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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 1,513 records · Page 84
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

The ePIC dual-radiator RICH detector

The dual radiator Ring Imaging Cherenkov (dRICH) detector is required to provide continuous hadron identification from ≈3 GeV/c up to ≈50 GeV/c, and to supplement electron and positron identification from a few hundred MeV/c up to about 15 GeV/c, in the forward (ion-side) end-cap of the ePIC experiment. Such an extended momentum range imposes the use of two radiators, gas and aerogel. The common imaging system, that ensures compactness and cost-effectiveness, is based on SiPM sensors to work in a high non-uniform magnetic field. During the R&D phase, the dual radiator principle and the single component performance have been validated. A status overview of the project is presented. The design and technological choices are discussed together with the results obtained from laboratory characterization of the component demonstrators and beam tests of the evolving prototypes.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Peak Power Minimization for Commercial Thermostatically Controlled Loads in Multi-Unit Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings

The load profiles of most commercial and industrial consumers are characterized by brief periods of very high power consumption followed by intervals of lower demand. To encourage such consumers to flatten their load profiles, power utilities in and around the world often levy a monthly demand charge (DC) on the peak demand measured over brief intervals. In this work, we consider the joint optimization of energy costs (EC) and the instantaneous peak power of a multi-unit building which uses a hydronic heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system and responds to a demand response (DR) program. Despite the non-linear structure of the problem, we show how optimal solutions can be obtained efficiently using linear programming. Next, we study the power demand patterns resulting from our proposed strategy for thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs), and evaluate the strategy’s performance for various climate zones in the US, under both typical and atypical weather conditions. Finally, the results show that depending on the ambient conditions and the tariff structure, our strategy can result in utility bill savings of up to nearly 19% compared to the baseline. The results also indicate that our power control strategy can significantly reduce the instantaneous peak power consumption in commercial TCLs.

HVAC↗
DOE OSTI2022

Towards durable resistance to Septoria stem canker and leaf spot: A molecular understanding of resistance (Final Technical Report)

To identify, validate, and functionally characterize alleles that confer resistance to Septoria canker and leaf spot in Populus. The proposed research will elucidate a major mechanism of resistance to Sphaerulina musiva, the major limiting factor to plantations in eastern North America. Genome-wide association mapping, CRISPR/Cas9, and protein-protein assays will be used, enabling marker-aided breeding, reducing costs, and accelerating development of resistant varieties.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

DISCOVARY PROJECT: Material Background Report

UC/UO 2 composites have been proposed as a next generation fuel for light water reactors (LWRs). Accident tolerant fuels (ATF) have been a focus in the Advanced Fuels Campaign (AFC) to improve the safety and performance of LWRs and includes research and development efforts on the cladding and fuel. The 10 wt.% UC/UO 2 composite fuel was selected as a result of an extensive literature review and was selected due to the improvement of the fuel cycle cost. The inclusion of a UC phase in the composite material improves on the properties of standard UO 2 by increasing the uranium density of the fuel and increasing the thermal conductivity. Significant development has been carried out to refine the processing and sintering parameters and has led to a dense composite without ternary phases present. Characterization of the chemistry and microstructure has been carried out to send ahead of neutron irradiations in the Belgium Research Reactor (BR2) at SCK-CEN.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Dynamic Electric Field Assisted CO 2 Methanation

Energy-efficient advanced chemical reactions are essential for accelerating the growth of hydrocarbon economy. Sabatier reaction stands out for its potential to effectively transform carbon dioxide into valuable hydrocarbons and is an asset for long-duration Mars missions. This study explores a novel catalytic approach that harnesses electric field-assisted catalysis to substantially enhance the efficiency of the Sabatier reaction. Application of a dynamically perturbed electric field at 1000 Hz resulted in remarkable enhancements, increasing methane formation rates by over 100% at 350 °C and by 74% at 400 °C. Post-reaction catalyst characterization further revealed reduced blockage of active catalytic surface area under the applied electric field, emphasizing improved catalytic longevity and sustained activity. These results underscore the potential of tailored electric field waveforms to dynamically modulate elementary reaction kinetics and surface processes, positioning electric field-assisted catalysis as a transformative strategy for energy-efficient, cost-effective chemical manufacturing and energy conversion technologies.

