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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

Examining Tropical Convection Features at Storm-Resolving Scales Over the Maritime Continent Region

Global Storm Resolving Models (GSRMs) provide a way to understand weather and climate events across scales for better-informed climate impacts. In this work, we apply the recently developed and validated CAM (Community Atmosphere Model)—MPAS (Model for Prediction Across Scales) modeling framework, based on the open-source Community Earth System Model (CESM2), to examine the tropical convection features at the storm resolving scale over the Maritime Continent region at 3 km horizontal spacing. We target two global numerical experiments during the winter season of 2018 for comparison with observation in the region. Here we focus on the investigation of the representations of the convective systems, precipitation statistics, and tropical cyclone behaviors. We found that regional-refined experiments show more accurate precipitation distributions, diurnal cycles, and better agreement with observations for tropical cyclone features in terms of intensity and strength statistics. We expect the exploration of this work will further advance the development and use of the storm-resolving model in precipitation predictions across scales.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Considerations for Maritime Nuclear Technologies, Economic Viability and Public Acceptance

The Maritime Nuclear Application Group (MNAG) is a working group convened by the National Reactor Innovation Center at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), the American Bureau of Shipping, and Morgan, Lewis, and Bockius LLP. This report documents an MNAG examination of considerations relevant to implementing nuclear technology in commercial maritime applications. In general, two types of use case are examined: maritime nuclear power plants and nuclear reactors used on board shipping vessels for propulsion and other ship needs. The report finds that there may be economic benefits related to maritime nuclear technologies, including the flexible deployment of maritime nuclear reactors, which would allow them to complement land-based nuclear projects, and operational differences for nuclear cargo ships that may lead to an overall increase in revenue. High-level analyses in this report show that, based on general small modular reactor and microreactor cost estimates developed by INL, maritime nuclear reactors may be economically competitive for electricity production in remote regions and for use in the propulsion of large cargo ships. Besides economic viability, public acceptance will be key to implementing maritime nuclear technologies. The report discusses the public’s current perception of nuclear technologies. Engaging with the public will be important to improving this perception. The report discusses some key benefits and risks associated with maritime nuclear technologies. Benefits include the creation of jobs, the production of reliable energy, and the potential to improve air quality. Risks that concern the public are the potential for radioactive releases during operation and decommissioning, as well as those related to waste management. Communicating the benefits and the risks of maritime nuclear technologies will be essential to improving public perception.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Cybersecurity concerns for the energy sector in the maritime domain

The world has seen a number of high-profile maritime disasters in recent months and years, and has felt the impact of them. At the same time, the world has also seen a number of high-profile cyberattacks. It has felt their impact, as well. And, likely no sector has been more affected by the maritime and cyber incidents than the energy sector, as fuel prices often spike or trough, and access to energy resources can become an instant source of concern, tension, or even conflict. As energy sectors—in all their forms—continue to rely on the maritime domain or even increase that reliance, they must be mindful that traditional maritime threats—like piracy, theft, and weather events—are not the only threats they face today. Maritime cybersecurity concerns are among the most potentially disruptive to energy-sector interests and, yet, are among the least understood and least addressed. This paper identifies nine areas in which the energy sector faces harmful cyber vulnerabilities in the maritime domain, to provide enough insight and examples to allow for action to be taken to reduce the risk of harm from these different vulnerabilities. The paper develops the example of offshore wind energy to model how to assess cyber considerations more fully. Ultimately, it concludes with a series of recommendations that offer policymakers, energy-sector actors, and security and law-enforcement professionals steps to minimize the exposure of the maritime energy sector to harmful cyberattacks.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Floating Chameleon: Floating Nuclear Power Plants and the Nexus of Maritime and Nuclear Security Law

