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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 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Solar energy system performance evaluation: Seasonal report for Contemporary-Manchester, Manchester, New Hampshire

The operational and thermal performance of the solar energy system, Contemporary-Manchester, is described. The system was designed by Contemporary Systems Incorporated to provide space heating and domestic hot water preheating for a three story dwelling located on the New Hampshire Vocational Technical College campus, Manchester, New Hampshire. The net fossil energy savings for the period from March, 1979 to February, 1980 was 14.52 million Btu. However, the performance of the system must be degraded due to the fact that the building was unoccupied throughout the data assessment and analysis period. The unoccupied status prevented the normal adjustment of heating and ventilating controls for maintenance of comfort levels within the building. This lack of occupancy also prevented the typical family hot water usage, which would have allowed for more realistic evaluation of the hot water subsystem.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2016

The effect of African growth on future global energy, emissions, and regional development

In 2005 less than 15% of the world’s population lived in Africa, by the end of the 21st century more than one-fifth of the world’s population could live there. By dint of sheer numbers, Africa is a place to be reckoned with. But from a global perspective, Africa is not a major emitter of greenhouse gases or consumer of fossil energy today. However, Africa’s share of global emissions at the end of the century depends critically on assumptions about its growth in economic activity. This paper explores the implications of alternative assumptions about future rates of economic growth in Africa. It finds that assumptions about the rate of economic growth have profound implications for global economic activity, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions. African emissions vary from 5% to 20% of global emissions, and emissions in Sub-Saharan Africa range from 2% to 10% of world emissions, depending on the model and scenario. In addition, affluence levels till the middle of the century remain low, as a result the population remains dependent on traditional bioenergy for the bulk of its residential energy needs. Although the share of electricity in final energy, electric capacity and electricity use per capita all rise with income, they do not reach levels commensurate with those in developed countries today. Hence, dedicated policies may be needed in order to address energy poverty and access issues in the region.

Calvin, Katherine V.↗
DOE OSTI2023

NETL UPGrants Addendum to the CO2U LCA Guidance Toolkit

The NETL UPGrants Addendum provides additional guidance and changes to the Carbon Dioxide Utilization Life Cycle Analysis Guidance for the U.S. DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, Version 2.0 to make it more applicable to vendors preparing life cycle analyses for the Utilization Procurement Grants program.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Analyzing Next-Generation Supply Chains Using the Materials Flows through Industry Tool

The Materials Flows through Industry (MFI) tool is a supply chain modeling tool developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) with funding from the Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office. MFI was created to identify and analyze opportunities to reduce the energy and carbon intensities of the U.S. industrial sector (Hanes and Carpenter 2017). In this work, we present an overview of the MFI tool's structure and capabilities, as well as the results of using MFI to analyze a novel NREL-developed process to 'upcycle' PET plastic into higher-value composite materials (Rorrer et al. 2019). This process combines recycled PET (rPET) plastic with inputs that can be derived from biomass, including muconic acid, acrylic acid, and ethylene glycol, to chemically break down the plastic back to its monomers in a process called glycolization. Then, repolymerization and the application of fiberglass yields the valuable glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) composite, a performance material used in the manufacture of wind turbine blades, boat hulls, and other applications. This rPET-derived GFRP was found to have superior strength and fiberglass adhesion compared to conventional GFRP formulations. Our findings indicate that this GFRP production process, were it to be widely commercialized beyond its current lab-scale, could potentially reduce the fossil energy intensity of the GFRP supply chain by between 37% and 58% compared to the conventional method of GFRP manufacture from fossil-derived inputs. We also estimate potential supply chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions between 30% and 40% from this process. Scaling these GHG offset estimates up to annual GFRP production in the U.S. would be roughly equivalent to removing between 150,000 and 200,000 vehicles from U.S. roads. These ranges of impact estimates represent the range of differences associated with the various economic allocation methods we have assumed for the intensity contributions from the first life of the PET plastic. Following Shen et al. (2010), we derive economic allocation factors from the current price ratios of clear- and green-colored recycled PET plastic to virgin PET resin ('waste-valuation' approach) or assume them to be zero in a more simplistic allocation ('cutoff' approach). Future work involving the MFI modeling tool will also be discussed, including preliminary results comparing the energy intensity of conventional and bio-based nylons manufacturing. Attendees will also be encouraged to conduct MFI supply chain modeling of their own by requesting a user account on the MFI web application, which is freely available to the public at the following address: https://mfitool.nrel.gov.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Bench-scale Development of a Transformational Graphene Oxide-based Membrane Process for Post-combustion CO 2 Capture

