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All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2023

Assessment of Cloud-Based Applications Enabling a Scalable Risk-Informed Predictive Maintenance Strategy Across the Nuclear Fleet

The current light water reactor fleet uses time-based or failure-based maintenance strategies to achieve high-capacity factors. But to make nuclear more competitive in the energy market, these reactors could utilize emerging technologies in terms of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing to enable a cost-effective, predictive maintenance strategy. This report examines the feasibility of cloud computing for the nuclear industry’s needs in terms of the cloud’s computing capabilities, feasibility, and regulatory concerns. The technical viability of cloud computing was analyzed using one year worth of data from a boiling water reactor’s safety relief valve. Models were hosted on a local desktop, Idaho National Laboratory’s high-performance computer, and Microsoft Azure. Data was loaded, processed, and two types of models were trained in an A/B fashion. Based on the speed at which these actions were completed, it was used to determined that cloud computing has adequate computing resources. Additionally, the computing power can scale with the demanded load. To enable cloud computing in the existing fleet, additional sensors, networks, and other requirements must be implemented to ensure a smooth transition from current maintenance strategies. However, there is a benefit as the plant no longer needs manage their own servers, software, cybersecurity, and IT support staff. Many of these features can be offloaded on to the cloud provider. A comprehensive analysis was completed that showed the current annual cost of operating is more expensive than using cloud computing resources. Lastly, the regulatory framework does not explicitly address AI or autonomous control. Currently, the NRC and other regulatory bodies are evaluating providing guidance to address gaps rather than new regulations to address the use of AI and ML. But since many of the AI applications are focused on non-safety related applications, such as balance-of-plant components, they will likely have little or no regulatory restrictions or necessary approvals. Demonstrating how AI can improve maintenance and operation of these non-safety related systems seems like the likely path forward for implementing AI and cloud computing resources inside nuclear power plants (NPPs).

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2026

Energy Storage and the Law of Averages: How Storage Can Make Electricity More Affordable

The electric grid is planned, built, and operated to satisfy peak demand. But because peak demand only occurs for a few hours per year, customers end up paying full price for grid infrastructure that is only used for a small fraction of the year—an increasingly expensive proposition as peak demand continues to grow and more infrastructure is required to meet it. The emergence of cost-competitive energy storage technologies in recent years, however, offers the potential for a grid that is planned, built, and operated based on average demand. By strategically siting and operating energy storage throughout the electric grid, excess generation in low-demand periods can be captured and stored near customers, which then reduces the amount of electricity that needs to be generated and moved through the transmission and distribution systems during high-demand periods. This paper describes these potential benefits, supported by real-world examples of energy storage projects that have created cost savings, which points to the potential for profound and far-reaching reductions in the cost of electricity if energy storage technologies are deployed at scale throughout the electric grid. These examples will be of use to system planners and operators, utility regulators, decision makers, and stakeholders in those processes as they look for opportunities to reduce the cost of electricity in their respective systems and jurisdictions.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2023

Clean Cities Coalitions: Advancing Affordable, Domestic Transportation Fuels and Technologies Across the Country

A coordinated group of more than 75 active coalitions serve as the foundation of Clean Cities, working in communities across the country to help local decision makers and fleets understand and implement alternative and renewable fuels, idle-reduction measures, fuel economy improvements, new mobility choices, and emerging transportation technologies. The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) facilitates national coordination of the coalitions through its Technology Integration Program. Together, Clean Cities coalitions and VTO focus on advancing affordable, domestic transportation fuels, energy efficient mobility systems, and other fuel-saving technologies and practices.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Pathways for Negative-Emissions Hydrogen: Opportunities and R&D Needs

The Carbon-Negative Hydrogen Workshop, hosted by NREL in Golden, Colorado, focused on developing a shared understanding of the importance of and opportunities for generation and use of carbon-negative H2 in industrial decarbonization. Attendees helped define research needs, spot barriers to commercialization, and identify technical challenges, opportunities, and knowledge gaps for this emerging technology area. Workshop discussion themes included energy justice in early-stage research, R&D pathways for negative-emissions H2, biomass gasification to carbon-negative H2, and policy and carbon accounting considerations.

biomass↗

DOE OSTI2024

Synergies Between Nuclear Security and Critical Infrastructure: National Legal and Regulatory Frameworks