42 - ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1992

Lunar Lava Tube Sensing

Large (greater than 300 m diameter) lava tube caverns appear to exist on the Moon and could provide substantial safety and cost benefits for lunar bases. Over 40 m of basalt and regolith constitute the lava tube roof and would protect both construction and operations. Constant temperatures of -20 C reduce thermal stress on structures and machines. Base designs need not incorporate heavy shielding, so lightweight materials can be used and construction can be expedited. Identification and characterization of lava tube caverns can be incorporated into current precursor lunar mission plans. Some searches can even be done from Earth. Specific recommendations for lunar lava tube search and exploration are (1) an Earth-based radar interferometer, (2) an Earth-penetrating radar (EPR) orbiter, (3) kinetic penetrators for lunar lava tube confirmation, (4) a 'Moon Bat' hovering rocket vehicle, and (5) the use of other proposed landers and orbiters to help find lunar lava tubes.

York, Cheryl Lynn↗
NASA NTRS1999

Low-Temperature Electronic Components Being Developed

In many future NASA missions, such as deep space planetary exploration and the Next Generation Space Telescope, electrical components and systems must operate reliably and efficiently in extremely low temperature environments. Most modern electronic components cannot operate below moderately low operating temperatures (-40 to -55 C). The low-temperature electronics program at the NASA Lewis Research Center is focusing on the development and characterization of low-temperature components and the integration of the developed devices into demonstrable very low-temperature (-200 C) power systems such as dc-dc converters. Such low-temperature electronics will not only tolerate hostile environments but also will reduce system size and weight by eliminating radioisotope heating units, thereby reducing launch cost, improving reliability and lifetime, and increasing energy densities. Low-temperature electronic components will also have a great influence on terrestrial applications such as medical instrumentation, magnetic levitation transportation systems, and arctic and antarctic exploration. Lewis researchers are now performing extensive evaluations of commercially available as well as custom-made devices. These include various types of energy storage and signal capacitors, power switching devices, magnetic and superconducting materials, and primary lithium batteries, to name a few.

Patterson, Richard L.↗
NASA NTRS1997

(abstract) Oblique Insonification Ultrasonic NDE of Composite Materials for Space Applications

In recent years, a great deal of research has been exerted to developing NDE methods for the characterization of the material properties of composites as well as other space structural materials. The need for information about such parameters as the elastic properties, density, and thickness are critical to the safe design and operation of such structural materials. Ultrasonics using immersion methods has played an important role in these efforts due to its capability, cost effectiveness, and ease of use. The authors designed a series of ultrasonic oblique insonification experiments in order to develop a practical field applicable NDE method for space structures.

ultrasonic composites nondestructive evaluation ND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Novel alkali intercalated and acid-exfoliated biochars with enhanced surface areas for contaminant adsorption applications

Cost-effective and eco-friendly adsorbents are essential in environmental engineering and biochar is a promising material from the perspective. A novel and efficient surface modification approach involving alkali intercalation and acid exfoliation was designed in this study to enhance the physicochemical properties of biochar. Here, the alkali intercalation process utilizes potassium hydroxide (KOH), while acid exfoliation involves varying HNO 3 , H 2 SO 4 , and H 3 PO 4 concentrations. A simple two-stage pyrolysis process was employed to facilitate the intercalation-exfoliation modification. The modified biochars were characterized using BET, SEM, XRD, etc., to understand physicochemical properties. To quantify the effectiveness of the modifications, adsorption of malachite green dye as a model moiety was investigated. Dye removal sorption rates exceeding 99 % were recorded in the case of the biochars modified through a two-step process using KOH and 0.1MH 3 PO 4 . Specifically, the highest contaminant removal of 99.9 % was recorded when 60 mg of the KOH-0.1MH 3 PO 4 biochar was employed, which is significantly higher than unmodified biochar’s 45.41 % removal at a higher dosage of 100 mg. Moreover, the adsorption kinetics revealed that all the modified biochars attained the maximum removal concentrations (~99 % removal) in a mere 300 min, indicating a tenfold improvement in adsorption rate from unmodified biochar's requirement of over 5000 min. The results achieved through this study provide a cost-effective, fast, and environment-friendly technology for enhancing the adsorption characteristics and performance of biochars toward contaminant removal.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1996

Synthesis and Characterization of a Chitosan Derivative for Electro-Optical Applications

Chitin is a naturally occurring polymer of alpha(1-4) poly N-acetylglucosamine found primarily in the shells of crustaceans and insects. This polymer is chemically and thermally stable and physically durable as a consequence of hydrogen bonding which causes the alignment and ordering of the polymer chains into microcrystals which aggregate into sheets with chiral nematic order. Industry has attempted to take advantage of chitin's properties and low cost (chitin is a waste product of the shellfish industry) to produce durable fibers and other products. This has been largely unsuccessful because of chitin's non reactivity and insolubility. Chitosan is the deacetylation product of chitin and retains many of the structural properties of chitin. Unlike chitin, chitosan is soluble in aqueous solution at reduced pH making it easier to be processed into fibers and films than chitin. Chitosan and its derivatives are now used in such commercial applications as wound dressings, waste water treatment, and in pharmaceuticals. In this study, we have synthesized a chitosan derivative, N-para-nitrophenyl chitosan (NPNPC), as a model material with potential applications in electro optics.