Graphene-based materials, such as graphene and graphene oxide (GO), have been considered as next-generation membrane materials. GTI Energy and The State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) have been developing a transformational GO-based membrane process (designated as GO2) that integrates a high CO 2 /N 2 selectivity membrane (GO-1) and a high CO 2 flux membrane (GO-2) for post-combustion CO 2 capture. An innovative membrane structure, consisting of GO nanochannels intercalated by single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT), was developed. The membrane prepared on hollow fiber substrate showed CO 2 permeance as high as 1,300 GPU with CO 2 /N 2 selectivity >200. The membranes were successfully scaled up to effective area of 50-100 cm 2 . The 50-100 cm 2 membranes showed CO 2 /N 2 selectivity ≥200 and CO 2 permeance ≥1,000 GPU for the GO-1 type, and CO 2 /N 2 selectivity ≥20 and CO 2 permeance ≥2,500 GPU for the GO-2 type. The CO 2 capture performance of the GO-based membranes was tested using a simulated flue gas. The testing results indicate that the GO-based membranes are stable in the presence of flue gas contaminants. The GO-based membranes were then further scaled up to a surface area of 1,000 cm 2 . Good stability was achieved during an integrated testing with GO-1 and GO-2 membranes using simulated flue gas. A bench-scale system was designed, constructed, and tested at the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC). Good stability was achieved during testing of a single-stage process with >10 shutdowns/startups at NCCC. During the integrated testing, the membranes showed good stability at 50°C and 57°C. 70-90% CO 2 removal efficiencies and ≥95% CO 2 purity were validated during the steady state operation at NCCC. Techno-economic analysis indicates the GO2 membrane-based process technology provides a reduction in both the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and cost of capture when compared to the reference B12B case presented in the Cost and Performance Baseline for Fossil Energy Plants Volume 1: Bituminous Coal and Natural Gas to Electricity study prepared by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), before considering any system optimization or improvement opportunities. The benefits are primarily driven by a reduction in the equipment costs of the CO 2 capture process vs. the solvent-based reference process in NETL Case B12B as well as a decrease in the base plant size.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Life-cycle analysis of recycling of post-use plastic to plastic via pyrolysis

Advanced recycling enables the application of post-use plastics (PUP) to produce valuable industrial chemicals and develop markets for recycled feedstocks. Pyrolysis is one of the most common advanced recycling technologies undergoing industrial-scale implementation for converting PUP. This paper presents a life cycle analysis (LCA) to assess greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, fossil energy, water consumption, and solid waste impacts of converting PUP into new plastics such as high-density and low-density polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE, respectively). Data was collected from eight plastic pyrolysis companies. This study addresses the impacts of pyrolysis plant size and maturity; two substitution rate (SR) cases of pyrolysis oil with fossil-derived feedstocks in steam crackers (5% and a 20% of pyrolysis oil SR); and potentially avoided emissions from traditional end-of-life (EOL) management. Because the conventional feedstock slate of steam crackers in the Unites States is comprised of 94% gases (a mix of ethane, propane, and butane) and 6% naphtha, the 5% SR case looked at polyethylene (PE) derived from 5% pyrolysis oil, 1% naphtha, and 94% gases; while the 20% SR looked at PE derived from 20% pyrolysis oil and 80% gases. Moreover, the results are presented from two perspectives: 1) steam crackers' and 2) plastic recyclers'. In the recyclers' perspective, the results for the 5% SR showed for each kg of PUP used there was a 23% and 18% decrease in GHG emissions for HDPE and LDPE respectively, while the 20% SR showed a 4% and 3% reduction in GHG emissions for HDPE and LDPE respectively compared to virgin plastic. The 20% SR has lower GHG emissions reductions because there is an added step of hydrotreating the pyrolysis oil to remove chlorine concentrations that is not included in the 5% SR scenario. Furthermore, the 5% SR removes most of the naphtha, a more carbon intense feedstock, and replaces it with PUP-based pyrolysis oil, a less carbon intense feedstock. GHG emissions for PUP pyrolysis could be further reduced by 50% and 131% in the United States and European Union respectively if the GHG emissions of current PUP incineration practices were considered as emission reductions credits.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2013

