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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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210 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

In‐operando thermal transport characterization of moving particle bed heat exchanger

The project aimed to develop modulated photothermal radiometry (MPR) for conducting in-operando measurements of thermal transport in moving particle bed heat exchangers (MPBE) located at Sandia National Laboratory (SNL). The plan was to initially conduct lab-scale measurements on a 1-meter-long particle channel at UCSD, followed by in- operando measurements at SNL on a 20 kWth MPBE prototype built for this project, and if time permitting, potential final deployment on SNL’s 1 MWth G3P3 MPBE. The first two goals were successfully achieved but due to changes with commissioning timeline of the G3P3 MPBE, in-operando measurements on the G3P3 MPBE could not be conducted. The measurement campaigns have resulted in some promising results and the MPR tool has been handed over to trained SNL personnel for future use. MPR measurements on UCSD’s 1-meter-long particle channel showed a peculiar length dependence of the particle bed thermal conductivity and near-wall thermal resistance. The bed thermal conductivity increased, and the near-wall thermal resistance decreased, with increasing distance from the channel inlet, both eventually reaching a plateau. This was found to be due to hydrostatic pressure screening by the channel walls, known as the “Janssen effect”, and is the first experimental study on its role in granular heat transfer. A 20 kWth small-scale MPBE prototype, the first of its kind with 3 mm particle channels and 2 mm sCO2 plates, was designed and manufactured by Vacuum Process Engineering (VPE) for this project. This MPBE prototype was installed in SNL’s HEX test stand and the MPR tool was integrated into the test stand for in-operando measurements. Several modifications have been made to the MPR setup for facile installation and easy operation at SNL. Measurements with Carbo HSP40/70 particles were conducted with various particle and sCO2 temperatures and flow rates. Further, apart from regular MPBE operation, fault scenarios such as plate warping, particle stagnation, and choking were also detected and MPR showed excellent sensitivity to the detection of such conditions. Through the course of this project, MPR has evolved from a sensitive laboratory technique to a rugged industrial tool with various applications in high temperature measurements and diagnostics.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Investigation of Scale-Dependent Groundwater/Surface-water Exchange in Rivers by Gradient Self-Potential Logging: Numerical Modeling and Field Experiments

Exchanges of groundwater and surface-water are fundamental to a wide range of water-supply and water-quality management issues but challenging to map beyond the reach scale. Waterborne gradient self-potential (SP) measurements are directly sensitive to water flow through riverbed sediments and can be used to infer exchange locations, direction (gain versus loss), scale, and relative changes, but to date applications to river corridor hydrology are limited. Numerical modeling and field experiments were therefore performed herein, each emphasizing waterborne gradient SP logging for identifying and locating focused vertical groundwater discharge (surface-water gain) and recharge (surface-water loss) in a river. Two and three-dimensional numerical models were constructed to simulate the polarities, appearances, and peak amplitudes of streaming-potential and electric-field anomalies on a riverbed and in the surface-water that were attributable to steady-state vertical fluxes of groundwater through high-permeability conduits in the riverbed. Effects of varied hydraulic length-scale of exchange and surface-water depth were tested through numerical modeling. Modeling results aided in data acquisition and interpretation for three repeated field experiments performed along a 1.5–2.0 km reach of the Quashnet River in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where focused, meter-scale groundwater discharges occur at discrete locations within otherwise ubiquitous and more diffuse groundwater upwelling conditions. Strong gradient SP anomalies were repeatedly measured in the Quashnet River at previously confirmed locations of focused groundwater discharge, showing the efficacy of waterborne gradient SP logging in identifying and characterizing groundwater/surface water exchange dynamics at multiple river network scales.

Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2024

Pan-Arctic daily streamflow at 0.5-degree resolution

Data was derived using daily runoff from models participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, version 6 (CMIP6) that have been routed through the Model for Scale Adaptive River Transport (MOSART) routing model to represent streamflow at individual streamflow gage locations. Data from 750 streamflow gage locations are represented, which are indexed by gage id according to the metadata.csv file. Streamflow gage location sites were based on gage records downloaded from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), National Water Data (HYDAT) Archive from Canada, and the State Hydrological Institute of Russia. Data are available from 11 Earth System Models (ESMs) in total at a daily timestep with a duration of 1920-2099 (1850-2014 for E3SM only). The spatial domain of the modeled data is 0.5 degree resolution. Earth System Models and Units of mean daily streamflow are presented in cubic meters per second (cms). Data files consist of 11 Earth System Model mean daily streamflow output per gage location in .csv format, 1 metadata file in .csv format and 1 Readme file in .docx format (13 files in total). These data were used to benchmark CMIP6 modeled representations of streamflow against gage records.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Conversion of METL Diagnostic Flowmeters to Permanent Magnet Based Electromagnetic Flowmeters

