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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 OSTI2016

Socioeconomic indicators for sustainable design and commercial development of algal biofuel systems

Abstract Social and economic indicators can be used to support design of sustainable energy systems. Indicators representing categories of social well‐being, energy security, external trade, profitability, resource conservation, and social acceptability have not yet been measured in published sustainability assessments for commercial algal biofuel facilities. We review socioeconomic indicators that have been modeled at the commercial scale or measured at the pilot or laboratory scale, as well as factors that affect them, and discuss additional indicators that should be measured during commercialization to form a more complete picture of socioeconomic sustainability of algal biofuels. Indicators estimated in the scientific literature include the profitability indicators, return on investment (ROI) and net present value (NPV), and the resource conservation indicator, fossil energy return on investment (EROI). These modeled indicators have clear sustainability targets and have been used to design sustainable algal biofuel systems. Factors affecting ROI, NPV, and EROI include infrastructure, process choices, and financial assumptions. The food security indicator, percent change in food price volatility , is probably zero where agricultural lands are not used for production of algae‐based biofuels; however, food‐related coproducts from algae could enhance food security. The energy security indicators energy security premium and fuel price volatility and external trade indicators terms of trade and trade volume cannot be projected into the future with accuracy prior to commercialization. Together with environmental sustainability indicators, the use of a suite of socioeconomic sustainability indicators should contribute to progress toward sustainability of algal biofuels.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2019

A review of thermochemical upgrading of pyrolysis bio‐oil: Techno‐economic analysis, life cycle assessment, and technology readiness

Abstract Technologies for upgrading fast pyrolysis bio‐oil to drop‐in fuels and coproducts are under development and show promise for decarbonizing energy supply for transportation and chemicals markets. The successful commercialization of these fuels and the technologies deployed to produce them depend on production costs, scalability, and yield. To meet environmental regulations, pyrolysis‐based biofuels need to adhere to life cycle greenhouse gas intensity standards relative to their petroleum‐based counterparts. We review literature on fast pyrolysis bio‐oil upgrading and explore key metrics that influence their commercial viability through life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno‐economic analysis (TEA) methods together with technology readiness level (TRL) evaluation. We investigate the trade‐offs among economic, environmental, and technological metrics derived from these methods for individual technologies as a means of understanding their nearness to commercialization. Although the technologies reviewed have not attained commercial investment, some have been pilot tested. Predicting the projected performance at scale‐up through models can, with industrial experience, guide decision‐making to competitively meet energy policy goals. LCA and TEA methods that ensure consistent and reproducible models at a given TRL are needed to compare alternative technologies. This study highlights the importance of integrated analysis of multiple economic, environmental, and technological metrics for understanding performance prospects and barriers among early stage technologies.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Monolignol ferulate conjugates are naturally incorporated into plant lignins

Angiosperms represent most of the terrestrial plants and are the primary research focus for the conversion of biomass to liquid fuels and coproducts. Lignin limits our access to fibers and represents a large fraction of the chemical energy stored in plant cell walls. Recently, the incorporation of monolignol ferulates into lignin polymers was accomplished via the engineering of an exotic transferase into commercially relevant poplar. We report that various angiosperm species might have convergently evolved to natively produce lignins that incorporate monolignol ferulate conjugates. We show that this activity may be accomplished by a BAHD feruloyl–coenzyme A monolignol transferase, OsFMT1 (AT5), in rice and its orthologs in other monocots.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Low-temperature dechlorination of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for production of H 2 and carbon materials using liquid metal catalysts

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is ubiquitous in everyday life; however, it is not recycled because it degrades uncontrollably into toxic products above 250°C. Therefore, it is of interest to controllably dechlorinate PVC at mild temperatures to generate narrowly distributed carbon materials. We present a catalytic route to dechlorinate PVC (~90% reduction of Cl content) at mild temperature (200°C) to produce gas H 2 (with negligible coproduction of corrosive gas HCl) and carbon materials using Ga as a liquid metal (LM) catalyst. A LM was used to promote intimate contact between PVC and the catalytic sites. During dechlorination of PVC, Cl is sequestrated in the carbonaceous solid product. Later, chlorine is easily removed with an acetone wash at room temperature. The Ga LM catalyst is reusable, outperforms a traditional supported metal catalyst, and successfully converts (untreated) discarded PVC pipe.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Alcohol Selectivity in a Synthetic Thermophilic n-Butanol Pathway Is Driven by Biocatalytic and Thermostability Characteristics of Constituent Enzymes