Nuclear reactors and other nuclear facilities are part of a nation's critical infrastructure assets. Key cross-sector interdependencies, in relation to energy, transportation systems, communications, emergency services, water, information technologies and others, result in inevitable synergies between legal frameworks for the security of nuclear facilities and legal frameworks for the protection of critical infrastructure. The protection of nuclear facilities against sabotage and other malicious acts is paramount in ensuring energy security and thus ensuring uninterrupted energy supply. The protection of other sectors, such as uninterrupted communications, secure water supply, and others, supports a safe and secure operation of nuclear facilities. Some countries rely on broader critical infrastructure frameworks to impose security requirements on nuclear facilities, or to achieve robust cybersecurity systems. This paper will analyze the interdependencies and synergies between the legal and regulatory frameworks for critical infrastructure protection and nuclear facilities' security by comparing various national frameworks. The paper will also propose modalities to leverage the best practices and requirements from each framework towards energy security goals and stronger national nuclear security regimes.

Man, Madalina-Anca↗

DOE OSTI2026

Cyclic moisture reactivation of calcium sorbents for long duration thermochemical energy storage

The transition to a flexible and reliable energy infrastructure, using electro-thermal energy generation technologies such as geothermal, concentrated solar power, and nuclear, usually demands simultaneous advancement of thermal energy storage (TES) to support on-demand electricity generation and industrial applications while mitigating the inherent intermittency of renewable energy sources and power outages from direct energy generation. Among TES technologies, thermochemical energy storage (TCES) based on calcium looping emerges as a compelling high-power energy storage candidate due to its high reaction enthalpy, compatibility with elevated operating temperatures, and abundance of low-cost materials. However, the long-term durability of calcium-based sorbents for TCES is hindered by surface sintering and particle aggregation, leading to performance degradation over repeated thermal cycles. This study explores a moisture hydration-based strategy to regenerate a degraded calcium sorbent and mitigate performance degradation for long duration TCES. The addition of moisture transforms calcium oxide into calcium hydroxide and produces intercalation water layers, associated with a regenerated surface area and reduced calcium oxide crystallite size. Both these effects are beneficial in restoring the sorbents' reactivity for carbonization. Additionally, an optimized hydration-assisted reactivation protocol balances the recovered energy storage capacity with heating penalty required for moisture removal from hydrated samples, resulting in an enhanced energy storage capacity up to 176% compared to benchmark sorbents that undergo cycling without reactivation after 60 cycles. In conclusion, these results highlight the potential of hydration-assisted reactivation to enhance the long-term performance of TCES, providing an effective pathway to advancing electro-thermal storage technologies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2020

GIS Visualization of Transportation Energy Consumption

Transportation is witnessing unprecedented transformation, where emerging technologies are disrupting the way we travel. Be it sharing economy, or micro-mobility, the landscape of urban transportation is undergoing a much-needed paradigm shift. In order to capture and model these shifts, researchers need to be agile in their studies of the current and future transportation landscape. The need for agility in turn calls for sophisticated, intuitive, and reliable means to visualize and share transportation data. Travel is inherently spatial, so methods of visualizing transportation information should also be rooted in spatial analysis. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are the premier technological framework to analyze and display spatial data. GIS tools have been used in the past to depict flow of vehicles, and display of network conditions (speed, congestion, etc.). However, in an ever-changing technological landscape, spanning advancements in vehicle as well as information systems, depicting vehicle flows falls short of providing a comprehensive picture of the impact these advancements have on travel related energy consumption. To address this issue, this research effort presents a web-based mapping application to visualize how travel related energy flows across a city. The application is being developed by National Renewable Energy Laboratory researchers to integrate various transportation energy consumption models within a GIS schema. This has the goal of enabling rapid analysis of energy impacts of the dramatically evolving transportation environment. The application is being developed using a Python framework for ArcGIS Online. Using road network data from the City of Columbus, Ohio and traffic data from CATT Laboratory's Regional Integrated Transportation Information System, transportation energy consumption will be modeled at a macro level. The application aims to provide highly accurate data while still maintaining the flexibility needed to adapt the model when new technologies arise. The methodology presented through this effort is expected to provide insights into how light-duty vehicles use energy on a large scale based on the road network they use. The application will also provide data exports to enable sharing and collaboration. " need for agility in turn calls for sophisticated, intuitive, and reliable means to visualize and share transportation data. Travel is inherently spatial, so methods of visualizing transportation information should also be rooted in spatial analysis. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are the premier technological framework to analyze and display spatial data. GIS tools have been used in the past to depict flow of vehicles, and display of network conditions (speed, congestion, etc.). However, in an ever-changing technological landscape, spanning advancements in vehicle as well as information systems, depicting vehicle flows falls short of providing a comprehensive picture of the impact these advancements have on travel related energy consumption. To address this issue, this research effort presents a web-based mapping application to visualize how travel related energy flows across a city. The application is being developed by National Renewable Energy Laboratory researchers to integrate various transportation energy consumption models within a GIS schema. This has the goal of enabling rapid analysis of energy impacts of the dramatically evolving transportation environment. The application is being developed using a Python framework for ArcGIS Online. Using road network data from the City of Columbus, Ohio and traffic data from CATT Laboratory's Regional Integrated Transportation Information System, transportation energy consumption will be modeled at a macro level. The application aims to provide highly accurate data while still maintaining the flexibility needed to adapt the model when new technologies arise. The methodology presented through this effort is expected to provide insights into how light-duty vehicles use energy on a large scale based on the road network they use. The application will also provide data exports to enable sharing and collaboration.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Cybersecurity for the Operational Technology Environment (CyOTE)

