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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Collaborative development of the EPICS Qt framework Phase I Final Report

At Lyncean, a private company spun-off from technology developed at the SLAC National Lab, we have been using EPICS for over a decade. EPICS is ubiquitous on our flagship product – the Compact Light Source. EPICS is not only used to control our laser and accelerator systems, but also to control our x-ray beamlines. The goal of this SBIR is for Lyncean Technologies to spearhead a worldwide collaborative effort for the development of control system tools for EPICS using the Qt framework, a C++-based coding environment that could serve as a competitive alternative to the Java-based Control System Studio (CSS). This grant's Phase I, not unlike a feasibility study, is designed for planning and scoping the preparatory work needed for Phase II or other funding opportunities. The three main objectives of this Phase I are (1) to become better acquainted with the existing EPICS Qt software and Qt framework in order to evaluate the best options for ongoing development, (2) to demonstrate that our engineers can lead the EPICS community and jump-start the Qt collaboration, and (3) to identify a scope for our future work with solicited feedback from the EPICS community. This Phase I report includes key technical findings. It clarifies the differences between the two apparently-competing EPICS Qt implementations, caQtDM and the QE Framework; it explains how to create python-bindings, and compares Qt graphical libraries. But this report is also a personal story that narrates the birth of a collaboration. Starting a collaboration is not the work of a single individual, but the work of many. Therefore this report is also an attempt to publicly give credit to many who supported the effort. The main take-away from this grant is the successful birth of an EPICS Qt collaboration, seeded with existing software from the PSI and the Australian Synchrotron. But a lot more needs to be done for the collaboration founders' vision to be realized, and for the collaboration to reach its full potential. To help define the scope of future work, a useful approach we have identified is user experience design (UXD) and is discussed herein.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Staged OMB for Modular Gasifier/Burner

The goal of this final project report is to comprehensively summarize the work conducted on project DE-FE0031506. In accordance with the Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO), the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (UK CAER) (Recipient) has developed a staged opposed multi-burner (OMB) gasifier, scaled down from a commercial gasification technology to utilize coal slurry as feed for the high-temperature gasification. The project involved the design, fabrication, commissioning, parametric testing, and performance validation of the entrained gasifier with multiple burners to narrow the major near-term technical gaps that impede the application of small-size gasification by modularizing the system. Project results verified the UK CAER approach to address the major technical challenges on the gasification modularization for a distributed application at a small scale of 1-5 MWe, while maintaining advantages in cost and flexibility, which include: 1) a cost-effective burner configuration to provide high flexibility in both load and fuel feed; 2) the modularized staged-OMB to provide better gasification performance such as a desired temperature profile, better fuel conversion, better gasification efficiency, and long lifetimes of the refractory wall and burners; and 3) load control simply through changing the number of burners firing. UK CAER’s staged gasifier configuration, fuel blend performance, and economic evaluation shows promise, as summarized in this report, as an effective means for improved gasification efficiency with reduced operation cost and process complexity.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2026

PACT Center: Perovskite PV Accelerator for Commercializing Technologies (Final Technical Report)