Geothermal Codification Impacts on Geothermal Development and Investments

The United States leads the world in geothermal energy production with 3187 MW online in 2012. Across the globe, advancing geothermal exploration technologies serves an important role in lowering geothermal development costs and decreasing exploration risk. However, the aggregation, analysis, and reporting of new geothermal resources lack standard reporting guidelines in most geothermal producing countries with the notable exception of Australia and Canada. In order for the United States to remain the global leader in geothermal energy development, the industry must continue to grow its investment potential. Providing prospective investors with geothermal resource estimates under clearly defined industry guidelines and standards would enhance industry credibility and ultimately encourage greater investor confidence in geothermal development. In 2009, an intergovernmental collaboration of experts developed the United Nations Framework Classification (UNFC), a universally applicable system for classifying and evaluating fossil energy and mineral resources. The U.S. geothermal industry can leverage the Canadian and Australian codes efforts and the UNFC to develop its own reporting standard for geothermal resources. This paper will review lessons learned from Australia and Canada's Geothermal Codification, analyze the impact of each effort on the nation's geothermal industry and investment climate, and begin to evaluate the utility of the UNFC in geothermal applications.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Recommended Practices for Managing Induced Seismicity Risk Associated with Geologic Carbon Storage

The geologic storage of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is one method to help reduce or eliminate atmospheric CO 2 emissions. The sequestered CO 2 is originally captured from the atmosphere or from a stationary industrial source and subsequently injected into a deep subsurface porous rock formation. To facilitate the successful deployment of field scale carbon storage projects, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is developing tools and protocols for defensible, science-based frameworks to quantify and mitigate risks associated with the long-term storage of CO 2 . This protocol specifically addresses the risk of induced seismicity due to injection in a geologic carbon storage (GCS) site. This integrated and risk-based protocol is a product of the U.S. DOE Fossil Energy’s National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP), a multi-year collaborative research effort of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). These recommended practices describe a set of 7 steps to evaluate, manage, communicate, and mitigate the risk of induced seismicity at GCS sites. The base methodology of the recommended practices follows a framework similar to the Protocol for Addressing Induced Seismicity Associated with Enhanced Geothermal Systems (Majer et al., 2012), developed for the Geothermal Technology Office of the U.S. DOE. These recommended practices present a framework to systematically assess the induced seismicity risk and quantify the associated uncertainties. These recommendations are based on current research and are sufficiently general to allow for modification and application to a variety of different types of sites. The substance of the recommended practices contained herein includes both technical and non-technical issues, and covers all operational stages of the GCS project lifecycle. They start at the preliminary risk assessment phase, continue through site assessment and characterization, include best practice communication and seismic monitoring plan methodologies, discuss the evaluation and mitigation of seismic hazard and risk, and closes with an exploration of operational management plans, which conclude when the induced seismicity risk abates back to background level. The focus of these recommendations is on actively managing the risks associated with induced seismicity by developing an actionable risk management plan that starts at the project proposal stage and continues through site closure through an iterative assessment and improvement process. The audience of this document is expected to include all interested stakeholders (e.g., operators, project developers, regulators, and the general public) and is expressly written to be accessible to this broad range of partners. This document is intended to disseminate knowledge gained through recent advances in the science of induced seismicity hazard and risk assessments, to provide updates based on recent experience gained by similar corollary injection-induced seismicity cases, and most importantly to establish a uniform framework to carry out a successful induced seismicity risk management plan for carbon storage projects in the future. These recommendations do not directly address any domestic or international regulations or standards. A complementary NRAP report makes recommendations for the assessment and management of environmental subsurface risks associated with unwanted fluid migration at GCS sites (Thomas et al., 2021) and should be referred to in order to address those additional GCS site risks.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Recommended Practices for Managing Induced Seismicity Risk Associated with Geologic Carbon Storage

