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At least 271 records · Page 15

NRIC Integrated Energy Systems Demonstration Pre-Conceptual Designs

This report presents pre-conceptual design scenarios for a potential multiphase demonstration program for innovative uses of nuclear energy with the National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) and the Crosscutting Technology Development Integrated Energy Systems (CTD IES) program in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy. The demonstration program would address the need for low-carbon energy sources among industry stakeholders by identifying and implementing high-impact advanced nuclear projects within a holistic systems perspective. Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, the managing and operating contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in Idaho Falls, Idaho, is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) for industry stakeholder participation in the potential demonstration program. Funding sources have not yet been identified for the demonstration program. Responses to the EOI will shape the development and funding requirements for the potential program and inform the down-selection of project designs for further planning and analysis from the wide set of pre-conceptual design scenarios shown in this report. This introductory section summarizes the need for low-carbon energy sources, describes the phases envisioned for the demonstration program, and outlines the organization of this report.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

SEIN: Breaking Barriers Resilient Energy System Analysis [Slides]

The Solar Energy Innovation Network (SEIN) is a collaborative research program that supports multi-stakeholder teams in researching and sharing solutions to real-world challenges associated with solar energy adoption. The Breaking Barriers project was selected to participate in the Solar Energy Innovation Network, Round 2, and was led by Groundswell, a D.C.-based clean energy project developer. The Breaking Barriers team included Partnership for Southern Equity, Atlanta University Center campus facility managers and professors, the City of Atlanta's Neighborhood Planning Unit T, and Georgia Power Company. The project aimed to design and construct innovative urban energy resiliency hubs integrating microgrid technology, solar generation, and energy storage in Atlanta colleges and communities. The hubs will help these historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and the energy-burdened broader community in West Atlanta be more resilient, in addition to informing new course curricula at Atlanta University Center campuses. With many possible options for the system's battery size, the Breaking Barriers team needed insight into the relationships between BESS size, economic performance, and resilience at Spelman College's Manley Center. These insights are crucial for entering procurement negotiations with project developers, establishing resilience capabilities that the HBCU campuses can plan around, and guiding the team's fundraising targets. This analysis includes estimates of PV and battery performance, costs, savings, and resilience for multiple battery sizes. In order to provide power during a grid outage, the resilient energy system also needs to be connected to the Manley Center in a safe and island-able manner (electrically isolated from the grid). Analysis of potential electrical configurations and estimated setup costs is key to successfully entering a required interconnection agreement with Georgia Power, as well as informing requests for engineering firms to construct the system. This analysis includes conceptual options and rough order of magnitude cost estimates for electrically interconnecting the resilient energy system to the Manley Center and the grid. The Breaking Barriers team used this analysis to select preferred system characteristics and design for the resilient energy system.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Project Development of an Electrochemical Denitration and Caustic Generation System for HLW Pretreatment at Hanford - 26350

An engineering-scale electrochemical processing skid is proposed to perform the denitration of Hanford tank waste, which would help to mitigate a key process concern with the direct feed processing of the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The reduction of nitrates and organic compounds in the waste feed will directly reduce hazardous NOx and ammonia gases generated during the vitrification process, which in turn will aid in addressing potential regulatory and safety challenges associated with processing large volumes of tank waste. This paper highlights the past legacy work, project layout, accomplishments from Phase 1 and research and development envisioned for Phase 2. An innovative electrochemical denitration and caustic generation (EDCGe) process was demonstrated for the pretreatment of tank waste at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in the early 2000s. The denitration electrolyzer, off-gas abatement system, and caustic generator electrolyzer are being developed with the intent that the denitration electrolyzer will convert nitrate and nitrite anions to nitrogen gas while also yielding other gaseous byproducts, which may include N2O, NH3, VOCs, and H2. The gaseous byproducts will be managed via a tandem off-gas catalyst-bed treatment system. The caustic generation electrolyzer will recycle NaOH from the feed to produce a clean caustic stream for use within the batching tanks at Hanford, aiding in the preparation of waste for WTP. The reduction in hazardous emissions and improved waste treatment processes provides a robust solution for nuclear waste management, contributing to environmental safety and regulatory compliance. The EDCGe technology is being adapted, modified, and updated for the preparation of the Direct Feed-High Level Waste (DF-HLW) flowsheet at Hanford. Phase 1 demonstrated a bench-scale proof-of-concept for reactions involving the denitration electrolyzer and gas phase abatement of ammonia. The electrochemical technology is drawing on the scientific outcomes that were reported in the legacy work. The results from Phase 1 demonstrated the viability of the EDCGe system in reducing the nitrogen species of simple non-radioactive waste simulants. Commercially available alloys used as electrode materials and membranes are being studied for the denitration and caustic generation electrolyzers. The continuation of this project holds promise for broader applications, such as energy-efficient ammonia production, and contributes significant advancements in nuclear waste management. Additional material discovery has been investigated into ceramic Na super ion conductive (NaSICON) materials and off-gas abatement catalyst discovery. NaSICON is of interest for selective transport of Na within the electrolyzers to make a clean caustic stream. Future integration and optimization efforts, informed by Phase 1 results and ongoing research, will continue to drive advancements in nuclear waste management technology. The technology developed for the EDCGe treatment of tank waste will also have broader potential to inform other fields, such as energy-efficient ammonia production, as well as ammonia abatement catalysis through the lessons learned in electrochemical nitrate reduction. The applications and benefits of this research extend beyond Hanford and the Savannah River Site, supported by a collaborative team of scientists and engineers from national labs, academia, and industry, ensuring a comprehensive approach to solving complex waste treatment challenges. The team is leveraging advanced electrochemical technologies, machine learning, novel catalysts tailored for gaseous nitrogen species, and cutting-edge reactor systems to enhance the process efficiency and effectiveness of the denitration process.