The Department of Energy’s Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response Office (CESER) has partnered with Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and energy companies to develop CyOTE. This research initiative addresses cybersecurity threats against operational technology (OT) networks by sharing intelligence about adversarial tactics and techniques with the energy sector. CyOTE improves the sector’s ability to detect anomalous behavior that indicates potential malicious cyber activity in OT networks.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Mechanisms of Water-Stimulated Mg 2+ Intercalation in Vanadium Oxide: Toward the Development of Hydrated Vanadium Oxide Cathodes for Mg Batteries

As lithium-ion batteries approach their theoretical limits for energy density, magnesium-ion batteries are emerging as a promising next-generation energy storage technology. However, progress in magnesium-ion battery research has been stymied by a lack of available high capacity cathode materials that can reversibly insert magnesium ions. Vanadium Oxide (V 2 O 5 ) has emerged as one of the more promising candidate cathode materials, owing to its high theoretical capacity, facile synthesis methods, and relatively high operating voltage. This review focuses on the outlook of hydrated V 2 O 5 structures as a high capacity cathode material for magnesium-ion batteries. In general, V 2 O 5 structures exhibit poor experimental capacity for magnesium-ion insertion due to sluggish magnesium-ion insertion kinetics and poor electronic conductivity. However, several decades ago, it was discovered that the addition of water to organic electrolytes significantly improves magnesium-ion insertion into V 2 O 5 . This review clarifies the various mechanisms that have been used to explain this observation, from charge shielding to proton insertion, and offers an alternative explanation that examines the possible role of structural hydroxyl groups on the V 2 O 5 surface. While the mechanism still needs to be further studied, this discovery fueled new research into V 2 O 5 electrodes that incorporate water directly as a structural element. The most promising of these hydrated V 2 O 5 materials, many of which incorporate conductive additives, nanostructured architectures, and thin film morphologies, are discussed. Ultimately, however, these hydrated V 2 O 5 structures still face a significant barrier to potential applications in magnesium-ion batteries. During full cell electrochemical cycling, these hydrated structures tend to leach water into the electrolyte and passivate the surface of the magnesium anode, leading to poor cycle life and low capacity retention. Recently, some promising strides have been made to remedy this problem, including the use of artificial solid electrolyte interphase layers as an anode protection scheme, but a call to action for more anode protection strategies that are compatible with trace water and magnesium metal is required.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2022

Powering the Blue Economy: Foundational Research and Development

To spur economic growth and revitalize the ocean, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) launched the Powering the Blue Economy™ (PBE) initiative, which aims to foster long-term, sustainable growth of the blue economy by protecting the ocean and understanding and leveraging its immense power, learning the power needs of emerging coastal and maritime markets, and advancing marine renewable energy technologies.

