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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 379 records · Page 21
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Pilot Test of Novel Electrochemical Membrane System for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Power Generation (Final Report)

The goal of this U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored project under cooperative agreement DE-FE0026580 is to verify that Fuel Cell Energy’s (FCE) Electrochemical Membrane (ECM)-based Combined Electric Power and Carbon Separation (CEPACS) system can achieve at least 90% carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture rate from Pulverized Coal (PC) power plant flue gas with 95% CO2 purity at a cost of electricity (COE) 30% less than baseline CO 2 capture approaches. To progress towards the DOE’s ultimate carbon capture program goals, the specific objectives of Budget Period 1 (BP1) of the project are to perform a preliminary Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) and Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) Risk Assessment study, as well as to complete the detailed design of a pilot-scale ECM-based CEPACS system. This final technical report summarizes the results of the preliminary TEA and EH&S assessment of an ECM-based CEPACS system designed to capture and compress >90% of CO 2 from the flue gas of a reference 550 MW (net AC) Pulverized Coal (PC) Supercritical Steam Cycle Plant. Also included in this report is a summary of the detailed design for a pilot 3 MWe (flue gas equivalent) ECM-based CEPACS system designed to capture ≥90% of CO 2 from a PC plant flue gas slipstream and produce high-purity (≥95%) CO 2 . The pilot system is designed to process a slipstream of flue gas from the Unit 5 coal-fired boiler at the James M. Barry Electric Generating Station (Plant Barry). Plant Barry is located in Bucks, Alabama and is owned and operated by Alabama Power Company, a subsidiary of Southern Company. The TEA shows that the ECM-based CO 2 capture technology has an economic advantage over the existing CO 2 capture technology and meets the DOE’s cost target and performance goals for post-combustion CO 2 capture. The EH&S study includes the identification and quantification of the emissions from the CEPACS system. Properties of the waste including reactivity, flammability, corrosivity and toxicological effects are discussed along with the methods for minimization/elimination where applicable. The study shows that no major EH&S issues are expected to hinder commercialization of the ECM technology for large scale carbon capture applications. The detailed Front End Engineering Design (FEED) package for FCE’s MW-class ECM-based CO 2 capture pilot system is complete. It is designed in accordance with the project objectives and is now at a point where equipment/component procurement, skid final design and fabrication, and site preparation activities can begin in a follow-on project phase.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2021

The CanBikeCO Mini Pilot: Preliminary Results and Lessons Learned

In fall 2020, the Colorado Energy Office, as part of the State of Colorado’s “Can Do Colorado” initiative, initiated a project aimed at encouraging energy-efficient transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial mini-pilot provided e-bikes to 13 low-income households under an individual ownership model. This report assesses the impact of providing this additional mobility option on the travel behavior of participants. It also outlines the lessons learned from deploying a continuous monitoring platform to track the travel behavior. These lessons will influence the evaluation component for the full pilot, which will cover multiple geographic regions, starting in summer 2021, and run for 2 years. The continuous data collection was enabled by a customized version of the open-source e-mission platform, called CanBikeCO, configured with a behavioral gamification feature. The Colorado Energy Office used this system to collect a unique data set consisting of 3 months of partially automated travel diaries, combining sensed and surveyed data and linked with demographic information, from 12 participants. The data collection process worked well overall: users generally liked the app, appreciated the game, and did not complain about battery life. The long tracking period introduced behavioral challenges in user engagement, which we plan to address using repeated patterns and automated status checks for the full pilot. The analysis results, based on the subset of trips with user-reported labels (68%), indicate that the e-bike was the dominant commute mode share (31%), in sharp contrast to the census bicycle commute mode share (<1%). E-bike trips primarily replaced single-occupancy vehicle (SOV) trips (28%), followed closely by walking (24%) and regular bike (20%). The nonmotorized mode replacement corresponds to lower travel time and increased productivity enabled by the program. The emissions impact analysis of the program, computed using trip-level energy intensity factors, indicates savings of 1,367 lbs. of CO 2 . Although the results are strongly positive, the narrow demographic profile of study participants, their limited mobility alternatives, and nonuniform labeling indicate caution in broader interpretation. These preliminary results do suggest that such programs, supported by real-time education and support from program managers, can simultaneously meet equity and sustainability goals. The planned full pilot, addressing the data collection challenges and broadening the geographic scope, will provide additional insights into the generality of this approach.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2021