Prastofer, Thomas↗
DOE OSTI2024

Unlocking High Capacity and Reversible Alkaline Iron Redox Using Silicate-Sodium Hydroxide Hybrid Electrolytes

Alkaline iron (Fe) batteries are attractive due to the high abundance, low cost, and multiple valent states of Fe but show limited columbic efficiency and storage capacity when forming electrochemically inert Fe 3 O 4 on discharging and parasitic H 2 on charging. Herein, sodium silicate is found to promote Fe(OH) 2 /FeOOH against Fe(OH) 2 /Fe 3 O 4 conversions. Electrochemical experiments, operando X-ray characterization, and atomistic simulations reveal that improved Fe(OH) 2 /FeOOH conversion originates from (i) strong interaction between sodium silicate and iron oxide and (ii) silicate-induced strengthening of hydrogen-bond networks in electrolytes that inhibits water transport. Furthermore, the silicate additive suppresses hydrogen evolution by impairing energetics of water dissociation and hydroxyl de-sorption on iron surfaces. In conclusion, this new silicate-assisted redox chemistry mitigates H 2 and Fe 3 O 4 formation, improving storage capacity (199 mAh g -1 in half-cells) and coulombic efficiency (94 % after 400 full-cell cycles), paving a path to realizing green battery systems built from earth-abundant materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Explainable artificial intelligence relates perovskite luminescence images to current-voltage metrics

As the demand for low-cost, high-efficiency solar energy technologies grows, metal halide perovskite (MHP) solar cells have emerged as a promising candidate for next-generation photovoltaics due to their high power conversion efficiencies. However, their poor durability and issues with manufacturing consistency remain significant barriers to commercialization. In this work, we develop deep learning models to support materials characterization and provide insight into features and processes influencing performance. The models are trained using transfer learning of a pretrained model to predict relevant current-voltage (IV) metrics based on different combinations of input electroluminescence (EL) and photoluminescence (PL) images of MHP devices. We examine which image types are most informative in accurately predicting different IV metrics. Additionally, we use explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) techniques to provide insights into specific spatial features in the devices that drive differences in performance. We find that stabilized luminescence images (e.g. those collected after biasing the devices for at least 1 min) are better for predicting metrics of open-circuit voltage (by PL) and short-circuit current (by PL with EL), but that predicting fill factor and overall power output may use the time-evolution of EL images. Based on attribution masks generated by integrated gradients for each device performance metric, we further suggest different loss mechanisms associated with categories of large and small spatial defects. Overall, this case study highlights the potential applicability of XAI methodology for streamlining MHP device analysis and accelerating detailed understanding of the relationships between spatial defects and impacts on performance.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Digital Imaging Method for Evaluating the Kinetics of Vapochromic Response

This work describes the use of a cell phone camera and the L*a*b method (color space specified by the International Commission on Illumination) to characterize the color change in different vapochromic systems. In this study we have developed a semi-automatic color change analysis software that digitally analyzes images (e.g., video frames) collected while a vapochromic material is absorbing vapor. The advantages of using this method, as compared to reflectance spectroscopy or transmission spectroscopy through a thin film, include low cost, convenience, portability, ease of sample preparation, the absence of need for specialized equipment, and the ease of simultaneously collecting data on different samples under identical conditions. In addition, this method arguably provides direct insight into what a human would observe when monitoring these color changes by eye. Limitations of the method also are discussed in this paper.

cell phone camera, colorimetric sensing, vapor det↗
DOE OSTI2023

Mapping the pathways of photo-induced ion migration in organic-inorganic hybrid halide perovskites

Abstract Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites exhibiting exceptional photovoltaic and optoelectronic properties are of fundamental and practical interest, owing to their tunability and low manufacturing cost. For practical applications, however, challenges such as material instability and the photocurrent hysteresis occurring in perovskite solar cells under light exposure need to be understood and addressed. While extensive investigations have suggested that ion migration is a plausible origin of these detrimental effects, detailed understanding of the ion migration pathways remains elusive. Here, we report the characterization of photo-induced ion migration in perovskites using in situ laser illumination inside a scanning electron microscope, coupled with secondary electron imaging, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence with varying primary electron energies. Using methylammonium lead iodide and formamidinium lead iodide as model systems, we observed photo-induced long-range migration of halide ions over hundreds of micrometers and elucidated the transport pathways of various ions both near the surface and inside the bulk of the samples, including a surprising finding of the vertical migration of lead ions. Our study provides insights into ion migration processes in perovskites that can aid perovskite material design and processing in future applications.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Engineered enzymatic cascade converts diols to amino alcohols

