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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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11 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Glass Furnace Decarbonization Technology Stack (Final Technical Report)

This report summarizes the objectives, approach, and outcomes of the Glass Furnace Decarbonization Technology Stack project undertaken by Owens-Brockway Glass Container Incorporated under award number DE-CD0000093. The project aimed to implement a pioneering combination of furnace technologies at the Zanesville, OH manufacturing site to reduce carbon intensity (CI) by 20–40% compared to baseline operations. The proposed Furnace Technology Stack included a Gas/Oxy-fuel system, OPTIMELT™ Heat Recovery System, raw material pre-heating, electric boosting, and forehearth electrification—designed to demonstrate commercial feasibility and drive industry-wide decarbonization.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Flexible Fuel Electric Hybrid Glass Furnace Demonstration

The furnace contractor completed General Arrangement (GA) layouts and Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&ID) for both furnaces during this reporting period. Preliminary equipment lists accompanied this work. Control system architecture in progress. Key furnace design elements and deliverables on track to be complete by end of phase. The facilities design and integration contractor completed a 3D scan and modeling of the facility. The work during this period focused on preliminary design with a focus on overall project scope and feasibility. This key work supports the overall project deliverables for 30% preliminary engineering and Preliminary Design Report (PDR) which are on track to be complete by the end of the phase. These deliverables are approximately 50% complete through the end of this reporting period. The batch house operations design contractor continues development of site plan and General Arrangement (GA) layout to support the 30% preliminary engineering and design package. This work is 60% complete by the end of this reporting period and is on track to be complete by the end of the phase.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2026

Toward the application of the Risk-Based Maintenance approach to a hydrogen-fueled manufacturing plant

Safety, reliability, and maintenance of hydrogen-based equipment, including Risk-Based Maintenance (RBM), have recently gained increasing attention, as hydrogen, while key to decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors, raises safety concerns. However, two literature gaps limit the development of risk-based strategies for hydrogen technologies. First, existing RBM methodologies do not account for hydrogen-specific components, such as electrolyzers, which differ from conventional equipment. Second, available studies on electrolyzer reliability remain largely qualitative or laboratory-scale. This study addresses these gaps by proposing an adapted RBM methodology tailored to hydrogen-fueled manufacturing facilities. Integrating qualitative tools (e.g., FMEA) with probabilistic models (e.g., Bayesian Networks) enables comprehensive hazardous scenarios identification and likelihood estimation. A conceptual layout of a glass furnace supplied by a 3 MW PEM electrolyzer is considered as a case study to demonstrate the feasibility of the adapted RBM framework in identifying high-risk components and enabling maintenance prioritization, potentially improving plant safety.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2024

AOI [1] Advanced Manufacturing of Ceramic Anchors with Embedded Sensors for Process and Health Monitoring of Coal Boilers

Researchers at West Virginia University (WVU) developed methods to fabricate and test ceramic anchors with an embedded sensor technology for monitoring the health and processing conditions within pulverized coal (PC) and fluidized-bed combustion (FBC) boiler systems. The technology included the development of advanced manufacturing processes for 2D/3D printing electroceramic (conductive ceramic) sensor designs within the ceramic anchor microstructure during the manufacturing process. This advanced manufacturing process would allow for the precise control of local microstructure and composition in order to engineer layer-by-layer any protective and electrically active materials within the refractory anchor. This 3D printing technology would permit the rapid and controlled design of the refractory microstructure and embedded sensor design throughout the volume of the ceramic anchor. The work also included a method to interconnect the sensors to boiler shell through the anchor clamp, where the sensor signals will be processed by low-power electronics and transmitted wirelessly to a central processing hub. The end-goal of the program was to produce a ceramic anchor sensor system which would be ready for implementation within a coal boiler, and/or other similar refractory liner systems (such as that in the glass and metal manufacturing areas). The project objectives were to: 1) Define the chemical and microstructural stability, in addition to the electrical properties, of oxide and non-oxide ceramic composites to be embedded within the ceramic anchor compositions that may operate up to 1400ºC; 2) Develop and implement the 2D/3D printing technology to pattern and control the microstructure of the ceramic anchor and embedded sensor circuits; 3) Develop an interconnect technology which will permit easy installation of the ceramic anchors and signal collection at the boiler shell; 4) Develop low power analog electronics and wireless communication hardware to efficiently collect the sensor signal at each processing unit and transmit data to a central hub for data analysis; 5) Demonstrate the smart ceramic anchor system for temperature and liner fracture within a high-temperature processing unit, such as a boiler furnace or glass melting furnace floor/wall liner.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2025

A new method for measuring refractory corrosion of ceramics in glass

Abstract Nuclear waste glass vitrification furnaces are lined with refractory ceramic blocks to contain the molten glass. The refractory liner is susceptible to corrosion and has a finite service lifetime. For this reason, predicting the refractory corrosion in contact with molten glass is integral to estimating melter service lifetime. Standardized laboratory tests varying time and temperature are commonly performed to estimate refractory material loss as a function of glass composition. These data are time and resource‐intensive to collect and are susceptible to considerable measurement error. In order to accelerate glass formulation and design for nuclear waste vitrification, methods are needed to increase laboratory‐scale throughput while maintaining data quality. In this work, a method to remove the residual glass from a corroded coupon using hydrofluoric acid is presented that accelerates the throughput of sample analysis while simultaneously facilitating more accurate measurements.

