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DOE OSTI2021

Enlightened Education: Solar Engineering Design to Energize School Facilities

Here, this paper explores the potential for universities, colleges, and K-12 schools to implement solar electric infrastructure projects on their campuses that not only provide financial savings but also provide learning environments and instructional opportunities for students. A recent case study at Madison College is presented for a 1.85 MW photovoltaic system that is the largest solar rooftop installation in the State of Wisconsin. The system was designed with several unique features to facilitate public access, provide students with hands-on interaction, and compare and contrast several different types of solar equipment. Special engineering design considerations should be made when installing solar on schools, and recommended practices from the Madison College experience are detailed. Madison College completed a Solar Roadmap in order to prioritize and sequence investment in solar across the multiple buildings and campus locations operated by the college. The featured installation was the first project within that plan. A ten-step guide on how to create a solar roadmap is shared, so that other schools can learn from Madison College’s experience and replicate the process for their own institutions.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Multiple Synchrotron Light Monitors for Transverse Matching and Monitoring at CEBAF

Beam setup at the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) involves threading beam through the machine and monitoring global transfer functions to identify and address cumulative lattice errors. Transverse beam emittance may grow by as much as two orders of magnitude, mediated by synchrotron radiation. Re-matching the enlarged beam phase space into successive re-circulation arcs minimizes this emittance growth but requires knowledge of the actual beam distribution. This is now accomplished through quadrupole scans using wire profile monitors, the most time-consuming activity in our setup process. We propose to use Synchrotron Light Monitors (SLMs) to image the beam at homologous points in the four super-period recirculation arc lattices. Benefits include real-time monitoring of beam parameters and reduced elapsed time for initial setup.These SLMs will be installed in Arc 7 of the CEBAF machine, where Synchrotron Radiation contributes moderately to emittance growth. One of four required SLMs will be installed and commissioned this year, with the rest being installed next year.

Freeman, B.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Progress on the Proton Power Upgrade Project at the Spallation Neutron Source

The Proton Power Upgrade Project at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will increase the proton beam power capability from 1.4 to 2.8 MW. Upon completion of the project, 2 MW of beam power will be available for neutron production at the existing first target station with the remaining beam power available for the future second target station. The project will install seven superconducting RF cryomodules and supporting RF power systems and ancillaries to increase the beam energy to 1.3 GeV . The injection and extraction region of the accumulator ring will be upgraded, and a new 2 MW mercury target has been developed along with supporting equipment for high-flow gas injection to mitigate cavitation and fatigue stress. Equipment is being received from vendors and partner laboratories, and installation is underway with three major installation outages planned in 2022-2024. The project is planned to be completed in 2025.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

TRANSENSOR: Transformer Real-time Assessment INtelligent System with Embedded Network of Sensors and Optical Readout. Final Report

