Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “LCA”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 433 records · Page 24
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Quantifying Energy Flows in PV Circularity Processes: Preprint

As sustainability and end-of-life management become a hot topic to timely address in the PV community, a proper evaluation of the benefits of circular pathways such as recycling, reuse, and remanufacturing has not been performed holistically beyond material flows or LCA analysis. Energy flows are critical for evaluating energy generation technologies. Previously they have been used to compare renewables to fossil generation and then between PV technologies. This paper brings energy flows to bear on reaching circular pathways for PV. The energy flows to track energy usage, generation, and losses complementary to the mass flows are presented for silicon through the leverage of the PV ICE framework.

circular economy↗
DOE OSTI2022

Alkaline Oxidation of Lignin Using Reversibly-Soluble Bases

Production of oxidized aromatic monomers from lignin has been an intriguing process for decades, but widespread implementation has been inhibited by the high hydroxide:lignin ratios required for significant aldehyde yields. The high hydroxide loading in most scenarios renders the process uneconomical even for high-value products such as vanillin. In this work, we explore alkaline oxidation of a lignin-rich enzymatic hydrolysis residue isolated from corn stover, using alkaline earth metal hydroxides, such as Sr(OH)2 and Ba(OH)2 as base promoters. These materials are soluble at reaction temperature, but mostly insoluble at room temperature, allowing recovery and reuse by simple filtration. We show that monomer yields and profiles using these bases is similar to that obtained using NaOH as base, and that Sr(OH)2 can be recovered in yields above 90%. Preliminary TEA and LCA suggest that replacing NaOH with Sr(OH)2 can decrease monomer production costs by 40% and decrease global warming potential in lignin depolymerization by 30%, enabling a more economical and sustainable process.

BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Alkaline Oxidation of Lignin Using Reversibly-Soluble Bases

Production of oxidized aromatic monomers from lignin has been an intriguing process for decades, but widespread implementation has been inhibited by the high hydroxide:lignin ratios required for significant aldehyde yields. The high hydroxide loading in most scenarios renders the process uneconomical even for high-value products such as vanillin. In this work, we explore alkaline oxidation of a lignin-rich enzymatic hydrolysis residue isolated from corn stover, using alkaline earth metal hydroxides, such as Sr(OH)2 and Ba(OH)2 as base promoters. These materials are soluble at reaction temperature, but mostly insoluble at room temperature, allowing recovery and reuse by simple filtration. We show that monomer yields and profiles using these bases is similar to that obtained using NaOH as base, and that Sr(OH)2 can be recovered in yields above 90%. Preliminary TEA and LCA suggest that replacing NaOH with Sr(OH)2 can decrease monomer production costs by 40% and decrease global warming potential in lignin depolymerization by 30%, enabling a more economical and sustainable process.

alkaline oxidation↗
DOE OSTI2022

Bio-Optimized Technologies to Keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLE)

Plastics have revolutionized modern life, but reliance on these fossil-based materials that persist for centuries is causing a pollution crisis and contributing to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To develop new technologies to address this problem, the Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLE) Consortium will deliver selective, scalable technologies to enable cost-effective recycling, upcycling, and increased energy efficiency. BOTTLE is an interdisciplinary team of experts that aim to develop selective, scalable processes to deconstruct and upcycle today's plastics and thermosets, redesign tomorrow's plastics to be recyclable-by-design (RBD) and derived from both bio-based and plastic waste-based feedstocks, work with industrial partners across the value chain to catalyze the circular economy for plastics, and leverage AMO and BETO investments in analysis-guided R&D, integrated process development, chemical and biological catalysis, materials characterization, modeling, and data science. BOTTLE is guided by techno-economic analysis (TEA) and supply chain-based life-cycle assessment (LCA). BOTTLE comprises members from ten partner institutions. Primary outcomes to date include establishment of a full consortium, impactful, benchmarking analyses that will be important for the plastics recycling and upcycling community, and multiple impactful, high-impact publications across the breadth of our research portfolio.

bio-optimized↗
DOE OSTI2023

Integration of Experimental Hydroprocessing and FCC Data with Process (Aspen Plus) and Refinery Optimization (Aspen PIMS) Models

NREL's Economic, Sustainability, and Market Analysis (ESMA) team develops process models in Aspen Plus to support techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life-cycle assessment (LCA) of conversion pathways from renewable and circular resources to fuels and chemicals. These tools are being applied to assess probable operational constraints or bottlenecks associated with refinery co-processing and repurposing opportunities. The team also utilizes optimizable refinery models to quantify opportunities for biofuel and bioproduct pathways through integration with existing refining infrastructure. The goals of analysis are to model the transition of refineries to renewable and circular feedstocks and quantify the costs production and CO2 abatement through utilization of existing refineries. At the core of the ESMA team's work is the process data derived from conversion experiments on hydroprocessing and fluid catalytic cracking performed at NREL. The objective of this presentation is to highlight new analysis approaches and capabilities in pathway analysis and refinery optimization modeling with specific emphasis on integration of experimental data.