During the 63rd regular session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference, as part of Norway's statement to the General Conference, Mr. Auden Halvorsen, State Secretary for Norway, made the following statement about transportable nuclear power plants (TNPPs): "Deployment of transportable nuclear power plants—TNPPs—demands our attention. The Agency must intensify its conversations of all aspects of the safety and security of such facilities. . . . The scope and applicability of existing requirements and instruments need to be clarified and developed including dialogue with the International Maritime Organization [IMO]." Ensuring the security of TNPPs is essential for their deployment and implementation. TNPPs may be floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs), which bring together elements of nuclear security related to the nuclear power plant with elements of maritime security. Insofar as an FNPP weds the principles of nuclear and maritime security, it also weds the two domains, the ancient traditions and contemporary practices of maritime law with the contemporary practices of nuclear law. Fundamentally, this raises the question, what are the legal requirements for the security of a FNPP? Although both maritime law and nuclear law have established regimes for security through various legal instruments, does an FNPP expose gaps between the current international legal instruments? The previous question of whether international legal regimes define requirements for the security of FNPPs, but a threshold question remains: what is an FNPP? For purposes of nuclear and maritime security, is an FNPP a facility, is an FNPP a vessel and therefore a transport, or does an FNPP change its status based upon temporal and spatial considerations such as when it is docked at a port generating power or in transit to its destination? This set of questions, and others addressed later in this article, highlights that the issue is not merely a question about security but intersects elements of safety whether an FNPP is in uncharted waters of the international regime for both nuclear and maritime law. Here, this paper addresses many of the questions posed above related to the security regulations for an FNPP.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
DOE OSTI2026

Predictive Model for Starlink Maritime Performance Using Multi-Horizon RandomForest

Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems have become a crucial enabler of broadband access for maritime industries, where traditional networks are unavailable. However, the high mobility of LEO constellations and constantly changing weather conditions result in unpredictable link fluctuations, limiting the ability of maritime platforms to plan bandwidth usage proactively. To the best of our knowledge, no prior work has developed a short-term predictive model for maritime LEO connectivity using real experimental field measurements. This paper proposes a data-driven forecasting model that predicts future downlink throughput using multi-horizon RandomForest regression. The model is trained using real experimental coastal measurement data incorporating recent throughput history, network-layer indicators, and environmental variables. The proposed approach reduces mean absolute error by approximately 31% compared to a persistence baseline for 15-minute horizons. It maintains a measurable improvement at 30 minutes, despite increased stochasticity. These findings confirm that proactive bandwidth awareness is feasible on maritime platforms and can effectively support operational decisions such as adaptive streaming, routing, and resource scheduling. The performance gap between forecasting horizons also highlights the need for expanded offshore datasets to improve prediction robustness under harsher maritime environments.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Challenges and Opportunities for the Development of Commercial Maritime Surface Vessel Nuclear Propulsion (CMNP)

Maritime transport and trade are currently responsible for producing nearly 1 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions annually, representing 2.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. While maritime shipping is acknowledged as the most efficient carrier of goods in terms of its costs and carbon intensity, the sector relies overwhelmingly on the use of heavy fuel oil (HFO). This fuel source currently is unmatched in terms of its global availability, safety, security of supply, price, and energy density. Combined, these characteristics are responsible for the outsized contribution of the sector to the global economy: roughly 90% of all transported goods spend time at sea. Commercial maritime nuclear propulsion provides opportunities to transition maritime trade to clean energy but also comes with challenges. Both are covered in this report based on 60+ interviews with professionals from the maritime and nuclear energy sectors.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Impacts of Aerosol and Environmental Conditions on Maritime and Continental Deep Convective Systems Using a Bin Microphysical Model

A series of model simulations were conducted to investigate the effects of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) loading and convective available potential energy (CAPE) on tropical maritime and midlatitude continental deep convection. Dynamical downscaling from global aerosol reanalysis was used to represent aerosol fields for the two convective regimes. We describe a control run and multiple sensitivity experiments using a limited-area model, employing spectral-bin cloud microphysics. The CCN loading is perturbed between the target maritime and continental conditions, roughly 40–2,000 cm -3 at 850 hPa and 1% supersaturation. Surface precipitation rates monotonically increase with increasing CCN loading for both the maritime and continental situations, while these monotonic increases are disrupted in the simulations with reduced CAPE. The increase in precipitation is in the form of convective precipitation, at the expense of stratiform precipitation. CCN increases promote increases in supercooled cloud water, in agreement with previous modeling studies. However, in the simulations investigated herein, the changes in supercooled water have different impacts on the cloud microphysics in the maritime and continental simulations. Increased supercooled water contents lead to more hail and less graupel in the continental simulation. For the maritime simulation, enhanced supercooled cloud water contents promote an increase in graupel since little or no hail is produced. This distinction is due to the difference in relative magnitudes and peak altitudes of supercooled water and snow amounts, which is further attributable to moisture and dynamical differences in the two cases.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Introductory Review of the Maritime Nuclear Regulatory Landscape

