons from Testing the First Three US HL-LHC Cryo-Assemblies at FNAL

The US High-Luminosity LHC Accelerator Upgrade Project (AUP) collaborates with CERN to deliver 10 cryo-assemblies for the High-Luminosity LHC upgrade at CERN. Those comprise the Q1/Q3 quadrupole optical elements in the accelerator and are based on Nb3Sn technology, for the first time in a large particle accelerator. So far three cryo-assemblies were tested at the Fermilab’s horizontal magnet test facility, specifically redesigned to serve those needs. This work gives an overview of the facility and its necessary evolution as the campaign progressed; main results and observations from the cryo-assembly tests are presented and discussed in the context of overall performance and expectations toward the completion of efforts. Lessons learned after multiple cryo-assembly tests by the same team are critical to ensure continuous success of the whole enterprise – those are openly shared.

Stoynev, Stoyan [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Real-Time Artificial Intelligence for Particle Reconstruction and Higgs Physics

With the discovery of the Higgs boson at the CERN LHC, the world's highest-energy particle accelerator complex, scientists have acquired an important tool to study the fundamental building blocks of the universe. Precision measurements of Higgs bosons produced with large momentum allow for unique insights into the structure of the interactions of the Higgs boson with other particles that may shed light on physics beyond the standard model. While experimentally challenging, exploring such interactions with novel artificial intelligence (AI) methods can advance our understanding of the Higgs sector, including the Higgs boson's self-interaction. Moreover, the LHC is undergoing a major upgrade to further increase its particle collision rate and thereby operate for an additional decade. The experimental detectors at the upgraded facility must process at least a factor of ten more data at rates of hundreds of terabytes per second all under challenging conditions. New AI techniques are required to reconstruct and select, or trigger on, the most physics-sensitive events in real-time to handle the resulting avalanche of data. The proposed research will achieve the goals of the LHC program at the CMS experiment by developing a sub-microsecond event reconstruction system using real-time AI algorithms that employ field-programmable gate array technologies. By harnessing sophisticated AI techniques, this research focuses on measuring the production of Higgs bosons at large momentum while enhancing particle reconstruction methods in the trigger and beyond. Overall, the proposed research has broader implications for the use of AI in resource-constrained, low-latency embedded applications across all fields of science.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Klickitat Valley Health Central Utility Plant Modernization

This project replaced legacy heating and cooling equipment at Klickitat Valley Health (KVH), a rural hospital in Goldendale, Washington. Work included constructing a new chiller building, installing modern hydronic piping systems, replacing the main Emergency Department air handler (Air Handlining Unit (AHU-1)), upgrading electrical systems, and converting the Emergency Department wing from electric reheat to hydronic heating and cooling. Commissioning, testing, adjusting, and balancing were completed under this grant. These upgrades improve energy efficiency, operational resilience, and system reliability while preparing the campus for future electrification and renewable energy integration. They also support growth in healthcare services for a rural population. The project directly reduces energy costs and provides a foundation for future decarbonization measures, including a FEMA-funded microgrid and a large-scale ground source heat pump (GSHP) project. These follow-on initiatives would not have been possible without the hydronic backbone built through this project.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

Value of Nuclear Energy to the Reliability of the North American Power System: Results for Western and Eastern Interconnections

This report documents the fulfillment of a milestone for the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program: completing a baseline study of regional impact of nuclear power plants and hydrogen production in maintaining grid services and power quality. Models have been comprehensively demonstrated for the Western Interconnection, or Western Electric Coordinating Council area, and in the Eastern Interconnection for scenarios representative of past extreme events (e.g., drought and heat waves). Understanding the impact on the reliability of the bulk electric system of any reduction in generation capacity from nuclear power, for any reason, is the motivation of this work. Factors that might lead to the premature or unplanned closure of nuclear plants, extended outages, or repurposing of nuclear power include: • Aging infrastructure: Many nuclear power plants in the U.S. are nearing the end of their designed operating lives. Upgrading aging infrastructure can be expensive, and some utilities may choose to retire plants rather than invest in costly upgrades. • Low wholesale electricity prices: The deregulation of the electricity market in many states has led to increased competition and driven down wholesale electricity prices, causing nuclear power operators to seek other revenue sources for their heat and power such as clean hydrogen production. • Renewables growth: The rapid growth of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power is posing a challenge to traditional generation sources like nuclear. While many see renewables as a key part of the clean energy transition, their intermittent nature requires additional grid solutions for reliable power supply. • The potential for regulatory decisions to be in conflict: In its 2021 rulemaking, EPA rule (86 FR 880), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set a compliance date for the ban on processing and distribution in commerce of Decabromodiphenyl Ether (DecaBDE). Since DecaBDE is in many components, particularly wiring, of nuclear power plants which are deemed safety-related or important to safety, three plants would not have been able to restart after their 2023 spring outages, and numerous others would have faced issues in the near future. Fortunately, in this case, the EPA provided relief to the nuclear energy industry. The report provides a summary of the significant role nuclear energy plays in the United States’ power generation mix, supplying around 20% of the nation’s electricity generation, spread across 28 U.S. states. Nuclear power is reliable, mostly unaffected by weather and seasonal changes, and provides a consistent source of baseload power. In terms of capacity, nuclear power plants account for as much as 26% of balancing area power generation capacity. Nuclear power also provides a substantial contribution (e.g., 10% of the inertia in the Eastern Interconnection) of the synchronous spinning mass/inertia that buffers the rate at which frequency changes when a load and generation imbalance occurs (e.g., a large plant trips or a load is suddenly shed due to a transmission outage). This contribution is critical for maintaining grid stability during sudden changes in load or generation.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Analyzing SCM Grid Benefits from Electric Transportation [Slides]