Utilities across the world are wrestling with evolving market dynamics, population growth and climate change. Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) such as solar photovoltaics, distributed generators and energy storage systems are becoming important parts of the U.S. energy mix. These factors are driving an increasing need for low-cost grid asset monitoring. Aside from being costly, traditional utility monitoring systems are not sufficiently robust and do not provide real-time visibility into the condition of grid assets such as transformers. Lack of accurate real-time measurements on performance has resulted in the use of lagging indicators, such as oil sample analysis. To address this need, an innovative embedded optical sensing technology, Transformer Real-time Assessment Intelligent System (TRANSENSOR) was developed, validated and demonstrated in this project. To date, TRANSENSOR has focused on transformers but is extendable to other grid assets. In addition to the technology being embedded into new transformers during manufacturing, a retrofit configuration that can be installed on existing transformers in the field was also developed. It is anticipated that the ability to retrofit existing transformers will help accelerate adoption of the underlying TRANSENSOR technology. Phase 1 of the project focused on laboratory development and qualification of the technology. Following iterations and exploration of relevant optical sensing modalities and multiplexed configurations of interest for the transformer environment, an effective candidate configuration was agreed upon, down-selected and custom-designed for embedding into General Electric (GE) network transformers. Two new GE 500 kilovolt ampere (kVA), 27 kilovolt (kV) distribution network transformers were built with embedded fiber-optic (FO) sensors and successfully qualified per industry standards at GE’s Shreveport, Louisiana facility during Phase 1 of the project. Following the successful completion of Phase 1, the team proceeded to Phase 2, which focused on a field demonstration of the technology. Over Phase 2, the first new GE transformer built with embedded fiber-optic sensors was installed in an above-ground cage and connected to the grid at Con Edison’s Astoria facility. A second transformer equipped with TRANSENSOR was installed in an underground vault. Additionally, an older (1982 year model) GE transformer in an above-ground cage was retrofitted with fiber- optic sensors and reconnected to the grid at ConEd’s facility. Analysis of data acquired from the sensors showed interesting correlations with transformer loading. Additionally, key events such as transformer low-voltage network connection, primary-side energizing, and a pressure loss event from an oil sampling were detected by the TRANSENSOR system. Online data processing/feature extraction algorithms for the second transformer in the underground vault detected key features and event alerts that were transmitted through a wireless 4G connection. The remote deployment concept showed promising results with data collection running for a total of 8 months across the three (3) GE transformers instrumented for the Phase 2 field demonstration. This sets the stage well for further development and commercialization.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2020

bifiPV2020 Bifacial Workshop: A Technology Overview

The virtual bifiPV Workshop was held in July 2020 to provide the solar industry with a forum for sharing and discussing research into bifacial photovoltaic (PV) technology. This report outlines major insights from the workshop to give the reader an overview of the latest developments in bifacial PV technology worldwide, from the lab to the field. Citations are drawn from this workshop unless otherwise noted, with all proceedings available online at bifipvworkshop. com. Presentations for the bifiPV2020 Workshop focused on the following areas: bifacial power plant modeling and simulation, albedo improvements, the development of encapsulants, the durability and reliability of current bifacial technologies, performance comparisons between glass-glass and glass-transparent backsheet configurations, the future of passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) solar cells, and the growing adoption of n-type solar cells. With 650 GW total PV installed worldwide and 1 TW to come very soon, PERC is now the standard PV cell type produced en masse. However, it is already reaching 23% efficiency, the upper limit for this type of technology. PV modules breaking the 0.5-kW barrier are starting to appear, and the costs of standard PERC technology are already below 0.2 USD/Wp. In 2019, five GW of bifacial PV were installed worldwide. In 2020, the majority of bifacial installations are expected to be located in the United States, China, and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) states. N-type bifacial technologies are becoming increasingly viable and have huge potential to dominate the market in the coming years. With bifacial technology mounted on horizontal single-axis trackers (HSAT), bids below 10 USD/MWh will soon be observed in the MENA region, and later in Chile and the United States. Factory audits and reliability testing can reduce field failures by helping buyers to select producers that follow rigorous quality assurance and quality control processes.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

bifiPV2020 Bifacial Workshop: A Technology Overview

The virtual bifiPV Workshop was held in July 2020 to provide the solar industry with a forum for sharing and discussing research into bifacial photovoltaic (PV) technology. This report outlines major insights from the workshop to give the reader an overview of the latest developments in bifacial PV technology worldwide, from the lab to the field. Citations are drawn from this workshop unless otherwise noted. Presentations for the bifiPV2020 Workshop focused on the following areas: bifacial power plant modeling and simulation, albedo improvements, the development of encapsulants, the durability and reliability of current bifacial technologies, performance comparisons between glass-glass and glass-transparent backsheet configurations, the future of passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) solar cells, and the growing adoption of n-type solar cells. With 650 GW total PV installed worldwide and 1 TW to come very soon, PERC is now the standard PV cell type produced en masse. However, it is already reaching 23% efficiency, the upper limit for this type of technology. PV modules breaking the 0.5-kW barrier are starting to appear, and the costs of standard PERC technology are already below 0.2 USD/Wp. In 2019, five GW of bifacial PV were installed worldwide. In 2020, the majority of bifacial installations are expected to be located in the United States, China, and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) states. N-type bifacial technologies are becoming increasingly viable and have huge potential to dominate the market in the coming years. With bifacial technology mounted on horizontal single-axis trackers (HSAT), bids below 10 USD/MWh will soon be observed in the MENA region, and later in Chile and the United States. Factory audits and reliability testing can reduce field failures by helping buyers to select producers that follow rigorous quality assurance and quality control processes.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Federal Workplace Charging Program Guide