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Primary Power Large-Scale Pilot Plant

The United States electrical power generation fleet encompasses a wide range of technologies, ranging from traditional combustion-based power generation, to nuclear power, to renewable energy. While the distribution of these assets continues to shift due to economic and regulatory influences, coal combustion continues to be a key part of the US energy portfolio. Despite the relative maturity of coal combustion technology, improvements in overall fuel-to-power efficiency and generation flexibility are still possible and will improve both the economic and environmental factors of coal combustion. Echogen Power Systems proposes to lead a world-class team including the University of Missouri, Electric Power Research Institute and Louis Perry Associates in the design, construction and operation of a 10MWe coal-fired supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO 2 ) large-scale pilot. This transformational technology uses sCO 2 as a working fluid instead of water to achieve high thermodynamic efficiencies that can significantly exceed advanced steam-Rankine cycles. Further, the compact nature of sCO 2 turbomachinery offers capital cost and footprint advantages, and the low maintenance of a water-free power cycle can significantly reduce operation and maintenance (O&M) costs over conventional steam-Rankine systems. Recent integration studies of sCO 2 with coal combustion power plants highlight the significant improvements in plant efficiency that sCO 2 can offer relative to even advanced steam Rankine cycles. At commercial scales, coal-sCO 2 plant net efficiency is predicted to be 39-44.0% (HHV), or 10-20% higher output than conventional steam-Rankine systems, which will significantly improve the competitiveness of coal-fired generation. This proposal builds upon projects previously funded by the Department of Energy, including DE-FE0025959 (High-Efficiency Thermal Integration of Closed Supercritical CO 2 Brayton Power Cycles with Oxy-Fired Heaters) and DE-NE0008470 (Conceptual Design for sCO 2 Power Cycle Test Facility). An appropriately-scaled and properly designed and operated pilot project is essential to overcome the natural risk-aversion of the power generation industry and project financing community. The 10 MWe coal-fired sCO 2 pilot power plant proposed herein will reduce the technical and economic risk of this transformational technology, enabling commercial deployment at the conclusion of the project. For the second phase of this project, Echogen lead a team that completed and refined the pilot system conceptual system and key component designs resulting in the completion of a front-end-engineering-design (FEED) study, completed the NEPA review process, completed the permitting process for construction and operation, refined the techno-economic analysis of the proposed system at commercial scale and received commitments for Phase III cost share. The end result of the program will be to demonstrate the technical and economic superiority of the sCO 2 power cycle for coal-fired operation. Major risk elements will have been retired with sufficient operation at high power to enable the power generation industry to move forward with the first commercial deployment of this transformational system.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2022

Modular, Crushed-Rock Thermal Energy Storage Pilot Design (Final Report)

The goal of this project was to design a next-step pilot to advance near-term energy storage integrated with a fossil plant to provide a facility capable of being viable and effective in a market with growing penetration of variable renewable energy (VRE). Thermal energy storage (TES) represents an ideal technology for this purpose. The completed effort included a feasibility study to prepare for the Phase II pre-front end engineering design (pre-FEED) for implementing a crushed-rock TES system integrated with a natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) plant. The crushed rock storage technology, which is being developed by Brenmiller Energy, is a modular TES system termed bGen™, which can accommodate both thermal and electrical inputs and output steam, hot water, or hot air. For this application, the estimated efficiency is 80% thermal to thermal. For the feasibility study, the Brenmiller technology was designed to operate on a slipstream from NYPA’s Eugene W. Zeltmann Power Project (Zeltmann) NGCC plant in Astoria, New York. The projected size of the system will be up to 4 MWe with at least 4 hours of storage duration, or 16 MWh-e total. The study also included a techno-economic evaluation of a 200 MWh commercial-scale demonstration. Prior to this project, EPRI had reviewed Brenmiller’s technology, which is being built to demonstrate bGen™ at 1.7 MWe on a solar plant (Rotem) and has been designed for an NGCC facility in Italy, assessing it at technology readiness level (TRL) 5. Brenmiller is also conducting a separate 1-MWth pilot with NYPA that pairs a bGen™ module with a microturbine for a combined-heat-and-power (CHP) application to improve efficiency and provide flexibility. The next-step pilot being designed as part of this project would represent a 5-fold increase in scale, versus Rotem, and would show the technology’s ability to provide effective and economical energy storage, bringing the technology to TRL 6. This pilot would represent the next-to-last demonstration scale before the technology could be commercial ready at GWh-e scales in the 2030 timeframe. The main objective of the work completed by the Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI), Brenmiller Energy (Brenmiller), New York Power Authority (NYPA), and United E&C (formerly AECOM) was to perform a Phase I feasibility study on the integration of a crushed-rock thermal energy storage (TES) with a fossil plant. Under this project, the EPRI-led team successfully completed a feasibility study to prepare for the potential future Phase II pre-front end engineering design (pre-FEED) to implement a crushed-rock TES system integrated with a natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) plant. Specific deliverables under this project included the Technology Maturation Plan, Conceptual Study, Techno-Economic Assessment, Technology Gap Assessment, Project Plan for Phase II (submitted as Phase II Renewal Application), Commercialization Plan, and the Final Report (this document). This Final Report includes a compilation of the various summary reports that were prepared during the 12-month schedule of the Phase I project execution under award DE-FE0032017.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Modeling Approach for the Aluminum-clad Dry Storage Pilot using HFIR Fuel