The Mechanisms Engineering Test Loop (METL) uses three flowmeters to monitor sodium circulation through the main loop, the Cold Trap leg, and the Plugging Meter leg. When constructed, the Cold Trap flowmeter (CTFM) and Plugging Meter flowmeter (PMFM) were equipped with permanent magnets and Hall Sensors. By October of 2019, during normal operations, both the CTFM and PMFM failed, producing either erroneous or zero signals. Repairs to the flowmeters were attempted in January of 2020 but failed to resolve the issues. Therefore, starting in March of 2021, a plan was developed to convert the installed flowmeters to more robust permanent magnet based electromagnetic flowmeters (EMFMs). The Cold Trap EMFM (CT EMFM) and Plugging Meter EMFM (PM EMFM) were fully installed by August of 2021. Initial testing and commissioning were completed in November of 2021. Finally, the first calibration runs were finished in March of 2022. This report discusses the design, conversion, and calibration of the as-built CTFM and PMFM to robust permanent magnet based EMFMs. During the design phase, theoretical models were used to estimate the signal output and required magnet sizes. Then, the CTFM and PMFM were disassembled and converted to EMFMs. After commissioning, the CT EMFM and PM EMFM were calibrated using a ‘Time Transfer Procedure’ carried out with METL Expansion Vessels and Test Vessel Two. The accuracy of the calibration was estimated through an uncertainty analysis. Finally, the report describes some lessons learned for future flowmeter conversions and follow-up work. In total, both METL EMFM’s met the desired performance targets. Testing data showed that the METL EMFMs provide a output signal of roughly 2 mV at 1 GPM and 250 °C. During calibration, flowrates between 0.7 GPM and 2.4 GPM were achieved. In this flow range, calibration coefficients of 0.485 and 0.935 were measured as with errors ranging from 15-5% and 16-5% for the CT EMFM and PM EMFM, respectively. Above 1.5 GPM, the error was assumed to be about 5% for both METL EMFMs. Several points will be considered for future follow-up work on the METL EMFM’s. First, the signal noise issues in the PM EMFM will be addressed. It is likely the source of the noise is due to some stray EMF from a heater. Secondly, the NdFeB magnets will be replaced with a grade that has a Curie temperature above 80 °C. For example, a few grades of NeFeB magnets have Curie temperatures which exceed 150 °C and some SmCo magnets have Curie temperatures as high as 500 °C. Third, more calibration runs will be completed in the range of 0.5-2.5 GPM. This will further improve the accuracy of the calibration coefficient. Fourth, calibration runs will be completed up to 5 GPM. This requires a larger pressure relief valve to be installed on the Expansion Vessel and Test Vessel 2, as well as a revised calibration procedure. Lastly, calibration runs will be completed to account for cold spots in the system, which reduced the inlet temperature of the METL EMFMs. Overall, these points will improve the calibration coefficients derived in this work and also improve the performance of the METL EMFMs.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Thermal and Well Flow Performance of Closed-Loop Geothermal in the Wattenberg Area: Preprint

Closed-loop geothermal systems provide an alternative to resource-constrained hydrothermal systems and stimulation-intensive enhanced geothermal systems. In this work, we apply the slender-body theory (SBT) model, to simulate the well flow and heat transfer performance of U-loop well designs drilled in the Wattenberg area of the Denver-Julesburg Basin. Three U-loop well patterns are investigated including a single, double, and multi-lateral design. The subsurface within area is characterized by deep, hot (> 200degreesC) igneous/metamorphic basement rock underlying multiple sedimentary formations. The lateral section(s) of the U-loop lies within a target depth of 6 km where temperatures are estimated to approach 300degreesC. As a base case, conduction-only heat transfer is investigated through simulations with the SBT model within U-loops with open-hole laterals that exchange heat directly with the hot dry rock using water as a working fluid. The utilization of supercritical CO2 as a heat transfer fluid is also considered. For each scenario, the system performance in terms of annual heat production and temperature profile over a 20-year project lifetime are assessed. Also, the levelized costs of heat and electricity (LCOH and LCOE) are determined using a top-down technoeconomic analysis model. The results show that the performance and cost optimized U-loop design is one having an injection-production well spacing of 1,000 meters with ten 50-meter-spaced laterals that traverse a subsurface system with a temperature gradient of 60degreesC/km. By injecting 20 degreesC-water at a rate of 60 kg/s through this loop, an average heat production of 19 MWth can be achieved, resulting in an LCOE and LCOH of $136/MWh and $1.53/GJ, respectively, over a 20-year project life.