This report serves as a program guide to support federal agencies in developing their own policy documents for workplace charging. It provides suggested language that agencies can incorporate into their own policies to define requirements for charging privately owned vehicles (POVs) on government-owned or leased property. The Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act authorizes the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and other federal agencies to install, operate, and maintain electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) for POVs in parking areas used by federal employees and authorized users, and it requires the collection of fees to recover the costs of installing, operating, and maintaining this equipment. This guide offers details for agency facility managers, transportation personnel, employees, and vendors regarding the charging of electric vehicles (EVs) for use by employees and personnel at government-owned and leased buildings. This guide describes the requirements associated with federal agencies providing EV charging in publicly accessible sites. The policy also describes when and how fees may be imposed to cover costs of electricity, as well as EVSE units and installations in various scenarios.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Wyandotte Integrated Renewable Energy Strategy (WIRES 2) (Final Technical Report)

Wyandotte Municipal Services (WMS), a Michigan Municipal Utility offering electric generation, transmission & distribution, water filtration & distribution and Broadband/Video sought to deploy a set of renewable energy projects for their Electric Utility that contributed to reducing the City’s environmental and energy impact, provided examples that would encourage businesses and citizens to adopt cleaner energy practices and help WMS meet the required renewable energy standards of the State of Michigan (10% in 2015, 15% in 2021). WMS generates and delivers roughly 280,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity annually to more than 10,000 homes and 1,000 businesses within the City of Wyandotte. The Wyandotte Integrated Renewable Energy Strategy – WIRES 2 resulted in deployment of a set of community-scale micro-wind turbines, evaluation and installation of energy-efficient and low-maintenance light-emitting diode (LED) street lights and park lights in highly visible locations in the City and expansion of the geothermal heating and cooling district that already included residential geothermal systems, to include larger scale business/institutional systems at the Utility’s largest electric customer and at the City Library. Finally, WMS identified the need for job training in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies to further develop a local skilled workforce in these areas. Partially funded by the grant, the wind turbine project provides a benchmark for WMS, local businesses and residents in the evaluation of utility-scale wind v. micro-wind in an urban environment as a renewable energy strategy. Also partially funded by the grant, the LED project benefited the City of Wyandotte by reducing load on the electric system for the public utility but also reduced City costs for streetlighting, parking lot lighting and park lighting without a compromise in security. The project also resulted in a visual success that has led to additional approvals for non-Grant related LED lighting installations resulting in further reduction in the electric load in the City. Commercial Geothermal installations resulted in the Utility being able to eliminate steam customers who formerly utilized the byproduct of steam from WMS electric production. Due to the reduction in natural gas prices and the overall reduction in market purchased power, it was no longer feasible for WMS to operate its Power Plant as a base load plant and to only operate on a market dispatch philosophy when market prices dictated that WMS could produce electricity cheaper than the market purchase price. This has resulted in fewer operating days for the WMS Power Plant, resulting in less environmental impact. WMS has now completely exited the steam business and the ability to offer a geothermal option to two (2) former steam customers (BASF-Wyandotte and the Bacon Memorial Library) allowed for that. In addition, peak loads have been shaved for these two (2) large customers due to the consistent temperature offered by geothermal heating and cooling, reducing the swings associated with thermostat changes caused by outside temperature changes during extreme high and low temperatures. Finally, energy efficiency and renewable energy college-level classes at Wayne County Community College allowed a group of interested students to pursue studies in those technologies through grant provided tuition, books and course materials. This effort provided a foundation of potential future employees not only for WMS but other energy efficiency/renewable energy employers such as Franklin Energy, a partner with WMS in energy optimization efforts with Wyandotte businesses.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Selection of Well Locations for Saturated Zone Monitoring at the E-Area Low Level Waste Facility