The Perovskite PV Accelerator for Commercializing Technologies (PACT) center was established in July 2021 as a national resource to accelerate the commercialization of perovskite photovoltaic (PV) technology in the United States. Since its inception, PACT has been led by Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia) in partnership with the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), formerly known as NREL. From FY20-FY23, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), CFV Labs, Black & Veatch (B&V), and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) were part of the project team. LANL brought expertise in perovskite PV device designs and processing, CFV Labs (now GroundWork Renewables) provided initial indoor and outdoor measurement hardware technology, B&V led the initial effort on perovskite PV bankability, and EPRI worked on reviewing testing standards, identifying commercialization gaps, and helping to run PACT’s Industry Advisory Board, a group including representatives from commercial testing labs, independent engineering firms, insurance companies, state regulators, and electric utilities. To source perovskite PV module samples, PACT contracted with the University of North Carolina (UNC), the University of Toledo, the University of Washington, and SLAC/Stanford University to provide a steady stream of research-grade perovskite mini modules, enabling protocol development in advance of commercial module availability. The project period ran from July 1, 2021, through December 31, 2025, including a No Cost Extension. Starting in FY25, the project was continued as a Core Capability in the Lab Call portfolio and continues at a reduced budget with only Sandia and NLR as funded recipients. Notably, starting in FY25 PACT expanded its scope beyond MHP modules to accept all emerging PV mini module technologies for testing, including organic PV (OPV) and all-thin-film tandems, with the aim of supporting commercialization across the broader emerging PV ecosystem. With this change in scope the program was renamed the PV Accelerator for Commercializing Technologies, dropping perovskite from the name.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Hydrate research activities that both support and derive from the monitoring station/sea-floor Observatory, Mississippi Canyon 118, northern Gulf of Mexico

A permanent observatory has been installed on the seafloor at Federal Lease Block, Mississippi Canyon 118 (MC118), northern Gulf of Mexico. Researched and designed by the Gulf of Mexico Hydrates Research Consortium (GOM-HRC) with the geological, geophysical, geochemical and biological characterization of in situ gas hydrates systems as the research goal, the site has been designated by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management as a permanent Research Reserve where studies of hydrates and related ocean systems may take place continuously and cooperatively into the foreseeable future. The predominant seafloor feature at MC118 is a carbonate-hydrate complex, officially named Woolsey Mound for the founder of both the GOM-HRC and the concept of the permanent seafloor hydrates research facility, the late James Robert “Bob” Woolsey. As primary investigator of the overall project until his death in mid-2008, Woolsey provided key scientific input and served as chief administrator for the Monitoring Station/ Seafloor Observatory (MS-SFO). This final technical report presents highlights of research and accomplishments to date. Although not all projects reached the status originally envisioned, they are all either complete or positioned for completion at the earliest opportunity. All Department of Energy funds have been exhausted in this effort but, in addition, leveraged to great advantage with additional federal input to the project and matched efforts and resources. This report contains final reports on all subcontracts issued by the University of Mississippi, Administrators of the project, Hydrate research activities that both support and derive from the monitoring station/sea-floor Observatory, Mississippi Canyon 118, northern Gulf of Mexico, as well as status reports on the major components of the project. All subcontractors have fulfilled their primary obligations. Without continued funds designated for further project development, the Monitoring Station/Seafloor Observatory is in danger of lapsing into disuse. However, for the present, interest in the site on the continental slope is healthy and The Center for Marine Resources and Environmental Technology continues to coordinate all activity at the MS/SFO as arranged through the BOEM in 2005. Field and laboratory research projects and findings are reviewed, new technologies and tests described. Many new sensors, systems and two custom ROVs have been developed specifically for this project. Characteristics of marine gas hydrates are dramatically more refined than when the project was initiated and include appear in sections entitled Accomplishments, Products and Publications.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Tandem Photovoltaics Core Program Final Technical Report

