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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 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

A next generation ultra short pulse reflectometry (USPR) diagnostic

Ultrashort Pulse Reflectometry (USPR) is a plasma diagnostic technique involving the propagation and reflection of ultrashort duration (~few ns) chirps. The reflected packets pass through a multichannel filter with time-of-flight measurements performed on each of the filtered packets. A next generation USPR system is under development, spanning 28–75 GHz, for use on compact, short duration, magnetically confined fusion devices. This system presents a dramatic increase in performance compared with an earlier USPR system employed on the LLNL Sustained Spheromak Physics Experiment device more than a decade ago. The new system replaces upconverting mixers with higher power active multiplier chains to generate mm-wave transmitter chirps, with custom time-of-flight electronics reducing the time per measurement by a factor of 3X. Finally, the system is equipped with a field programmable gate array for data acquisition and analysis.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Synthesis and Purity Specifications for N,N'-Dicyclohexyl-N"-(10-nonadecyl)guanidinium Chloride for Use in Next Generation Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction

This report describes a synthesis procedure for the alkylguanidine, N,N'-dicyclohexyl-N"-(10-nonadecyl)guanidine (DCNDG), which has been identified as a promising candidate for replacing the less stable N,N',N"-tri(3,7-dimethyloctyl)guanidine (TiDG) suppressor in the Next Generation Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction (NG-CSSX) process. A verified procedure for the preparation of the amine used in this synthesis is also included. In addition, requirements for the purity of DCNDG to be utilized in the NG-CSSX process without adverse effect on the Cs + extraction and stripping are given.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Design and strategy for next-generation silicon carbide composites for nuclear energy

Silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic-based composites continue to be attractive material options for fusion in-vessel components and fission reactor core structures because of their exceptional high-temperature capability and favorable neutronic properties. As performance data accumulates, the limitations of the current generation of nuclear-grade SiC composites are becoming more apparent. These limitations mainly involve strength degradation during high-dose neutron irradiation. In this paper, we discuss several options for improving the performance of the next generation of SiC composites to enhance the radiation resistance, along with new experimental results on neutron irradiation resistance. The main emphasis is on the selection of the fibers and the design and development of alternative interphase layers for advanced composites.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Final Report: Next Generation Diamond Drumhead X-Ray Optics

Problem / Opportunity Statement: Future high-impact scientific applications at synchrotron and Free-Electron Laser (FEL) X-ray sources require the development of processing and mounting methods for ultra-thin diamond crystals to meet the most challenging needs of pioneering research at next generation light source facilities. These methods should be capable of manufacturing crystal plates as thin as 10 micrometers over an area of a few mm2, and with a surface cut in different crystal orientations, such as the diamond {100}, {111}, {110} and {113} planes. Project Purpose and Approach: In Phase I, Great Lakes Crystal Technologies (GLCT) partnered with Stonybrook University (SUNY) to created thin diamond drumhead crystals. The purpose of the Phase I project is to transfer the drumhead membrane window etching technology from SUNY to GLCT. Testing of a device using the beamline at Stanford Linear Accelerator Laboratory was initially planned, however, a delay on the part of a third party service provided required us to get beamline testing done at Argonne National Laboratory. Phase I Taskwork: Testing of a high purity diamond plate thinning and etching process was performed. By SUNY and GLCT. Plates were sent to a third party service provider for thinning to ~100 microns, however, delays required that GLCT develop an in-house thinning process to complete the taskwork. GLCT successfully developed this in-house capability even though it was initially planned to be part of the Phase II Taskwork. Multiple practice and deliverable plates were provided to SUNY to be etched into the target drumhead devices. GLCT practiced and refined an in-house plate thinning process and produced five plates with thicknesses in the 60 – 150 micron range. Processing of the plates has begun and will continue in a no-cost extension period necessitated by the third party service provider delay. GLCT also procured and installed a reactive ion etching/inductively coupled plasma system. In addition, one of the thinned plates was measured at the Applied Photon Source at APL for a pre-processing assessment of the crystalline strain. After processing the plate into a drumhead and annealing, a post-processing assessment of the strain will be performed. Phase I Results: The initial data from GLCT’s plate thinning process development, SUNY’s drumhead etching processing, and characterization at APS/ANL demonstrate our teams capabilities to achieve the project goals. Commercial Applications & Benefits: The proposed technology will benefit advanced x-ray science performed at BNL and the 70+ additional advanced beamlines around the world. There are also a number of medical and homeland security applications which could benefit from the technology.