To confirm that the dry storage of aluminum-clad research reactor spent nuclear fuel (ASNF) will remain within the safety envelope after applied drying schemes and that the resulting evolution of the gas space composition, temperature, and pressure conditions are understood, a dry storage pilot project is being established. The pilot will incorporate an instrumented lid for discrete interval or for on-demand gas composition and temperature monitoring of two DOE Standard Canisters (DSCs) loaded with three High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) inner cores per DSC. Each DSC would be subjected to a separate alternative candidate drying scheme. Canisters will undergo 1 to 5 years of monitoring, including internal temperature and gas sampling to track pressure and composition changes. This report outlines the approach for modeling the ASNF-in-canister behavior in terms of evolving gas space conditions for the ASNF dry storage pilot using HFIR fuel. The ASNF has an adherent surface oxyhydroxide layer comprised of boehmite/bayerite that generates hydrogen when subjected to irradiation. Three-dimensional multi-physics computational fluid dynamics simulations will be executed to compute the thermal field within the DSC and provide inputs to a chemical model employed to compute pressure buildup as hydrogen is generated in the system. Implemented in Cantera, the chemical model solves gas phase and aluminum oxyhydroxide surface-mediated radiolysis reactions. Gas phase reactions are sourced from Wittman and Hanson (2015), whereas surface-mediated reactions are incorporated by fitting experimental data using an optimization algorithm (Abboud, 2023). Water radiolysis reactions from Wren and Ball (2001) are adopted with modifications as described in Abboud (2023c). Understanding the effect of the hydrogen buildup over time is important for long-term storage safety considerations. Modeling results will include the canister pressure, temperature, and composition evolution from the initial helium backfill with the addition of radiolytically-evolved chemical species (e.g., hydrogen and oxygen). The specific HFIR cores for the pilot program have not yet been selected, and the overall design is still in development. The CFD-chemical model used for this work will be based on prior models with necessary updates to allow for improved accuracy and efficiency. The experimental data obtained from the HFIR demonstration will be used to improve and validate the computational models to predict the ASNF-in-canister behavior.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2025