The Tandem Photovoltaics Core Program was a multi-year initiative aimed at advancing hybrid tandem solar cell technologies to enhance solar module efficiency beyond the limits of single junction devices. This project focused on the development, testing, and scaling of prototype photovoltaic devices, with the goal of achieving commercial relevance and driving industry adoption. The work was divided into three tasks: 1) Comparative Analysis of Tandem Technologies: This task focused on quantifying energy yield under real-world conditions and assessing economic viability of tandems relative to silicon-based modules. The project's modeling framework incorporated performance data, cost of materials, and manufacturing process impacts to optimize tandem designs 2) Tandem Integration and Prototyping: In this task, we developed innovative tandem designs by combining metal halide perovskite (MHP) top cells and silicon (Si) bottom cells. The project focuses on both mechanical integration and direct deposition techniques to enable compatibility with commercially relevant Si technologies, such as passivated contact or PERC cells. 3) Scale-up and Reliability: This task addressed the challenges of large-area fabrication by developing scalable deposition methods and robust interconnection schemes for tandems. The project looked at different accelerated testing such as thermal cycling, damp heat exposure, and potential induced degradation, to ensure long-term stability of devices in field conditions. Tandem solar cells can greatly increase module efficiency beyond conventional single junction (SJ) devices, which are approaching their theoretical limit. There are many ways to fabricate a tandem cell or module in terms of materials used, configuration, and terminal connection. This SETO core project focused critical factors in enabling tandems to enter the market, including hardware integration, technoeconomic analysis (TEA), and energy yield analysis. We focused on MHP/Si hybrid tandem solar cells and modules as a model system for their versatility in module design comparisons, providing valuable insights for other tandem options. While champion cells with areas <1cm2 are regularly demonstrated by groups around the world, it is significantly more challenging to translate these advances into modules, and fewer institutions and companies are working at the module level. This project addressed questions about module fabrication, testing, and reliability that are hard to answer without actually fabricating prototypes. We also performed analysis and road-mapping activities to understand the potential for a wider variety of tandems, including all-perovskite tandems fabricated in collaboration with the Perovskite PV core program. Detailed technical results from this project are described for each task in Section 7.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Monolithic Telescope-Based Star Tracker Final Report CRADA No. TC02205.0

This was a collaborative effort between LLNS as manager and operator of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Millennium Space Systems, Inc. ("MSS" or "Participant"), to work on a Star Tracker based on the LLNL-developed monolithic telescope ("MonoTele"). The technical objectives of this CRADA were (1) to build, launch, and characterize a Star Tracker based on an existing Model V4 monolithic telescope, and (2) to design an optimized star tracker based on a wide field of view monolithic telescope.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2018

Final Report: Advanced Detector Technologies for Precision Measurement of Inflation, Dark Energy, and Neutrino Masses with the Cosmic Microwave Background

Precision measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) provide unparalleled op- portunities to probe the conditions in the early universe and thereby explore particle physics and gravity at the highest energies yet; measure the number of neutrino species and the sum of the neutrino masses with sensitivity beyond what is achievable with planned terrestrial experiments; improve our knowledge of dark energy; and search for other forms of new physics. The P-5 panel recognized the importance and potential of future CMB observations and recommended the DOE fund a stage four CMB experiment (CMB-S4) under all budget scenarios with construction commencing near the end of this decade. The objective of this proposal is to develop and demonstrate new technologies in time to maximize the science return of CMB-S4. The proposed technologies include: (i) broad band metamaterial antireflection coatings on relevant lenses with negligible absorptive and reflective losses; (ii) filters that reduce out of band optical loading with near perfect in band transmission; (iii) broad-band continuously spinning metamaterial half wave plates that boost the sensitivity to inflationary gravitational waves on large angular scales and mitigate systematics with minimal penalty to the instantaneous sensitivity; and (iv) broad band detectors that will enable excellent foreground discrimination while simultaneously maximizing the sensitivity to the signals from inflation and neutrinos. Together these technologies can realize significant improvements in instrumental sensitivity and control of systematic effects. This improvement in raw sensitivity could be used to reduce costs without sacrificing science by deploying a smaller number of more sensitive detectors, or to improve the sensitivity of CMB-S4 to physics parameters including reducing the error bar on r by the inverse of the mapping speed improvement. Beyond raw sensitivity these technologies address key systematics including polarization mixing and galactic foregrounds and enable CMB-S4 to test the shape of the polarization power spectrum out to larger angular scales further boosting measurements of inflation. In this report we detail the progress that has been made in these technical areas. This includes: (i) a demonstration of 4:1 bandwidth AR coating technology and a detailed understanding of the production challenges, (ii) prototype filters that incorporate absorptive and reflective components into silicon, (iii) a prototype broad band HWP fabricated from metamaterial silicon, and (iv) detector designs spanning 20-350 GHz with an understanding of the difficulties associated with bandwidths greater than one octave.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