closed-loop geothermal↗
DOE OSTI2025

Thermal and Well Flow Performance of Closed-Loop Geothermal in the Wattenberg Area

Closed-loop geothermal systems provide an alternative to resource-constrained hydrothermal systems and stimulation-intensive enhanced geothermal systems. In this work, we apply the slender-body theory (SBT) model, to simulate the well flow and heat transfer performance of U-loop well designs in the Wattenberg area of the Denver-Julesburg Basin. Three U-loop well patterns are investigated, including a single-, double-, and multi-lateral design. The subsurface within the area of interest is characterized by deep, hot (> 200 degrees C) igneous/metamorphic basement rock underlying multiple sedimentary formations. The lateral section(s) of the U-loop lie(s) within a target depth of 6 km, where temperatures are estimated to approach 300 degrees C. As a base case, conduction-only heat transfer is investigated through simulations with the SBT model within U-loops with open-hole laterals that exchange heat directly with the hot, dry rock using water as a working fluid. The utilization of supercritical CO2 as a heat transfer fluid is also considered. For each scenario, the system performance in terms of annual heat production and temperature profile over a 20-year project lifetime are assessed. Also, the levelized costs of heat and electricity (LCOH and LCOE) are determined using a top-down techno-economic analysis model. The results show that the performance- and cost-optimized U-loop design is one having an injection-production well spacing of 1,000 meters with ten 50-meter-spaced laterals that traverse a subsurface system with a temperature gradient of 60 degrees C/km. By injecting 20 degrees C-water at a rate of 60 kg/s through this loop, an average heat production of 19 MWth (i.e., 2.2 MWe net plant output) can be achieved, resulting in an LCOE and LCOH of $136/MWhe and $1.53/GJ, respectively, over a 20-year project life.

closed-loop geothermal↗
DOE OSTI2022

Lithologic controls on microfracturing from legacy underground nuclear explosions

Detection and verification of underground nuclear explosions (UNEs) can be improved with a better understanding of the nature and extent of explosion-induced damage in rock and the effect of this damage on radionuclide migration. Much of the previous work in this area has focused on centimeter- to meter-scale manifestations of damage, but to predict the effect of damage on permeability for radionuclide migration, observations at smaller scales are needed to determine deformation mechanisms. Based on studies of tectonic deformation in tuff, we expected that the heterogeneous tuff layers would manifest explosion-induced damage differently, with welded tuffs showing more fractures and nonwelded tuffs showing more deformation bands. In comparing post-UNE samples with lithologically matched pre-UNE equivalents, we observed damage in multiple lithologies of tuff through quantitative microfracture densities. We find that the texture (e.g., from deposition, welding, alteration, etc.) affects fracture densities, with stronger units fracturing more than weaker units. While we see no evidence of expected deformation bands in the nonwelded tuffs, we do observe, as expected, much larger microfracture densities at close range (<50 m) to the explosive source. We also observe a subtle increase in microfracture densities in post-UNE samples, relative to pre-UNE equivalents, in all lithologies and depths. The fractures that are interpreted to be UNE-induced are primarily transgranular and grain-boundary microfractures, with intragranular microfracture densities being largely similar to those of pre-UNE samples. This work has implications for models of explosion-induced damage and how that damage may affect flow pathways in the subsurface.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Field Test Bed for Vadose-Zone Monitoring Approaches - 20404

In the Central Plateau at the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site, a large inventory of contaminants resides in unsaturated sediments within the approximately 100-meter-thick vadose zone, posing a potential continuing risk to groundwater. Vadose zone remedies used to address these contaminants will require performance monitoring to provide feedback during implementation and for long-term verification that remedial action objectives have been met. Passive approaches may also need long-term monitoring to demonstrate that the flux of contaminants from the vadose zone to the groundwater are below thresholds established to meet groundwater protection goals. Collection of physical (e.g., groundwater or sediment) samples is a common method for identifying contaminant concentration distributions, but this approach is limited by the number of locations and the frequency with which data can be collected. In situ vadose zone measurements have evolved over the past few years to include key measurements of water content, soil water pressure, temperature, and chemical concentration. However, the current generation of sensors is designed for relatively short-term use in near-surface soils or sediments. Geophysical methods have been evolving but are also limited in that they have not been designed for the specific long-term vadose zone monitoring needs at the Hanford Site. Overall, monitoring under unsaturated conditions can be difficult due to the need to install and maintain instrumentation over a large area and depth and the need to identify preferential flow pathways due to geologic and chemical heterogeneities over long periods. Thus, a vadose zone monitoring test bed was initiated to address these challenges and identify cost-effective approaches for implementation and postclosure monitoring of the deep vadose zone. The monitoring test bed is expected to provide valuable field-scale information for the design of vadose zone monitoring systems. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

