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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Modeling the Moisture Content and Dry Matter Loss in Dynamic Woody Biomass Storage Piles with Variable Extraction

The urgent need to mitigate climate change has spurred significant interest in renewable energy sources. This paper explores the storage and processing of woody biomass for biofuel production, considering the dynamic nature of biomass piles in real-world scenarios. A model has been developed to analyze moisture content changes and dry matter loss in woody biomass stored in piles prior to processing, taking into account varying extraction methods and environmental conditions. Case studies that examine the effects of different unpiling methods (FIFO, LIFO, and homogeneous) on moisture content and dry matter loss under various feedstock arrival rates and weather conditions are presented. Results indicate that unpiling methods significantly impact moisture content, with LIFO typically resulting in higher moisture content due to the utilization of fresher feedstock. Dry matter loss increases with pile size and time, emphasizing the importance of accurate modeling for assessing carbon emissions and feedstock quality. Furthermore, the model highlights the importance of process loading order and extraction methods in biomass storage, suggesting potential cost benefits associated with decreased moisture content. The difference between different extraction methods could vary the moisture content in the feedstock reaching the biofuel process by as much as 37.6%, however dry matter loss varies minimally for realistic pile changes. Overall, this research contributes to a better understanding of biomass storage dynamics and informs sustainable biofuel production practices.

Niska, Janel↗
DOE OSTI2025

Nannochloropsis oceanica IMET1 and its bacterial symbionts for carbon capture, utilization, and storage: biomass and calcium carbonate production under high pH and high alkalinity

ABSTRACT To combat the increasing levels of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) released from the combustion of fossil fuels, microalgae have emerged as a promising strategy for biological carbon capture, utilization, and storage. This study used a marine microalgal strain, Nannochloropsis oceanica IMET1, which thrives in high CO 2 concentrations. A high-pH, high-alkalinity culture was designed for CO 2 capture through algal biomass production as well as permanent sequestration through calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) precipitation. This was accomplished by timed pH elevation and the addition of sodium bicarbonate to cultures of N. oceanica grown at lab scale (1 L) and pilot scale (500 L) with 10% and 5% CO 2 , respectively. Our data showed that 0.02 M NaHCO 3 promoted algal growth and that sparging cultures with ambient air after 12 days raised pH and created favorable CaCO 3 formation conditions. At the 1 L scale, we reached 1.52 g L −1 biomass after 12 days and an extra 9.3% CO 2 was captured in the form of CaCO 3 precipitates. At the 500 L pilot scale, an extra 60% CO 2 was captured (Day 40) with a maximum CO 2 capture rate of 63.2 g m −2 day −1 (Day 35). Bacterial communities associated with the microalgae were dominated by two novel Patescibacteria. Functional analysis revealed that genes for several plant growth-promotion traits (PGPTs) were enriched within this group. The microalgal-bacterial coculture system offers advantages for enhanced carbon mitigation through biomass production and simultaneous precipitation of recalcitrant CaCO 3 for long-term CO 2 storage. IMPORTANCE Capturing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) released from fossil fuel combustion is of the utmost importance as the impacts of climate change continue to worsen. Microalgae can remove CO 2 through their natural photosynthetic pathways and are additionally able to convert CO 2 into a stable, recalcitrant form as calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ). We demonstrate that microalgae-based carbon capture systems can be greatly improved with high pH and high alkalinity by providing optimal conditions for carbonate precipitation. Our results with the microalga, Nannochloropsis oceanica strain IMET1, show an extra 9.3% CO 2 captured as CaCO 3 at the 1 L scale and an extra 60% CO 2 captured at the 500 L (pilot) scale. Our optimized system provides a novel approach to capture CO 2 through two mechanisms: (i) as organic carbon within microalgal biomass and (ii) as inorganic carbon stored permanently in the form of CaCO 3.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Biomass for Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) Biomass and Bioproduct Data Table

The Biomass for Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) Biomass and Bioproduct Data Table was generated using data from biomass and bioproducts (i.e., biochar, pyrolysis oil) supplied by BiCRS project developers. Data was obtained via analytical characterization methodologies listed in the document at the National Laboratory of the Rockies.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2026

A Comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Assessment of Biomass-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal and Storage