Quayle, Paul↗
DOE OSTI2026

Radiation Effects in Used Next Generation Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Strategies

Given global commitments to significantly increase nuclear energy capacity, it is now more important than ever to develop efficient used nuclear fuel (UNF) management strategies to encourage widespread adoption of closed fuel cycles. To achieve this ambitious goal, a comprehensive understanding of radiation effects is essential for these next generation technologies, as radiolysis often limits longevity and performance. Here, we present new findings on: (i) the radiation robustness and performance of advanced sulfur chloride-based chlorination processes in the presence of nuclear materials (Fig. 1A); and (ii) the impacts of voloxidized uranium and rhenium complexation on monoamide-based UNF direct dissolution strategies (Fig 1B). These studies employed a combination of time-resolved electron pulse and dose accumulation gamma and electron beam irradiation techniques.

38 - RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCL↗
DOE OSTI2022

Recent Developments of Commercially Fabricated Horn Antenna-Coupled Transition-Edge Sensor Bolometer Detectors for Next-Generation Cosmic Microwave Background Polarimetry Experiments

Here we report on the successful fabrication of orthomode transducer-coupled transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometer arrays for cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarimetry experiments with the superconductor electronics fabrication facility at SEEQC Inc. Commercial microfabrication foundry could provide increase in detector fabrication throughput for a next-generation CMB experiment, CMB-S4, that would deploy approximately one order of magnitude more detectors than current CMB experiments. We also developed TES bolometers with two TESs in series that have two different superconducting temperatures (Tc) using a superconducting proximity effect between niobium (Nb) and aluminum-manganese (AlMn) alloy. We will discuss the motivation, design considerations, fabrication processes, test results, and how industrial detector fabrication could be a path to fabricate hundreds of detector wafers for future CMB polarimetry experiments and other experiments that require TESs and superconducting RF circuits.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

AI-Enhanced Co-Design for Next-Generation Microelectronics: Innovating Innovation [Workshop Report]

In April 5-7, 2022, Sandia National Laboratories hosted a second virtual workshop to further explore the potential for developing AI-enhanced co-design for microelectronics (AICoM). This second piece in an ongoing workshop series again brought together two themes. The first theme, co-design for next generation microelectronics, was drawn from the 2018 Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE SC) “Basic Research Needs for Microelectronics” (BRN) report (DOE/SC, 2018, 2021), which called for a “fundamental rethinking” of the traditional design approach to microelectronics, in which subject matter experts (SMEs) in each microelectronics discipline (materials, devices, circuits, algorithms, etc.) work near-independently. Instead, the BRN called for a non-hierarchical, egalitarian vision of co-design, wherein “each scientific discipline informs and engages the others” in “parallel but intimately networked efforts to create radically new capabilities.” The second theme, exploiting and advancing artificial intelligence (AI) to support co-design for microelectronics, acknowledges the continuing breakthroughs in AI that are currently enhancing and accelerating solutions to traditional design problems in materials synthesis and processing, circuit design, and electronic design automation (EDA).

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Hall interchange instability as a seed for helical magneto-Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities in magnetized liner inertial fusion Z-Pinches scaled from Z-Machine parameters to a next generation pulsed power facility

Magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) is a magneto-inertial-fusion concept that is studied on the 20-MA, 100-ns rise time Z Pulsed Power Facility at Sandia National Laboratories. Given the relative success of the platform, there is a wide interest in studying the scaled performance of this concept at a next-generation pulsed-power facility that may produce peak currents upward of 60 MA. An important aspect that requires more research is the instability dynamics of the imploding MagLIF liner, specifically how instabilities are initially seeded. It has been shown in magnetized 1-MA thin-foil liner Z-pinch implosion simulations that a Hall interchange instability (HII) effect can provide an independent seeding mechanism for helical magneto-Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities. Here in this paper, we explore this instability at higher peak currents for MagLIF using 2D discontinuous Galerkin PERSEUS simulations, an extended magneto-hydrodynamics code, which includes Hall physics. Our simulations of scaled MagLIF loads show that the growth rate of the HII is invariant to the peak current, suggesting that studies at 20-MA are directly relevant to 60-MA class machines.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

OpenUniverse2024: a shared, simulated view of the sky for the next generation of cosmological surveys