n-Butanol is generated as a natural product of metabolism by several microorganisms, but almost all grow at mesophilic temperatures. In this paper, a synthetic pathway for n-butanol production from acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) that functioned at 70°C was assembled in vitro from enzymes recruited from thermophilic bacteria to inform efforts for engineering butanol production into thermophilic hosts. Recombinant versions of eight thermophilic enzymes (β-ketothiolase [Thl], 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase [Hbd], and 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydratase [Crt] from Caldanaerobacter subterraneus subsp. tengcongensis; trans-2-enoyl-CoA reductase [Ter] from Spirochaeta thermophila; bifunctional acetaldehyde dehydrogenase/alcohol dehydrogenase [AdhE] from Clostridium thermocellum; and AdhE, aldehyde dehydrogenase [Bad], and butanol dehydrogenase [Bdh] from Thermoanaerobacter sp. strain X514) were utilized to examine three possible pathways for n-butanol. These pathways differed in the two steps required to convert butyryl-CoA to n-butanol: Thl-Hbd-Crt-Ter-AdhE (C. thermocellum), Thl-Hbd-Crt-Ter-AdhE (Thermoanaerobacter X514), and Thl-Hbd-Crt-Ter-Bad-Bdh. n-Butanol was produced at 70°C, but with different amounts of ethanol as a coproduct, because of the broad substrate specificities of AdhE, Bad, and Bdh. A reaction kinetics model, validated via comparison to in vitro experiments, was used to determine relative enzyme ratios needed to maximize n-butanol production. By using large relative amounts of Thl and Hbd and small amounts of Bad and Bdh, >70% conversion to n-butanol was observed in vitro, but with a 60% decrease in the predicted pathway flux. With more-selective hypothetical versions of Bad and Bdh, >70% conversion to n-butanol is predicted, with a 19% increase in pathway flux. Finally and thus, more-selective thermophilic versions of Bad, Bdh, and AdhE are needed to fully exploit biocatalytic n-butanol production at elevated temperatures.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Current Challenges in Commercially Producing Biofuels from Lignocellulosic Biomass

Biofuels that are produced from biobased materials are a good alternative to petroleum based fuels. They offer several benefits to society and the environment. Producing second generation biofuels is even more challenging than producing first generation biofuels due the complexity of the biomass and issues related to producing, harvesting, and transporting less dense biomass to centralized biorefineries. In addition to this logistic challenge, other challenges with respect to processing steps in converting biomass to liquid transportation fuel like pretreatment, hydrolysis, microbial fermentation, and fuel separation still exist and are discussed in this review. The possible coproducts that could be produced in the biorefinery and their importance to reduce the processing cost of biofuel are discussed. About $1 billion was spent in the year 2012 by the government agencies in US to meet the mandate to replace 30% existing liquid transportation fuels by 2022 which is 36 billion gallons/year. Other countries in the world have set their own targets to replace petroleum fuel by biofuels. Because of the challenges listed in this review and lack of government policies to create the demand for biofuels, it may take more time for the lignocellulosic biofuels to hit the market place than previously projected.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

DAWN: Dashboard for Agricultural Water Use and Nutrient Management—A Predictive Decision Support System to Improve Crop Production in a Changing Climate

Abstract Climate change presents huge challenges to the already-complex decisions faced by U.S. agricultural producers, as seasonal weather patterns increasingly deviate from historical tendencies. Under USDA funding, a transdisciplinary team of researchers, extension experts, educators, and stakeholders is developing a climate decision support Dashboard for Agricultural Water use and Nutrient management (DAWN) to provide Corn Belt farmers with better predictive information. DAWN’s goal is to provide credible, usable information to support decisions by creating infrastructure to make subseasonal-to-seasonal forecasts accessible. DAWN uses an integrated approach to 1) engage stakeholders to coproduce a decision support and information delivery system; 2) build a coupled modeling system to represent and transfer holistic systems knowledge into effective tools; 3) produce reliable forecasts to help stakeholders optimize crop productivity and environmental quality; and 4) integrate research and extension into experiential, transdisciplinary education. This article presents DAWN’s framework for integrating climate–agriculture research, extension, and education to bridge science and service. We also present key challenges to the creation and delivery of decision support, specifically in infrastructure development, coproduction and trust building with stakeholders, product design, effective communication, and moving tools toward use.

Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences↗
DOE OSTI2026

Hacking Kilometer-Scale Models: A Participative Model for Climate Information

In May 2025, nearly 700 participants from all around the world coalesced at 10 regional nodes and a few satellite nodes to take part in a global hackathon of kilometer-scale (horizontal grid spacing < 10 km) regional and global Earth system models. Exciting science is emerging from these efforts, ranging across novel model analysis, new ways of integrating with satellite data, and emulation with machine learning. New technologies were trialed that enable the community to work in new and complementary ways to democratize access to global information at a local scale from a set of the world’s highest-resolution climate models. The hackathon demonstrated how exascale data can be organized to be accessible to anyone. Fundamentally, the community could apply these techniques and technologies to move toward more participative models for coproduction and delivery of diverse sources of climate information for climate scientists and citizens alike.

Climate models↗
DOE OSTI2021

Expression of a bacterial 3-dehydroshikimate dehydratase (QsuB) reduces lignin and improves biomass saccharification efficiency in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.)

Abstract Background Lignin deposited in plant cell walls negatively affects biomass conversion into advanced bioproducts. There is therefore a strong interest in developing bioenergy crops with reduced lignin content or altered lignin structures. Another desired trait for bioenergy crops is the ability to accumulate novel bioproducts, which would enhance the development of economically sustainable biorefineries. As previously demonstrated in the model plant Arabidopsis, expression of a 3-dehydroshikimate dehydratase in plants offers the potential for decreasing lignin content and overproducing a value-added metabolic coproduct (i.e., protocatechuate) suitable for biological upgrading. Results The 3-dehydroshikimate dehydratase QsuB from Corynebacterium glutamicum was expressed in the bioenergy crop switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) using the stem-specific promoter of an O-methyltransferase gene ( pShOMT ) from sugarcane. The activity of pShOMT was validated in switchgrass after observation in-situ of beta-glucuronidase (GUS) activity in stem nodes of plants carrying a pShOMT::GUS fusion construct. Under controlled growth conditions, engineered switchgrass lines containing a pShOMT::QsuB construct showed reductions of lignin content, improvements of biomass saccharification efficiency, and accumulated higher amount of protocatechuate compared to control plants. Attempts to generate transgenic switchgrass lines carrying the QsuB gene under the control of the constitutive promoter pZmUbi-1 were unsuccessful, suggesting possible toxicity issues associated with ectopic QsuB expression during the plant regeneration process. Conclusion This study validates the transfer of the QsuB engineering approach from a model plant to switchgrass. We have demonstrated altered expression of two important traits: lignin content and accumulation of a co-product. We found that the choice of promoter to drive QsuB expression should be carefully considered when deploying this strategy to other bioenergy crops. Field-testing of engineered QsuB switchgrass are in progress to assess the performance of the introduced traits and agronomic performances of the transgenic plants.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Bioconversion of distillers’ grains hydrolysates to advanced biofuels by an Escherichia coli co-culture

Here, the first generation bioethanol production utilizes the starch fraction of maize, which accounts for approximately 60% of the ash-free dry weight of the grain. Scale-up of this technology for fuels applications has resulted in a massive supply of distillers’ grains with solubles (DGS) coproduct, which is rich in cellulosic polysaccharides and protein. It was surmised that DGS would be rapidly adopted for animal feed applications, however, this has not been observed based on inconsistency of the product stream and other logistics-related risks, especially toxigenic contaminants. Therefore, efficient valorization of DGS for production of petroleum displacing products will significantly improve the techno-economic feasibility and net energy return of the established starch bioethanol process. In this study, we demonstrate ‘one-pot’ bioconversion of the protein and carbohydrate fractions of a DGS hydrolysate into C4 and C5 fusel alcohols through development of a microbial consortium incorporating two engineered Escherichia coli biocatalyst strains.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Winter rye as a bioenergy feedstock: impact of crop maturity on composition, biological solubilization and potential revenue