marine energy↗

DOE OSTI2024

Tierra del Fuego Case Study Capacity Expansion Analysis

This case study, developed by Net Zero World Initiative and the Government of Argentina, examines least-cost decarbonization pathways for Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, utilizing renewable energy, energy storage, hydrogen, and other decarbonization technologies. Being the second largest natural gas producing province in Argentina, Tierra del Fuego has historically relied on natural gas for their energy sector needs. As they look at possible decarbonization pathways, they face challenges due to extreme weather conditions, isolation from the mainland, and low population density. The study utilizes the Engage web application for capacity expansion modeling, addressing both business-as-usual (BAU) and accelerated decarbonization scenarios, with varying degrees of electrification and carbon emission constraints. Key findings reveal that an interconnection with the mainland, high contribution of wind energy development on Tierra del Fuego, energy storage, and hydrogen, coupled with energy-efficient electrification technologies (such as heat pumps and electric vehicles), emerge as the most cost-effective solutions to decarbonize, significantly reducing carbon emissions and total system energy costs. The study explores self-generation and interconnection alternatives, demonstrating the economic advantage of an interconnection of Tierra del Fuego with the mainland, as an alternative to 100% local generation. Sensitivity analyses on wind data sources and temporal resolutions, as well as projected natural gas prices, highlight the influence of external factors on the feasibility of decarbonization pathways. Challenges identified include the practicality of phasing out natural gas, economic uncertainty, cost implications of long-term storage technologies as wind energy increases, and geographical limitations for wind generation. The case study concludes that while substantial emissions reductions can be achieved by 2050, and be competitive with conventional pathways, achieving a full 100% decarbonization by 2050 would entail higher costs, particularly due to the significant reliance on storage solutions with higher contribution of wind energy. The analysis offers valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in Argentina's energy sector, emphasizing the importance of strategic planning, investment in renewable energy and storage technologies, and careful consideration of local conditions in the transition towards Net Zero targets.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2021

Modeling Variable Renewable Energy and Storage in the Power Sector

The emergence of variable renewable energy and battery storage technologies have fundamentally transformed the electric power sector and generated demand for analysis to understand their roles in future energy systems. Although unique characteristics of these resources are well-recognized and require more sophisticated methodologies to capture effectively, guidance is limited on best practices and research gaps. This paper selectively reviews recent literature and draws upon our collective modeling experience to offer recommendations to analysts and consumers of model outputs on approaches for modeling variable renewable energy and storage in long-term electric sector models. We focus on regional- and national-scale models with technological, temporal, and spatial detail given their prevalence in planning and policy analysis, though insights are applicable in other settings. The review highlights how the research frontier has advanced in representing renewables and energy storage over the past decade; however, given the many considerations involved with appropriately capturing salient economic and operational characteristics of renewables, there is a gap between commonly used models and state-of-the-art methods. Model simplifications can materially impact policy analysis associated with power sector decarbonization and high renewables deployment, and improving model representations of variable renewables can enhance insights for policymakers and other stakeholders. This review can point the way for improved methods for established models and designs for emerging ones.

energy and environmental policy↗

DOE OSTI2022

Molecular-Modified Photocathodes for Applications in Artificial Photosynthesis and Solar-to-Fuel Technologies

Nature offers inspiration for developing technologies that integrate the capture, conversion, and storage of solar energy. In this review article, we highlight principles of natural photosynthesis and artificial photosynthesis, drawing comparisons between solar energy transduction in biology and emerging solar-to-fuel technologies. Key features of the biological approach include use of earth-abundant elements and molecular interfaces for driving photoinduced charge separation reactions that power chemical transformations at global scales. Finally, for the artificial systems described in this review, emphasis is placed on advancements involving hybrid photocathodes that power fuel-forming reactions using molecular catalysts interfaced with visible-light-absorbing semiconductors.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2022

Cradle-to-Grave Lifecycle Analysis of U.S. Light-Duty Vehicle-Fuel Pathways: A Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Economic Assessment of Current (2020) and Future (2030-2035) Technologies

This study provides a comprehensive life cycle analysis (LCA), or cradle-to-grave (C2G) analysis, of the cost and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a variety of vehicle-fuel pathways, the levelized cost of driving (LCD) and cost of avoided GHG emissions. The C2G analysis assesses light duty midsize sedans and small sport utility vehicles (SUVs) across a variety of vehicle-fuel technology pathways, including conventional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs), flexible hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs) with varying vehicle ranges, and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Coming at a timely manner, given the marked increase, since 2016, in climate aspirations announced by governmental institutions and private firms both in the US and across the globe, this analysis builds on a previous comprehensive life cycle analysis, updating that study’s 2016 assumptions and methods (Elgowainy et al. 2016). These updates incorporate technological advances and changes in energy supply sources that have emerged during the intervening period. Utilizing these updated assumptions and methods, alongside more recent data, the present report accounts for a broader range of vehicle technologies and considers both current (2020) and expected future (2030-2035) conditions. Reflecting increased research interest in synthetic liquid fuels produced using renewable low-carbon electricity and CO 2 sources, electro-fuels (a.k.a. e-fuels) were added to the potential future fuel technologies that are evaluated. This study takes a “pathway” approach rather than a “scenario” approach; hence distinct, technically feasible, routes or sequences of processes starting with one or more feedstocks and ending with an intermediate or a final product are examined, not necessarily constrained by practical feedstock, economic, policy, and market considerations.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2022

