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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 181 records · Page 10

Hybrid Solar System (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

GTI Energy (GTI) teamed with the University of California at Merced (UCM) to scaleup the hybrid solar system (HSS) technology for demonstrating its performance at the US Gypsum (USG) plant in Plaster City, California. The technology integrates two-stage concentrating solar collector with matching particle thermal transport and storage (TSS) system to deliver cost-effective, and on-demand distributed high temperature industrial process heat up to 600°C with solar thermal, in this case to a gypsum kettle, to reduce its fuel use and carbon footprint. Current solar technologies, which reach these temperatures, are not distributable (towers) or cost-effective (dish). The research team developed a conceptual system design for host site retrofit, including preliminary heat balance, process flow diagram, particle to process heat exchanger and equipment placements at the site. Subsequently, parallel efforts were carried out at UCM to design, build and test a 12 m long commercial scale prototype concentrating thermal-only collector system and at GTI to design, build and test a matching 650°C capable particle TTS system. The nominal 50 kWth collector consists of a parabolic trough and three 4 m long two-stage receivers in series. Prior to on-sun testing, a 4 m long receiver was fabricated and successfully tested at 650 °C in a laboratory setting for 100 hrs of continuous operation showing less than 15% radiation loss. A 7 m wide x 17 m long parabolic trough was then installed at UCM for on-sun testing of the 12 m long receiver, and concurrently several 4 m long receivers were built. The optics of the parabolic trough were calibrated, and on-sun test were carried out on 12 m long receivers. During tests, the intense solar radiation (53x) caused the absorber tubes in the receivers to bend, reducing the overall optical efficiency. To address the bending issue, a self-consistent algorithm that includes ray tracing, thermal and deformation models was developed to perform thermal stress analysis on absorbers for parabolic solar collectors. Results obtained with this algorithm showed a dramatic rise in deformation as absorber tube length increases. A combined efficiency parameter that includes the occluded area for the mounts was developed to obtain an optimized tube length obtained. Based on the results, a length of 2.7 m for the absorber + 0.2 m for the coupler was chosen to minimize any bending and optimize optical efficiency while maintaining ease of mounting. The associated particle TTS system was designed, built and successfully tested at GTI. It includes storage, receiving and lock hoppers and piping that simulates the transfer of captured solar energy to an actual industrial furnace. Tests over 77 charge-discharge cycles demonstrated <2% particle degradation, with no problematic particle accumulations and no flow interruptions. The piping pressure drop was about 5 psi. The team also worked with Stanley Consultants (Stanley) to prepare conceptual and preliminary engineering packages to facilitate follow-on development and commercialization efforts. These include process and instrumentation diagram’s (P&ID’s), general arrangements, electrical one-line, project definitions document, equipment data sheets, schedule, and construction cost estimate for 2 MWth system. Updated HSS technology commercialization and customer engagement plans and detailed costs and evaluated market trade-offs and manufacturing.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Roll-to-Roll Advanced Materials Manufacturing DOE Laboratory Collaboration (FY2020 Final Report)