Increasing adoption of EVs and expanding unmanaged charging loads could increase the cost of transportation energy due to increasing load variability and shrinking infrastructure capacity. The actual cost of transportation energy, such as charging an EV, depends on several factors including energy costs, charging infrastructure costs, and applicable grid upgrades. Based on studies from past DOE projects; RECHARGE, DirectXFC, FUSE and 21st Century Truck Partnership (21CTP) the EV-CENTS project will develop a transportation energy cost metric to better quantify these factors and provide a framework for assessing the value potential of new technology solutions, such as smart charge management (SCM), which could reduce these costs for all stakeholders. The initial assessment will focus on the cost of charging, which will vary across vehicle classes such as light-duty vehicles (LDV) or medium and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDV), as well as across different vocations resulting in many different use cases for this metric. Cost of charging results will be developed for each use case in both uncontrolled and controlled scenarios to understand the value potential of different SCM objective functions and their ability to optimize the cost of energy and delay or eliminate the need for electrical upgrades.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Communications Reliability for Vehicle Grid Integration

Electric Vehicles (EVs) adoption rate has been steadily increasing in the US leading to a growing number of charging stations including faster DC (Direct Current) chargers and slower Level 1 and Level 2 AC (Alternating Current) chargers. This increase in demand for electricity is further exacerbated by recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, advanced manufacturing, and digitization. These factors will require electric utilities to upgrade their infrastructure to keep up with the increasing electrical demand (especially during peak hours). An easy way to counteract the need for these upgrades is to shift a major chunk of active charge sessions (durations where there is energy transfer from charger to EV's propulsion battery) to off-peak hours thereby flattening the load curve and making the infrastructure more resilient. This concept is known as Smart Charge Management (SCM). EV owners also benefit from SCM since it lowers their charging costs and consequently their transportation costs by prioritizing charging during off-peak hours. SCM takes advantage of EV's capability to act as a controllable load or DER (Distributed Energy Resource). This report summarizes the reliability analysis performed on the communication required for two of these SCM use-cases. This analysis only focuses on SCM strategies for unidirectional charging (energy transfer from EVSE to EV or V1G) and not bidirectional charging.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2026

US HL-LHC cryo-assemblies at FNAL - testing and lessons learned

The U.S. High-Luminosity LHC Accelerator Upgrade Project (AUP) is fabricating ten cryogenic assemblies for the HL-LHC Q1/Q3 quadrupole optics at CERN, each integrating two Nb_{3}Sn-based magnets. Fermilab has tested three assemblies (LQXFA/B01–03) at its upgraded horizontal test stand under 1.9 K conditions. Overview of the test stand and the cryo-assembly tests is given along with main results. Challenges met and lessons learned are discussed. Successful testing validates the design and integration of U.S.-produced cryo-assemblies, keeping the project on track for timely delivery to CERN.