High Force Spring Clamp System

This is the Final Technical Report for the work by Hyperboloid LLC using SBIR Grant # DE-SC0019579. The work responded to US DOE SBIR Topics FY2019, Phase 1, Release 1, August 13 2018, Topic: 30. a. (2) SRF cavity joining techniques that create vacuum seals without resorting to the use of bolted flanges in order to minimize particulates. Hyperboloid LLC designed, developed and tested the High Force Spring Clamp System characterized in Patent US 9756715 that is aimed at solving this topic. The patent is held by Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The flange bolts are substituted with exceptionally high force, binder-clip-like “C” Clamps. The clamps are opened and applied by hydraulic based tooling called “Clamp Openers” using particle minimization methods. Model 1 Clamp reached the goal of sealing the SRF industry standard hexagonal section, aluminum alloy gasket, leak-free on a research cavity as determined by a superfluid helium challenge, at 2 K for 2 assembly cycles. Descriptions include the ANSYS calculations that determine the size and shape of the clamp, the details of the Clamp Opener construction, particle counts from sealing flanges using both bolts and clamps. Model 2 Clamp, at half the size, needing a softer metallic gasket to be successful, is more readily adaptable to Cryomodule designs. It was tested, but a needs soft gasket development to be successful.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

An Economics-by-Design Approach Applied to a Heat Pipe Microreactor Concept

Microreactors present a potential paradigm shift in the nuclear industry. Emphasis thus far has been on large-scale multi-billion-dollar projects that cater solely to grid electricity market. These projects can be challenging to finance and execute. On the other hand, microreactors are intended to target a wide variety of smaller niche markets and are expected to be factory-fabricated and more readily deployable. While diseconomies of scale for microreactors may tend to raise their costs per energy output (MWh) relative to large nuclear plants, offsetting gains can be expected from standardization, simplification, passive safety, lower radionuclide inventories, factory fabrication, fast installation, and low financing costs. To adequately assess these contributions, designers should have a different perspective on cost drivers than for large nuclear plants and can utilize novel approaches for systematic cost reduction. To account for these important aspects of microreactors, this report proposes an economics-by-design approach that places economic considerations at the center of the design process. The methodology builds on existing frameworks such as design-to-cost and value engineering, expanding them to new markets (beyond the grid), new attributes (beyond costs alone), and introducing the approach at earlier points in the design cycle. Design parameters and technical specifications are systematically evaluated until costs meet market entry points, while also providing the high-priority performance attributes of the particular use case. Determining first-order estimates for different components early in the process enables designers to focus R&D efforts on the biggest overall cost contributors and components with the most cost uncertainty. The analysis is always guided by market needs and threshold prices. In addition to microreactors, the approach is expected to be useful for other classes of nuclear reactors as well. The analysis was applied to a concept found in the open literature (the Design A heat-pipe reactor). A comprehensive bottom-up estimate was generated by leveraging a new microreactor-specific code of accounts and a range of cost equations. The initial estimate for levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) unsurprisingly exceeded market ranges since the use case had prioritized technological readiness over economic considerations in design choices. An alternate concept was then proposed, with various assumptions/targets made to reduce the largest cost contributors. Changes in the neutron spectrum, the power output, and building structures were found to make even the first-of-a-kind of this modified concept competitive with diesel generation in some remote communities. Learning rate (LR) assumptions indicated cost reductions achieved from sequential unit deployments could expand the range of competitiveness to include additional markets as deployments proceed.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

NNSA Advanced Photon Source Sector Opportunities Workshop (Workshop Summary)