R2R processing is used to manufacture a wide range of products for various applications which span many industrial business sectors. The overall R2R methodology has been in use for decades and this continuous technique traditionally involves deposition of material(s) onto moving webs, carriers or other continuous belt-fed or conveyor-based processes that enable successive steps to build a final version which serves to support the deposited materials. Established methods that typify R2R processing include tape casting, silk-screen printing, reel-to-reel vacuum deposition/coating, and R2R lithography. Products supported by R2R manufacturing include micro-electronics, electro-chromic window films, PVs, fuel cells for energy conversion, battery electrodes for energy storage, and barrier and membrane materials. Due to innovation in materials and process equipment, high-quality yet very low-cost multilayer technologies have the potential to be manufactured on a very cost-competitive basis. To move energy-related products from high-cost niche applications to the commercial sector, the means must be available to enable manufacture of these products in a cost-competitive manner that is affordable. Fortunately, products such as fuel cells, thin- and mid-film PVs, batteries, electrochromic and piezoelectric films, water separation membranes, and other energy saving technologies readily lend themselves to manufacture using R2R approaches. However, more early-stage research is needed to solve the challenge of linking the materials (particles, polymers, solvents, additives) used in ink and slurry formulations and the coating and drying processes to the ultimate performance of the final R2R product, especially for a process that uses multiple layers of deposition to achieve the end product. To solve the problems associated with these challenges, the R2R Collaboration is executing a research program with outcomes that will ultimately link modeling, processing, metrology and defect detection tools, thereby directly relating the properties of constituent particles and processing conditions to the performance of final devices. This collaborative approach was designed to foster identification and development of materials and processes related to R2R for clean-energy materials development. Using computational and experimental capabilities by acknowledged subject matter experts within the supported National Laboratory system, this project leverages the capabilities and expertise at each of five National Laboratories to further the development of multilayer technologies that will enable high-volume, cost-competitive platforms. A typical R2R process has three steps: (1) mixing of particles and various constituents in a slurry, (2) coating of the ink/slurry mixture on a substrate, and (3) drying/curing and processing of the coating. Final performance of devices made via R2R processes is dependent on the active materials (e.g., electrochemical particles in battery or fuel cell electrodes) and the device structure that stems from the governing component interactions within the various steps. However, a fundamental understanding of the underlying mechanisms and phenomena is still lacking, which is why industrial-scale R2R process development and manufacturing is still largely empirical in nature. The FY 2019 through FY 2021 program addresses aspects of the following two targets from the AMO Multi-Year Program Plan: (1) Target 8.1 Develop technologies to reduce the cost per manufactured throughput of continuous R2R manufacturing processes. (A) Increasing throughput of R2R processes by 5 times for batteries (to 50 square feet per minute (50 ft 2 /min)) and capacitors and 10 times for printed electronics and the manufacture of other substrates and MEs used in support of these products. (B) Developing resolution capabilities to enable registration and alignment that will detect, align, and co-deposit multiple layers of coatings and print < 1-micron (1 µm) features using continuous process scalable for commercial production. (C) Developing scalable and reliable R2R processes for solution deposition of ultra-thin (<10 nm) films for active and passive materials. (D) Develop in-line multilayer coating technology on thin films with yields greater than 95%. (2) Target 8.2 Develop in-line instrumentation tools that will evaluate the quality of single and multilayer materials in-process. (A) Developing in-line QC technologies and methodologies for real-time identification of defects and expected product properties “in-use/application” during continuous processing at all size-scales with a focus on the “micro” and “nano” scale traces, lines, and devices, i.e., <1 μm at 300 ft./min for R2R processing in air and <10 nm at 20 ft./min for vacuum (B) Developing technologies to increase the measurement frequency of surface rheology without significant cost increases with a goal of a 10-nanometer in-line profilometry at a production rate of 100,000 square millimeters per minute (100,000 mm 2 /min).

42 ENGINEERING↗

Optimizing dynamic wireless charging for electric buses: A data-driven approach to infrastructure planning

The network configuration significantly impacts the performance of dynamic wireless charging (DWC) technology for electric buses. Here, this study presents a novel approach to planning charging infrastructure for public transit using data-driven nonconvex mixed-integer optimization. Integrating DWC and charging station technologies reveals a trade-off between enroute and stationary charging times. Our framework optimizes bus frequency settings and transmitter coil arrangements to minimize operational and infrastructure costs. A case study in Chattanooga, Tennessee, demonstrates the method's effectiveness in mitigating range anxiety and reducing charging expenses. This research implies that integrating DWC technology into public transit systems can enhance the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of electric bus operations, promoting sustainable urban mobility.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Review of Marine Renewable Energy in Integrated Resource Plans

As part of a literature review of reference material for grid applications of marine hydrokinetic energy capture technologies, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) surveyed U.S. electric utility integrated resource plans for the mention or treatment of marine renewable energy technologies, principally wave energy, tidal energy, and offshore wind energy. This review offers a window into utility decision-making and data utilization with regard to these generating technologies. The report also offers perspectives on the relationship between traditional and emerging resource planning paradigms and metrics.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

CORE-CM in The Greater Green River and Wind River Basins: Transforming and Advancing a National Coal Asset (Final Report)