EMPOWERED Distributed Energy Resources Permit Accelerator Pilot

This report summarizes the EMPOWERED Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Permit Accelerator Pilot project. Its primary objective was to streamline the design, installation, permitting, and inspections of targeted Distributed Energy Resource (DER) solutions. Streamlining these processes is critical to strengthening and accelerating the adoption of DER solutions nationwide. Moreover, streamlined processes help expedite the clean energy transition and expand energy resilience by improving understanding and capability among key stakeholders like property owners, code officials, and the general workforce. The project team accomplished this by developing and deploying a set of design and permitting guides for simple DER solutions, which they rolled out via a permitting pilot program. The project team developed nine permitting and inspection guides for simple DER solutions, as follows: 1. Single-Family and Duplex: Electric Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE), and Storage, Solar + Storage (each in two code cycles) 2. Multi-family and Office: EVSE, Storage, Solar + Storage (each in two code cycles) 3. A permitting process guide to support the implementation of the permitting guides. The guides cover key code requirements via plan review and field inspection checklists for code officials and building owners to follow to streamline the permitting and inspections process for DER solutions. Following the development of the initial set of guides, the project team formed two cohorts, each made up of four jurisdictions, to participate in the Permit Accelerator Pilot. Each cohort received training and technical assistance to support them in incorporating the guides into use. The project successfully engaged jurisdictions in two disparate US regions: Chelsea, Somerville, Natick, and Norwood in metro Boston; and Pima County, Town of Gilbert, Flagstaff, and Sedona in Arizona. Feedback gathered from the project was valuable in refining the guides to better address jurisdictional needs. After the pilot period, the project team developed final versions of the guides based on extensive feedback from the cohorts and from external technical peer review. Feedback included needs and barriers related to implementation, as well as detailed technical improvements from external peer review. The final guides were presented in a series of webinars with a national reach, with 192 attendees from 35 states in the live session of the final webinar, and the final guides are posted online and available for use nationwide. Key findings: • The most receptive jurisdictions were those adjacent to other jurisdictions that had already adopted similar initiatives. The least receptive jurisdictions were those in the midst of adopting new code cycles. • The most common barrier to jurisdictional adoption of new guidelines were internal administrative and process delays, more so than technical barriers. • The main technical barrier to adoption proved to be the concern of fire hazard risks posed by energy storage systems. There is some apprehension in the code enforcement community about the safety of the batteries. Education coordinated with fire and safety services will help alleviate concerns and increase confidence in the acceptance of innovative technologies. • Opportunities to further leverage and advance the guides and related resources include outreach, education, and jurisdictional support; updates to the resources to align with code cycle changes and local requirements; and advancements supporting emerging technologies.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Emerald Connections Weatherization Plus Health Pilot Program

The Emerald Connections Weatherization Plus Health Pilot Program (Healthy Homes Pilot or the pilot), delivered 97 comprehensive energy retrofits to low-income households in two underserved communities: Lynn, Massachusetts (57) and the Beacon Hill neighborhood in Seattle, Washington (40). Designed by Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC) and funded via a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) Enhancement and Innovation (E&I) grant, ECC created the pilot to expand the reach and range of services typically available to participating WAP households.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Experimental Investigation of a Piloted, Natural Gas-Air Rotating Detonation Wave Combustor

Development and experimental investigation of a piloted, rotating detonation wave combustor (RDWC) designed for natural gas and air propellants is presented in the current paper. The pilot stage was designed to operate with natural gas and oxygen to extend the main stage RDWC range of operability, control its dynamics, and scale the system thermal power. The main chamber can operate with oxygen enrichment across a range of oxygen mass fraction in oxidizer flow of 23.2% (air) to 35%. An annular sting design for natural gas injection was chosen for the main stage of the RDWC to both minimize injection distance and provide modularity in injector design for future testing. Initial experiments were performed with the main chamber operating without the pilot at high pressure (10 atm) and air preheat temperatures up to 650 K. High- and low-frequency pressure measurements are analyzed to understand performance and chamber dynamics. While high-amplitude chamber dynamics with p0=pc = 60% were observed in preliminary experiments, stable detonative behavior in the main chamber has not yet been demonstrated, and further testing must be completed to define RDWC operability range before adding pilot stage operation.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
NASA NTRS1971

Pilot reports of disorientation across 14 years of flight.

The purpose of this study was to compare recent incidents involving disorientation in flight reported by 336 Air Force, Army, and Navy pilots with incidents reported by 137 pilots in 1956. The pilots reported their experiences using a check list and a written description of an experience with disorientation in the aircraft they were flying at the time. The latter included 40 incidents which occurred in support of operations in Vietnam. The reports of disorientation showed a striking similarity across types of aircraft flown over 14 years of flying, as well as with the incidents occurring in Vietnam. However, some variation in reports between aircraft types was noted. These reports of disorientation suggest that disorientation is currently experienced in a wide variety of flight operations and that it will continue to be experienced by aircraft pilots.

Clark, B.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Estimation of nonlinear pilot model parameters including time delay.

Investigation of the feasibility of using a Kalman filter estimator for the identification of unknown parameters in nonlinear dynamic systems with a time delay. The problem considered is the application of estimation theory to determine the parameters of a family of pilot models containing delayed states. In particular, the pilot-plant dynamics are described by differential-difference equations of the retarded type. The pilot delay, included as one of the unknown parameters to be determined, is kept in pure form as opposed to the Pade approximations generally used for these systems. Problem areas associated with processing real pilot response data are included in the discussion.