The geologic storage of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is one method to help reduce or eliminate atmospheric CO 2 emissions. The sequestered CO 2 is originally captured from the atmosphere or from a stationary industrial source and subsequently injected into a deep subsurface porous rock formation. To facilitate the successful deployment of field scale carbon storage projects, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is developing tools and protocols for defensible, science-based frameworks to quantify and mitigate risks associated with the long-term storage of CO 2 . This protocol specifically addresses the risk of induced seismicity due to injection in a geologic carbon storage (GCS) site. This integrated and risk-based protocol is a product of the U.S. DOE Fossil Energy’s National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP), a multi-year collaborative research effort of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). These recommended practices describe a set of 7 steps to evaluate, manage, communicate, and mitigate the risk of induced seismicity at GCS sites. The base methodology of the recommended practices follows a framework similar to the $\textit{Protocol for Addressing Induced Seismicity Associated with Enhanced Geothermal Systems}$ (Majer et al., 2012), developed for the Geothermal Technology Office of the U.S. DOE. These recommended practices present a framework to systematically assess the induced seismicity risk and quantify the associated uncertainties. These recommendations are based on current research and are sufficiently general to allow for modification and application to a variety of different types of sites. The substance of the recommended practices contained herein includes both technical and non-technical issues, and covers all operational stages of the GCS project lifecycle. They start at the preliminary risk assessment phase, continue through site assessment and characterization, include best practice communication and seismic monitoring plan methodologies, discuss the evaluation and mitigation of seismic hazard and risk, and closes with an exploration of operational management plans, which conclude when the induced seismicity risk abates back to background level. The focus of these recommendations is on actively managing the risks associated with induced seismicity by developing an actionable risk management plan that starts at the project proposal stage and continues through site closure through an iterative assessment and improvement process. The audience of this document is expected to include all interested stakeholders (e.g., operators, project developers, regulators, and the general public) and is expressly written to be accessible to this broad range of partners. This document is intended to disseminate knowledge gained through recent advances in the science of induced seismicity hazard and risk assessments, to provide updates based on recent experience gained by similar corollary injection-induced seismicity cases, and most importantly to establish a uniform framework to carry out a successful induced seismicity risk management plan for carbon storage projects in the future. These recommendations do not directly address any domestic or international regulations or standards. A complementary NRAP report makes recommendations for the assessment and management of environmental subsurface risks associated with unwanted fluid migration at GCS sites (Thomas et al., 2021) and should be referred to in order to address those additional GCS site risks

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1980

Solar energy system performance evaluation. Seasonal report for SEECO Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska

The Solar Engineering and Equipment Company (SEECO) Lincoln solar energy system, designed for space heating only, is described and its operational performance for a 12 month period from April 1979 through March 1980 is evaluated. The system met 27 percent of the space heating load; however, system losses into the heated space from the storage bin and ductwork were significant. Reducing these losses would add appreciably to the system's efficiency. Net fossil energy savings were 11.31 million BTUs.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2017

INL/EXT-17-41117-Rev000

The mission of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) is to advance nuclear power as a resource that is capable of meeting the nation’s energy, environmental, and national security needs by resolving technical, cost, safety, proliferation resistance, and security barriers through research, development, and demonstration. There has never been a more compelling time to develop sources of safe, clean, renewable, carbon-free base power for the United States. Over six decades of use, nuclear power has been proven to be a safe and reliable base alternative to fossil energy sources. The primary barriers to wider commercialization of nuclear power are the life-cycle costs of current plants, the long cycle associated with development of new nuclear technologies that may be more suitable for today’s energy markets, and the regulatory risk associated with this investment in new nuclear technology. While many innovative nuclear energy concepts exist that match current energy market needs, the lengthy and expensive research, development, and demonstration process and uncertain prospects for licensing discourages investment of private capital. The DOE-NE strategy both sustains the current reactor fleet and provides technology options for development of advanced nuclear energy systems. The strategy for moving innovative ideas to the marketplace centers on the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) Initiative. As the lead national laboratory for DOE-NE, Idaho National Laboratory provides much of the nuclear research, development, and demonstration capability needed to move nuclear innovation forward to deployment.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Materials and Fuels Complex Five-Year Mission Strategy FY19 - FY23