BIOMASS FUELS,ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

BOTTLE 2 - Analysis

The use of analysis is foundational to BOTTLE. In particular, we conduct techno-economic analysis (TEA), life cycle assessment (LCA), and supply chain modeling for each new BOTTLE innovation, spanning new deconstruction and upcycling technologies to redesigned polymers. These critical analysis tools are used in parallel with laboratory research to ensure that BOTTLE technologies can ultimately meet our key metrics. The BOTTLE team used analysis early in the current 3-year project cycle to identify research priorities from a scale, energy, and economics perspective (Nicholson et al., Joule 2021), and recently we presented a comprehensive framework for comparing new circularity-focused approaches to linear, incumbent practices (Nicholson et al., Ann. Rev. Chem. Biomolec. Eng. 2022). This presentation will also review case studies in analysis for closed-loop PET recycling across a range of recycling methods, baseline studies that we have conducted for plastics pyrolysis and gasification as another comparator for BOTTLE technologies, and a comprehensive study of existing closed-loop recycling technologies from a full suite of environmental impacts and feedstock quality metrics. We have undertaken studies of circular polymers being developed in the Redesign task, and we will present an exemplary case for a bio-based acrylic polymer that can replace polymethyl methacrylate. Overall, analysis is critical to enable the BOTTLE Consortium to focus on impactful, realistic technologies.

BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Carbon Conversion Life Cycle Analysis at NETL

Presentation given to the CCU TEA and LCA Guidance – A Harmonized Approach Workshop on May 18, 2023. Describes carbon conversion-related life cycle analysis efforts at NETL.

Krynock, Michelle↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Next-Generation Toolset Toward Sustainable Electricity Use

This is a presentation for the June 13–15, 2023, ISSST conference with the goal to present the latest developments of NETL’s next-generation LCA analytical framework designed to examine potential environmental impacts associated with U.S. electricity use.

Sam, Shirley↗
DOE OSTI2023

Evaluating U.S. Natural Gas Environmental Performance

This work summarizes the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory's (NETL) modeling and analysis of natural gas environmental performance. Over the past year, NETL updated its U.S. natural gas supply chain life cycle baseline model to incorporate 2020 data, regionalize the transmission and distribution network into six regions, incorporate improved gathering and boosting stage and distribution stage emissions factors, and assign environmental burdens among the various co-products (i.e., crude oil, natural gas liquids, natural gas) of the natural gas supply chain. The updated natural gas model helps generate more comprehensive and regionalized natural gas profiles, mapping production basins to the relevant transmission and distribution regions downstream. The work incorporates data from multiple peer reviewed measurement-based studies to achieve the objective of providing a comprehensive understanding of emissions from the U.S. natural gas supply chain. This presentation also explores future work by NETL to develop a platform that enables stakeholders to customize key parameters within the natural gas LCA model and observe the corresponding effects on the carbon intensity of the overall supply chain. The platform aims to offer a convenient method for stakeholders to obtain relevant insights from the updated model, without diving deep into the intricacies of the NETL natural gas model with hundreds of parameters and linkages.

Khutal, Harshvardhan↗
DOE OSTI2022

A next-generation toolset for the life-cycle analysis of electricity use

This works presents an overview--including background, data flow, and case study--of a tool for analyzing impacts utilizing the electricity baseline provided by ElectricityLCI and the impact-modeling techniques of Grid Mix Explorer (along with air and water quality) as a part of a next-generation LCA analytical framework.

Davis, Tyler↗
DOE OSTI2023

Carbon Conversion Life Cycle Analysis at NETL Overview

Presentation given at the 2023 Carbon Management Research Project Review Meeting on August 28, 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA. Gives an overview of LCA research and support at NETL for the Carbon Conversion program.

Krynock, Michelle↗
DOE OSTI2024

Energy and Carbon Payback Times for Modern U.S. Utility Photovoltaic Systems

Manufacturing and operating a PV system consumes non-renewable energy and produces carbon emissions, as does end-of-life handling when PV systems are eventually decommissioned. To fully account for PV's contribution toward decarbonization, these life cycle impacts must be quantified. A 2023 NREL LCA of utility PV systems in the United States Study show energy payback times between 0.5 and 1.2 years and carbon payback times between 0.8 to 20 years, depending on the system install location. Payback times are affected by the amount of local solar radiation, and carbon payback time is significantly affected by the carbon-intensity of the local grid it offsets, as well as the future projected grid mix for the location it is installed. In an average U.S. location, carbon payback times are less than 2 years.

carbon payback time↗
DOE OSTI2024

Multicriteria-Based Selection of Microalgae Biorefineries: Biomass Composition Defines the Most Suitable Product Portfolios