An NNSA-Argonne National Laboratory workshop to define NNSA and external partner mission needs and opportunities at the Advanced Photon Source was held February 15-17, 2022. This workshop summary provides a fresh look at NNSA’s evolving mission needs, partner agency and university interests, x-ray photon characteristics, and technical requirements to meet those needs. The workshop was organized according to four breakout groups: Coupling dynamic drivers to a synchrotron, High explosives and chemical sciences, Process-structure-performance: X-ray experiments to understand materials behaviors, and Process-structure-performance: manufacturing and aging. This summary report describes the workshop outcomes, and the preliminary conceptual design for a dedicated Defense Materials Science Sector (DMSS) at the Advanced Photon Source.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Cybersecurity Platform and Certification Framework Development for Extreme Fast Charging (XFC)-Integrated Charging Ecosystem (Final Project Report)

This report summarizes a pioneering effort in Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure ecosystem cybersecurity requirements, assessment methodologies, functional verification, as well as embodiment of the key technologies in the form of hardware and software tools being made available to the public. EPRI led a team of experts, as well as a stakeholder coalition encompassing all key actors in the EV charging infrastructure ecosystem that includes eXtreme Fast Charging (XFC) equipment (defined as 200kW or above). EV charging infrastructure in the United States is a patchwork of networks that have continued to grow organically and have been designed to serve the charging needs of the EV owners, who are their customers. In doing so, each network provider, as well as their connected entities such as the cloud Electric Vehicle Service Providers or EVSPs, utility back office, utility AMI networks, payment networks, as well as Original Equipment Manufacturer (EV manufacturer) telematics networks, have designed systems that may work well individually, but no single entity is responsible for the entire ecosystem to be secure in terms of data exchange. Furthermore, there is no uniformity in how each actor has implemented the cybersecurity requirements since no system-wide cybersecurity requirements existed prior to this project. The final project report describes the technical approach guided by the EV charging infrastructure cybersecurity working group, convened specifically for this project. The technical approach included definition of requirements at the ecosystem level, treated as a ‘system of systems’, and then passed down to individual systems (EVSE, EV, cloud EVSP, utility, and the payment networks), followed by developing the cybersecurity risk and vulnerability assessment methods, that were later applied to real-world cyber-physical systems at EPRI, ANL, and NREL laboratories, to validate both the process and the results. Finally, in a spotlight over the most vulnerable equipment, which is the EV charge station (AC or DC), the team developed a multi-layer cybersecurity implementation in the embedded domain embodied by the open-source Secure Network Interface Card (SNIC) demonstrating the various ways in which the infrastructure can be secured protecting against the identified attack surfaces. Finally, the entire process of EV infrastructure cybersecurity assessment was encapsulated in the Electric Vehicle Charging Cybersecurity Management (EVC2M) online GUI-based tool, that is expected to be released to the public. The report presents the objectives, the technical approach, the key results, and recommendations for future work.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Enabling Entrained-Flow Gasification of Blends of Coal, Biomass and Plastics (Final Report)

This project demonstrated the technical feasibility of gasifying blends of coal, biomass and mixed waste plastics in a high pressure entrained-flow gasifier for production of hydrogen. This was achieved by creating slurries of coal, biomass pyrolysis liquids and liquefied plastic oil. Specific objectives of the project included (1) determining compositions of coal-biomass-plastic mixtures that produce a stable slurry suitable for pumping to high pressure, (2) designing and testing a novel burner to effectively atomize the mixed feedstock slurry in a pressurized gasifier, and (3) acquiring first-of-a-kind performance data for pressurized, oxygen-blown entrained-flow gasification of slurried blends of coal, biomass and plastic. A key focus of the project was preparation of mixtures of coal, biomass and plastic. To facilitate easy pumping to high pressure, slurries were created using (i) bioliquid resulting from a well-established rapid thermal treatment pyrolysis process, (ii) oil produced from waste plastic via an available thermal conversion process, and (iii) ground coal. Lab-scale tests were conducted to evaluate viscosity and stability/propensity for the mixtures to separate over time. Larger batches of the most promising slurry compositions were prepared and subjected to pumping studies. It was found that mixtures containing less than about 40% coal and less than about 30% plastic oil were stable and of low enough viscosity to facilitate pumping to high pressure. A high-performance hot oxygen burner (HOB) was designed and fabricated for use in an existing 1 ton/day pressurized entrained-flow gasifier. Ex-situ testing demonstrated that the HOB provides excellent atomization of the slurries and creates a very uniform and robust flame. Performance of the HOB in the gasifier was exceptional and resulted in better conversion to syngas than any previous generation of burner. Fabricating the HOB for this project was challenging due to the relatively small scale of the gasifier. Performance in larger-scale systems is expected to be even better. Gasification of mixtures of coal, bioliquid and plastic oil proved to be relatively easy. The gasifier was able to be started up, pressurized and transitioned to the blended slurry feedstock with no technical difficulty. Syngas rich in CO and H 2 , with relatively low concentrations of CO 2 , was produced. During startup and at low gasification temperatures, soot formation was observed, as is typical for gasification of petroleum-based feedstocks. No slag buildup was observed under the conditions tested. The project was successful in demonstrating the technical feasibility of the concept. Future development should broaden the range of feedstocks under consideration, more deeply explore performance of the gasifier, and evaluate scale-up and implementation strategies.