The following document summarizes project results from “CORE-CM in the Greater Green River and Wind River Basins: Transforming and Advancing a National Coal Asset”. This project is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (“DOE”) National Energy Technology Laboratory’s (“NETL”) Carbon Ore, Rare Earth Elements, and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) Initiative. This report concludes that the Greater Green River and Wind River Basins (GGRB-WRB) Area-of-Interest (AOI 9) is the ideal region for continued research and development in progressing the broader CORE-CM goals outlined by the DOE. Based upon the extensive analyses of technical, social, and community criteria, this report illustrates that the GGRB-WRB hosts numerous potential CORE-CM feedstocks (both coal- and non-coal based), diverse opportunities for utilizing existing industrial waste streams, ample infrastructure and industry to support new CORE-CM-focused technologies, and a highly motivated, well educated, and adaptable workforce to further develop the regional and national CORE-CM supply chain. Additionally, some potential solutions for technological gaps suggest that the GGRB-WRB's diverse resources can play a significant role in achieving the national goal of critical materials independence. With full community participation, meaningful involvement of regional Tribal Nations, and building upon the stakeholder engagement demonstrated here, the GGRB-WRB region presents a unique opportunity for advancing the CORE-CM Initiative. This project was designed to bring together coal-based communities and stakeholders from across the GGRB-WRB to advance new industries for CORE-CM resources. The University of Wyoming (UWyo) School of Energy Resources (SER) led a project team of experts from the Colorado Geological Survey (CGS), Colorado School of Mines (CSM), Los Alamos National Lab (LANL), and local community colleges. Input from basinal, regional, and national experts bolstered the coalition in order to advance the mission of DOE’s CORE-CM initiative and develop the domestic CORE-CM supply chain. Phase I of this project was designed to address the goal of developing and catalyzing economic growth, job creation, and technology innovation in the GGRB-WRB of Wyoming and Colorado, by increasing the supply of CORE-CM to manufacturers of non-fuel Carbon Based Products (CBP) and products reliant upon CM. The GGRB-WRB CORE-CM project worked toward providing benefit through several avenues of performance and research. • Develop a coalition team to achieve project objectives • Complete detailed assessments, including State-of-the-Art (SOTA) Data acquisition of potential CORE-CM materials across the AOI, and meaningfully contributes to DOE’s CORE-CM goals nationally. • Strategic planning for regional economic growth, job creation, and associated technology innovation around coal materials, including plans to maximize the development of potential CORE-CM resources and technology by creating regional public-private partnerships. • Define regional economic growth potential around existing strengths, energy infrastructure, business and industry, including planning for the leveraging of highly trained workforces, existing and novel coal technologies, and energy infrastructure in development of CORE-CM supply chains. • Develop a preliminary strategic plan for increasing the supply of CORE-CM materials to manufacturers of non-fuel Carbon Based Products (CBP) and products reliant upon CM, focusing on regional strengths that result in an emerging diversified CORE-CM economy. • Assemble a committed network of stakeholders and communities that learn about, accept, and grow new energy technologies within coal regions. Additionally, the project team significantly contributed to the CORE-CM Initiative’s national goals, through cross-regional scoping, collaborating with CORE-CM projects in other AOIs, and including parallel regional project experts. In addition to active inclusion and meaningful engagement and contribution to DOE-led working groups, the project team focused on engaging with regional communities including Tribal Nations, economic development groups, and regional government organizations. The project’s CORE-CM development and commercialization plan identified diverse CORECM feedstocks, potential routes towards integration with existing industries, methods for supply-chain development that leverage existing infrastructure and businesses considering the regional economy, identified entry barriers for incorporating traditional and new technologies in those supply chains, recognized opportunities for public-private partnerships to develop technology innovation centers, identified diverse workforces, and conducted stakeholder outreach and education to build a community of understanding on CORE-CM potential in the GGRB-WRB region. Detailed task descriptions can be found in each chapter.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Quantifying the Value of Technology and Policy Innovation in Water Resource Portfolios