Hierarchical, Grid-Aware, and Economically Optimal Coordination of Distributed Energy Resources in Realistic Distribution Systems

Renewable portfolio standards are targeting high levels of variable solar photovoltaics (PV) in electric distribution systems, which makes reliability more challenging to maintain for distribution system operators (DSOs). Distributed energy resources (DERs), including smart, connected appliances and PV inverters, represent responsive grid resources that can provide flexibility to support the DSO in actively managing their networks to facilitate reliability under extreme levels of solar PV. This flexibility can also be used to optimize system operations with respect to economic signals from wholesale energy and ancillary service markets. Here, we present a novel hierarchical scheme that actively controls behind-the-meter DERs to reliably manage each unbalanced distribution feeder and exploits the available flexibility to ensure reliable operation and economically optimizes the entire distribution network. Each layer of the scheme employs advanced optimization methods at different timescales to ensure that the system operates within both grid and device limits. The hierarchy is validated in a large-scale realistic simulation based on data from the industry. Simulation results show that coordination of flexibility improves both system reliability and economics, and enables greater penetration of solar PV. Discussion is also provided on the practical viability of the required communications and controls to implement the presented scheme within a large DSO.

distribution network↗
DOE OSTI2021

Rapid charging made practical in graphite-based lithium batteries: surface-acoustic wave turbulent electrolyte mixing to overcome diffusion limited charging rates [Final Report]

One of the key limits in rapidly recharging a lithium-ion battery is the depletion of lithium ions within the electrolyte adjacent the anode during charging and long diffusion time to overcome this depletion. It also causes dendrite formation, inefficient use of the lithium, and battery degradation over many charge-discharge cycles. Because the liquid electrolyte remains quiescent and unmixed, this depletion layer’s depth rapidly grows to match the anode-cathode separation distance at even modest charge rates. The solution proposed by PI Prof. James Friend and Co-PI Prof. Ping Liu, both from the University of California, San Diego, is to mix the electrolyte and minimize the Li+ ion concentration gradient during charging. Even in the presence of the separator, the charging rate could then be significantly increased. They propose to accomplish this using surface acoustic wave (SAW)-driven acoustic streaming, a technique employing 10-mW fingernail-sized solid-state devices from the telecommunications industry to drive turbulent mixing to submicron length scales in a manner completely compatible with the typical 20700 and 18650 cells used in electric vehicles. 0.1. Turbulent acoustic streaming mixes the electrolyte during charging—even with separator Our proposed 100-MHz SAW device used to recirculate the electrolyte is compatible with lithium- ion battery electrochemistry, as it is made in our lab of single-crystal lithium niobate. Their solution is straightforward to drive from a DC power source alongside the signal provided during battery charging. The device is only needed during charging and does not consume power dur- ing battery discharge. Uniquely, SAW generates extreme accelerations of over 1 billion meters per second squared in the fluid, driving turbulent mixing from centimeter to submicron length scales, even through the porous separator materials that tend to be used in batteries, all while avoiding interfering with the anode’s solid electrolyte interphase layer that forms during use. By employing novel fluid mechanics, the investigators are proposing a new direction for battery research away from direct use of materials science and electrochemistry. The chemistry agnostic solution may be employed in any battery chemistry that makes use of liquid electrolytes, providing a broader transformative benefit to the battery research community. They are to produce a series of prismatic and 20700-cell sized 2 Ah batteries capable of being charged and discharged at least 500 times without more than 20% loss in battery capacity, and to provide analysis tools useful to the battery research and development community for adopting this approach for other battery chemistries and configurations.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Editorial: Linking Hydrological and Biogeochemical Processes in Riparian Corridors

The riparian corridor is a key component of the critical zone and an essential component of watershed systems. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word riparian is derived from the Latin word riparius, meaning “existing alongside a river.” Riparian corridors typically extend from a few meters to hundreds of meters adjacent to a river and are marked by rich biodiversity, vegetation, and intense biogeochemical activity. They act as integrators of watershed processes and constitute the primary pathways for the subsurface geochemical exports from the watershed. Although riparian corridors comprise only 2–10% of a watershed's area, as much as 90–98% of biogeochemical processing in watersheds occurs in this region, thereby affecting the subsurface geochemical exports and downstream river water quality. Indeed, the riparian corridor is a good example of the Pareto principle. This outsized contribution occurs at the interface between aquatic (river) and terrestrial (land) environments, where interactions between hydrologic and biogeochemical processes are intensified. Variations in the river corridor over time can thus also have outsize impacts. Therefore, it is important to understand the hydrological and biogeochemical linkages in riparian corridors to determine water availability and quality for sustainable management.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Opportunities to Implement Solutions to Achieve Remedial Action Objectives in Consideration of Stakeholder Interests - 20365

