Earth, Energy, and Environmental Science

Energy • Photovoltaic (PV) System Monitoring Overview Residential, commercial, and utility-scale photovoltaic (“PV”) solar systems are being rapidly deployed in the United States. With the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act,...

Environment • A new functionalized material reduces human exposure to harmful contaminants by targeting removal of 99 percent of PFAS “forever chemicals” from drinking water. Business Problem Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)...

Energy • A machine learning model for estimating the optimal angle of photovoltaics on single axis trackers for improved energy production in cloudy conditions Single axis trackers are commonly used in large...

Energy; Environment • A novel algae flow-way system capable of converting wastewater pollutants into net-carbon negative biofuels Waterway pollution has been aggravated by the leaking of chemical products into man-made water irrigation systems,...

Energy • Long-lasting lithium primary batteries with a wide operational temperature range and increased safety. There is an ever-growing need to produce safer batteries that have longer run times and better temperature...

Energy; Environment • An alternative to high-pressure hydrogen compression that can isolate thousands of new metal hydride compositions for hydrogen storage applications Hydrogen compression is one of the key components of a hydrogen-based...

Energy • A solid-state ceramic disc membrane that increases the lifespan of aqueous-based system batteries by eliminating cross-over species and increasing conductivity Redox flow batteries (RFB) are an increasingly promising solution for...

Environment • An in-situ method of extracting uranium that significantly reduces adverse impacts to communities and water sources There remains a growing unmet need for domestic sourcing of uranium in the United...

Energy; Environment • Offshore Wind Energy Simulator (OWENS) is a software toolset for the analysis, design, and certification of offshore, land-based, or marine hydrokinetic vertical-axis wind turbine systems. The OWENs toolset has the...

Energy; Environment • A smaller, lighter, and less expensive solution for safer release of lighter-than-air flammable gases. Gaseous or liquid hydrogen tank releases, or releases of other lighter-than-air flammable gases, are typically routed...

Energy • A greener and more renewable pathway for ammonia production Ammonia (NH3) is an energy-dense chemical and vital component of fertilizer and other chemical commodities. NH3 is currently synthesized via the...

Environment • A high-performance engine technology to replace diesel engines While electrification is playing a major role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from automobiles and light trucks, practical considerations are likely...

Environment • Generate high performance biofuels by optimizing how fuels are blended. The past century of fuel research was performed under the assumption that the Research Octane Number (RON) of a blended...

Energy; Environment • A new method converts coal waste into a domestic source of rare earth elements with significantly improved environment, health, and safety outcomes over existing methods Current methods of mining and...

Energy; Environment • Elastomers are polymeric materials with elastic properties used in gaskets, seals, tubing, and other products that provide critical sealing functions in diverse settings Elastomers are polymeric materials with elastic properties...

Energy; Environment • A simple and more efficient method for separating rare earth elements using mesoporous materials that eliminates hazardous solvents and complex, multi-step processes Rare earth elements (REEs) possess unique optical and...

Energy; Environment • This nonlinear hourglass buoy design optimizes power absorption in multi-resonant conditions and eliminates reactive power at the buoy level for more efficient wave energy converters (WECs) Ocean waves have the...

Energy; Environment • An integrated, high-efficiency conversion process for producing high purity biocrude oils, alcohols, and biofuels from wet algal biomass with minimal waste Algae represent a promising biomass crop for supplying renewable...

Energy • A rapid, flexible, and low-cost method of producing thermal battery components using thick film advanced manufacturing techniques to achieve greater uniformity and consistency Thermal batteries, also known as molten salt...

Energy; Environment • A low-inductance DC power bus for high frequency, high temperature operation in electric drive systems and next-generation power electronics A new generation of power electronic conversion systems are being enabled...

Energy; Environment • A higher power, solid-state thin film battery for breakthrough conductance and performance for on-package power in mass market electric vehicles (EVs) and electronic devices Enhancing battery safety and durability, reducing...

Energy; Environment • Networks and systems that monitor our grid and other critical infrastructure environments use predictable communications and static configurations that make them vulnerable to attack. Sandia researchers have developed a technology...

Energy; Environment • A fundamentally new type of rotary electrical contact that addresses short operating lifetime due to sliding-contact wear and electrical arcing associated with contact bounce Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories developed...

Energy; Environment • Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a coating architecture to replace conventional fluid lubricants with a multi-layer solid lubricant for use in drilling components deployed in extreme conditions. Down-the-hole...

Energy; Environment • Reduces soot and other EPA regulated emissions in direct-injection engines Sandia National Laboratories has developed ducted fuel injection technology for the reduction of soot and other EPA regulated emissions in...

Energy; Environment • The ability to track underground fluid flows in oil and geothermal wells is critical to allow operators to extract energy as efficiently as possible. This information will allow operators to...

Energy; Environment • Sandia National Laboratories has developed a robust centralizer that actively centers casing in deviated, directional or horizontally drilled well bores. Traditional centralizers, most commonly based on a bow spring design,...

Energy; Environment • There are many examples of surface modifications that reduce resistance to flow and improve performance. For instance, a dimpled golf ball can travel twice as far as a smooth ball...