Rodene, Dylan [Savannah River National Laboratory ↗

Analysis of data user's needs for performance evaluation of solar heating and cooling systems

In a successful data acquisition program, the information needs must be evaluated, the design and cost factors of the program must be determined, and a data management loop must be organized and operated in order to collect, process, and disseminate the needed information in useable formats. This paper describes each of these program elements in detail as an aid for the solar heating and cooling data manager and user to implement effective data acquisition and monitoring systems. Consideration is given to the development of evaluation techniques which will aid in the determination of solar energy systems performances.

Christensen, D. L.↗

Update on Parallel Process Execution in the Next Generation System Analysis Model

As of the end of 2021, 88,880 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) (44,741 MTHM in dry storage; 44,139 MTHM in wet storage) of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) were stored at various reactor sites across the United States [1]. The Office of Storage and Transportation in the Department of Energy is planning for the transportation, storage, and eventual disposal of SNF and high-level radioactive waste (HLW). To aid in this effort and inform decision-makers about the backend of the spent fuel cycle, systems analysis tools capable of analyzing the various options with respect to SNF and HLW management are being used as well as continuously improved to meet the evolving needs of the program. System analysts typically use these tools to vary underlying assumptions (shipping rates, allocation priority, available facilities, start dates, etc.) and study the implications of these changes on site clearance schedules, campaign costs, transportation infrastructure acquisition, etc.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Update on Parallel Process Execution in the Next Generation System Analysis Model (NGSAM)

As of the end of 2022, it is estimated that over 90,000 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) were stored at various commercial nuclear power reactor sites (both operating and shutdown) across the United States [1]. The Office of Storage and Transportation within the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy is planning for the transportation, storage, and eventual disposal of SNF and high-level radioactive waste (HLW). To aid in this effort and inform decision-makers about the backend of the spent fuel cycle, systems analysis tools capable of analyzing the various options with respect to SNF and HLW management are being used as well as continuously improved to meet the evolving needs of the program. System analysts typically use these tools to vary underlying assumptions (shipping rates, available facilities, start dates, interim storage capacity, etc.) and study the associated system implications such as timing for clearing sites of SNF, various cost elements, transportation infrastructure acquisition needs, etc.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

EVI-EnSitePy (Electric Vehicle Infrastructure – Energy Estimation and Site Optimization Tool in Python) [EVI-X Modeling Suite] [SWR-25-07]

EVI-EnSitePy is a comprehensive agent-based tool designed for the analysis and design of high-power charging sites, encompassing a wide array of site agents including Electric Vehicles (EVs), chargers, energy storage units (ESS), renewable energy resources (DER), and loads. This versatile tool offers diverse functionalities and a modular modeling approach, allowing detailed configuration of agents based on power ratings, port numbers, energy capacities, demand requirements, charger interfaces, and flexibility to customize the tool for project specific goals. By simulating agent interactions and employing various metrics, EVI-EnSitePy enables the assessment of site performance, exploration of energy management systems (EMS), and implementation of innovative EV charging policies. Utilizing EV charge schedules and arrival states, the tool performs thorough charging site simulations, with outputs consisting of agent and site-level power profiles and statistical metrics. Employing a tree graph structure, EVI-EnSitePy supports nested site structures and power distribution modeling. The tool's ability to generate charging schedules deterministically or via stochastic analysis further enhances its versatility. Through its features and capabilities, EVI-EnSitePy offers a powerful platform for informed decision-making in the realm of high-power charging site design and operation.