Biomass with Carbon Removal and Sequestration (BiCRS) is a suite of technological pathways that provide a relatively affordable and high-potential way to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and simultaneously re-purpose residual biomass. BiCRS technologies are individually optimized to different biomass feedstocks, temperatures and oxygen, with the goal of capturing a high percentage of biomass-derived carbon dioxide and storing it in permanent below-ground storage (i.e. geologic storage). The current standard for BiCRS life cycle assessments does not account for carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide (CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O) fluxes from surface soil amendment of BiCRS byproducts (e.g. char, ash) and their alternate fates. This is partly due to a paucity of empirical data due to the novelty of BiCRS conversion technologies, the range in feedstocks, and the heterogeneity of soils to which they might be amended. To fill this gap in in the life-cycle assessment (LCA) and provide a realistic range of parameters for a soil amendment component of the BiCRS LCA, we conducted an incubation experiment to measure soil carbon changes, microbial respiration, methane fluxes, and nitrous oxide fluxes from two different soils amended with char- and ash- byproducts from biomass after gasification to hydrogen, fast pyrolysis to bio-oil, and torrefaction.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Nonenergy Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS): Assessing Durability of Nongaseous Carbon Products Across Terrestrial Storage Fates

Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage, or BiCRS, pathways use plants or algae that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store it underground or in long-lived products. While some BiCRS approaches generate an energy product, all BiCRS approaches generate a carbon product. A new subset of BiCRS approaches focus on the storage of these raw or converted carbon products for generation of carbon credits. However, the durability of these approaches is highly variable as carbon products vary widely in their “form” and the conditions of their “fate.” We organize our thinking about carbon products and their durability around these two primary axes. The durability of carbon product “forms” is mediated by chemical recalcitrance and ranges substantially across agricultural residues, municipal solid waste, woody biomass, and nongaseous products of thermochemical conversion (e.g., biochars and bio-oils). Meanwhile, terrestrial storage “fates” vary in the mechanism employed to stall decay, including surface storage, dry storage, shallow anoxic storage, and deep or geologic anoxic storage (or injection). Each mechanism has different implications for suitability with different feedstock forms as well as long-term risks. We present a framework for assessing durability of solid or liquid raw and conversion carbon products under terrestrial storage fates, highlighting knowns, unknowns, and research priorities moving forward.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2026

A Comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Assessment of Biomass-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal and Storage

Biomass-based Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) is a suite of technological pathways that provide a relatively affordable and high-potential way to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and simultaneously re-purpose residual biomass. BiCRS technologies are individually optimized to different biomass feedstocks, temperatures and oxygen, with the primary goal of capturing a high percentage of biomass-derived carbon dioxide and storing it in permanent below-ground storage (i.e. geologic storage), and a secondary goal of producing renewable energy. The current standard for BiCRS life cycle assessments does not account for greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) fluxes from surface soil amendment of BiCRS byproducts (e.g. char, ash) and their alternate fates. This is partly due to a paucity of empirical data due to the novelty of BiCRS conversion technologies, the range in feedstocks, and the heterogeneity of soils to which they might be amended. To fill this gap in in the life-cycle assessment and provide a realistic range of parameters for a soil amendment component of the BiCRS life cycle assessment, we conducted an incubation experiment to measure soil carbon changes, microbial respiration, methane fluxes, and nitrous oxide fluxes from two different soils amended with char- and ash- byproducts from biomass after gasification to hydrogen, fast pyrolysis to bio-oil, and torrefaction. Our results suggest that nitrous oxide and methane emission or consumption from BiCRS char amendments to soil are context dependent. Nitrous oxide emissions from amendments are higher in soils with higher pH, whereas some char amendments to low pH soil can reduce N 2 O emissions relative to control. In contrast, methane is emitted from BiCRS char amended to low pH soil, but consumed or neutral relative to control when amended to high pH soil. We present carbon and nitrogen mass balance throughout the experiment to help understand short-term durability of BiCRS chars and their counterfactuals, and preliminary suggestions for revisions to the broader BiCRS Measurement, Reporting, and Verification framework.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Impact of Storage Conditions on the Quality and Viability of Switchgrass as a Bioenergy Crop

