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At least 181 records · Page 10

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2024

Biodegradable Temperature & pH Sensors VIASTIMULI-Responsive Polymers

Soil sensors play a key role in agriculture, and for good reason; knowledge about soil conditions enables farmers to make informed decisions about resource expenditure and crop selection for areas of land. On an industrial agriculture scale, though, this is difficult; the average U.S. farm is approximately 500 acres. To put that in perspective, if you’ve driven past Concannon Winery, all that land is only about 200 acres. This is why modern state-of-the-art soil sensors need to be equipped to not only collect precise and accurate data, but also to transmit that data large distances.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2024

i2X Technical Assistance: Solar and Storage Industries Institute

This report evaluates the economic benefits of flexible interconnection by quantifying potential curtailment under different interconnection scenarios as well as their economic cost. The results are combined with estimates of capital expenditures to produce a net present value under different interconnection service decisions.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Solar Design/Install Labor Quantification (Cooperative Research and Development Final Report)

The goals of this project were to quantify the rate and/or total expected labor expenditure of engineers designing solar arrays and electricians installing solar across a spectrum of project sizes and configurations. Specifically, procuring and analyzing labor data from solar engineering firms relating to the amount of time it takes an engineer to design a solar project, the amount of time it takes an engineer to perform a wiring or stringing design, the amount of time it takes an electrician to install a solar project and the amount of time it takes electricians to install the strings of a solar array. Then these details could be analyzed to evaluate labor intensity for solar design/installation. These goals were unable to be completed because the participant was unable to collect the necessary data for analysis.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2022

DigiFloat (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

This purpose of this report is to document the development of a floating offshore wind platform Digital Twin for the ARPA-E-funded DigiFloat project led by Principle Power, Inc. In Offshore Wind, Digital Twins are aimed at reducing farm-wide OPEX expenditures through reduced-basis inspection, assessing life extension methods, and obtaining better knowledge of the deployed assets for future product optimization. There is a high level of technical effectiveness and economic feasibility for the technology investigated, as it uses commercial off-the-shelf sensors, and a commercial software package. A substantial portion of the project goals are improvement of existing technology for use with floating wind turbines, and new application of an existing technology to a rapidly-growing sector. A few sensors applied to a small number of units bring benefit to the entire fleet of floating wind turbines in a given farm, and in other future wind farms. The benefits to the public of this project are further optimization and maturation of floating wind technology, to bring it to the U.S. market faster and cheaper.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Carbon Capture, Transport, And Storage (CTS) Cost Modeling Of The Onshore Gulf Coast

The onshore Gulf of Mexico region presents significant opportunities for CO2 capture, transport, and storage due to its numerous CO2 sources, such as power plants, refineries, and its substantial CO2 storage potential. However, operators face critical decisions in designing an efficient and cost-effective CO2 pipeline network. This study examines the economic implications of two primary strategies: constructing a trunkline with excess initial capacity versus developing dedicated pipelines incrementally as new CO2 sources come online. Building a trunkline first offers the advantage of future-proofing the network, allowing for the accommodation of increased CO2 volumes from various sources over time. However, this approach incurs higher upfront costs and risks underutilizing the transport capacity in the initial stages, potentially resulting in economic inefficiencies. Conversely, constructing dedicated pipelines for each new CO2 source as it becomes operational may avoid the initial overcapacity issue but fails to capitalize on the economies of scale. This could lead to higher overall costs due to the duplication of infrastructure and increased complexity in network management. This research employs a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis, integrating factors such as capital expenditure, operational costs, projected CO2 volumes, and potential economies of scale. Through this analysis, we aim to provide operators with insights into the most economically viable strategy for CO2 pipeline network design in the region. The findings underscore the importance of strategic planning and highlight the trade-offs between immediate capacity utilization and long-term cost savings, ultimately guiding stakeholders towards informed decision-making in the development of CO2 transport infrastructure. Presented at the 41st USAEE/IAEE North American Conference, 3-6 November 2024, Baton Rouge, LA, United States.