We report that winter annual crops such as winter rye (Secale cereale L) can produce biomass feedstock on seasonally fallow land that continues to provide high-value food and feed from summer annuals such as corn and soybeans. As energy double crops, winter grasses are likely to be harvested while still immature and thus structurally different from the fully senesced plant material typically used for biofuels. This study investigates the dynamic trends in biomass yield, composition, and biological solubilization over the course of a spring harvest season. The water soluble fraction decreased with increasing maturity while total carbohydrate content stayed roughly constant at about 65%. The protein mass fraction decreased with increasing maturity, but was counterbalanced by increasing harvest yield resulting in similar total protein across harvest dates. Winter rye was ground and autoclaved then fermented at 15 g/L total solids by either (1) Clostridium thermocellum or (2) simultaneous saccharification and cofermentation (SSCF) using commercial cellulases (CTec2 and HTec2) and a xylose-fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain. Solubilization of total carbohydrate dropped significantly as winter rye matured for both C. thermocellum (from approximately 80% to approximately 50%) and SSCF (from approximately 60% to approximately 30%). C. thermocellum achieved total solubilization 33% higher than that of SSCF for the earliest harvest date and 50% higher for the latest harvest date. Potential revenue from protein and bioethanol was stable over a range of different harvest dates, with most of the revenue due to ethanol. In a crop rotation with soybean, recovery of the soluble protein from winter rye could increase per hectare protein production by 20 to 35%. Double-cropping winter rye can produce significant biomass for biofuel production and feed protein as coproduct without competing with the main summer crop. During a 24-day harvest window, the total carbohydrate content remained relatively constant while the early-harvest yielded much higher carbohydrate solubilization for both C. thermocellum fermentation and SSCF. C. thermocellum fermentation achieved higher carbohydrate solubilization than SSCF across all growth stages tested. In conclusion, although winter rye’s yield, composition, and biological reactivity change rapidly in the spring, it offers a substantial and stable income across the harvest season and thus flexibility for the farmer.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Nitrogen-dependent coordination of cell cycle, quiescence and TAG accumulation in Chlamydomonas

Abstract Microalgae hold great promises as sustainable cellular factories for the production of alternative fuels, feeds, and biopharmaceuticals for human health. While the biorefinery approach for fuels along with the coproduction of high-value compounds with industrial, therapeutic, or nutraceutical applications have the potential to make algal biofuels more economically viable, a number of challenges continue to hamper algal production systems at all levels. One such hurdle includes the metabolic trade-off often observed between the increased yields of desired products, such as triacylglycerols (TAG), and the growth of an organism. Initial genetic engineering strategies to improve lipid productivity in microalgae, which focused on overproducing the enzymes involved in fatty acid and TAG biosynthesis or inactivating competing carbon (C) metabolism, have seen some successes albeit at the cost of often greatly reduced biomass. Emergent approaches that aim at modifying the dynamics of entire metabolic pathways by engineering of pertinent transcription factors or signaling networks appear to have successfully achieved a balance between growth and neutral lipid accumulation. However, the biological knowledge of key signaling networks and molecular components linking these two processes is still incomplete in photosynthetic eukaryotes, making it difficult to optimize metabolic engineering strategies for microalgae. Here, we focus on nitrogen (N) starvation of the model green microalga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii , to present the current understanding of the nutrient-dependent switch between proliferation and quiescence, and the drastic reprogramming of metabolism that results in the storage of C compounds following N starvation. We discuss the potential components mediating the transcriptional repression of cell cycle genes and the establishment of quiescence in Chlamydomonas, and highlight the importance of signaling pathways such as those governed by the target of rapamycin (TOR) and sucrose nonfermenting-related (SnRK) kinases in the coordination of metabolic status with cellular growth. A better understanding of how the cell division cycle is regulated in response to nutrient scarcity and of the signaling pathways linking cellular growth to energy and lipid homeostasis, is essential to improve the prospects of biofuels and biomass production in microalgae.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Rapid monitoring of fermentations: a feasibility study on biological 2,3-butanediol production