Stoynev, Stoyan [Fermilab] (ORCID:0000000345637702↗
DOE OSTI2025

Trigger-System Development for the HGCAL Cassette Testing (Final Report, Summer Internship 2023)

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will be upgraded to increase the instantaneous luminosity, which will result in an increase in the number of collisions from the 15 pile-up events of the first run of phase 1 to the 150-200 pile-up events of phase 2. Increasing the number of collisions means increasing the amount of radiation that the experiments will absorb. To meet these challenging conditions, the CMS calorimeters need to be upgraded. The new version of the hadronic HGCAL (High Granularity CALorimeters) in the endcaps will be assembled and tested in Fermilab’s laboratory. This report describes the new trigger system for testing the HGCAL’s cassettes.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Frequency-Selectable Laser Source (FLS) for Cosmic Microwave Background Experiments

Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) experiments measure remnant radiation from the early universe and use that data to determine fundamental properties of the universe. We can constrain key parameters, such as \textit{r}, the cosmic tensor-to-scalar ratio, and $N_\text{eff}$, the effective number of relativistic species, by analyzing the CMB power spectra. Improving our measurements of the CMB requires improving our instrument systematics, one of the most important of which is detector bandpass. Current experiments use a Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) to measure bandpass. However, the FTS is systematics limited, and cannot achieve the accuracy needed to make improved CMB measurements. For this reason, we are developing a new instrument, the Frequency-Selectable Laser Source (FLS) to decrease the uncertainty in bandpass by an order of magnitude. In this paper, we describe work completed to support the version 2 upgrade to the FLS. Using ray-tracing software, we modeled the FLS optics to set physical tolerances for the new design. We also discuss the laser calibration, and future work to be completed in further development of the FLS upgrade.

Rosen-Turits, Gabriel M.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Meadowview Neighborhood Electrification Project

Awarded a Congressionally Directed Spend (CDS) in 2023, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has successfully executed the Meadowview Neighborhood Electrification Project designed to demonstrate the efficacy of residential energy efficiency and weatherization upgrades for under-resourced communities positively impacting energy use reductions, financial metrics, and indoor air quality. Initially, the project sought to electrify and upgrade 300 homes in Sacramento’s Meadowview neighborhood. However, as interest and momentum grew, the project team proved increasingly efficient and was able to retrofit 374 homes. The project built on SMUD’s years of effort increasing energy efficiency, weatherization, and electrification for low-income residential customers—moving beyond incremental improvements toward full home electrification where it was both feasible and cost-effective.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2026

Physics of Ultra-High Energy Density Relativistic Plasmas from Ordered Nanostructures

This award funded a four-year program at Colorado State University on the physics of ultra-high energy density plasmas generated by focusing femtosecond, >1021 Wcm-2 laser pulses onto ordered nanowire arrays. We used the ALEPH petawatt-class Ti:Sa laser with its high contrast 400 nm second harmonic beamline to irradiate arrays of Ni and TiO2 nanowires made by template assisted electrodeposition and atomic layer deposition over a wide range of average densities. We met two of the three original project goals: radial ion acceleration via doppler shifted K shell emission, and time and spectrally resolved K shell measurements. The main experimental advance was integrating the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) TREX ultrafast x-ray streak camera with a suite of spherically bent quartz Bragg crystal spectrometers built using Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) methodology. This is the first TREX-on-bent-quartz setup fielded at a femtosecond, >1021 Wcm-2 facility. It is now a permanent diagnostic at ALEPH and is offered to the LaserNetUS user community. The program produced three peer reviewed journal articles that acknowledge this award. The platform will continue at the upgraded CSU ATLAS facility, where the ALEPH laser is being upgraded to 2 PW.

Hollinger, Reed [Colorado State University]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Unalakleet Microgrid Optimization for Tribal Community Resilience

The Unalakleet Microgrid Optimization Project aimed to strengthen the reliability and efficiency of the isolated electric power system that serves the Tribal community of Unalakleet, Alaska. The community relies entirely on a local wind-diesel microgrid, consisting of four 475 kW diesel generators and six 100 kW wind turbines, to provide electricity to approximately 745 residents and Tribal facilities. Because Unalakleet is not on a road system and is located nearly 400 miles from the nearest major power grid, maintaining a resilient and efficient local energy system is critical. The scope of this project included upgrading a portion of the transmission line between the wind farm and the power plant to increase voltage and reduce line losses, along with modernizing the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to improve monitoring, control, and data management of the power system. These upgrades were designed to increase wind energy utilization, reduce diesel fuel consumption by tens of thousands of gallons annually, and improve overall grid stability. By allowing more of the community’s electricity to be supplied by local renewable wind resources, the project was designed to lower operating costs, reduce dependence on imported fuel, and strengthen the long-term resilience of the power system. These improvements represent an important step toward the community’s long-term energy vision of expanding renewable generation, incorporating energy storage, and eventually achieving “diesels-off” operation, where essential Tribal loads are powered primarily by local renewable resources.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Winnett Public School District Energy Improvements