The supply of microalgae-derived biofuels and bioproducts will be vital in a global-scale bioeconomy. As the diversity of microalgae strains and their compositional plasticity may yield a wide array of products of market interest, the design of effective biorefineries is a central aspect in the path to making microalgae-based products available in the market. In this way, the conversion of microalgae biomass should be planned to employ mature technologies, while maximizing economic and environmental benefits obtained from a diverse product portfolio. This study applied sequential, hybrid Multicriteria Decision Analyses (MCDA) to aid the decision-making process of outlining the most suitable biorefining pathways for specific compositional profiles. For this, the methodology simultaneously considered multiple technical, economic, and environmental criteria, such as market aspects for the main algae-derived products, potential reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions provided by the biobased alternatives, and technology readiness level of conversion routes, among others. The framework was tested using productivity and compositional data for 13 high-productivity summer strains cultivated under varying nutrient availability. The analysis pointed to compositional profile being a key driver in defining the core biorefining strategy of algae biomass, with lipid-to-carbohydrate ratios higher than roughly 1 warranting the preferential processing of lipids into hydrocarbon fuels with the remainder of the algae biomass compounds being sent to higher-value applications, such as carboxylic acids and renewable thermoplastic substitutes. An in-depth process simulation, techno-economic assessment (TEA), and life-cycle analysis (LCA) effort was carried out as a closing step to corroborate the results stemming from the proposed framework. This study validates the use of MCDAs as a screening method prior to implementing more time-consuming analysis techniques and makes a compelling case for this approach as a product selection tool on a wide range of algae species, thus helping establish species-agnostic (but composition-driven) biorefineries.

biofuels↗
DOE OSTI2024

Circular Economy for Photovoltaics in Service of Energy Transition

The challenge of energy transition is immediate and immense; current projections target 75 TW of photovoltaics (PV) capacity by 2050. While any transition to renewable energy technology is preferable to the current fossil-based system, it is ideal to improve the sustainability of PV to minimize negative environmental and social impacts. Circular economy (CE) has been proposed as a method to improve the sustainability of PV, especially for emerging materials like perovskites. CE is a set of actions, principles, and systems which aim to design out waste and keep products and materials in use, to reduce environmental impacts and enable sustainable development. At the most basic level, CE is "reduce, reuse, recycle", the R-actions, in ranked order. CE of a PV technology can be metricized in a variety of ways, such as the Material Circularity Indicator (Smith and Jones, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2019) or recycling rates. Unfortunately, standard CE metrics have several shortcomings for measuring renewable energy technologies in the context of deployment for energy transition (Figge 2018, Saidani 2019): 1) Only measure mass flows; 2) De-prioritization of the use phase in favor of mass circularity when scoring; and 3) Tight focus on a single product scale The use phase and energy flows of PV are key to energy transition, and therefore need to be quantified. Additionally, correlating product-scale to system-scale is necessary for quantifying the environmental impacts of energy transition. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can address some of these concerns, but also focuses on a single product scale and has trouble capturing the dynamics of system-scale energy transition, such as the interaction of module lifetime with manufacturing demands for energy transition deployment schedules. Therefore, we developed an open-source Python-based system dynamics model to quantify the mass, energy and carbon impacts of CE R-actions for PV technologies in the energy transition; PV in the CE (PV ICE) (Ovaitt & Mirletz 2021). The tool captures supply chains from material extraction through end of life, incorporating 5 circular end of life pathways. PV ICE takes in any evolving bill of materials, module properties and deployment schedule to support researchers and decision makers with data-backed insights. In this work, we quantify and compare proposed CE sustainable PV module designs and lifecycle management strategies, spanning currently commercialized technologies, government and industry technology targets, and several low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) emerging PV technologies, including perovskites. Our analyses capture the projected evolutions of lifetime, efficiency and material circularity of these PV technologies, as well as their material supply chains. Our analyses emphasize the importance of examining a suite of metrics to identify priorities and tradeoffs, and inform design or lifecycle management decisions holistically. Previous analyses have demonstrated the central importance of PV module lifetime to support energy transition while minimizing impacts. High levels of material circularity (>90%) enable minimizing lifecycle wastes, can reduce virgin material demands if paired with improving efficiency, but demonstrate tradeoffs in energy return on investment. In the fervor of new material and technology development, it is important to remember that CE is not the end goal; decarbonization and energy transition are the end goal. CE should be used in service to improve the sustainability of PV, and R-actions evaluated for their usefulness and efficacy to this end.

carbon↗
DOE OSTI2024

Optimum Operation of Microgrid Systems that Employ PV Solar and Battery Systems

On a global scale, over 1.3 billion lack access to electricity (85% in rural areas), and approximately 2.8 billion people rely on traditional biomass for cooking. The World Health Organization estimates that household air pollution from inefficient stoves causes more premature deaths than malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. Increasing demand for energy has led to dramatic increases in emissions. The need for reliable electricity and limiting emissions drives research on Resilient Hybrid Energy Systems (RHESs), which provide cleaner energy by combining wind, solar, and biomass energy with traditional fossil energy, increasing production efficiency and reliability and reducing generating costs and emissions. Microgrids have been shown as an efficient means of implementing RHESs, with some focused mainly on reducing the environmental impact of electric power generation. The technical challenges of designing, implementing, and applying microgrids involve conducting a cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to evaluate these systems’ environmental and economic performance under diverse operating conditions to evaluate resiliency. A sample RHES was developed and used to demonstrate the implementation in rural applications, where the system can provide reliable electricity for heating, cooling, lighting, and pumping clean water. The model and findings can be utilized by other regions around the globe facing similar challenges.

Nagapurkar, Prashant↗