2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO) is an economically important platform chemical that can be produced by the fermentation of sugars using an engineered strain of Zymomonas mobilis . These fermentations require continuous monitoring and modification of fermentation conditions to maximize 2,3-BDO yields and minimize the production of the undesired coproducts glycerol and acetoin. Because of the time required for sampling and off-line chromatographic measurement of fermentation samples, the ability of fermentation scientists to modify fermentation conditions in a timely manner is limited. The goal of this study was to test if near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) along with multivariate statistics could reduce the time needed for this analysis and enable real-time monitoring and control of the fermentation. In this work we developed partial least squares (PLS) calibration models to predict the concentrations of glucose, xylose, 2,3-BDO, acetoin, and glycerol in fermentations via NIRS using two different spectrometers and two different spectroscopy modalities. We first evaluated the feasibility of rapid NIRS monitoring through experiments where we measured the signals from each analyte of interest and built NIRS-based PLS models using spectra from synthetic samples containing uncorrelated concentrations of these analytes. All analytes showed unique spectral signatures, and this initial modeling showed that all analytes could be detected simultaneously. We then began work with samples from laboratory fermentation experiments and tested the feasibility of regression model development across two spectral collection modalities (at-line and on-line) and two instruments: a laboratory-grade instrument and a low-cost instrument with a more limited spectral range. All modalities showed promise in the ability to monitor Z. mobilis fermentations of glucose and xylose to 2,3-BDO. The low-cost instrument displayed a lower signal-to-noise ratio than the laboratory-grade instrument, which led to comparatively lower performance overall, but still provided sufficient accuracy to monitor fermentation trends. While the ease of use of on-line monitoring systems was favored as compared to at-line systems due to the lack of sampling required and potential for automated process control, we observed some decrease in performance due to the additional complexity of the sample matrix. We have demonstrated that NIRS combined with multivariate analysis can be used for at-line and on-line monitoring of the concentrations of glucose, xylose, 2,3-BDO, acetoin, and glycerol during Z. mobilis fermentations. The decrease in signal-to-noise ratio when using a low-cost spectrometer led to greater prediction error than the laboratory-grade spectrometer for at-line monitoring. The on-line monitoring modality showed great promise for real time process control via NIRS.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Data for Variability in Structural Carbohydrates, Lipid Composition, and Cellulosic Sugar Production from Industrial Hemp Varieties

The aim of this study was to determine carbohydrate recovery from hemp for ethanol production and quantify biodiesel from TAG (triacylglycerol) present in hemp. The structural composition of five different hemp varieties (Seward County-SC, York County-YC, Loup County-LC, 19 m96136-19 m, and CBD Hemp-CBD) were analyzed. Concentration of glucan and xylan ranged between 32.63 to 44.52% and 10.62 to 15.48% respectively. The biomass was then pretreated with Liquid hot water followed by disk milling and then hydrolyzed enzymatically to yield monomeric sugars. High glucose (63-85%) and xylose (73-88%) recovery was achieved. Lipids were extracted from hemp using hexane and isopropanol and then transesterified to produce biodiesel. Approximately, 50% of total fatty acids in SC, LC, and CBD hemp were linoleic acid. Palmitic acid was present between 32 to 50% in varieties YC and 19 m. Highest TAG concentration at 25% of total lipids was observed in CBD hemp. The analysis on lipid composition and high sugar recovery demonstrates hemp as a potential bioenergy crop for ethanol and biodiesel coproduction.

Biomass Analytics↗
DOE OSTI2018

Data from Ethanol Production from Corn Fiber Separated after Liquefaction in the Dry Grind Process

Conversion of corn fiber to ethanol in the dry grind process can increase ethanol yields, improve coproduct quality and contribute to process sustainability. This work investigates the use of two physio-chemical pretreatments on corn fiber and effect of cellulase enzyme dosage to improve ethanol yields. Fiber separated after liquefaction of corn was pretreated using (1) hot water pretreatment (160°C for 5, 10 or 20 min); and (2) wet disk milling and converted to ethanol. The conversion efficiencies of hot water pretreated fiber were higher than untreated fiber, with highest increase in conversion (10.4%) achieved for 5-minute residence time at 160 °C. Disk milling was not effective in increasing conversion compared to other treatments. Hydrolysis and fermentation of untreated fiber with excess cellulase enzymes resulted in 33.3% higher conversion compared to untreated fiber. Note: in “Table1_Treatments.csv”, NA = Not applicable.