Shih, Chung Yan↗

DOE OSTI2024

Retail Electricity Price and Cost Trends: 2024 Update [Slides]

Berkeley Lab’s "Retail Electricity Price and Cost Trends" summarizes recent trends in retail electricity price levels and price drivers in the United States. This report is intended to serve as a reference document for the diverse set of decision-makers impacted by changes in retail electricity prices and to provide a factual basis for assessing recent changes in retail electricity prices and key underlying drivers. National, regional, and state trends are reported for 2019 through 2023 using publicly-available data for: -Average retail electricity prices, retail sales, and utility revenues -Utility capital expenditures, operations and maintenance costs, and fuel and purchased power costs -Retail electricity sales impacts from behind-the-meter resources The report also includes qualitative case studies highlighting recent and/or regionally-specific issues contributing significantly to retail electricity price trends

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2025

Bridging the Gap on Data and Analysis for Distribution System Planning: Information That Utilities Can Provide Regulators, State Energy Offices and Other Stakeholders

Electric utilities conduct planning annually to ensure their distribution system meets technical standards, policies, and regulations; addresses forecasted grid conditions; satisfies customer needs; and advances utility priorities. The plan identifies grid deficiencies, analyzes potential solutions, and prioritizes capital investments and other expenditures. About 20 U.S. states and jurisdictions require regulated utilities to file some type of distribution system plan with the public utility commission for review. Requirements for sharing distribution system data and analyses vary widely, from few specific requirements to a detailed list of information that must be provided. While utilities conduct extensive analysis to develop distribution system plans, in most jurisdictions regulators and stakeholders do not know what data are available and how the utility uses the data in planning and investing. This report aims to bridge the gap by increasing understanding of the types of data and analyses utilities employ to develop distribution system plans and how the information affects their decision-making. The report describes information that states and stakeholders can ask for related to 11 data categories: -Forecasting loads and distributed energy resources (DERs) -Scenario analysis -Worst-performing circuits -Asset management strategy -Hosting capacity analysis -Value of DERs -Grid needs assessment -Cost-effectiveness framework for investments -Distribution system investment strategy and implementation -Geotargeted programs -Non-wires alternatives procurements.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2024

Design and Development of a Fixtureless, Pass-through Machine Tool for Extrusion Machining

The aerospace, construction/architecture, and transportation manufacturing industries rely heavily on the mass production of near-net shape metallic and composite extrusions. While the production of raw extrusions is a relatively fast process, adding functional features such as holes and slots require additional time, cost, and energy to produce. To compensate for the inherent flexibility of extrusions, conventional machining requires rigid purpose-built fixtures for operations such as trimming, drilling and thinning. This approach requires that the machine tools be as large or larger than the parts themselves. This results in the need for excess shop floor space, energy for auxiliary equipment and motion systems, and significant capital expenditure. Considerable engineering expense and time involved in the designing, building, and proving out of part-specific fixtures for holding the components in specific configurations while machining add to the overall manufacturing cost. The primary objective of the technical collaboration between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Fairmount Technologies (FT) is to improve the XM-3, a fixtureless CNC milling machine designed by FT. The machine was developed to trim, drill, and thin extrusions without part specific fixturing to make the manufacturing process more efficient and flexible. Dynamic measurements of the existing structure were collected, and modeling efforts were made to evaluate optimal machining parameters for the current system. Areas of improvement to increase the system stiffness, manufacturability, and machining efficiency were evaluated and highlighted for the next generation design. The impact of this effort may enable agile manufacturing across the commercial and defense aerospace industries, and other industries where extrusions are utilized like in the construction, architecture, and transportation industries.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2025

Design and Development of a Fixtureless, Pass-through Machine Tool for Extrusion Machining

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2025

Blending Pipeline Analysis Tool for Hydrogen (BlendPATH) Documentation and User Manual