The mission of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) is to advance nuclear power as a resource that is capable of meeting the nation’s energy, environmental, and national security needs by resolving technical, cost, safety, proliferation resistance, and security barriers through research, development, and demonstration (RD&D). There has never been a more compelling time to develop sources of safe, clean, renewable, carbon-free base power for the United States. Over six decades of use, nuclear power has been proven to be a safe and reliable base alternative to fossil energy sources. The primary barriers to wider commercialization of nuclear power are the life-cycle costs of current plants, the long cycle associated with development of new nuclear technologies that may be more suitable for today’s energy markets, including the management and disposition of used nuclear fuel, and the regulatory risk associated with this investment in new nuclear technology. These barriers can be addressed, in good part, by development of new technology that is simpler and therefore simpler to license, and by establishing new technology development approaches that more quickly establish design and safety bases that provide risk-averse investors and regulators the confidence they need for new technology to enter the market. While many innovative nuclear energy concepts exist that match current energy market needs, the lengthy and expensive research, development, and demonstration process and uncertain prospects for licensing discourages investment of private capital.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2016

A comparative technoeconomic analysis of renewable hydrogen production using solar energy

A technoeconomic analysis of photoelectrochemical (PEC) and photovoltaic-electrolytic (PV-E) solar-hydrogen production of 10 000 kg H 2 day -1 (3.65 kilotons per year) was performed to assess the economics of each technology, and to provide a basis for comparison between these technologies as well as within the broader energy landscape. Two PEC systems, differentiated primarily by the extent of solar concentration (unconcentrated and 10× concentrated) and two PV-E systems, differentiated by the degree of grid connectivity (unconnected and grid supplemented), were analyzed. In each case, a base-case system that used established designs and materials was compared to prospective systems that might be envisioned and developed in the future with the goal of achieving substantially lower overall system costs. With identical overall plant efficiencies of 9.8%, the unconcentrated PEC and non-grid connected PV-E system base-case capital expenses for the rated capacity of 3.65 kilotons H 2 per year were 205 dollars MM (293 dollars per m 2 of solar collection area (m S -2 ), 14.7 W H2,P -1 ) and 260 dollars MM ($371 m S -2 , 18.8 dollars W H2,P -1 ), respectively. The untaxed, plant-gate levelized costs for the hydrogen product (LCH) were $11.4 kg -1 and 12.1 dollars kg -1 for the base-case PEC and PV-E systems, respectively. The 10× concentrated PEC base-case system capital cost was 160 dollars MM (428 dollars m S -2 , 11.5 dollars W H2,P -1 ) and for an efficiency of 20% the LCH was 9.2 kg -1 . Likewise, the grid supplemented base-case PV-E system capital cost was 66 dollars MM (441 dollars m S -2 , 11.5 dollars W H2,P -1 ), and with solar-to-hydrogen and grid electrolysis system efficiencies of 9.8% and 61%, respectively, the LCH was 6.1 dollars kg -1 . As a benchmark, a proton-exchange membrane (PEM) based grid-connected electrolysis system was analyzed. Assuming a system efficiency of 61% and a grid electricity cost of $0.07 kWh -1 , the LCH was $5.5 kg -1 . A sensitivity analysis indicated that, relative to the base-case, increases in the system efficiency could effect the greatest cost reductions for all systems, due to the areal dependencies of many of the components. The balance-of-systems (BoS) costs were the largest factor in differentiating the PEC and PV-E systems. No single or combination of technical advancements based on currently demonstrated technology can provide sufficient cost reductions to allow solar hydrogen to directly compete on a levelized cost basis with hydrogen produced from fossil energy. Specifically, a cost of CO 2 greater than ~$800 dollars (ton CO 2 ) -1 was estimated to be necessary for base-case PEC hydrogen to reach price parity with hydrogen derived from steam reforming of methane priced at $12 GJ -1 ($1.39 (kg H 2 ) -1 ). A comparison with low CO 2 and CO 2 -neutral energy sources indicated that base-case PEC hydrogen is not currently cost-competitive with electrolysis using electricity supplied by nuclear power or from fossil-fuels in conjunction with carbon capture and storage. Solar electricity production and storage using either batteries or PEC hydrogen technologies are currently an order of magnitude greater in cost than electricity prices with no clear advantage to either battery or hydrogen storage as of yet. Significant advances in PEC technology performance and system cost reductions are necessary to enable cost-effective PEC-derived solar hydrogen for use in scalable grid-storage applications as well as for use as a chemical feedstock precursor to CO 2 -neutral high energy-density transportation fuels. Hence such applications are an opportunity for foundational research to contribute to the development of disruptive approaches to solar fuels generation systems that can offer higher performance at much lower cost than is provided by current embodiments of solar fuels generators. Efforts to directly reduce CO 2 photoelectrochemically or electrochemically could potentially produce products with higher value than hydrogen, but many, as yet unmet, challenges include catalytic efficiency and selectivity, and CO 2 mass transport rates and feedstock cost. Major breakthroughs are required to obtain viable economic costs for solar hydrogen production, but the barriers to achieve cost-competitiveness with existing large-scale thermochemical processes for CO 2 reduction are even greater.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Formation mechanism of the secondary building unit in a chromium terephthalate metal-organic framework