The successful deployment of nuclear technology for maritime applications, including the ability to provide energy to land-based projects at ports, has the potential to assist the International Maritime Organization’s pursuit of 2050 targets while simultaneously bringing low-cost nuclear power closer to where it is needed. The benefits of low-cost nuclear power include, but are not limited to, effective resource extraction and processing, more efficient and productive industrial applications through electrification, and increased energy abundance. In addition, the maritime sector presents unique opportunities for nuclear. For example, by leveraging the maritime sector’s experience with modular shipyard manufacturing, the nuclear industry can achieve significant cost and schedule reductions, increased productivity, and improved quality control.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Polarimetric Radar Characteristics of Simulated and Observed Intense Convective Cores for a Midlatitude Continental and Tropical Maritime Environment

This study contrasts midlatitude continental and tropical maritime deep convective cores using polarimetric radar observables and retrievals from selected deep convection episodes during the MC3E and TWPICE field campaigns. The continental convective cores produce stronger radar reflectivities throughout the profiles, while maritime convective cores produce more positive differential reflectivity Z dr and larger specific differential phase K dp above the melting level. Hydrometeor identification retrievals revealed the presence of large fractions of rimed ice particles (snow aggregates) in the continental (maritime) convective cores, consistent with the Z dr and K dp observations. The regional cloud-resolving model simulations with bulk and size-resolved bin microphysics are conducted for the selected cases, and the simulation outputs are converted into polarimetric radar signals and retrievals identical to the observational composites. Both the bulk and the bin microphysics reproduce realistic land and ocean (L-O) contrasts in reflectivity, polarimetric variables of rain drops, and hydrometeor profiles, but there are still large uncertainties in describing Z dr and K dp of ice crystals associated with the ice particle shapes/orientation assumptions. Sensitivity experiments are conducted by swapping background aerosols between the continental and maritime environments, revealing that background aerosols play a role in shaping the distinct L-O contrasts in radar reflectivity associated with raindrop sizes, in addition to the dominant role of background thermodynamics.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

An Action Plan for Maritime Energy and Emissions Innovation

The Action Plan for Maritime Energy and Emissions Innovation (the action plan) lays out a strategy to reduce and eliminate nearly all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S. maritime sector by 2050, in line with the U.S. economy-wide goal of net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. To reach this goal, the action plan outlines actions, objectives, targets, and activities to scale low- and net-zero emissions fuels, energies, and technologies; strengthen the maritime workforce; bolster shipbuilding capacity; and expand complementary landside infrastructure. The action plan supports industry, mariners, communities, civil society, sub-national governments, and other interested parties that will decarbonize the maritime sector alongside the U.S. government.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Sustainable Biofuels for Low-Carbon Maritime Transportation

The marine shipping sector heavily depends on fossil fuels and is one of the largest petroleum fuel consumers [1,2]. The annual global marine fuel consumption was estimated to be around 400 million metric tons in 2019 (2.5 billion barrels). Moreover, ocean shipping is one of the most significant contributors to sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter emissions. Global shipping contributes 13% of human-caused sulfur emissions and 2.6% of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. As a major source of pollutant emissions, the marine industry faces several challenges related to emission regulations. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has established a framework for reducing the carbon intensity of shipping: 40% reduction relative to 2008 levels by 2030 and 70% reduction by 2050. As the aviation sector, the maritime shipping sector is difficult to decarbonize through electrification. Biofuels offer the best opportunities for decarbonizing marine shipping in the near and medium-term. Advanced biofuels such as pyrolysis bio-oil offer the low-cost potential for meeting carbon reduction goals. For instance, the pyrolysis bio-oil exhibited promising marginal CO2 abatement costs at less than $100/tonne CO2-equivalent at a heavy fuel oil price greater than $1.10/gal [1]. As a potential biofuel option for low-carbon maritime shipping, this presentation focuses on a comparative techno-economic analysis (TEA) of bio-oils produced via a fast pyrolysis-based conversion pathway. The pathway converts a 50/50 blend of forest residues and clean pine to bio-oil via three process options: fast pyrolysis without vapor upgrading, and fast pyrolysis with vapor phase upgrading over ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst and Pt/TiO2 catalyst. The process configuration and operation variation led to different capital and operating costs, as well as the resulting raw bio-oil’s yield and quality, e.g., the water content, total acid number, and carboxylic acid number. The study also determined the minimum upgrading of bio-oils required to enable blending with very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), with the associated costs reflected in TEA. This study shows that bio-oil could be a cost-effective fuel option for decarbonizing maritime shipping. Further research is required with respect to biofuel blending properties, such as compatibility with existing fuel system infrastructure and suitable engine performance.

BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Overcoming Challenges to Nuclear-Maritime Applications

This report is the fifth deliverable in a series of reports set forth by the Department of Energy (DOE), led by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), for the research award titled “Accelerating Commercial Maritime Demonstration Projects for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies.” The report highlights guidance to bridge the gaps between innovative nuclear technologies and their practical implementation in maritime environments. The previous reports discussed specific technical, economic and regulatory challenges that may be expected when developing and establishing advanced nuclear technologies for commercial maritime applications. This report supports the mission of the U.S. National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) to demonstrate projects with industry and acts as a resource for the various stakeholders associated with the development of novel applications for advanced reactors. The previous reports discuss the interest in nuclear technology applications for decarbonized energy and identify the potential demands in nuclear energy supply and price. The work in these reports supports the recently issued nuclear Executive Orders (EOs). Specifically, EO 14299, “Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security”, and EO 14300, “Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,” by ensuring the rapid development, deployment, and use of advanced nuclear technologies; and increasing the deployment of new nuclear reactor technologies, such as Generation III+ and IV reactors, modular reactors, and microreactors to support America leading the commercialization of affordable and abundant nuclear energy.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Supporting New Advanced Nuclear Technologies for Commercial-Maritime Applications

The ANS summary doesn't require an abstract, but I will produce one for the purpose of LRS: The large demand for maritime nuclear power underscores the need for experimental campaigns and modeling and simulation of new advanced reactors, which offer numerous advantages in terms of safety, efficiency, and compactness. INL, through the work conducted by NRIC and ABS, has addressed some of the technical, regulatory, and economic aspects of potential nuclear commercial maritime applications. However, on the technical side, there remain important physical phenomena, particularly for advanced reactors, that are not yet fully understood. Addressing these knowledge gaps requires a combination of experiments and advanced modeling and simulation techniques. INL possesses significant expertise in Multiphysics modeling and simulation. By collaborating with INL, the maritime nuclear sector can leverage this expertise to advance the development and deployment of innovative nuclear technologies.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Predictive Modeling and Operational Monitoring of Starlink Leo Satellite Network Performance in Maritime Environments

This thesis investigates short-term performance prediction for maritime LEO operational planning and application performance cannot anticipate available bandwidth or communication delay, which complicates variation alter signal conditions over short time scales. As a result, maritime users often fluctuations in link quality. In addition, Frequent satellite handoffs and Doppler-induced rapid satellite movement and changing atmospheric conditions cause substantial unavailable. Despite their availability, reliable operation at sea remains difficult because broadband connectivity in maritime regions where terrestrial infrastructure in

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Hydrogen for Maritime Applications

The maritime industry is investigating a number of fuel options for reducing emissions, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), biofuels, and electrical drive systems powered by batteries and/or hydrogen-fueled fuel cells. Hydrogen-fueled ships offer the potential to significantly reduce, if not eliminate, regulated and unregulated pollutants in maritime applications. Argonne National Laboratory conducted preliminary comparisons of the total cost of ownership (TCO) of several classes of ships to determine how fuel cell technology compares to the current diesel technology, what advancements are needed for hydrogen fuel cell technology to be competitive in the future, and what applications may be appropriate for introducing fuel cells into the maritime industry. These studies included feeder container ships, harbor tugboats, river pushboats, and auto/passenger ferries. For this study, TCO was defined to include the cost of fuel, propulsion system, and fuel storage system, the levelized cost of propulsion/auxiliary engines, and the cost of annual maintenance and consumables. It did not include the cost of the vessel frame or other components, aside from the propulsion system, that the fuel cell and diesel ships have in common. A 10% internal rate of return (IRR) was applied to the initial capital investment and an installation cost factor of 20% was applied to the capital cost. The capital cost of each component (e.g., engine, fuel tank, motor, etc.) was amortized over a period of 20 years, except for the fuel cell system, which was amortized over 6 or 10 years depending on ship class. The initial comparisons for container ships indicate that fuel costs are by far the dominant contributor to the TCO. With the current low cost of low-sulfur marine gasoil (LSMGO) and relatively high cost of hydrogen, it is difficult for hydrogen to compete with LSMGO in container ship applications. The large energy demand for container ships also favors the use of the higher volumetric energy density LSMGO fuel, especially for longer voyages. The space required to store enough hydrogen for the same journey is larger than that needed to store diesel fuels and can reduce the available cargo carrying and revenue generating space available on the ship.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2020