The Blending Pipeline Analysis Tool for Hydrogen (BlendPATH) is a flexible, open-source Python tool designed to provide users with case-by-case analysis capabilities to identify the necessary modifications to repurpose existing natural gas transmission pipeline networks to transport hydrogen as a blend of a user-specified volume fraction of hydrogen or as a pure stream and to estimate the associated capital and operating expenditures resulting from those modifications. This tool is intended to be applied during the initial screening stage of a prospective project when pipeline developers compile transmission pipeline technical documentation and history but prior to performing detailed pipeline inspections. Performing analysis with BlendPATH during this initial screening stage can provide the user with an understanding of promising opportunities and probable economic outcomes of repurposing their pipeline network for hydrogen before proceeding with detailed pipeline materials testing and pipeline inspections. BlendPATH consists of multiple modules to simulate, assess, and modify existing natural gas transmission pipeline network designs to be compatible with hydrogen as a blend or pure stream. The tool employs an open-source gas network hydraulic model to simulate existing, user-specified transmission pipeline networks, and it applies ASME B31.12 to assess the pipe segments within these networks for compatibility with hydrogen and to modify the networks to achieve compatibility where the existing infrastructure is inadequate. Users can specify ASME B31.12 design options for pipeline assessment and can select from multiple methods for pipeline modification. This report details the functionalities of BlendPATH Version 2.0.2 and demonstrates an example of applying BlendPATH to a case study. Potential and intended users of this framework include natural gas pipeline developers and operators and researchers at both public and private institutions. BlendPATH is publicly available at https://github.com/NREL/BlendPATH.

08 HYDROGEN↗

DOE OSTI2025

Durability and Accelerated Aging Test of the Polymeric Mirror-Film Prototype (CRADA Final Report)

The participant is developing a low-cost liquid metal coating for concentrated solar power (CSP) polymeric mirrors. Current CSP technology uses bulky and costly glass mirrors. As a lighter alternative, polymeric mirror film is cheaper than glass mirrors, yet expensive to manufacture. The participant is working to develop a room temperature liquid-metal thin-film deposition technique and CSP polymeric mirror film that will reduce expenditures by 80% and film cost by 50%.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2025

Analyzing the Impact of Future Weather Data on Energy Consumption in Weatherization Assistant

This study supports the mission of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), which aims to increase the energy efficiency of dwellings and reduce their total residential expenditures. Specifically, we examine how projected future climate conditions may affect residential building energy performance by integrating future weather data into the National Energy Audit Tool (NEAT). Since WAP evaluates the cost-effectiveness of retrofit measures over lifespans of up to 30 years, accounting for evolving climate conditions is increasingly important. To reflect future household energy demands, this study replaces historically based Typical Meteorological Year (TMY3) weather inputs with Future Typical Meteorological Year (fTMY) datasets derived from global climate model (GCM) projections. A simulation-based framework was established to enable NEAT analysis under future weather conditions. This workflow involves converting EPW-format weather files into JSON inputs compatible with NEAT and generating degree-hour metrics needed for load calculations. The fTMY dataset used in this study was developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory through downscaling of six GCMs under different emission scenarios and covers the period from 2020 to 2100. In contrast, the TMY3 dataset is based on historical weather data from 1961 to 1990. Simulations were conducted for benchmark single-family prototype buildings across ASHRAE climate zones 1–7, which cover all regions of the U.S. except the subarctic Zone 8 in northern Alaska, evaluating both heating and cooling loads under TMY3 and fTMY conditions. Four foundation types were tested, while heating systems were standardized, as NEAT does not differentiate thermal energy load by HVAC system type in its load calculations. Results show that fTMY weather input consistently yield lower heating loads and higher cooling loads across most locations, aligning with expected climate warming trends. Notably, colder regions such as zones 6A, 6B, and 7 experience marked reductions in heating load, while warmer and transitional zones, such as 2A (Lufkin, TX) and 3C (San Francisco, CA), have substantial increases in cooling loads. Although this study does not directly assess the performance of retrofit measures under future climate conditions, it provides a critical foundation for doing so. By quantifying shifts in baseline (i.e., pre-retrofit case) energy loads between historical and future weather files, the study highlights the importance of integrating climate-responsive data into audit tools. These findings will inform future efforts to evaluate the long-term effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of weatherization measures under changing climate conditions.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2026