Based on density functional theory calculations and simulation, a detailed mechanism is presented on the formation of the secondary building unit (SBU) of MIL-101, a chromium terephthalate metal-organic framework (MOF). SBU formation is key to MOF nucleation, the rate-limiting step in the formation process of many MOFs. A series of reactions that lead to the formation of the SBU of MIL-101 is proposed in this work. Initial rate-limiting reactions form the metal cluster with three chromium (III) atoms linked to a central bridging oxygen. Terephthalate linkers play a key role as chromium (III) atoms are joined to linker carboxylate groups prior to the placement of the central bridging oxygen. Multiple linker addition reactions, which follow in different paths due to structural isomers, are limited by the removal of water molecules in the first chromium coordination shell. The least energy path is identified were all linkers on one face of the metal center plane are added first. A simple kinetic model based on transition state theory shows the rate of secondary building unit formation similar to the rate metal-organic framework nucleation. The authors are thankful to Dr. R. Rousseau for a critical reading of the manuscript. This research would not have been possible without the support of the Office of Fossil Energy, U.S. Department of Energy. This research was performed using EMSL, a national scientific user facility sponsored by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research and the PNNL Institutional Computing (PIC) program located at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Solar Fuels Nexus: Molecules and Materials for Light-Driven Catalysis

The American Chemical Society (ACS) selects two groups of graduate students each year to plan and host a one-day symposium at each national meeting (both fall and spring).This year our Graduate Student Symposium Planning Committee (GSSPC), composed of seven students from four universities, proposal entitled “A Solar Fuels Nexus: Molecules and Materials for Light-Driven Catalysis” was selected for the “Crossroads in Chemistry” ACS Meeting that will take place March 23-26, 2023 in Indianapolis, IN. All members of our GSSPC are affiliated with the DOE Fuels from Sunlight Energy Innovation Hub, with two from the Liquid Sunlight Alliance (LiSA) and five from the Center for Hybrid Approaches in Solar Energy to Liquid Fuels (CHASE). Here we request funds to support this symposium. This symposium will highlight research progress and perspectives in the solar fuels generation field and seeks to advance the four priority research objectives (PROs) established by the Department of Energy’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences (DOE-BES) Roundtable Report that are also central to many research goals within LiSA and CHASE. The symposium will consist of research presentations from 10 invited senior researcher speakers on topics such as molecular catalyst design, computational modeling of electron transfer systems, microenvironmental effects on CO2 reduction and H2O oxidation catalysis, and intelligent design of semiconductor interfaces with ample time for discussions. These research topics fit very well with the Solar Photochemistry supported research areas of “light-driven electron and energy transfer in condensed phase and interfacial molecular systems,” “electrocatalysis and photocatalysis of solar fuels reactions,” and “semiconductor photoelectrochemistry.” More broadly, this symposium seeks to advance the DOE-BES’s mission to: “support fundamental research to understand, predict, and ultimately control matter and energy at the level of electrons, atoms, and molecules” by providing a diverse atmosphere where such research will be disseminated, discussed, and debated. There will be a strong focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DEI) in our symposium. Of our 10 speakers, 7 will be from underrepresented demographics in STEM, including 5 who identify as women. Furthermore, we have representatives from academia accompanied by one national lab scientist and one officer from the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management at the DOE. All speakers will be holding a short DEI moment ahead of their talks. In order to support the career development of attending early career scientists, we will also be hosting a luncheon specifically for graduate students and postdocs to provide them opportunities to network with the distinguished speakers and other attendees. DOE funds for this symposium will be used to support the attendance and participation of 15 graduate students from US institutions by defraying travel and registration costs. These funds will promote engagement and conversation between early career scientists in the solar fuels field, while disseminating solar fuels research funded by and relevant to the DOE.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2019