Jackson, Derek [National Renewable Energy Laborato↗

Consensus-Based Approach for Active Power Control and Reserve Estimation in Distributed PV Systems

With the increased adoption of distributed energy resources (DER), they are expected to contribute to power system reliability services and enhance power system stability. This paper presents a distributed consensus control approach for the real-time active power reserve estimation and power management in distributed PV (photovoltaic) systems. The proposed method estimates the cumulative active power reserve from numerous PV generators using only the sparse communication network for a DER aggregator to provide active power regulation services. The real-time active power reserve estimation using the proposed approach can be used by DER aggregators to manage curtailment in distributed PV systems to maintain stipulated reserves and further to provide power system frequency regulation. Using the proposed approach, the DER aggregator only requires measurements at the feeder substation and it does not require information from individual DER units, thereby improving system resiliency. The proposed distributed consensus control method is validated on IEEE 123 testbed using PSCAD simulations.

active power reserve↗

Consensus-Based Approach for Active Power Control and Reserve Estimation in Distributed PV Systems: Preprint

With the increased adoption of distributed energy resources (DER), they are expected to contribute to power system reliability services and enhance power system stability. This paper presents a distributed consensus control approach for the real-time active power reserve estimation and power management in distributed PV (photovoltaic) systems. The proposed method estimates the cumulative active power reserve from numerous PV generators using only the sparse communication network for a DER aggregator to provide active power regulation services. The real-time active power reserve estimation using the proposed approach can be used by DER aggregators to manage curtailment in distributed PV systems to maintain stipulated reserves and further to provide power system frequency regulation. Using the proposed approach, the DER aggregator only requires measurements at the feeder substation and it does not require information from individual DER units, thereby improving system resiliency. The proposed distributed consensus control method is validated on IEEE 123 testbed using PSCAD simulations.

active power reserve↗

IrrigationViz: A Geospatial Visualization Application to Facilitate Irrigation Modernization

Irrigation water delivery infrastructure, such as canals and pipelines, are essential to agriculture in the Western U.S., yet many of these systems are reaching the end of their useful lives. Reinvestment can achieve a wide variety of benefits, from water conservation to energy savings or renewable energy generation. Modernization requires significant planning, design, and implementation funding which can be a challenge for many irrigation districts. Here, this paper introduces IrrigationViz, a web-based mapping application designed to help irrigation districts visualize and generate high-level cost and benefit estimates for infrastructure modernization projects. These estimates can help water managers identify projects that benefit from additional engineering resources and ultimately obtain funding. IrrigationViz includes map interactions, graphs, and visualization components to facilitate planning and communication to stakeholders and funders. IrrigationViz combines user-provided information about a water-delivery system with public datasets and basic engineering formulas to generate estimates of the benefits of reinvestment. Estimates include the amount of water seepage in earthen canals, potential hydropower generation associated with replacing a canal with a pressurized pipe, and pipe size recommendations. We found that hydropower generation estimates compared favorably with real world projects, but seepage loss estimates showed high variability relative to on-the-ground measurements

99 - GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

A Software/Hardware Framework for Efficient and Safe Emergency Response in Post-Crash Scenarios of Battery Electric Vehicles

The adoption rate of battery electric vehicles (EVs) is rapidly increasing. Electric vehicles differ significantly from conventional internal combustion engine vehicles and vary widely across different manufacturers. Emergency responders (ERs) and recovery personnel may have less experience with EVs and lack timely access to critical information such as the extent of the stranded energy present, high-voltage safety hazards, and post-crash handling procedures in a user-friendly manner. This paper presents a software/hardware interactive tool named Electric Vehicle Information for Incident Response Solutions (EVIRS) to aid in the quick access to emergency response and recovery information. The current prototype of EVIRS identifies EVs using the VIN or Make, Model, and Year, and offers several useful features for ERs and recovery personnel. These features include integration and easy access to emergency response procedures tailored to an identified EV, vehicle structural schematics, the quick identification of battery pack specifications, and more. For EVs that are not severely damaged, EVIRS can perform calculations to estimate stranded energy in the EV’s battery and discharge time for various power loads using either EV dashboard information or operational data accessed through the CAN interface. Knowledge of this information may be helpful in the post-crash handling, management, and storage of an EV. The functionality and accuracy of EVIRS were demonstrated through laboratory tests using a 2021 Ford Mach-E and associated data acquisition system. The results indicated that when the remaining driving range was used as an input, EVIRS was able to estimate the pack voltage with an error of less than 3 V. Conversely, when pack voltage was used as an input, the estimated state of charge (SOC) error was less than 5% within the range of 30–90% SOC. Additionally, other features, such as retrieving emergency response guides for identified EVs and accessing lessons learned from archived incidents, have been successfully demonstrated through EVIRS for quick access. EVIRS can be a valuable tool for emergency responders and recovery personnel, both in action and during offline training, by providing crucial information related to assessing EV/battery safety risks, appropriate handling, de-energizing, transport, and storage in an integrated and user-friendly manner.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