With growing energy demands and climate concerns, advancements in bioenergy have become imperative. Biofuels promote energy independence, reduce fossil fuel reliance, and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatumis) is an ideal bioenergy crop due to its ability to thrive on marginal lands unsuitable for food crops and its drought tolerance, rendering it a low-maintenance, high-yield option. In the bioenergy industry, energy crops are typically stored to facilitate supply chain management and ensure a continuous supply despite seasonal availability. However, the effective utilization of bioenergy crops is typically contingent upon addressing the challenges associated with biomass storage. These challenges include high moisture content that promotes biological degradation of the biomass leading to increased risk of pathogenic microbes, and chemical degradation that increases the ratio of inconvertible, inorganic materials. These issues lead to a reduction of feedstock value, diminishing the biomass-to-biofuel conversion efficacy, making switchgrass and other bioenergy crops less effective as fuel sources. This project aims to improve the storage of purpose-grown energy crops. Aerobic storage trials were conducted under varying moisture contents to stimulate real-world environmental exposure. Switchgrass samples were rewetted to 30% or 35% and stored in a bioreactor for approximately one month, or until cellular respiration ceased. Degradation indicators, such as dry matter loss, temperature changes, and cellular respiration, were measured throughout this process. Samples for compositional analysis, 16S, and ITS were taken at three different time points: before, during, and after storage, to monitor changes in biomass, microbial communities, and metabolites over time. Preliminary data indicate that dry matter loss is proportional to cellular respiration, with higher moisture content (35%) leading to higher temperatures and elevated dry matter loss. Compositional analysis and microbial community analysis are in progress. This research will provide a comprehensive understanding of storage, helping to identify stability factors in energy crops and improve best management practices for biomass producers.

09 - BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Biomass for Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) Variables Matrices

The Biomass for Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) Variables Matrices provide insights related to measured, monitored, reported and verified (MMRV) components (variables) across a BiCRS value chain. Suggested variable values and components to be measured with literature references and context obtained from industry and scientists are provided for several biomass sources, conversion routes and storage scenarios. The Variables Matrices are meant to support life cycle assessment and MMRV efforts for BiCRS projects. These variables and insights may need to be updated in the future as additional information, scientific advancements, and data become available (Version 1 issued in 2025).

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Technical Track on Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS): Mapping bioresources, phase 1 - Consistency check comparing Mission Innovation’s Data Visualization Tool for Bioresources and the Clean Energy Ministerial Biofuture Initiative Global Biomass data accessible via the US Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Knowledge Discovery Framework (KDF)

The Mission Innovation (MI) Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Mission, Technical Track on Biomass Carbon Dioxide Removal and Storage (BiCRS), has produced a biomass resource database for its members. In parallel, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) developed the International Feedstock Reporting data portal—herein referred to as the CEM Biofuture-KDF data—on behalf of the Clean Energy Ministerial Biofuture Initiative (CEM Biofuture), as a specific task under Biofuture’s 2024–25 Action Plan. This work was conducted at the request of CEM Biofuture and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy in support of that initiative, and it is hosted within DOE’s Knowledge Discovery Framework (KDF).

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Filer City Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) Net-Negative Study

NorthStar Clean Energy Company (NorthStar) conducted the Filer City Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) Net-Negative Study to develop a conceptual design and cost estimate for retrofitting the TES Filer City Station with post-combustion carbon capture technology in Mainstee Michigan. The Filer City BiCRS Net-Negative Study allowed NorthStar and team to confirm the commercial feasibility of a post-combustion carbon capture system applied to biomass-fired boilers. At the time of the study, there were no operating facilities in the world with carbon capture applied to flue gas from woody biomass as proposed for Filer City. Due to the solvent-agnostic nature of B&W’s SolveBright™ technology, the team determined that multiple amines, both traditional and proprietary, would be capable of 95% CO 2 capture efficiency with the steam available from Filer City’s existing boilers after modifications to burn 100% biomass. Based on the cost estimates produced, NorthStar can now confirm the Filer City BiCRS Project is economically viable with a combination of tax credits available from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and high-quality Carbon Dioxide Removal Credits sold on the Voluntary Carbon Market. The Filer City BiCRS project is uniquely positioned to become one of the first projects to capture and sequester large volumes of CO 2 from a biogenic source, removing existing CO 2 from the atmosphere. The unlimited version of the Filer City Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) Net-Negative Study Final Technical Report is attached.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2025

Biomass for Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) Counterfactual Decision Tree

Counterfactual is the term used to describe a "business-as-usual" scenario which used as a baseline to compare against a new project, allowing the calculation of net impacts for a life cycle analysis (LCA). The choice of counterfactual is critical for determining the results from LCA and must be carefully justified to ensure a fair and accurate comparison. Using forest residues as an example, this decision tree illustrates decision points to be considered for sustainable biomass sourcing and provides a framework for estimating the carbon emissions or storage under the "business-as-usual” scenarios for biomass otherwise destined for use in Biomass for Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) projects.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Land-based resources for engineered carbon dioxide removal in the United States exceed the expected needs