Savannah River Site (SRS) has adopted a revised approach to performance monitoring of the E- Area Low Level Waste Facility (ELLWF) that adds a saturated zone component to the existing vadose zone monitoring program (Kubilius, 2019). The revised monitoring approach specifies that eight additional water table wells be installed near Slit Trench 1 (ST1) and Engineered Trench 2 (ET2). Six wells will be installed at locations characterized in 2017 and 2018. These include four wells near ET2 (ELF001D, ELF002D, ELF003D, and ELF004D) at locations identified by Kubilius (2019) and two wells north of ST1 (ELF005D and ELF006D) at locations finalized in this report. Additionally, two wells (ELF007D and ELF008D) are to be installed at locations south of ST1 based on characterization work completed in 2020 and documented in this report. This area is near well cluster BGX-2 between the Mixed Waste Management Facility (MWMF) and the ELLWF. The area is upgradient of ELLWF and, contamination in the water table aquifer is sourced from MWMF.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2021

Subtask 2.6 – Optimization of Aerosol Mitigation Technology for Postcombustion CO 2 Capture

Growing concerns over the impact of CO 2 emissions from combustion sources on global climate change have prompted numerous research and development projects aimed at developing cost-effective technologies for CO 2 capture. One family of technologies being demonstrated at pilot and full scale globally is postcombustion CO 2 capture (PCCC) systems that employ amine-based solvents. The captured CO 2 can be compressed and permanently stored underground or used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The proximity of North Dakota’s lignite-fired fleet of power plants to potential CO 2 storage options creates a unique atmosphere for PCCC within the state. However, the aerosols present in lignite flue gas present a challenge for large-scale PCCC at North Dakota power plants. Aerosols can negatively impact the long-term performance of amine-based solvents for CO 2 capture. Amine-based solvents are volatile, and aerosols provide nucleation sites where amine vapors can condense. Because aerosols cannot be easily captured at the column outlet using conventional technologies, the amine-laden aerosols escape the system and lead to accelerated solvent losses. Moreover, aerosol components can chemically react with amines to form degradation products that can permanently deactivate the amine, cause fouling, and lead to hazardous emissions. Many of the elements that have been shown to catalyze solvent degradation are present in lignite coals and can exacerbate solvent replacement economics. Understanding this issue is critical to the implementation of solvent-based CO 2 capture systems as applied to lignite-fired generation systems. The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) designed and carried out this project to optimize aerosol mitigation technology for PCCC at a lignite-fired power plant. To meet the goal of this project, the following objectives were identified: Determine the effectiveness of a wet electrostatic precipitator (WESP) on collection of aerosols at a low-rank coal-fired power station. Determine the impact of aerosols on the efficiency and degradation products of amine-based carbon capture systems fired with low-rank fuels. Work was conducted at Minnkota Power Cooperative’s (MPC’s) Milton R. Young (MRY) Station Unit 2 using a slipstream of flue gas from the outlet of the plant’s flue gas desulfurization (FGD) unit. To gather initial data for sizing and specifying a WESP for this system, a temporary pilot-scale WESP was rented and installed on-site. Several different conditions were tested to examine the impact of flow rate, voltage, and current on WESP performance. The WESP was effective at removing large particulate (>200 nm) but caused an increase in fine particulate (<75 nm). Fine particulate material at the inlet and outlet of the WESP was collected, analyzed, and showed that crystalline sulfates carried over from the plant’s FGD