Award Data

Dynamic Line Ratings (DLRs) can dramatically increase transmission line current capacity, allowing increased renewable energy penetration, decreased line congestion, and prevention of line construction. However, DLR implementation highly depends on unmeasured local line wind, solar irradiation, and line conditions. Today these conditions are only modeled or measured at isolated locations along a s ...

Globally, the majority of nuclear reactors in operation are light water reactor (LWR) designs and are expected to remain a steadfast low-energy carbon sources for the foreseeable. LWR technology would greatly benefit from fuel materials that can withstand increased burnup, however. By creating a fuel with higher burnup capability, fuels can remain in the reactor longer, leading to less refueling o ...

Current methods of manufacturing sodium fast reactor (SFR) fuels are constrained to small window of manufacturability. Powder forming processes could provide unique material advantages over traditional casting and extrusion techniques; however, fuel materials in powder form are highly reactive with oxygen and represent a pyrophoric hazard. U and Pu alloys and ceramics are easily dispersible in pow ...

High-temperature nuclear reactors, and irradiation test-capsules, make use of molten metals and their alloys for heat transfer functions from the active zones due to its high degree of thermal conductivity. Pumping of these liquid media by classical mechanical radial or axial pumps is, however, rather difficult and the lifetime of such devices is relatively low. It is known that electromagnetic pu ...

Computational Storage platforms are emerging as a disruptive enhancement in the data processing ecosystem as they have the potential to address the critical bottleneck of limited I/O bandwidth and high latency between storage and compute nodes in the system hierarchy. This “late coming” technology to the Exascale program has the potential to enhance DOE and the broader government’s leadershi ...

Computational Storage platforms are emerging as a disruptive enhancement in the data processing ecosystem as they have the potential to address the critical bottleneck of limited I/O bandwidth and high latency between storage and compute nodes in the system hierarchy. This “late coming” technology to the Exascale program has the potential to enhance DOE and the broader government’s leadershi ...

Major manufacturers of stationary gas turbines for electrical power generation are studying the potential for using higher temperature and environmentally stable ceramic matrix composites (CMC) as engine components to improve turbine engine efficiencies. One manufacturer estimates that a simple 2% increase in efficiency would save more than $50MM over the life of one generator. Higher operating te ...

A recent report from the Defense Science Board on cyber deterrence states that we have only seen the “virtual tip of the cyberattack iceberg.” This report warns that for at least the next 5-10 years, other nations will have offensive cyber capabilities that “far exceed the United States’ ability to defend and adequately strengthen the resilience of its critical infrastructures” and will ...

Liquid metal cooled fission reactors are both moderated and cooled by a liquid metal solution. These reactors are typically very compact and they can be used in regular electric power production, for naval and space propulsion systems or in fission surface power systems for planetary exploration. Liquid metals in fusion reactors can be used in heat exchange, tritium breeder systems and in first wa ...

Major improvements in the electrical and thermal conductivity of metals used in conductors are needed to improve the energy efficiency and reliability of our national electrical power systems. These metals need to be stronger and more resistant to corrosion, oxidation and fatigue which reduce the reliability and lifespan of conductors and create high costs for maintenance, repair and replacement. ...