Energy; Environment • Increases in bioethanol production throughout the US has led to an increase in the process co-product—distillers grains with solubles (DGS). DGS can be used to feed livestock, however, product inconsistency...

Energy; Environment • Sandia's Microgrid Design Toolkit (MDT) is a decision support software toolkit that aids designers in creating optimal microgrids. Microgrids are localized energy grids that provide flexibility through their ability to...

Energy; Environment • Inter-area oscillations may develop on power grids with large generation and load complexes separated by long transmission lines. Poorly damped inter-area oscillations can have devastating effects, such as extensive blackouts...

Energy; Environment • With growing numbers of solar energy systems being proposed and installed throughout the United States, the potential impact of glint and glare from photovoltaic modules, concentrating solar collectors, receivers, and...

Energy; Environment • A novel solid-state lighting (SSL) architecture that addresses several longstanding technical challenges in SSL luminaires RCSSL improves upon the groundbreaking thermal management performance of the R&D 100 Editors’ Choice award-winning...

Energy; Environment • When designing or analyzing electrical systems, it is important to understand the relationship between input and output. Power conversion occurs in a “black box” and transfer functions can be used...

Energy; Environment • Pure molecular oxygen is important to many industrial processes such as oxy-fuel combustion, steel production, on-board oxygen generation in military aircraft and medical oxygen concentrators. Industrial-scale oxygen separation is conventionally...

Energy; Environment • Solar-thermochemical reactors used for fuel production exist in many forms, each of which offers a unique trade-off between efficient fuel production, thermal efficiency, and scalability. Sandia has developed a solar-thermochemical...

Energy; Environment • This technology provides a fully integrated and self-containing alternating current (AC) photovoltaic (PV) Building Block device and method that allows photovoltaic applications to become true plug-and-play devices. The Building Block...

Energy; Environment • Sandia National Laboratories has developed a sliding feed tube pressure control valve for reciprocating hammer drills that is more efficient and produces more drilling power.In the current valveless designs, the...

Energy; Environment • Revolutionary micro-solar technology utilizes glitter-sized photovoltaic cells to change how we generate and use solar power. The significantly reduced size and 100 times less silicon used, allows for increased versatility...

Energy; Environment • Sandia National Laboratories has created solutions to startup flow issues in supercritical conversion systems. The Supercritical Brayton Cycle is a power conversion system that is undergoing extensive testing and advancements...

Energy; Environment • Increased recycling of power plant cooling water calls for low-cost means of preventing the formation of calcium carbonate and silicate scale.Hardness (Ca and Mg) and silica are two of the...

Energy; Environment • Versatile polymer membrane separator technologies with improved long-term stability, performance in high temperatures, and suitability for acidic and alkaline environments Fuel cells are hailed as clean, quiet, and efficient technologies...

Energy; Environment • The solar and photovoltaic industry has grown steadily over the last several years.In order to maintain these growth rates, the processes and methods need to be continuously improved.Sandia National Laboratories...

Energy; Environment • Sandia researchers have developed a radically new architecture for air-cooled heat exchangers In conventional “fan-plus-finned-heat-sink” air-cooled heat exchangers, the primary physical limitation to performance (i.e. achieving low thermal resistance) is...

Energy; Environment • Sandia has developed an energy monitoring device that measures energy from liquid flow systems (e.g., solar systems) using a simple technique that senses when the system is running and then...

Energy; Environment • Sandia’s advanced activated carbon is used for the adsorption of noble gases (argon, krypton, and xenon) for the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. This solution is simple, reliable, and affordable....

Energy; Environment • Sandia has developed a cheap, efficient, and accurate method of measuring the irradiance from solar reflections using a digital camera. Measurements of reflected solar irradiance is of great importance to...

Energy; Environment • This technology is an automated system in which the reflection of a mirror, typically for solar applications, is characterized by the slope and slope errors. The system uses a video...

Energy; Environment • The first phase of this project is capture and encapsulation which is achieved by using nanoporous alumina to confine gaseous iodine, for example, from fission or waste processing. The captured...

Energy; Environment • This innovative technology uses a water treatment coagulant, or reagent, to facilitate the process of water purification. By inserting a single gallium atom in the center of an aluminum oxide...

Energy; Environment • Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) relies on thermodynamic processes to convert concentrated light into useful forms of energy. Accurate sun tracking enables higher concentration ratios and improved efficiency through higher temperature...

Energy; Environment • Sandia researchers have developed a technology that could potentially turn agricultural waste, weeds, and other plant products that are typically discarded or destroyed into fuel. The idea is to create...

Energy; Environment • NanoCoralTM produces platinum nanomaterials which can significantly reduce costs and improve the efficiency and durability of hydrogen fuel cells and other renewable energy technologies. NanoCoralTM is an innovative nanotechnology for...

Energy; Environment • The Theoretical Overlay Photographic Heliostat Alignment Technique (TOPHAT) is a unique method which helps to accurately and effectively concentrate solar energy onto a receiver. By utilizing a camera/target fixture placed...

Energy; Environment • With the increasing demand for new energy distribution methods including increased efficiency and alternative sources, Intelligent Grid technologies are on the cutting edge of demand. The significance is taking the...