08 HYDROGEN↗
NASA NTRS1977

U.S. satellite proposals, 1945-49

Views concerning the possibility of the development of multistage rockets capable of orbiting the earth had been expressed by von Braun during an interview with members of a U.S. technical intelligence team in 1945. Recommendations to adopt a program with the ultimate objective of launching an earth satellite were submitted in October 1945 by a committee established within the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics. In 1946 it was recommended by the Aeronautical Board that the services proceed independently with their satellite studies. A report concerning the 'preliminary design of an experimental world-circling spaceship' was published by RAND on May 2, 1946. RAND in early 1949 was again asked to study for the Air Force the possible uses of earth satellites. The reasons which prevented at that time a further development and implementation of initial concepts and study results are examined

Saegesser, L. D.↗
NASA NTRS1921

Accelerations in Flight

This report deals with the accelerations obtained in flight on various airplanes at Langley Field for the purpose of obtaining the magnitude of the load factors in flight and to procure information on the behavior of an airplane in various maneuvers. The instrument used in these tests was a recording accelerometer of a new type designed by the technical staff of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The instrument consists of a flat steel spring supported rigidly at one end so that the free end may be deflected by its own weight from its neutral position by any acceleration acting at right angles to the plane of the spring. This deflection is measured by a very light tilting mirror caused to rotate by the deflection of the spring, which reflected the beam of light onto a moving film. The motion of the spring is damped by a thin aluminum vane which rotates with the spring between the poles of an electric magnet. Records were taken on landings and takeoffs, in loops, spins, spirals, and rolls.

Norton, F H↗
NASA NTRS1998

Summary Report of the First International Symposium on Strain Gauge Balances and Workshop on AoA/Model Deformation Measurement Techniques

The first International Symposium on Strain Gauge Balances was sponsored under the auspices of the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC), Hampton, Virginia. Held at the LaRC Reid Conference Center, the Symposium provided an open international forum for presentation, discussion, and exchange of technical information among wind tunnel test technique specialists and strain gauge balance designers. The Symposium also served to initiate organized professional activities among the participating and relevant international technical communities. The program included a panel discussion, technical paper sessions, tours of local facilities, and vendor exhibits. Over 130 delegates were in attendance from 15 countries. A steering committee was formed to plan a second international balance symposium tentatively scheduled to be hosted in the United Kingdom in 1998 or 1999. The Balance Symposium was followed bv the half-day, Workshop on Angle of Attack and Model Deformation on the afternoon of October 25. The thrust of the Workshop was to assess the state of the art in angle of attack (AoA) and model deformation measurement techniques and to discuss future developments.