An overview of data tools for representing and managing building information and performance data

Building information modeling (BIM) has been widely adopted for representing and exchanging building data across disciplines during building design and construction. However, BIM's use in the building operation phase is limited. With the increasing deployment of low-cost sensors and meters, as well as affordable digital storage and computing technologies, growing volumes of data have been collected from buildings, their energy services systems, and occupants. Such data are crucial to help decision makers understand what, how, and when energy is consumed in buildings—a critical step to improving building performance for energy efficiency, demand flexibility, and resilience. However, practical analyses and use of the collected data are very limited due to various reasons, including poor data quality, ad-hoc representation of data, and lack of data science skills. To unlock value from building data, there is a strong need for a toolchain to curate and represent building information and performance data in common standardized terminologies and schemas, to enable interoperability between tools and applications. This study selected and reviewed 24 data tools based on common use cases of data across the building life cycle, from design to construction, commissioning, operation, and retrofits. The selected data tools are grouped into three categories: (1) data dictionary or terminology, (2) data ontology and schemas, and (3) data platforms. The data are grouped into ten typologies covering most types of data collected in buildings. This study resulted in five main findings: (1) most data representation tools can represent their intended data typologies well, such as Green Button for smart meter data and Brick schema for metadata of sensors in buildings and HVAC systems, but none of the tools cover all ten types of data; (2) there is a need for data schemas to represent the basis of design data and metadata of occupant data; (3) standard terminologies such as those defined in BEDES are only adopted in a few data tools; (4) integrating data across various stages in the building life cycle remains a challenge; and (5) most data tools were developed and maintained by different parties for different purposes, their flexibility and interoperability can be improved to support broader use cases. Finally, recommendations for future research on building data tools are provided for the data and buildings community based on the FAIR principles to make data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Spinoff 2015

Topics covered include: 3D Endoscope to Boost Safety, Cut Cost of Surgery; Audio App Brings a Better Night's Sleep Liquid Cooling Technology Increases Exercise Efficiency; Algae-Derived Dietary Ingredients Nourish Animals; Space Grant Research Launches Rehabilitation Chair; Vision Trainer Teaches Focusing Techniques at Home; Aircraft Geared Architecture Reduces Fuel Cost and Noise; Ubiquitous Supercritical Wing Design Cuts Billions in Fuel Costs; Flight Controller Software Protects Lightweight Flexible Aircraft; Cabin Pressure Monitors Notify Pilots to Save Lives; Ionospheric Mapping Software Ensures Accuracy of Pilots' GPS; Water Mapping Technology Rebuilds Lives in Arid Regions; Shock Absorbers Save Structures and Lives during Earthquakes; Software Facilitates Sharing of Water Quality Data Worldwide; Underwater Adhesives Retrofit Pipelines with Advanced Sensors; Laser Imaging Video Camera Sees through Fire, Fog, Smoke; 3D Lasers Increase Efficiency, Safety of Moving Machines; Air Revitalization System Enables Excursions to the Stratosphere; Magnetic Fluids Deliver Better Speaker Sound Quality; Bioreactor Yields Extracts for Skin Cream; Private Astronaut Training Prepares Commercial Crews of Tomorrow; Activity Monitors Help Users Get Optimum Sun Exposure; LEDs Illuminate Bulbs for Better Sleep, Wake Cycles; Charged Particles Kill Pathogens and Round Up Dust; Balance Devices Train Golfers for a Consistent Swing; Landsat Imagery Enables Global Studies of Surface Trends; Ruggedized Spectrometers Are Built for Tough Jobs; Gas Conversion Systems Reclaim Fuel for Industry; Remote Sensing Technologies Mitigate Drought; Satellite Data Inform Forecasts of Crop Growth; Probes Measure Gases for Environmental Research; Cloud Computing Technologies Facilitate Earth Research; Software Cuts Homebuilding Costs, Increases Energy Efficiency; Portable Planetariums Teach Science; Schedule Analysis Software Saves Time for Project Planners; Sound Modeling Simplifies Vehicle Noise Management; Custom 3D Printers Revolutionize Space Supply Chain; Improved Calibration Shows Images' True Colors; Micromachined Parts Advance Medicine, Astrophysics, and More; Metalworking Techniques Unlock a Unique Alloy; Low-Cost Sensors Deliver Nanometer-Accurate Measurements; Electrical Monitoring Devices Save on Time and Cost; Dry Lubricant Smooths the Way for Space Travel, Industry; and Compact Vapor Chamber Cools Critical Components.