Abstract Recent water infrastructure planning models demonstrate that explicitly accounting for hydrological changes in long‐term water planning reduces costs and increases system robustness. However, current models do not consider the effects of other changes occurring in the system over long time horizons, namely technology and policy innovation. By leveraging state‐of‐the‐art dynamic control techniques, we propose a suite of tools that explicitly relate hydrologic change, technology innovation, and policy interventions to system‐level water costs. We design robust and cost‐optimal strategies for water supply expansion under hydrological variability and hundreds of plausible innovation states, for example, treatment cost and diversification improvements, deployment times, and demand reduction campaigns. Our approach circumvents the need to pre‐assign probabilities to innovation scenarios and, instead, directly calculates the effects of technology, policy, and hydrology variations on system cost and planning strategies to identify avenues of impactful innovation. These tools can support technology development hubs, urban, state, and federal water planners in anticipating cost implications of technology and policy innovation at the local level, and prioritizing high‐impact innovation goals based on quantitative targets. Results for the case study of Santa Barbara, California identify high‐value innovation attributes for the city as well as combinations of innovation attributes across technologies and policies, and quantify their potential utility cost reductions.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

Advanced Measurements for Resilient Integration of Inverter-Based Resources: PROGRESS MATRIX Year-1 Report

As nearly every aspect of the electric power grid undergoes rapid change, measurement technologies that support grid operation and planning must evolve as well. Recent large-scale deployments of inverter-based resources (IBRs) have brought to the forefront the critical need for new measurement technologies. Though these IBRs are vital to achieving the nation’s clean energy goals, their rapid deployment has in some cases led to negative impacts on the reliability and security of the bulk power system (BPS). Advanced power system measurements, including synchronized phasor and waveform measurements, are key to making IBR integration secure and reliable. To this end, the Department of Energy (DOE) initiated a project in 2022 to develop advanced measurement capabilities and analytics that will accelerate adoption of IBRs while improving the reliability and resilience of the BPS. This report discusses a portion of the findings from the project’s first year, which focused on surveying existing measurement capabilities of partner utilities and comparing these capabilities with the requirements of applications that support IBR integration. This report also discusses how these findings will guide the development and demonstration of a set of applications in the project’s second year.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Demand Response in Bangalore: Implications for Electricity System Operations

Recent Greening the Grid studies for India highlight the benefits of flexible resources for integrating variable renewable energy onto India’s electricity system. India’s ambitious renewable energy targets, which are particularly focused on renewable resource states such as Karnataka, will face fewer challenges when combined with new planning and operational strategies and technologies. This report explores one such strategy - demand response - by which the system operator shifts load throughout a day to minimize system wide production costs. To explore this strategy, we added demand response resources to Karnataka’s electricity system in a production cost model of India, using load shifting potential analyzed by Lawrence Berkeley National Labs. We then investigated the impacts of increasing demand response capacity under several renewable resource scenarios. Our results show the addition of demand response enables fuel shifting from high-marginal-cost and emissions-intensive subcritical coal and diesel generation to zero-marginal-cost and emissions-free renewable generation. Accordingly, the value that demand response provides to the system increases as the renewable penetration increases. In addition to reducing production costs and emissions, demand response reduces the time that thermal generators spend at their minimum output levels, which typically represents a less efficient and costlier operational state. Agricultural load shifting provides greater value to the system than residential, commercial, or industrial loads. Agricultural demand response is more flexible than other sectors because it is not exposed to subdaily operational constraints and it can operate for more hours per day without impacting customer satisfaction. Further, the first increment of demand response that is added to a system provides the greatest value; further additions provide additional benefits but have a decreasing impact. The insights we discuss could be leveraged by system planners and operators in other jurisdictions, particularly those facing significant renewable energy penetrations, to develop their own demand response programs.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Nuclear Decontamination Evolution and Revolution - 20349