unit were being converted to fine aerosols and SO 2 was being converted to SO 3 through the WESP. Additionally, the high moisture content of the flue gas stream at this sample location also contributed to an overall increase in aerosol mass under some of the test conditions. Using the results from the rented WESP, the project team installed a smaller-scale WESP upstream of the EERC’s slipstream CO 2 capture system. Flue gas was routed through a pilot-scale FGD unit to remove SO 2 to very low levels (~1 ppm) and then through a direct contact cooler (DCC) to further cool the gas and to remove moisture. The gas exiting the DCC was then routed through the new WESP before passing to the CO 2 absorber columns. Fluor’s amine-based solvent was used to scrub CO 2 from the slipstream through a set of two absorber columns. The rich solvent was regenerated in a stripper column by heating to drive off captured CO 2 . The system operated using a catch-and-release method where the CO 2 was separated to provide data on the process, but the captured CO 2 was released back into the host site stack. Aerosols and sulfur species were measured at multiple locations throughout the pilot-scale system. The inlet FGD and DCC removed much of the particulate matter and gaseous sulfur upstream of the WESP. With this configuration, the WESP achieved >95% particulate capture. The new WESP did not show any of the increases in SO 3 or other aerosol species that had been consistently observed with the larger-scale WESP installed immediately downstream of the plant’s full-scale FGD unit. Particulate samples captured and analyzed from the WESP inlet did not show any presence of crystalline sulfate materials, indicating that the pilot-scale FGD and DCC were efficient at reducing carryover from the plant’s full-scale FGD unit. A set of parametric tests were conducted on the new WESP to assess the impacts of flow rate, voltage, number of online WESP fields, and gas-phase sulfur content on aerosol and sulfur transformations. The results showed that the WESP performed similarly well at all sets of conditions. Sulfur and particulate matter exiting the WESP were further reduced through the absorber column as the amine-based solvent captured some of the residual contaminants. Solvent analysis showed that these species were slowly concentrating in the solvent over the duration of the test. When the WESP was taken offline and the sulfur slip through the FGD allowed to rise, the sulfate content in the solvent rose sharply, showing that the extra FGD and WESP were effective at reducing sulfate and cation uptake. This would be expected to extend amine-based solvent life by slowing the formation of heat-stable salts and other degradation products. This subtask was cofunded through the EERC–U.S. Department of Energy Joint Program on Research and Development for Fossil Energy-Related Resources Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FE0024233. Nonfederal funding was provided by the North Dakota Industrial Commission and MPC.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2022

Final Report for US DOE Grant DE-FG02-99ER54527

The failure of the NSTX-U coil in 2016 resulted in a redirection of UCLA’s NSTX-U research program. At that time UCLA had two functioning fluctuation reflectometer systems installed on the tokamak and was in the process of installing the new DBS/CPS system. These projects were placed on hold due to the NSTX-U recovery effort. UCLA in consultation with DOE OFES began a program of utilizing the equipment installed at NSTX-U in order to maximize the science output. In these discussion it was decided to move the V-band 50-75 GHz and the W-band 83-88 GHz multifrequency fluctuation reflectometer systems to the DIII-D tokamak. This would achieve two goals – to continue to provide important scientific input the US fusion research program and to test the new W-band system in a fusion research relevant plasma.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Validation of an Advanced High-Pressure PEM Electrolyzer and Composite Hydrogen Storage