A case study in the implementation of a soils excavation and removal project conducted at a Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) Maywood Superfund Site (FMSS) vicinity property; an active commercial business, in a densely populated area, with significant operational, technical and, logistical constraints that were expected to limit areas that could be remediated. The United States Army Corps of Engineers-led (USACE) team successfully navigated complex overlapping stakeholder interests to achieve a more efficient and complete removal of contaminated soils and debris while minimizing unnecessary excess costs to the Government. This paper centers on FUSRAP activities at the FMSS vicinity property located at 149-151 Maywood Avenue, Maywood, Bergen County, New Jersey. For most of its FUSRAP history, this ∼109,000 square meter (27-acre) property housed a now-demolished ∼26,000 square meter (6.5-acre) warehouse operated by Sears Logistics Services, a unit of the Sears Roebuck Company (Figure 2). Sears ended its property lease and vacated the warehouse in December 2016. Given that long history and for the purposes of this paper, the property will be referred to as the 'Sears property' or simply 'the property.' The Sears property is approximately 109,000 square meters (27-acres) and is currently zoned for commercial use. The property is bound to the north and northwest by 100 West Hunter Avenue (the Stepan Company), to the northeast by 205 Maywood Avenue, to the east by Maywood Avenue, to the south by 23 West Howcroft Road, and to the west by businesses on NJ Route 17 and the NJ Route 17 roadway. Until December 2016, the property housed a warehouse and distribution center operated by Sears Logistical Services. On-site structures were demolished by the property owner in 2017. The warehouse covered the north section of the property along the Stepan Company property line. A railroad spur from the adjacent property now known as the Maywood Interim Storage Site (MISS) ended at the northeast corner of the warehouse. Wetlands were located east of the warehouse; the rest of the property was covered with paved parking lots and grassed areas. During remediation at the property, opportunities frequently arose where the project team was able to coordinate effectively with stakeholders to sequence remediation activities to facilitate removal of otherwise inaccessible soils and identify opportunities for materials reuse when supported by residual radiological and chemical levels. Some specific opportunities include: - remediating individual truck loading dock bays to maintain tenant operations; - working along a busy highway and in a utility corridor containing a 30-inch high pressure gas main; - remediating Lodi Brook and associated wetlands requiring bypass pumping and other diversionary structures to maintain local community stormwater drainage; - protecting during remediation and supporting access to facilitate tenant/owner maintenance of critical fire protection and water supply system service lines buried in contaminated soils and necessary for safe warehouse operations; and - coordinating with stakeholders to ensure non-radiological contaminants of concern for the site (unaffiliated with FUSRAP) were addressed by the responsible party in a manner that maximized benefit to all parties while supporting an efficient overall site remediation program. Once the property was vacant and the warehouse structure and radiologically non-impacted above-grade structures were demolished, the project identified an opportunity to significantly reduce the volume of waste associated with the foundation of the former warehouse, a foundation suspected of being partially constructed in radiologically contaminated soils. The project developed and implemented supplemental radiological verification survey and sampling strategies based on radiological cross-contamination risk potential with process flow-charts and screening-level based decision points; a program that classified saw-cut sections of concrete based on observed residual surface radioactivity conditions using a combination of gamma sensitive sodium-iodide scans and beta sensitive Geiger-Muller direct measurements. The proposed approach was reviewed with stakeholders with feedback, including consideration of applicable State of New Jersey Site Remediation Program criteria and guidance before implementation. Once classified, additional sampling was performed at frequencies driven by screening. The sampling methods, stockpile sampling frequencies, criteria and, approach to data evaluation were developed in consideration of existing site cleanup standards, regional background ranges, State of New Jersey radiological remediation program guidance, and specific stakeholder input With the property remediation and survey efforts nearly completed, it is relevant to examine retrospectively the objectives, assumptions and limitations in the remedial design (i.e., what was planned) versus what was able to be accomplished through effective teaming. Benefits to other environmental remediation site programs include better understanding of how to work effectively with stakeholders to achieve win-win outcomes, and approaches to site remediation, waste minimization and materials reuse that were successful in their overall outcomes. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