Tripp, John S.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Data Used in Quantified Reliability Models

Data is the crux to developing quantitative risk and reliability models, without the data there is no quantification. The means to find and identify reliability data or failure numbers to quantify fault tree models during conceptual and design phases is often the quagmire that precludes early decision makers consideration of potential risk drivers that will influence design. The analyst tasked with addressing a system or product reliability depends on the availability of data. But, where is does that data come from and what does it really apply to? Commercial industries, government agencies, and other international sources might have available data similar to what you are looking for. In general, internal and external technical reports and data based on similar and dissimilar equipment is often the first and only place checked. A common philosophy is "I have a number - that is good enough". But, is it? Have you ever considered the difference in reported data from various federal datasets and technical reports when compared to similar sources from national and/or international datasets? Just how well does your data compare? Understanding how the reported data was derived, and interpreting the information and details associated with the data is as important as the data itself.

DeMott, Diana↗
DOE OSTI2011

Co-Production of Electricity and Hydrogen Using a Novel Iron-based Catalyst

The primary objective of this project was to develop a hydrogen production technology for gasification applications based on a circulating fluid-bed reactor and an attrition resistant iron catalyst. The work towards achieving this objective consisted of three key activities: Development of an iron-based catalyst suitable for a circulating fluid-bed reactor; Design, construction, and operation of a bench-scale circulating fluid-bed reactor system for hydrogen production; Techno-economic analysis of the steam-iron and the pressure swing adsorption hydrogen production processes. This report describes the work completed in each of these activities during this project. The catalyst development and testing program prepared and iron-based catalysts using different support and promoters to identify catalysts that had sufficient activity for cyclic reduction with syngas and steam oxidation and attrition resistance to enable use in a circulating fluid-bed reactor system. The best performing catalyst from this catalyst development program was produced by a commercial catalyst toll manufacturer to support the bench-scale testing activities. The reactor testing systems used during material development evaluated catalysts in a single fluid-bed reactor by cycling between reduction with syngas and oxidation with steam. The prototype SIP reactor system (PSRS) consisted of two circulating fluid-bed reactors with the iron catalyst being transferred between the two reactors. This design enabled demonstration of the technical feasibility of the combination of the circulating fluid-bed reactor system and the iron-based catalyst for commercial hydrogen production. The specific activities associated with this bench-scale circulating fluid-bed reactor systems that were completed in this project included design, construction, commissioning, and operation. The experimental portion of this project focused on technical demonstration of the performance of an iron-based catalyst and a circulating fluid-bed reactor system for hydrogen production. Although a technology can be technically feasible, successful commercial deployment also requires that a technology offer an economic advantage over existing commercial technologies. To effective estimate the economics of this steam-iron process, a techno-economic analysis of this steam iron process and a commercial pressure swing adsorption process were completed. The results from this analysis described in this report show the economic potential of the steam iron process for integration with a gasification plant for coproduction of hydrogen and electricity.

08 HYDROGEN↗
NASA NTRS2016

Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) Formulation Assessment and Support Team (FAST) Final Report

The Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) Formulation Assessment and Support Team (FAST) was a two-month effort, chartered by NASA, to provide timely inputs for mission requirement formulation in support of the Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM) Requirements Closure Technical Interchange Meeting held December 15-16, 2015, to assist in developing an initial list of potential mission investigations, and to provide input on potential hosted payloads and partnerships. The FAST explored several aspects of potential science benefits and knowledge gain from the ARM. Expertise from the science, engineering, and technology communities was represented in exploring lines of inquiry related to key characteristics of the ARRM reference target asteroid (2008 EV5) for engineering design purposes. Specific areas of interest included target origin, spatial distribution and size of boulders, surface geotechnical properties, boulder physical properties, and considerations for boulder handling, crew safety, and containment. In order to increase knowledge gain potential from the mission, opportunities for partnerships and accompanying payloads were also investigated. Potential investigations could be conducted to reduce mission risks and increase knowledge return in the areas of science, planetary defense, asteroid resources and in-situ resource utilization, and capability and technology demonstrations. This report represents the FASTâ€"TM"s final product for the ARM.

Mazanek, Daniel D.↗