Conversion↗
DOE OSTI2023

Data for Chemical-Free Production of Multiple High-Value Bioproducts from Metabolically Engineered Transgenic Sugarcane ‘Oilcane’ Bagasse and Their Recovery Using Nanofiltration

Bioenergy crops have potential for being a sustainable and renewable feedstock for biofuels and various value-added bioproducts. The study utilizes recently developed transgenic sugarcane (“oilcane”) bagasse for chemical-free coproduction of high-value bioproducts, i.e., furfurals, HMF, acetic acid, cellulosic sugars, and vegetative lipids. Hydrothermal pretreatment was optimized at 210 °C for 5 min to coproduce 6.91%, 2.67%, 5.07%, 2.42% and 37.82% (w/w) furfurals, HMF, acetic acid, vegetative lipids, and cellulosic sugars, respectively from lignocellulosic biomass. Additionally, nanofiltration system in-series was successfully established to recover sugars, furfurals, HMF, and acetic acid from the pretreatment liquor. 1st nanofiltration with Duracid NF membrane rejected ∼99% sugars. Concentrated sugars with significantly reduced inhibitory products were obtained in retentate for fermentation. 2nd nanofiltration with NF90 membrane used permeate of 1st nanofiltration as feed and rejected ∼ 86% furfurals. The work demonstrates the feasibility of coproducing and recovering multiple biochemicals from lignocellulosic biomass.

Biomass Analytics↗
DOE OSTI2024

Cyclic Injection Leads to Larger and More Frequent Induced Earthquakes under Volume-Controlled Conditions

As carbon storage technologies advance globally, methods to understand and mitigate induced earthquakes become increasingly important. Although the physical processes that relate increased subsurface pore pressure changes to induced earthquakes have long been known, reliable methods to forecast and control induced seismic sequences remain elusive. Suggested reservoir engineering scenarios for mitigating induced earthquakes typically involve modulation of the injection rate. Some operators have implemented periodic shutdowns (i.e., effective cycling of injection rates) to allow reservoir pressures to equilibrate (e.g., Paradox Valley) or shut-in wells after the occurrence of an event of concern (e.g., Basel, Switzerland). Other proposed scenarios include altering injection rates, actively managing pressures through coproduction of fluids, and preinjection brine extraction. Here, in this work, we use 3D physics-based earthquake simulations to understand the effects of different injection scenarios on induced earthquake rates, maximum event magnitudes, and postinjection seismicity. For comparability, the modeled injection considers the same cumulative volume over the project’s operational life but varies the schedule and rates of fluid injected. Simulation results show that cyclic injection leads to more frequent and larger events than constant injection. Furthermore, with intermittent injection scenario, a significant number of events are shown to occur during pauses in injection, and the seismicity rate remains elevated for longer into the postinjection phase compared to the constant injection scenario.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

NGNP Program 2013 Status and Path Forward

High temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) technology can play an important role in the energy future of the United States by extending the use of nuclear energy for non-electricity energy production missions, as well as continuing to provide a considerable base load electric power generation capability. Extending nuclear energy into the industrial and transportation sectors through the coproduction of process heat and electricity provides safe, reliable energy for these sectors in an environmentally responsible manner. The modular HTGR provides a substantial improvement in nuclear plant safety for the protection of the public and the environment, and supports collocation of the HTGRhigh temperature gas-cooled reactor with major industrial facilities. Under U.S. Department of Energy direction since 2006, the Next Generation Nuclear Plant Project at Idaho National Laboratory has been working toward commercializing the HTGR technology. However, a recent decision by the Secretary of Energy to reduce the scope of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant Project to a research and development program, considerable realignment has taken place. This report: (1) summarizes the accomplishments of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant Program from FY2011 through FY2013; (2) lays out the path forward necessary to achieve the ultimate objective of commercializing HTGR technology; and (3) discusses ongoing technical, licensing, and evaluation activities under the realigned Next Generation Nuclear Plant program considered important to preserve the significant investment made by the government to-date and to maintain some progress in meeting the objectives of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct2005).

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