Floating Photovoltaics in Hydropower Reservoirs in the United States

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of the feasibility of floating photovoltaics (FPV) in federally regulated reservoirs within the continental United States (CONUS) and to present a methodology for capturing the true costs of deployment, potential environmental impacts, and regulatory pathways for open-loop hydropower reservoirs. It is intended for stakeholders who may not be solar industry experts but who are interested in exploring the potential for FPV in their reservoirs. While there are promising opportunities, particularly in enhancing dissolved oxygen (DO) levels and potentially improving compliance with existing hydropower licenses, the current capital costs of FPV are not yet competitive with traditional land-based solar installations at the utility-scale when comparing the LCOE results. A competitive financial outlook is achievable when applying a 30% Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and considering a 5% reduction from the baseline capital expenditures (CapEx) at the Tuckertown Reservoir in North Carolina case study. The study is structured around three key pillars of research: technical potential, environmental impacts and regulatory considerations, and technoeconomic analysis. This report provides a nationwide assessment of the opportunities for FPV in terms of capacity, measured in direct current megawatts (MWDC), in reservoirs managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Additionally, the report introduces a heuristic model for estimating the CapEx of utility-scale FPV projects (1–100 MW), offering a baseline cost estimate for stakeholders. Finally, the report applies these models to a case study of a hydropower reservoir in North Carolina to present site-specific results.

13 - HYDRO ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2026

Novel Non-Atomizing Process for Producing Powder for Additive Manufacturing

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) worked with Metal Powder Works (MPW) to demonstrate feasibility of MPW proprietary DirectPowder™ process to fabricate powder from DuAlumin-3D (ORNL developed high temperature additively manufactured - AM - aluminum) alloy ingots. Adoption of DirectPowder™ process powder has significant potential to reduce cost, energy expenditure, eliminate CO 2 emissions, and provide a higher quality product.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2026

Biomolecular Films for Direct Air Capture of CO 2

Efficient utilization of CO 2 is amongst the most critical cost drivers in algal biomass production in open pond systems. CO 2 delivery costs represent approximately 20% of the final biomass selling price in algal mass cultivation systems. Technologies that enable direct air capture (DAC) of atmospheric CO 2 to decouple algae cultivation from CO 2 point sources thus present an opportunity to improve the economics and resource potential of algal biomass. Current DAC technologies typically employ amine- or caustic-based absorption, demanding significant water and/or energy inputs and incurring substantial capital expenditures. Conversely, bio-based approaches to DAC offer a means to bypass conventional technoeconomic and sustainability hurdles. We integrate recent advances in computational metabolic modeling, algal genetic engineering, algal cultivation, and algal biomass upgrading to enable directed localization and self-assembly of carbonic anhydrase molecular films to gas-liquid interfaces for enhanced CO 2 capture and conversion.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Functional Data Analysis in Wearable Body Sensor Networks

Improving response time of indirect room-size calorimeters is still an outstanding problem in metabolic research. Accurate estimates of instantaneous rates of gaseous exchange require numerical differentiation of measured gaseousgas concentrations. We propose a new method to estimate the instantaneous gaseousgas exchange rates in indirect calorimetry. In contrast to the previously developed techniques, the method addresses the problem of differentiation of gaseous concentrations as an ill-posed problem. By applying the method of regularization, the problem of differentiation is converted into a well-posed problem resulting in smooth and consistent gaseous exchange rates. The validity of the method is tested on a large dataset of calorimeter experiments which included 313 human experiments along with 231 alcohol combustion experiments. It is demonstrated that the method is able to reliably differentiate between the “unphysiological” process of alcohol combustion and physiological variations produced by human metabolism. The method also allowed unraveling the previously unreported relative kinetics of O2 consumption and Respiratory Quotient (RQ) in humans. It was found that the kinetics of oxidative fuel selection lags behind the energy expenditure in humans exhibiting some sort of oxidative inertia. The time lag varies from 2-3 min up to 30 min, depending on particular individual. No such lag was found in alcohol combustion experiments. In addition to the relative kinetics of substrate oxidation, two statistical indexes reflecting variability of minute-by-minute RQ were estimated. The indexes were the RQ’s standard deviation and RQ’s first-order derivative. Both indexes showed statistically significant difference between human experiments and alcohol combustion experiments. We conclude that the proposed method can consistently extract physiologically-relevant information from noisy calorimetry data and the aforesaid information can provide additional insights into the mechanism of metabolic fuel selection in humans.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Comparison of Commercial, State-of-the-Art, Fossil-Based Ammonia Production