Decontamination, one of the oldest practices in the nuclear industry, is about to change. While no single approach to decontamination is appropriate in all situations, decontamination of highly contaminated surfaces is historically viewed as difficult and/or marginally effective and fixatives and strippable coatings are often called on to manage time sensitive contamination control issues. The deferral of proper decontamination can lead to accumulated concentrations of radioactive material increasing the risk of cross-contamination of workers and equipment while also increasing radiation levels, which further discourages decontamination. The results of the subject testing demonstrate that superior decontamination factors are readily achievable and the ALARA benefit of decontamination is viable through advanced decontamination technologies in conjunction with innovative application techniques. The collateral benefits will save countless radiological man-hours and personnel radiological exposure. The appropriate use of radiological decontamination techniques can prevent or limit the adverse effects of highly radioactive contamination in the work area. High levels of radiological contamination are typically associated with some of the most physically demanding work in the nuclear industry. Additionally, working in highly contaminated environments increases the risk of exposure to elevated levels of airborne radioactivity and radiation from the source term of the contamination, particularly in hard to reach areas or complex equipment. Veolia's Alaron Nuclear Services (Alaron), a fully integrated nuclear facility, has provided the nuclear industry waste treatment, consolidation, repackaging, and broad decontamination services for almost 35 years. In looking at solutions for its customers, as well as for their own facility, Alaron has recently collaborated with Environmental Alternatives, Inc. (EAI), which has provided innovative solutions addressing difficult nuclear decontamination and industrial cleaning challenges since 1989. This broad range of experience along with the products to support the work created an ideal partner for Alaron's needs at their facility. The benefits of collaboration were immediately recognizable to the management of both companies although the decontamination challenge was significant. Due to the nature of the services offered, contamination at the Alaron facility is routine. The recent decontamination experience at Alaron utilized an innovative surfactant process that quickly produces remarkably higher decontamination factors for both removable surface contamination and fixed contamination. Considering the time to decontaminate areas historically designated for high radiological hazard work, the results from this decontamination effort not only reduced contamination levels but also significantly lowered exposure rates in the working environment. The relative ease with which the surfactant is applied, combined with extraordinary decontamination test results, indicates the potential to alter current radiological work processes in a way that improves worker comfort, and removes radiological engineering barriers, allowing Alaron to complete complex radiological tasks more efficiently and effectively. In a series of two simple applications of the decontamination agent to contaminated high bay vertical surfaces, as well as a variety of horizontal and vertical surfaces with variable porousness and surface sealants, there was an overall reduction in removable contamination of approximately 73% with a reduction in area dose of approximately 93%. The results indicate additional reduction in fixed contamination with application of the surfactant. These values are much higher than experienced with more traditional decontamination agents. In conjunction with demonstrating EAI's surfactant on room surfaces, additional studies were conducted on complex geometry equipment including waste processing equipment, tools, and heavily contaminated parts normally handled from Alaron's customers. Evaluations were made with straight application of EAI's surfactant as well as adding additional techniques to the treatment which afforded revolutionary improvements in the levels of contamination removed. Successful decontamination with up to 95% reduction in removable contamination with just one application were demonstrated in several of the trials. This paper outlines the planned approach to use this technology, the variety of surfaces and equipment treated, and the results of the decontamination efforts. Furthermore, this paper discusses options for pretreatment of certain heavily contaminated equipment prior to employees handling and/or working with the equipment. The potential for dose saving and the reduced risk of cross-contamination with the added benefit of lower PPE requirements, produces an enormous potential for cost and time savings. Attendees will benefit from Alaron's experiences and more fully understand the capabilities of EAI's decontamination process. With the variety of contamination agents, forms and surfaces on which the technology was demonstrated, the information will be valuable to a broad cross-section of industry users. The significance of this report demonstrates superior decontamination factors are achievable utilizing the next evolution of decontamination technology and that the ALARA benefits of decontamination are available through advanced and modern decontamination efforts. The collateral benefits will save countless radiological man-hours and valuable personnel radiological exposure. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Benefits and Challenges of California Offshore Wind Electricity: An Updated Assessment