Source record↗

Developing a Distributed Trust Model for Distributed Energy Resources

Electric power system operators can manage distribution system reliability by coordinating end customer usage of distributed energy resources. The end customers in this regard are Service Provisioning Customers, who provide their energy resources to a Grid Service Provider, which in turn dispatches large aggregations of distributed energy resources to provide reliable service to the power system.The security of this system relies upon information protection mechanisms, as described in IEEE 2030.5. However, in addition to preventive security measures, a monitoring function is required to ensure trustworthiness. Trust models are a method to detect and respond to both expected and unexpected behavior. Different trust models are required for various types and characteristics of each situation. This paper will describe the topics that must be considered when developing a trust model as it applies to distributed energy resources. The major contribution of this paper is the creation and application of a Distributed Trust Model applied to distributed energy resources.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

2020 State of the Science Report, Chapter 14: Summary and Path Forward

The 2020 State of the Science report collates and presents the current understanding of interactions between marine renewable energy (MRE) systems and the marine environment, with an emphasis on their effects on marine animals, habitats, and oceanographic systems, using publicly available information. The report places this information in context through lessons learned from research studies in the laboratory and in the field, modeling simulations, and deployments; monitoring around demonstration, pilot, and small commercial MRE projects; and identifies gaps in knowledge and makes recommendations for filling those gaps. In addition, strategies for moving toward a consistent and effective consenting or permitting (hereafter consenting) process and management of the potential effects of MRE development are highlighted. The status and recommendations from each of the priority interactions between MRE devices and the environment are summarized here, and the management strategies for facilitating development are discussed. Finally, a path forward toward commercial MRE development is explored. https://tethys.pnnl.gov/publications/state-of-the-science-2020-chapter-14-summary-path-forward

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Extent-of-Condition Review of Electrical Events Fiscal Year 2019

Sandia National Laboratories has experienced a number of electrical events in recent years. A careful examination of data shows that for the third year in a row, two of the three most frequently categorized Occurrence Reporting and Processing System (ORPS)-reportable event types were unexpected or unintended personal contact with a hazardous energy source and a failure to follow a prescribed hazardous energy control process, as defined in the occurrence reporting criteria of DOE Order 232.2A, Occurrence Reporting and Processing of Operations Information, 2D(1) and 2D(2). Sandia policy CA001.2, Identify and Manage Issues, requires an extent-of-condition review for any high-level reportable occurrence, and the analysts were tasked to perform this EOC in light of high-level reportable occurrence NA-SS-SNL-1000-2019- 0007, Contact with Electrical Energy During Marx Capacitor Troubleshooting. This extent of condition not only evaluated the 10 reportable electrical occurrences for Fiscal Year 2019, but also looked at 11 other related events: those involving control of hazardous energy and electrical events associated with less than hazardous energy.1 This Extent-of-Condition report makes several observations, conclusions, and recommendations for improvement.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

On the Application of Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE)

The 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy has recommended a transition to secure-by-design methodologies in critical infrastructure. This paper presents the adoption of the National Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE) Strategy as initiated by the U.S. DOE’s CESER office, advocating for the integration of cybersecurity at the earliest stages of system design. The strategy targets design engineers responsible for energy infrastructure to embed CIE principles within the engineering lifecycle, thus enhancing cyber resilience. This paper discusses the expansion of secure-by-design concepts to cyber-physical systems, moving beyond traditional IT security to include engineering considerations that can mitigate cyber risks through design choices. The paper introduces Digital Risk Management, balancing traditional cybersecurity with CIE to reduce both likelihood and impact of cyber threats. A set of CIE starter questions derived from 12 core principles is detailed, aiding engineers to consider cybersecurity in their designs and highlights the importance of CIE in anticipating and reducing the impacts of cyber attacks, suggesting that such integration is essential for national security and infrastructure resilience.

42 ENGINEERING↗