Aliphatic amino alcohols such as 6-amino-1-hexanol are potential platform chemicals for a variety of advanced materials, but applications are currently limited by reagent costs. Aliphatic amino alcohols can currently be synthesized from biomass-derived diols at elevated temperatures and pressures using Ru-based catalysts that produce a mixture of amino-alcohol, diamine, and cyclic amine products. Replacing chemical amination with an enzymatic cascade would reduce resource needs and enable reactions under milder conditions. In this work, we characterized a two-enzyme cascade that selectively converts C4–C7 diols to the corresponding amino alcohols under aqueous conditions at room temperature and pressure. By engineering the rate-limiting enzyme and optimizing reaction conditions, we increased amino alcohol production nearly 30-fold, achieving a selectivity of 99%. The same enzyme cascade could also be used to convert amino alcohols into cyclic amines through reduction of the corresponding cyclic imine. This engineered cascade provides a green opportunity to sustainably synthesize asymmetric bifunctional platform chemicals.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Demonstration and Validation of Additively Manufactured Intensified Device for Enhanced Carbon Capture

In FY 2018 and 2019, ORNL personnel designed, prototyped, characterized, and tested the enhancement of amine-based carbon capture using additively manufactured intensified devices, i.e., devices combining multiple thermodynamic and kinetic processes into one unit operation. State of the art scrubbing technology often employs inter-stage cooling which requires multiple stages of single-purpose unit operations, leading to larger equipment size, higher capital cost, and sometimes less than optimal operating conditions for each piece of equipment. It was proposed that integrating multiple thermodynamic and kinetic operations into one unit could mitigate or negate these drawbacks. Heat and mass transfer studies demonstrated that an additively manufactured intensified device could significantly improve capture efficiency at bench scale. This project is a continuation of FEAA130 and aims at (1) demonstration and validation of enhanced CO 2 capture with 3D printed intensified devices (i.e., mass exchanger packing with internal cooling channels), for low-aqueous-solvent (LAS) based capture at the ORNL-constructed laboratory-scale (4.5-feet tall) column, namely Column A, with built-in cooling and (2) computational scoping on the conceptual design of a flexible and modular larger column, namely Column B, at ORNL for further demonstration of enhanced capture for aqueous solvent. To execute this multi-faceted project scope, an integrated project team from ORNL’s Manufacturing Science Division is tasked with applying capabilities in computational fluid dynamics (CFD), additive manufacturing, and absorber-scale demonstration/validation experiments.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Laboratory Validation of Integrated Lighting Systems Retrofit Performance and Energy Savings

Light-emitting diodes (LED) fixtures and lamps have emerged as leading technologies for general illumination and are a well-established energy efficiency retrofit measure in commercial buildings (from around 2% of installed fixtures and lamps in 2013 to 28% by 2020). Retrofit approaches that integrate elements, such as networked controls, daylight dimming, and advanced shade technologies lag in comparison. Integrated retrofits have been shown to increase savings over single end-use retrofits, but are perceived as higher complexity and risk. More validation of integrated lighting system performance is needed. This study presents results from laboratory testing of three packages combining fixtures, networked controls, task tuning, and daylight dimming, advanced shades, and lighting layout changes. We characterize performance in perimeter open-office zones, finding energy savings from 20% for daylight dimming and automated shades (no LED retrofit) to over 70% for LED retrofits with advanced controls and shades or lighting layout changes. We present some implementation details, including lessons learned from installation and commissioning in the laboratory setting. We also discuss cost-benefit analysis approaches for the types of packages presented, including the need to quantify and incorporate energy and non-energy benefits for advanced shades packages, which enhance occupant comfort but add significant cost.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS1987

Mobile communications satellite antenna flight experiment definition

Results of a NASA-sponsored study to determine the technical feasibility and cost of a Shuttle-based flight experiment specifically intended for the MSAT commercial user community are presented. The experiment will include demonstrations of technology in the areas of radio frequency, sensing and control, and structures. The results of the structural subsystem study summarized here include experiment objective and technical approach, experiment structural description, structure/environment interactions, structural characterization, thermal characterization, structural measurement system, and experiment functional description.

Freeland, Robert E.↗