The impacts of biomass burning activities on convective systems over the Maritime Continent

Convective precipitation associated with Sumatra squall lines and diurnal rainfall over Borneo is an important weather feature of the Maritime Continent in Southeast Asia. Over the past few decades, biomass burning activities have been widespread during summertime over this region, producing massive fire aerosols. These additional aerosols, when brought into the atmosphere, besides influencing the local radiation budget through directly scattering and absorbing sunlight, can also act as cloud condensation nuclei or ice nuclei to alter convective clouds and precipitation over the Maritime Continent via so-called aerosol indirect effects. Based on 4-month simulations with or without biomass burning aerosols, conducted using theWeather Research and Forecasting model coupled with a chemistry module (WRFChem), we have investigated the aerosol–cloud interactions associated with biomass burning aerosols over the Maritime Continent. Results from selected cases of convective events have specifically shown the significant impact of fire aerosols on weak convections by their increasing of the quantities of hydrometeors and rainfall in both the Sumatra and Borneo regions. Statistical analysis over the fire season also suggests that fire aerosols have impacts on the nocturnal convections associated with the local anticyclonic circulation in western Borneo and weaken nocturnal rainfall intensity by about 9 %. Such an effect is likely to have come from the near-surface heating due to absorbing aerosols emitted from fires, which could weaken land breezes and thus the convergence of anticyclonic circulation.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Mitigating Extremist Maritime Threats to Radiological Material Transport Vessels

The 21st century has experienced a rise in the threat of global radicalism and extremist organizations, and there has been oft-reported interest from these groups in obtaining or exploiting radiological materials. The threat of extremists acquiring radiological materials while in transit or sabotaging a transport vessel carrying materials at sea is one that requires increased attention. Transport is already one of the most vulnerable times for any cargo but including the difficulties in securing a large ship on the open ocean makes oceanic transport of radiological materials a space of elevated vulnerability for sabotage, theft, or other attacks. The risks of violent extremist attacks on trade ships and trading routes are serious, as shipping routes sustain the global economy, but an attack on a radiological transport vessel could be a magnitude worse, impacting national and international security. While radicalists have largely remained on land in the past due to minimal maritime expertise or inability to project power out of their immediate vicinity, the world has witnessed past attacks on ships such as the USS Cole and the MV Limburg and it is likely only a matter of time before groups extend further into the sea and engage in more maritime campaigns against material transport vessels. This paper suggests methods for increasing safety and security on oceanic transport voyages through behavioral science principles and insider threat recognition training, as well as a better understanding of adversarial and extremist psychology. By providing transport personnel with the knowledge and support to identify and respond to unique maritime threats by extremists, these principles and training suggestions should advance and increase security on the high seas.

Kinney, Justin↗
DOE OSTI2025

Hydrogen technology for maritime applications: A review of challenges, opportunities, and lessons from the port authority of New York and New Jersey

The maritime industry faces increasing demand for energy security, operational efficiency, and environmental performance improvements. Hydrogen technology, considered a potential energy carrier, is being explored for port operations, including cargo-handling equipment, heavy-duty vehicles, and stationary power systems. This review evaluates the feasibility, challenges, and potential benefits of hydrogen integration within port infrastructure, using the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as a representative case study. Drawing on case studies, technical reports, and policy analyses, this study examines the infrastructural, regulatory, and operational factors influencing large-scale deployment, emphasizing supply chain development, storage requirements, and refueling infrastructure. By situating hydrogen within broader maritime energy transition efforts, this review provides an evidence-based assessment of its role in port operations and energy diversification strategies. In conclusion, the findings outline key barriers to adoption and emphasize the need for coordinated efforts among stakeholders to determine hydrogen's role alongside other emerging energy technologies.

08 HYDROGEN↗