Offshore wind (OSW) technology has recently been included in California’s plans to achieve 100% carbon-free electricity by 2045. As an emerging technology, many features of OSW are changing more rapidly than established renewable options and are shaped by local circumstances in unique ways that limit transferrable experiences globally. This paper fills a gap in the literature by providing an updated technological assessment of OSW in California to determine its viability and competitiveness in the state’s electricity generation mix to achieve its near-term energy and environmental goals. Through a critical synthesis and extrapolation of technical, social, and economic analyses, we identify several major improvements in its potential. First, we note that while estimates of OSW’s costs per MWh of installed capacity have generally documented and projected a long-term decline, recent technical, microeconomic, and macroeconomic factors have caused significant backsliding of this momentum. Second, we project that the potential dollar value benefits of OSW’s greenhouse gas reduction capabilities have increased by one to two orders of magnitude, primarily due to major upward revisions of the social cost of carbon. Several co-benefits, including enhanced reliability, economic growth, and environmental justice, look to be increasingly promising due to a combination of technological advances and policy initiatives. Despite these advancements, OSW continues to face several engineering and broader challenges. We assess the current status of these challenges, as well as current and future strategies to address them. We conclude that OSW is now overall an even more attractive electricity-generating option than at the beginning of this decade.

Rose, Adam (ORCID:0000000333477684)↗

Optimal Dispatch for the US Virgin Islands to Increase Renewable Rates in Saint Croix

The US Virgin Islands, like many other small island nations, face significant challenges related to its energy supply. Their dependency on imported fossil fuels not only drives up energy costs, but also contributes to different environmental problems. Nevertheless, their generally sunny and windy climate makes this archipelago an ideal location for renewable energy development. Increasing the use of sources such as wind, and solar can help reduce their energy dependency, lower their levelized cost of electricity, and improve the health and wellbeing of local communities. In this paper, an optimal dispatcher is employed to analyze the implications on energy security of employing different technology options according to the plans of the local system operator. In this context, short term stability is ensured by inserting operational constraints in the energy management system based on stability analysis developed in PSCAD. The results highlight the usefulness of integrating PV and battery system, while further analysis are required to justify integrating wind power.

energy islands↗

Line emission mapper microcalorimeter spectrometer

The line emission mapper (LEM) is a probe-class mission concept that is designed to detect x-ray emission lines from hot ionized gas (T > 10 6 K) that will enable us to test galaxy evolution theories. It will permit us to study the effects of stellar and black-hole feedback and flows of baryonic matter into and out of galaxies. The key to being able to study the hot gases that are otherwise invisible to current imaging x-ray spectrometers is that the energy resolution is sufficient to use cosmological redshift to separate extragalactic source lines from foreground Milky Way emission. LEM incorporates a large-format microcalorimeter array instrument called the LEM microcalorimeter spectrometer (LMS) with a light-weight x-ray optic with 10” half power diameter angular resolution. The LMS microcalorimeter array has pixels with 15" pixel pitch over a 33' field of view (FOV) optimized for the 0.3 to 2 keV energy band. The central 7' region of the array has an energy resolution of 1.3 eV at 1 keV and the rest of the FOV has 2.5 eV energy resolution at 1 keV. The array will be read out with state-of-the-art time-division multiplexing. We present an overview of the LMS instrument, including details of the entire detection chain, the focal plane assembly, as well as the cooling system and overall mechanical and thermal design. For each of the key technologies, we discuss the current technology readiness level and the plan to advance them to be ready for flight. We also describe the current system design and our estimate for the mass, power, and data rate of the instrument. The design details presented concentrate primarily on the unique aspects of the LMS design compared with prior missions and confirm that the type of microcalorimeter instrument needed for LEM is not only feasible but also technically mature.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Cleantech University Program Regional Competition. Final Report

The Berkeley Cleantech University Program (CUP) provided aspiring student entrepreneurs with the mentorship, business development skills and training, and investor feedback they need to turn their clean energy ideas into businesses offering real-world solutions. Annually for three years, the Berkeley CUP recruited teams of students across the country to develop their clean energy technology and refine their business plan, and provided them with mentorship and training during the crucial incubation phase. Each year, the regional program culminates in a final pitch competition, where two finalists and one grand prize winner are determined. Teams are judged on a variety of factors, including but not limited to technical feasibility, scalability, and impact. A total of 18 teams representing 10 universities have participated in the Berkeley CUP. The contest attracted and sustained a growing body of innovative cleantech ideas, young entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate partners in the western region of the United States.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Fuel Cell Powered Airport GSE (Ground Support Equipment) Deployment