The OpenUniverse2024 simulation suite is a cross-collaboration effort to produce matched simulated imaging for multiple surveys as they would observe a common simulated sky. Both the simulated data and associated tools used to produce it are intended to uniquely enable a wide range of studies to maximize the science potential of the next generation of cosmological surveys. We have produced simulated imaging for approximately 70 deg 2 of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Wide-Fast-Deep survey and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope High-Latitude Wide-Area Survey, as well as overlapping versions of the ELAIS-S1 Deep-Drilling Field for LSST and the High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey for Roman. OpenUniverse2024 includes (i) an early version of the updated extragalactic model called Diffsky, which substantially improves the realism of optical and infrared photometry of objects, compared to previous versions of these models; (ii) updated transient models that extend through the wavelength range probed by Roman and Rubin; and (iii) improved survey, telescope, and instrument realism based on up-to-date survey plans and known properties of the instruments. It is built on a new and updated suite of simulation tools that improves the ease of consistently simulating multiple observatories viewing the same sky. The approximately 400 TB of synthetic survey imaging and simulated universe catalogs are publicly available, and we preview some scientific uses of the simulations.

large-scale structure of Universe↗
DOE OSTI2022

Building the Next Generation Through 20 Years of Solar Decathlon: From Collegiate Prize to Multifaceted Clean Energy Workforce Program: Preprint

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, initiated in 2002 as a collegiate competition that challenges student teams to design and build high-performance, low-carbon buildings powered by renewables, has always been about developing students to be the next generation of buildings professionals. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Solar Decathlon in 2022, this paper highlights its evolution from a singular prize to a multi-faceted platform preparing the broader buildings workforce to address the challenges of climate change. The original program challenged students to design and construct a residence. To improve the accessibility of the competition, the Design Challenge -- a 1-2 semester design-only competition-- was added to the Solar Decathlon platform. The Solar Decathlon has also scaled globally with events in Europe, the Middle East, China, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and India. In 2021, the Solar Decathlon broadened its reach once again by introducing Solar Decathlon Pro, a zero-energy design practicum for professional architects and engineers. This paper utilizes participation data, surveys, alumni profiles, project submissions, and more to understand how changes to the program have expanded program reach to minority-serving institutions, environmental justice communities, and impacted the building industry's capacity to construct high performance and zero energy buildings. As one of the oldest federal government prizes, the Solar Decathlon offers a roadmap for dramatically increasing prize impact and demonstrates that it continues to push boundaries to tackle decarbonization and environmental justice.

build↗
DOE OSTI2022

A next-generation toolset for the life-cycle analysis of electricity use

This works presents an overview--including background, data flow, and case study--of a tool for analyzing impacts utilizing the electricity baseline provided by ElectricityLCI and the impact-modeling techniques of Grid Mix Explorer (along with air and water quality) as a part of a next-generation LCA analytical framework.

Davis, Tyler↗
DOE OSTI2023

Beyond 15 MW: A cost of energy perspective on the next generation of drivetrain technologies for offshore wind turbines

Leading wind turbine manufacturers are racing to build larger and more powerful offshore machines. Drivetrain configurations often use a permanent-magnet synchronous generator (PMSG), in either a direct-drive configuration or coupled to a gearbox. With increasing demand for critical rare-earth magnets, new generator technologies are emerging to ensure a stable and secure supply chain. We evaluate three different topologies of radial flux synchronous generators employing high field magnets with reduced or no rare-earth content: a direct-drive interior PMSG (DD-IPMSG), a geared drivetrain combining a medium speed gearbox with a PMSG (MS-PMSG), and a direct-drive low-temperature superconducting generator (DD-LTSG). We develop a conceptual design module for each of these technologies within a larger framework for full turbine design. This provides the fairest comparison between technologies at nominal power ratings from 15-25 MW, which represent the next generation of offshore wind turbines. The analyses show that if operational expenditures (OpEx) are constant across the technologies, MS-PMSG results in the lowest LCOE with reductions of up to 7% relative to DD-IPMSG. DD-LTSG also yields lower LCOE values by 2%-3% for fixed-bottom turbines and 3%-5% with a floating platform. However, results are sensitive to OpEx assumptions, with a mere 10% increase causing the conclusions to shift.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Next-Generation Intensity-Duration-Frequency Curves for Diverse Land across the Continental United States

The current methods for designing hydrological infrastructure rely on precipitation-based intensity-duration-frequency curves. However, they cannot accurately predict flooding caused by snowmelt or rain-on-snow events, potentially leading to underdesigned infrastructure and property damage. To address these issues, next-generation intensity-duration-frequency (NG-IDF) curves have been developed for the open condition, characterizing water available for runoff from rainfall, snowmelt, and rain-on-snow. However, they lack consideration of land use land cover (LULC) factors, which can significantly affect runoff processes. We address this limitation by expanding open area NG-IDF dataset to include eight vegetated LULCs over the continental United States, including forest (deciduous, evergreen, mixed), shrub, grass, pasture, crop, and wetland. This NG-IDF 2.0 dataset offers a comprehensive analysis of hydrological extreme events and their associated drivers under different LULCs at a continental scale. It will serve as a useful resource for improving standard design practices and aiding in the assessment of infrastructure design risks. Additionally, it provides useful insights into how changes in LULC impact flooding magnitude, mechanisms, timing, and snow water supply.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Maximized Information Gain of Next Generation Pulsed Power Using Optimized Design of Z-Machine Experiments