The Winnett Public School District Energy Improvement Project was funded through the U.S. Department of Energy's Renew America's Schools Program, which supports rural and underserved school districts in upgrading aging facilities and improving energy performance. The completed improvements directly advance the program's objectives by replacing the District's outdated coal-fired heating system with a modern, high-efficiency propane boiler system, while also enhancing ventilation systems and building envelope performance throughout the school. These upgrades provide a more reliable heating system and improved indoor air quality, creating a healthier and more comfortable environment for students and staff. In addition, replacing the aging boiler system has reduced long-term maintenance demands for one of Montana's most rural school districts, allowing the District to redirect limited financial resources toward other critical needs.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2026

NLR CSP Optical Facilities: Illuminating the Path Forward Through Innovation and Impact: Agreement 38490

This initiative is a multi-faceted project at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) aimed at strengthening its Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Optical Facilities to advance the development of low-cost, high-performance materials for solar and other applications. The project's strategy is built on three pillars: strategic stakeholder engagement, diligent facility maintenance and utilization, and the development of new research capabilities. The overarching goal is to ensure the facilities remain state-of-the-art resources for industry and academia, thereby accelerating the conversion of concentrated sunlight into energy. A key driver of the project is an international Advisory Board, which provides critical guidance on research priorities and industry needs, leading to new collaborations and secured funding. This external engagement, combined with proactive outreach to industry partners, ensures the lab's work remains aligned with real-world challenges, including materials durability and performance certification. Significant efforts in facility maintenance have addressed challenges with aging infrastructure. Notable achievements include the complete refurbishment of the hail-damaged Ultra-Accelerated Weathering System (UAWS) and the successful replacement of a failing 15-year-old Lambda 1050 spectrophotometer with a new-generation model, substantially upgrading material characterization capabilities. These maintenance activities were complemented by achieving a prestigious ISO 9001:2015 certification for the Advanced Optical Materials Labs, formally recognizing the quality and reliability of NLR's measurement capabilities. Despite these successes, challenges remain, including high demand for the High Flux Solar Furnace (HFSF) and intermittent failures of other key instruments. The project has delivered major advancements in research techniques and capabilities. At the Flatirons campus, a new indoor laboratory, was established to house advanced deflectometry and photogrammetry systems for heliostat characterization. For on-sun testing, a novel, actively cooled turning mirror was developed for the HFSF, enabling more realistic testing of particle receivers and components. A collaboration with Virginia Tech successfully demonstrated the high-temperature durability of a new solar absorber coating through extensive cyclic testing. Concurrently, new modeling took place to better predict material degradation on rough, fractal surfaces. In summary, this project has systematically enhanced NLR's CSP Optical Facilities through strategic upgrades, rigorous maintenance, and stakeholder-guided research. By overcoming equipment failures, budgetary constraints, and logistical hurdles, the project has reinforced NLR's role as a central hub for CSP innovation and materials testing. Future work will focus on securing diverse funding, expanding collaborations, and continuing to provide the critical infrastructure needed to accelerate the development and deployment of next-generation technologies.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Complete time-resolved X-ray shape capability for a 10 MJ implosion: Milestone Report for MRT 8818

This report documents completion of MRT 8818, which established an upgraded equatorial time-resolved X-ray imaging capability for high-yield inertial confinement fusion experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) using the equatorial Dilation X-ray Imager (DIXI). The need for this work arose from the sustained increase in fusion yield at NIF, which progressively intensified the neutron and gamma-ray environment experienced by target diagnostics. Although the existing polar imaging capability, particularly the Polar Dilation X-ray Imager (PDIXI), remained viable at high yields, the equatorial capability became inadequate because of radiation-induced failure of electronic readout hardware and increasing background levels that degraded image quality and ultimately caused saturation. The work performed under MRT 8818 addressed this limitation through a combination of hardware replacement, background characterization, and targeted mitigation. The DIXI backend was converted from CCD-based electronic readout to photographic film, and the principal sources of internally generated background were investigated using prior analyses, dedicated tests, and comparison with PDIXI performance on high-yield shots. This effort led to implementation of two principal improvements: a multilayer optical coating to suppress broadband radiation-induced background generated in the fiber-optic extension cylinder, and replacement of Kodak TMAX 400 film with Agfa Copex Rapid to reduce background generated directly in the film. These upgrades were completed in 2025 and performance assessment based on DT shot data since then, comparing with Polar DIXI and scaling of these experiments to 10 MJ indicates an expected signal-to-background ratio of approximately 34 for a single pinhole image, substantially exceeding the MRT 8818 completion criterion of SNR > 5.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