Integration of Utility Distributed Energy Resource Management System and Aggregators for Evolving Distribution System Operators

With the rapid integration of distributed energy resources (DERs), distribution utilities are faced with new and unprecedented issues. New challenges introduced by high penetration of DERs range from poor observability to overload and reverse power flow problems, under-over-voltages, maloperation of legacy protection systems, and requirements for new planning procedures. Distribution utility personnel are not adequately trained, and legacy control centers are not properly equipped to cope with these issues. Fortunately, distribution energy resource management systems (DERMSs) are emerging software technologies aimed to provide distribution system operators (DSOs) with a specialized set of tools to enable them to overcome the issues caused by DERs and to maximize the benefits of the presence of high penetration of these novel resources. However, as DERMS technology is still emerging, its definition is vague and can refer to very different levels of software hierarchies, spanning from decentralized virtual power plants to DER aggregators and fully centralized enterprise systems (called utility DERMS). Although they are all frequently simply called DERMS, these software technologies have different sets of tools and aim to provide different services to different stakeholders. This paper explores how these different software technologies can complement each other, and how they can provide significant benefits to DSOs in enabling them to successfully manage evolving distribution networks with high penetration of DERs when they are integrated together into the control centers of distribution utilities.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2022

Improving energy performance metrics to maximize the benefits of disruptive technologies

Advances in appliance and equipment systems' technologies also cause changes in their technical characteristics that can affect energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions. Energy performance evaluation methods that use testing and metrics can evolve to account for energy consumption contributed from new technological characteristics. However, there is no systematic effort to enable the advancement of test procedures and performance metrics to maximize the energy, climate, and financial benefits of disruptive technologies. Therefore, it is important for countries to regularly update their energy-efficiency policy programs, such as standards and labels, by improving test procedures and metrics to reflect the innovation in emerging technologies as well as to mitigate the risk of deploying obsolete technology. This paper shows how energy performance metrics have been improving in selected appliances and equipment and provides insights to design a systematic effort to improve metrics and test procedures at the speed of ongoing changes in technologies and markets.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2020

Mobility Data and Models Informing Smart Cities

This presentation explores the interactions of Emerging Technology, Changing Urban Environments, and Urban Travel Behavior on Mobility and Energy Impacts. Key findings include quantifying impacts of emerging mobility, access and infrastructure associated with new mobility choices and services in urban areas. The results demonstrate new data collection methods and capabilities to understand and identify key levers to improve energy productivity of future mobility systems and of quickly evolving MaaS and COVID-19 contexts to monitor rapidly shifting urban mobility patterns. Under development are mode choice models for new modes versus traditional modes. Initial estimates are developed on the potential of workforce mobility strategies in shaping future energy-efficient mobility system impacts. For mode replacement and workforce mobility, this presentation offers observability into the changes in number of transactions per mode, after ride-hailing/TNC/MaaS introduction and in origins of workforce to enable user need-driven reimagining of efficient mobility systems: Seattle (SEA-TAC) airport: for every 100 new TNC transactions for ground transportation, ~27% replaced transit, 35% replaced parking, 17% replaced car rentals, and 21% replaced taxis. Similarly, at Denver International (DEN), ride-hailing transactions replaced transit, parking, car rental and taxis at a rate of 34.7%, 39.0%, 16.6%, and 9.7%, respectively. A workforce mobility tool, analysis/visualization techniques, and capabilities to understand and identify key job commute needs, new choices in access to job opportunities, and affordability aspects as levers to improve energy productivity of future integrated urban mobility systems.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY PLANNING, POLIC↗

NASA NTRS1982

A review of the salt-gradient solar pond technology

The state of the salt-gradient solar pond technology is reviewed. Highlights of findings and experiences from existing ponds to data are presented, and the behavior, energy yield, operational features, and economics of solar ponds are examined. It is concluded that salt-gradient solar ponds represent a technically feasible, environmentally benign, and economically attractive energy producing alternative. In order to bring this emerging technology to maturity, however, much research and development effort remains to be undertaken. Specific R&D areas requiring the attention and action of technical workers and decision-makers are discussed, both from the perspectives of smaller, thermally-oriented ponds and larger, electricity generating ponds.

Lin, E. I. H.↗