This NETL report provides a comprehensive techno-economic analysis of current, state-of-the-art, fossil-based ammonia production processes, explicitly utilizing natural gas as the feedstock. The study thoroughly investigates three distinct configurations: conventional Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) without carbon capture, SMR integrated with carbon capture and storage (CCS), and Autothermal Reforming (ATR) also with CCS. The analysis incorporates detailed equipment cost accounting as part of its methodology. The primary objective is to meticulously evaluate the cost and performance of these established and emerging technological pathways, considering factors such as capital expenditures, operational costs, and energy consumption. While the report acknowledges and quantifies environmental impacts, its central focus remains on the economic and technical feasibility of each process design employing these current technologies. The analysis provides a direct comparison of the Levelized Cost of Ammonia (LCOA) for each pathway, revealing how the integration of CCS within these state-of-the-art systems impacts the overall production cost. The ATR+CCS configuration, representing an advanced approach, emerged with a slightly more favorable LCOA compared to SMR+CCS. This benefit was attributed to its inherent process efficiencies, high carbon capture rates, and economy of scale advantages. The report details the energy consumption profiles for each case, including metrics like net energy consumption and thermal efficiency, which are critical for assessing the performance of these contemporary industrial processes. Sensitivity analyses further explore how variables such as natural gas price, capital costs, and capacity factors influence the LCOA across all scenarios, offering critical insights into the economic robustness and scalability of these current ammonia production technologies.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

DOE OSTI2026

Storage Field Development Plan: One Earth Energy

This Storage Field Development plan presents the Storage Complex characterization results, construction, monitoring, and operational plans, and costs associated with the proposed One Earth Sequestration Carbon Capture and Storage (OES-CCS) site in McLean County, Illinois, near Gibson City. The proposed storage complex, known as the Mt. Simon Storage Complex, comprises the Cambrian Mt. Simon Sandstone reservoir and the primary seal, the Cambrian Eau Claire Formation. The lowermost Underground Source of Drinking Water (USDW) identified for the site is the Ordovician St. Peter Sandstone. Geologic characterization of the Mt. Simon Storage Complex at the OES-CCS site was performed by the Illinois Storage Corridor CarbonSAFE Phase III project, which also prepared and submitted three UIC Class VI applications to construct three injection wells; the permit applications were submitted and are in the federal EPA review process. A characterization well, OEE #1, was drilled to collect site-specific data. These data were analyzed and used to develop the UIC Class VI applications. The OEE #1 well will be converted to an in-zone monitoring (IZM) well for the injection phase. The proposed buildout for the OES-CCS site includes (1) three injection wells (OES #1, OES #2, and OES #3), (2) two IZM wells, (3) two above confining zone (ACZ) monitoring wells, one of which will be used to monitor the lowermost USDW, (4) capture and compression facilities, and (5) transportation facilities, i.e., pipelines. A pre-operational testing program was proposed in the Class VI permit application and will be employed at the site pending approval. Additional pre-injection (baseline), syn-injection, and post-injection monitoring and site care procedures will be followed by OES to ensure that injection activities are protective of human health and the environment. Injection is scheduled to begin in 2025, distributed across the three injection wells in accordance with the permit operating conditions. One Earth Sequestration intends to inject up to 90 million tonnes of CO 2 over a period of approximately 20 years. Injection will begin at approximately 0.5 million tonnes of CO 2 annually and ramp up to a maximum of 4.5 million tonnes annually. Daily injection rates are expected to range from 1,400 to 1,500 tonnes per day initially and reach a maximum of approximately 4,225 tonnes per day, depending on site geology and injectivity at each injection well location, and CO 2 availability. The costs associated with the OES-CCS project include pre-operational costs (e. g. additional seismic data acquisition and well drilling), capture and transportation facility and equipment costs, predicted field operating expenditures (OpEx), and decommissioning and post-injection site care (PISC) costs. The risks associated with project activities, such as site construction, injection operations, and verification of secure storage were evaluated, and mitigation strategies proposed to alleviate those risks.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