This project develops a Bayesian optimization approach to extracting insights from Z Machine experimental data to determine if and how these insights can be used to extrapolate to a larger facility. The primary goal is to address the scientific challenge of informing how confidently experimental conditions can be predicted on a next generation facility, the design of which requires the reliable extrapolation of current high energy density technologies to regimes yet unobserved, except by costly high-fidelity computational models. Maximizing the use of presently available data and understanding how it informs future endeavors is critically important to enable transformative pulsed power and the science of extreme conditions. We explore a Bayesian optimization approach to experimental design which combines information theory, experimental data, and computational modeling to explore how information gain can be maximized.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Report of the 2026 Workshop on Next-Generation Ecosystems for Scientific Computing: Harnessing Community, Software, and AI for Cross-Disciplinary Team Science

Scientific computing is undergoing rapid transformation as advances in artificial intelligence, heterogeneous computing, automation, and data-intensive research reshape not only computational tools but also the institutions, workforce models, and collaborative practices that support scientific discovery. This report synthesizes insights from the 2026 Workshop on Next-Generation Ecosystems for Scientific Computing, the second in a three-year series focused on strengthening scientific computing ecosystems through socio-technical co-design. Workshop discussions identified four interdependent strategic themes: software ecosystems for AI-enabled scientific discovery; trust, validation, and traceability; human-AI teaming and paradigm shifts; and workforce, pedagogy, and governance. The report translates these themes into eight priorities for community action spanning shared research infrastructure, trust and traceability, user experience, human-AI teaming, workforce development, cross-sector coordination, stewardship and sustainability, and evaluation of scientific value. Together, these priorities outline directions for building scientific computing ecosystems that remain trustworthy, sustainable, innovative, and resilient as AI assumes a growing role in scientific work.

AI↗
DOE OSTI2022

High Nickel and No Cobalt - The Pursuit of Next-Generation Layered Oxide Cathodes

The prosperity of the electric vehicle industry is driving the research and development of lithium-ion batteries. As one of the core components in the entire battery system, cathode materials are currently facing major challenges in pushing higher capacity up to their theoretical limits and transitioning away from the unaffordable metals. To meet these requirements, the search for next-generation cathode materials has shifted to high-nickel and cobalt-free cathodes. In this review, we distinctly pointed out the shortcomings of cobalt in stabilizing layered structures, and systematically summarized the recent efforts to eliminate cobalt and achieve higher nickel content in layered cathode materials. Lastly, a reasonable prospect is put forward for further development of layered cathode materials and other promising candidates, which is likely to spur a wave of efforts toward developing high-performance and low-cost Li-ion batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

The material challenges of the next generation of concentrated solar power

This is an introductory seminar about the cleantech-to-market pathway with a focus on material innovation in Concentrated Solar Power. This seminar will first lay out the business model of cleantech companies to identify the players in technical innovation. With a summary of the desires of the major player, this seminar will dive into the possibility, potential, and challenges of next-generation Concentrated Solar Power to answer these desires, followed by a detailed discussion on the material challenges. The scope of our project “Scalable, Infiltration-Free Ceramic Matrix Composite for the molten salt receiver” will be presented as one potential way to solve these challenges. In the end, this seminar will present some job opportunities to inspire the audience to participate in cleantech innovation.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Physical Properties of the Salt Waste Processing Next Generation Solvent Formulation

In 2020, a review team examined the risks associated with the implementation of a new solvent formulation, similar to what was used in Modular Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU). The team identified a number of risks associated with the change and pathways to mitigate some of the risks. SRNL has been tasked with examination and testing of a Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) formulation for a Next Generation Solvent (NGS) intended for use at that facility. This formulation is known as the “$NGS\tiny{OPTIMUM}$”. This formulation consists of: 50 mM MAXCalix; 3 mM TiDG•HCl; 0.65 M Modifier; Remainder Isopar-L™. SRNL examined several physical aspects of this solvent in order to confirm its suitability for use at SWPF, such as viscosity, dispersion, surface tension, and third phase formation. Results indicate no unusual properties of this solvent when compared to the current “BOBCalix” solvent in use at SWPF.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