The Fuel Cell Powered Airport GSE (Ground Support Equipment) Deployment Project was initiated in 2013 between Plug Power and U. S. Department of Energy Fuel Cell Technologies Office (DOE). The project plan included development and deployment of fifteen fuel cell powered units for two years at an airport to understand the feasibility and economic viability of hydrogen powered GSE. Project participants were the Department of Energy, Plug Power, and FedEx. The Memphis, TN airport is the hub of FedEx’s freight operation and was selected as the site for the demonstration portion of the project.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Integration of Pumped Heat Energy Storage with Fossil-Fired Power Plant (Final Report)

The project team of Southwest Research Institute ® (SwRI ® ), Malta Inc. (Malta), and Luminant Generation Company LLC (Luminant) completed a feasibility study for the integration of a 100-MW, 10-hour (1000-MWh) Malta Pumped Heat Energy Storage (MPHES) system with multiple full-sized fossil-fired electricity generation units (EGU) in Luminant portfolio. MPHES is a long-duration, molten-salt-energy storage technology that uses turbomachinery and heat exchangers to transfer energy to a thermal storage media when charging, and removes the heat in a similar fashion when discharging. With high round trip efficiency (60-65%) and long lifespan (30+ years), MPHES provides economic benefits to the fossil-asset owners that can be scaled to integrate with assets across their portfolio. This technology uses hardware components, workforce personnel, and skillsets similar to those used by fossil EGUs, allowing for synergy when co-locating the two technologies. Luminant has approximately 39,000 megawatts of generation across 12 states, operating in six of the seven competitive markets in the U.S. and powered by a diverse portfolio of natural gas, nuclear, coal, and solar facilities. The DeCordova plant in Granbury, Texas, a simple cycle natural gas peaker power plant, was used as the fossil-fired asset in this project. The local market in Granbury, Texas has many influences, including several nearby power plants, a Luminant-owned nuclear plant (Comanche Peak), and substantial wind energy, which causes both negative pricing at night and high market volatility. Reducing false starts of the DeCordova plant and better responding to market volatility would be an economic advantage. Luminant is currently integrating battery storage plant on site to begin addressing these challenges. Integrating long-duration storage, like MPHES, would expand this capability beyond one hour of storage and have the potential to greatly reduce the total number of gas turbine starts. The MPHES charging requirement could help offset the overnight operating costs of Comanche Peak, which cannot load follow, and the nearby Luminant-owned Wise County combined cycle plant that cycles too often. Following the assessment of Luminant’s ERCOT-based portfolio for integration compatibility with Malta’s PHES system and the project tasks of conceptual study, technoeconomic analysis, technology gap assessment, and commercialization plan, the project team effort has resulted in several key outcomes: (1) Identification of market trends in a high-wind penetration market outside a major metropolitan area; (2) Creation of a dispatching model for the MPHES system and the pairing of Li-ion battery with a gas turbine in a real time market; (3) Revenue and cost estimations for operating MPHES alongside a gas peaker plant with real dispatching considerations and comparison with variations in the Malta implementation, including doubling the storage capacity and using two discharge drivetrains; (4) Potential carbon emission reductions possible by replacing gas turbine operation with Malta PHES operation; and (5) Summary of literature-based future market predictions for Texas.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

Clemson Hydrogen Combined Heat and Power Storage System

The objective of this project named H2 Orange, was to develop a conceptual design including a technoeconomic study, technology gap assessment and maturation plan, and commercialization plan of a nominal 50-megawatt hours (MWh) hydrogen energy storage system. The project investigated how to optimally size, design and integrate the hydrogen energy storage system with an existing 14.3-megawatt (MW) gas turbine fossil asset supplying thermal power at the Clemson University Combined Heat & Power (CHP) plant.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Siting Overview: US/Fermilab

Presentation of Fermilan-specific muon collider scenarios, including site-filler RCS and possible re-use of the Tevatron tunnel. A brief discussion of the relevant technological considerations and the scenario planning that is site-agnostic. Recent work on Fermilab proton driver is presented.

Eldred, Jeff [Fermilab]↗