Schiess, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1975

The analysis of the pilot's cognitive and decision processes

Articles are presented on pilot performance in zero-visibility precision approach, failure detection by pilots during automatic landing, experiments in pilot decision-making during simulated low visibility approaches, a multinomial maximum likelihood program, and a random search algorithm for laboratory computers. Other topics discussed include detection of system failures in multi-axis tasks and changes in pilot workload during an instrument landing.

Curry, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1976

An investigation of correlation between pilot scanning behavior and workload using stepwise regression analysis

An electro-optical device called an oculometer which tracks a subject's lookpoint as a time function has been used to collect data in a real-time simulation study of instrument landing system (ILS) approaches. The data describing the scanning behavior of a pilot during the instrument approaches have been analyzed by use of a stepwise regression analysis technique. A statistically significant correlation between pilot workload, as indicated by pilot ratings, and scanning behavior has been established. In addition, it was demonstrated that parameters derived from the scanning behavior data can be combined in a mathematical equation to provide a good representation of pilot workload.

Waller, M. C.↗
NASA NTRS1976

A flight investigation of piloting techniques and crosswind limitations during visual STOL-type landing operations

A flight research program was undertaken to investigate problems concerned with landing a STOL airplane in crosswind conditions. The program included a study of piloting techniques and crosswind limitations during visual STOL type landing operations. The results indicated that the crosswind was more limiting during the ground roll out than during the airborne phases. The pilots estimated that the crosswind limit for commercial STOL type operations with the test aircraft would be approximately 15 to 20 knots. The pilots thought that the crosswind limits for ground operation might be extended by incorporating wing-lift spoilers, improved nose gear steering, and improved engine response. The pilots agreed that a crosswind landing gear would also be beneficial.

Fisher, B. D.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Pilot interaction with automated airborne decision making systems

An investigation was made of interaction between a human pilot and automated on-board decision making systems. Research was initiated on the topic of pilot problem solving in automated and semi-automated flight management systems and attempts were made to develop a model of human decision making in a multi-task situation. A study was made of allocation of responsibility between human and computer, and discussed were various pilot performance parameters with varying degrees of automation. Optimal allocation of responsibility between human and computer was considered and some theoretical results found in the literature were presented. The pilot as a problem solver was discussed. Finally the design of displays, controls, procedures, and computer aids for problem solving tasks in automated and semi-automated systems was considered.

Rouse, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1976

A systematic approach to advanced cockpit warning systems for air transport operations: Line pilot preferences

Line pilots (fifty captains, first officers, and flight engineers) from 8 different airlines were administered a structured questionnaire relating to future warning system design and solutions to current warning system problems. This was followed by a semantic differential to obtain a factor analysis of 18 different cockpit warning signals on scales such as informative/distracting, annoying/soothing. Half the pilots received a demonstration of the experimental text and voice synthesizer warning systems before answering the questionnaire and the semantic differential. A control group answered the questionnaire and the semantic differential first, thus providing a check for the stability of pilot preferences with and without actual exposure to experimental systems. Generally, the preference data obtained revealed much consistency and strong agreement among line pilots concerning advance cockpit warning system design.

Williams, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Pilot evaluation of an advanced hingeless rotor XY-15 simulation

A piloted simulation of an advanced hingeless rotor XV-15 tilt-rotor aircraft was carried out. The evaluation was made by a pilot from NASA-Ames who had previous experience flying a simulation of the current gimballed rotor NASA/Army XV-15. It was pointed out that some modifications to the force feel system were needed in order to provide rapid force trimming during rapid maneuvers. Some additional tailoring of the SCAS system was required to achieve good nap-of-the-earth performance. Overall pilot opinion on the hingeless rotor XV-15 tilt rotor was favorable. Brief discussion on the mathematical models and the simulator configuration are presented. The maneuvers and pilot comments are given along with some engineering comments.

Mcveigh, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Effects of dynamic aeroelasticity on handling qualities and pilot rating

Pilot performance parameters, such as pilot ratings, tracking errors, and pilot comments were determined for a longitudinal pitch tracking task using a large, flexible bomber with parametric variations in the undamped natural frequencies of the two lowest frequency symmetric elastic modes. This pitch tracking task was programmed on a fixed base simulator with an electronic attitude-director display of pitch command, pitch angle, and pitch error. Low frequency structural flexibility significantly affects the handling qualities and pilot ratings in the task evaluated.

Yen, W. Y.↗