Opportunities and attitudes of private forest landowners in supplying woody biomass for renewable energy

Woody biomass has been identified as a source of dispatchable, renewable energy. Private lands supply the majority of the wood-based pellets that is produced in the southeastern United States (SE US) and shipped to countries in the European Union (EU) for energy generation. To assess the perspectives of potential suppliers of woody biomass in the SE US, nonindustrial private forest landowners were surveyed in the fuelsheds of the two primary ports for wood pellets exported to the EU. The survey assessed owners' characteristics, attitudes, and future management plans. Survey results were examined to explore the relationships among these factors and owners' intentions for providing material for wood-based energy. Here, the results indicate that forest landowners have multiple reasons for maintaining their forest land, with more than 40% of the owners ranking timber production as a very important reason. Furthermore, the majority of landowners would be willing to provide woody biomass for producing bioenergy. Among factors that would enhance landowners' willingness to provide woody biomass for energy, technical assistance to improve stand productivity and future value was the most popular options, followed by reducing fire and disease risk, long-term markets, and high prices. Landowner willingness to provide woody material for bioenergy also varied depending on demographics including age and gender, property characteristics including holding size and distance to residence, and perceptions regarding the impact on forest value of wood pellet demand and the viability of bioenergy as an alternative to fossil energy.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Optimization of Advanced Steels for Cyclic Operation through an Integration of Material Testing, Modeling and Novel Component Test Validation

The efforts in this project were focused in three primary objectives, provided below: • To develop the needed microstructural processing and performance relationships and associated material models for specific constituents in fabricated weldments (such as the parent material, heat affected zone regions and weld metal), • Apply these metallurgical relationships through modeling of a welded pressure bearing power plant component subjected to cyclic operational conditions under both mechanical and thermal loading, and • Validate the model through novel structural feature and component tests. An attempt was made to optimize the heat treatment schedule to reduce or eliminate the presence of boron nitride (BN) in the matrix of the Grade 92 material. BN has been shown to be a primary nucleation source for creep damage. Proper evaluation of material behavior, and as assessed in this research, included the influence of geometric notches (such as those from poor fabrication or design) and metallurgical notches (such as weldments or poorly processed parent material). Better practice methodologies were implemented in the theoretical design of a high-temperature, critical component for cyclic operation. It was demonstrated that vessel testing can be reliably performed and provides a critical link between standard testing, structural assessment and validation. While the goal of an improved Grade 92 steel was not achieved in this project, there is considerable value in applying the documented testing and assessment methodologies to assess material and/or component behavior. This is especially true for materials and/or designs which are expected to be subjected to flexible operating modes. Design of a cycling state of the art thick wall steam header for long term operation with a state of the art ferritic steel was a task in this project. Implementation of that task showed how many factors including plant operating mode, creep strength, creep ductility, fatigue strength, and resistance to crack growth should be considered and evaluated to properly design high temperature components for long term service (200,000 operating hours or more) in a modern Fossil energy power plant. The current ASME non-nuclear boiler design code does not mandate this level of complex analysis nor does it provide all the metallurgical and mechanical properties data needed to perform this kind of design analysis.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