Gigatonne-scale atmospheric carbon dioxide removal (CDR), alongside deep emission cuts, is critical to stabilizing the climate. However, some of the most scalable CDR technologies are also the most land intensive. Here, we examine whether adequate land resources exist in the contiguous United States to meet CDR targets when prioritizing grid emissions reduction, food production, and the protection of sensitive ecosystems. We focus on biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS) and direct air capture and storage (DACS) and show that suitable lands exceed the expected needs: 37.6 million hectares of land are available for BiCRS, resulting in 0.26 GtCO 2 of CDR/year, and 34 million hectares are suitable for wind- and solar-powered DACS, resulting in 4.8 GtCO 2 of CDR/year if facilities are co-located with geologic CO 2 storage. We identify biomass and energy supply hotspots to meet CDR targets while ensuring land protection and minimizing land competition.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Data for "Land-based Resources for Engineered Carbon Dioxide Removal in the United States Exceed the Expected Needs"

Gigatonne-scale atmospheric carbon dioxide removal (CDR), alongside deep emission cuts, is critical to stabilizing the climate. However, some of the most scalable CDR technologies are also the most land intensive. Here, we examine whether adequate land resources exist in the contiguous United States to meet CDR targets when prioritizing grid emissions reduction, food production, and the protection of sensitive ecosystems. We focus on biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS) and direct air capture and storage (DACS) and show that suitable lands exceed the expected needs: 37.6 million hectares of land are available for BiCRS, resulting in 0.26 GtCO2 of CDR/year, and 34 million hectares are suitable for wind- and solar-powered DACS, resulting in 4.8 GtCO2 of CDR/year if facilities are co-located with geologic CO2 storage. We identify biomass and energy supply hotspots to meet CDR targets while ensuring land protection and minimizing land competition.

carbon↗
DOE OSTI2025

Carbon Capture and Storage for Small-to-Medium Biorefineries: Promising Carbon Removal Solution with Economic Challenges

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) integrated with biomass-based fuel production can provide cost-effective biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS) and produce high-value bioproducts, such as sustainable aviation fuels. To accelerate BiCRS deployment, it is crucial to quantify the costs of CCS integration, particularly for small- and medium-scale biorefineries that are representative of early-stage deployment. Existing studies tend to focus on plant sizes that are orders-of-magnitude larger than early-stage installations, possibly underestimating CCS costs for small-to-medium biorefineries. We show that the capture, transport, and storage costs to maximize CO 2 removal from a 526 dry tonne per day (tpd) biomass gasification plant (largest existing size) could be 13–47% higher than costs for a typical modeled plant size (2000 dry tpd). The higher cost estimates are driven by less favorable economies of scale and realistic assumptions about the availability of affordable CO 2 transport infrastructure with both drivers broadly applicable to other BiCRS technologies. Compliance and voluntary carbon markets could incentivize biorefinery CCS, but both carry a high degree of uncertainty. In conclusion, these findings highlight that sufficient and reliable financial mechanisms would be essential to unlocking the full CO 2 removal potential of biorefineries and facilitating BiCRS scale-up.

Biological transport↗
NASA NTRS2012

Understanding Climate Policy Data Needs. NASA Carbon Monitoring System Briefing: Characterizing Flux Uncertainty, Washington D.C., 11 January 2012

Climate policy in the United States is currently guided by public-private partnerships and actions at the local and state levels. This mitigation strategy is made up of programs that focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy, agricultural practices and implementation of technologies to reduce greenhouse gases. How will policy makers know if these strategies are working, particularly at the scales at which they are being implemented? The NASA Carbon Monitoring System (CMS) will provide information on carbon dioxide fluxes derived from observations of earth's land, ocean and atmosphere used in state of the art models describing their interactions. This new modeling system could be used to assess the impact of specific policy interventions on CO2 reductions, enabling an iterative, results-oriented policy process. In January of 2012, the CMS team held a meeting with carbon policy and decision makers in Washington DC to describe the developing modeling system to policy makers. The NASA CMS will develop pilot studies to provide information across a range of spatial scales, consider carbon storage in biomass, and improve measures of the atmospheric distribution of carbon dioxide. The pilot involves multiple institutions (four NASA centers as well as several universities) and over 20 scientists in its work. This pilot study will generate CO2 flux maps for two years using observational constraints in NASA's state-of -the-art models. Bottom-up surface flux estimates will be computed using data-constrained land and ocean models; comparison of the different techniques will provide some knowledge of uncertainty in these estimates. Ensembles of atmospheric carbon distributions will be computed using an atmospheric general circulation model (GEOS-5), with perturbations to the surface fluxes and to transport. Top-down flux estimates will be computed from observed atmospheric CO2 distributions (ACOS/GOSAT retrievals) alongside the forward-model fields, in conjunction with an inverse approach based on the CO2 model of GEOS ]Chem. The forward model ensembles will be used to build understanding of relationships among surface flux perturbations, transport uncertainty and atmospheric carbon concentration. This will help construct uncertainty estimates and information on the true spatial resolution of the top-down flux calculations. The relationship between the top-down and bottom-up flux distributions will be documented. Because the goal of NASA CMS is to be policy relevant, the scientists involved in the flux modeling pilot need to understand and be focused on the needs of the climate policy and decision making community. If policy makers are to use CMS products, they must be aware of the modeling effort and begin to design policies that can be evaluated with information. Improving estimates of carbon sequestered in forests, for example, will require information on the spatial variability of forest biomass that is far more explicit than is presently possible using only ground observations. Carbon mitigation policies being implemented by cities around the United States could be designed with the CMS data in mind, enabling sequential evaluation and subsequent improvements in incentives, structures and programs. The success of climate mitigation programs being implemented in the United States today will hang on the depth of the relationship between scientists and their policy and decision making counterparts. Ensuring that there is two-way communication between data providers and users is important for the success both of the policies and the scientific products meant to support them..