Amoroso, Jake W. [Savannah River National Laborato↗
DOE OSTI2026

High waste loading glass formulation development for high-P HLW

The primary objective of the work described herein was to develop and identify HLW glass compositions and glass forming additive blends that achieve high waste loadings and processing rates for high phosphorus HLW streams while maintaining acceptable glass properties. This was accomplished through a combination of crucible-scale tests, vertical gradient furnace tests, and confirmation tests on the DM100 melter system.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2026

Alkali Vapor Corrosion of Spinel (MgAl 2 O 4 ) and Gahnite (ZnAl 2 O 4 ) Refractories—A Comparative Study

Alkali vapor corrosion is critical for refractories used in the kilns and furnaces of diverse high-temperature processing and manufacturing sectors such as gasifiers, cement production, and glass making. Gahnite (ZnAl 2 O 4 ) is being investigated as a potential chrome-free refractory because of its similarity with the structure and properties of magnesium aluminate (MgAl 2 O 4 ) spinel. The alkali vapor corrosion of ZnAl 2 O 4 , MgAl 2 O 4 , and Mg 0.5 Zn 0.5 Al 2 O 4 was studied, according to ASTM C987-10, at 1371°C for 24 h using sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3 ). The surface and the polished cross-sections of the corroded ZnAl 2 O 4 , MgAl 2 O 4 , and Mg 0.5 Zn 0.5 Al 2 O 4 specimens were analyzed using x-ray diffraction (XRD), microscopy, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) techniques. MgO in MgAl 2 O 4 , ZnO in ZnAl 2 O 4 , Mg 0.77 Zn 0.23 O, and NaAlO 2 were detected as the corrosion products for these specimens. The extent of corrosion substantially varied among the specimens despite the similarity in the corrosion products. The corrosion resistance increased in the following order: Mg 0.5 Zn 0.5 Al 2 O 4 > MgAl 2 O 4 > ZnAl 2 O 4 . The formation of a dense MgO and Mg 0.77 Zn 0.23 O layer for MgAl 2 O 4 and Mg 0.5 Zn 0.5 Al 2 O 4 , respectively, contributed to their superior resistance to alkali vapor corrosion. The underlying corrosion mechanisms are discussed based on experimental observations supported by thermodynamic analysis. Additionally, the results suggest that a partial Zn 2+ substitution for Mg 2+ in MgAl 2 O 4 can enhance the resistance to alkali vapor corrosion.

alkali corrosion↗
DOE OSTI2026

High waste loading glass formulation development for High-Mn HLW

One of the primary objectives of the work described herein was to develop and identify HLW glass compositions and glass forming additive blends that achieve high waste loadings and processing rates for high manganese HLW streams while maintaining acceptable glass properties. Another objective was to determine the effect of the form of manganese (MnO, MnO2, MnCO3) on feed processing properties, glass production rates, and product quality while vitrifying a high manganese HLW stream. This was accomplished through a combination of crucible-scale tests, vertical gradient furnace tests, and confirmation tests on a DM100 melter system.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2026

Glass Formulation Development for Al, Fe, and Na Phosphate HLW

The primary objective of the work described herein was to develop and identify HLW glass compositions and glass forming additive blends that achieve high waste loadings and processing rates for high phosphorus HLW streams while maintaining acceptable glass properties. Another objective was to determine the effect of phosphate form (aluminum, iron, sodium) on feed processing properties, glass production rates, and product quality while vitrifying a high phosphorus HLW stream. This was accomplished through a combination of crucible-scale tests, vertical gradient furnace tests, and confirmation tests on a DM100 melter system.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

Optical Flow Diagnostics of Counter Fluidization of Gravity-Driven Moving Packed Bed for a CSP Receiver Section Featuring Staggered Array of Cylindrical Pins

Particle fluidized beds have the potential to improve the efficiency of heat transfer in concentrated solar receiver furnace for use in next generation concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. This study presents an experimental investigation on the flow characterization of vertically downward moving packed bed with counter fluidization through an array of jets. To control the bubble size and its distribution in the bubbling fluidized bed, an array of cylindrical pin fins was arranged uniformly across the test article. The flow visualization was performed on the surface of transparent glass coated with electrically conductive materials for electrostatic dissipation purposes. The image acquisition was carried out via high-speed camera at a frequency of ~ 1kHz. The acquired images were analyzed in pairs with the help of a modern optical flow algorithm capable of calculating the movement of dense particle flow in the fluidized bed by tracking the light intensity of each predefined window of the frames. A comparison of fluidized beds with plane and pin-finned channels revealed distinct bubble behavior. Pin-finned channels were found to produce a larger number of small-sized bubbles, while plane channels generated fewer but larger bubbles at any given instant. The presence of pin fins was observed to reduce bubble size by preventing bubble merging and splitting larger bubbles when they encountered a pin.

concentrating solar power↗