Brown, Molly E.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Golden Tide Opportunities

There is no abstract for this document. I have been invited to present my project progress to the Schmidt Sciences VIFF SaBRe team at their annual project meeting. This is work funded by DOE AFFO. The project title is Algal Feedstock Logistics

09 - BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Life cycle assessment of co-firing biomass at coal-fired power plants with carbon capture and storage toward net-zero emissions

Co-firing biomass with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) offers a technological option to decarbonize coal-fired power plants toward net-zero emissions. This study estimates the life cycle emissions of co-firing biomass at coal-fired power plants with CCS and quantifies its variability and uncertainty. Deployment of co-firing BECCS at coal-fired power plants can significantly reduce the life cycle emissions toward the net-zero target but lower the power plant performance, which vary with numerous factors, including coal type, biomass type, co-firing level, and CO 2 capture rate. The breakeven co-firing levels required for biomass at coal-fired power plants with 90 % CO 2 capture to reach net-zero emissions fall with a range roughly from 15 % to 25 % on an energy basis, depending on coal and biomass types. Increasing the CO 2 capture rate from 90 % to 95 % can lower the breakeven co-firing levels by about 5 to 8 percentage points for the biomass resources of interest, which can lower reliance on biomass resources and facilitate large-scale deployment of co-firing BECCS in fossil-rich regions but with limited biomass resources. Furthermore, findings improve the understanding of the techno-environmental performance of co-firing BECCS and inform strategic planning decisions on net-zero emissions in the coal-fired power sector.

Breakeven co-firing level↗
NASA NTRS1996

Biomass accumulation in hydroponically grown sweetpotato in a controlled environment: a preliminary study

In the development of a plant growth model, the assumptions made and the general equations representing an understanding of plant growth are gradually refined as more information is acquired through experimentation. One such experiment that contributed to sweetpotato model development consisted of measuring biomass accumulation of sweetpotato grown in hydroponic culture in a plant growth chamber. Plants were started from fifteen centimeter long 'TU-82-155' sweetpotato vine cuttings spaced 25 cm apart in each of 18 rectangular growing channels (0.15 by 0.15 by 1.2m) in a system designed to use the nutrient film technique (NFT). Each channel contained four plants. The 3.5m by 5.2m plant growth chamber environmental parameters included an 18h photoperiod, 500 micromoles m-2 s-1 of photosynthetic photon flux (PPF), and a diurnal light/dark temperature of 28 degrees C/22 degrees C. The relative humidity was 80 +/- 5% and the CO2 partial pressure was ambient (350 ppm). The nutrient solution contained in 30L reservoirs was a modified half Hoagland's solution with a 1:2.4 N:K ratio and a pH of 6.2. Solution replenishment occurred when the electrical conductivity (EC) level dropped below 1050. Plants were harvested at 15 days after planting (DAP) and weekly thereafter until day 134. By 57 DAP, stems and fibrous roots had acquired 90% of their total dry biomass, while leaves had reached 84% of their maximum dry biomass. Beginning at 64 DAP dry biomass accumulation in the storage roots dominated the increase in dry biomass for the plants. Dry weight of storage roots at 120 DAP was 165 g/plant or 1.1 kg/m2. Resulting growth curves were consistent with the physiological processes occurring in the plant. Results from this study will be incorporated in a plant growth model for use in conjunction with controlled life support systems for long-term manned space missions.

Biomass↗