One of the challenges associated with transitioning our nation’s transportation economy to any alternative fuel is bringing fuel production, storage, transportation, and end-customer delivery infrastructure online. There are challenges associated with planning and implementing hydrogen fueling stations at locations relevant to the parallel effort of bringing the related transportation vehicles into the market. There are additional challenges associated with the operation of hydrogen fueling stations and reducing operating costs through energy reduction. Through calculation and design efforts it was concluded that elevating the pressure of a PEM cell stack and further developing hydrogen processing equipment that support elevated pressures while maintaining similar characteristics to their current production counterparts will yield in energy savings and by extension cost reductions. In this report, the design of a 57-bar (827-psig) electrolysis system and electrolysis cell stack is described. Furthermore, the fabrication, component verification, and integrated testing are summarized. Prior to this development effort, Proton had demonstrated thousand of hours of durability on 30-bar (435-psig) differential pressure PEM electrolysis hardware. Proton has sold and installed many of these 30-bar devices at customer sites. Through this project, Proton has developed and tested 57-bar PEM electrolysis, thereby extending the proven capability of PEM electrolysis as a hydrogen generation and electrochemical compression device. A design and validation effort to arrange hydrogen processioning equipment for refueling OEM vehicles was also undertaken within this project. By arranging equipment within two 6-meter ISO shipping containers and further developing NFPA 2 Hydrogen Technologies Code to support containerized hydrogen equipment, efforts to site, install, and commission, and approve hydrogen fueling stations were reduced and now provide a groundwork for future installations.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2021

Modeling Savings for ENERGY STAR Smart Home Energy Management Systems

The objective of this study was to develop a repeatable and defensible methodology to analyze the energy savings for Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) that meets the minimum requirements for certification under ENERGY STAR ® Smart Home Energy Management System (SHEMS) Version 1. Mandatory connected loads include a smart thermostat, two smart lights, and one smart power strip or smart outlet. Control strategies must include feedback to occupants through an in-home display, user programming, occupancy sensor-based controls, and responsiveness to utility signals such as demand response programs. Several occupant behavior patterns were selected to quantify the range of energy savings potential for a HEMS with this basic functionality. A literature review was conducted to establish realistic room-by-room occupancy levels and usage patterns for connected devices. A series of event-driven hourly profiles were created, followed by adjustments based on application of HEMS control strategies to thermostats, interior lighting, and plug load schedules. EnergyPlus modeling was performed using these hourly schedules in three locations (Boston, Houston, and Phoenix) to examine climate dependence of energy savings. Total site energy savings ranged from 4.3 to 27.1 MBtu/year (7%-35%), and utility bill savings ranged from $\$$123 to $\$$670/year (6%-29%). The highest predicted savings was realized by occupants that were not energy conscious prior to HEMS installation, but highly engaged with the HEMS controls once the system was installed. The smart thermostat accounted for most of the savings, followed by the smart power strip. Smart lighting did not save a significant amount of energy in our analysis, based on an assumption that efficient LEDs with no standby power would normally be installed anyway.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2020

In-Sodium Testing of a Prototype Thermoacoustic Power Sensor for Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors

The ultimate goal of this project is to develop and demonstrate a thermoacoustic power sensor (TAPS) for Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors (SFRs), with potential application also envisioned to other nuclear technologies such as Lead-Cooled Fast Reactors (LFRs), Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs), in addition to Light Water Reactors (LWRs). The project was led by Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC (Westinghouse) and carried out in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and the University of Pittsburgh. A TAPS is a passive (self-powered), non-invasive (wireless) sensor envisioned for measuring key parameters, such as local temperature and neutron flux, in a nuclear reactor core. The sensor generates pressure waves (i.e., sound waves) with a frequency and amplitude dependent upon nuclear operating conditions (coolant temperature or power changes). The acoustic waves are able to travel through the core and associated structures, and reach to the sensor network placed outside and/or inside of the reactor vessel. These sensors require a very small amount of power which, during loss of power events, can be provided, for example, by harvesting gamma radiation energy, thus resulting in a monitoring system that can function both during normal operation and during loss of power events. Westinghouse and the University of Pittsburgh designed and fabricated TAPS prototypes for Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) to carry out in-sodium testing to evaluate the effects of sodium on the TAPS and the performance of the TAPS technique in sodium. Argonne received a TAPS prototype from Westinghouse, and the prototype was modified such that it can be installed into a test vessel and function in sodium at elevated temperature without potentially leaking. A water mockup test apparatus was constructed to validate proper working of the prototype. An instrumentation and control (I&C) system, running on the National Instruments (NI) LabView platform, was developed to: 1) operate both the water mockup test and the in-sodium test facility; and 2) process and analyze the received acoustic signals from an array of accelerometers and the Argonne sodium-submersible high-temperature acoustic sensor. The prototype was successfully tested in a water bath at different temperatures. Water mockup tests demonstrated that the TAPS prototype is working properly and its resonance frequency changes linearly with the coolant (water) temperature. A TAPS test apparatus was constructed and integrated with the upgraded Under-Sodium Viewing (USV) sodium test facility. The integrated USV-TAPS sodium test facility has been operational. The TAPS prototype and a high-temperature sodium-submersible acoustic sensor (SSAS) developed by Argonne were both installed inside the TAPS test vessel. Being operated within argon cover gas under ambient conditions, the TAPS prototype demonstrated that it was functioning properly with a resonance frequency at 1407.2 Hz, which was successfully detected by the accelerometers mounted on the external wall of the vessel and the high-temperature SSAS installed inside the vessel. After successfully transferring sodium into the vessel, in-sodium tests of the prototype were conducted. Tests of the TAPS prototype demonstrated that the resonance frequency of the TAPS changes linearly with respect to the temperature difference between the interior of the TAPS and bulk sodium. The early tests showed that the TAPS prototype could not establish a continuous and consistent resonance in sodium. The resonance diminished before the prototype reached its operating temperature. A signal postprocessor was added to the DAQ module latterly to isolate interferences, enhance signal conditioning, improve peak detection, and generate resonance frequency versus temperature plots. After testing in molten sodium and immersion at higher temperature for several weeks, the TAPS prototype was able to establish a continuous resonance. Performance evaluation of the TAPS prototype was then conducted in sodium. The tests included the investigation of 1) the effects of the temperature difference between the TAPS and bulk sodium, 2) the effects of sodium flowrate; and 3) the performance of the different sensor-receiver systems positioned inside or outside the vessel. Results of a test demonstrated that, with limited sodium circulation, a continuous and consistent resonance of the TAPS prototype was established occasionally. The tests also demonstrated that, because of the nature of detection principles and mounting methods, the high temperature SSAS is more affected by acoustic noise, while accelerometers are more affected by vibrations, in the test environment. It is unknown why the TAPS prototype only occasionally established a continuous and consistent resonance when the TAPS temperature reached its operating temperature in molten sodium, and why it ultimately failed to resonate at all. A failure modes assessment was conducted and a few potential causes of failure were identified. Different post in-sodium tests were conducted to obtain additional information potentially relevant to the cause of the failure. Nondestructive evaluation techniques are suggested to examine the internal integrity as well as the gas mixture of the prototype. If they prove inconclusive, the prototype should be cut open to conduct a thorough inspection of its internal integrity and determine the state of the gas mixture.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

Environmental Effects Assessment for Proposed Offshore Wind Farm off the Coast of Grays Harbor, Washington

Grays Harbor Wind LLC (GHW) is proposing to develop a floating offshore wind farm offshore of west Grays Harbor County, Washington (Grays Harbor). The proposed GHW Offshore Wind Project (Project) would entail construction, installation and operation of a 1,000-megawatt (MW) offshore wind farm consisting of approximately 75 floating units, each containing a floating foundation and wind turbine generator (WTG). The Project location is approximately 25 miles (21.7 nautical miles [nmi]) offshore west of Grays Harbor, at waters depths of 360 to 700 feet. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was contracted by Herrera Environmental Consultants, Inc. on behalf of GHW to carry out this preliminary scoping study to evaluate baseline conditions and potential effects on fish and marine mammals from development and operation of a floating offshore wind farm installed within a designated area off the coast of Washington1. Floating offshore wind units installed in an ocean environment as part of the Project would interact with marine wildlife. This Study report provides an initial data aggregation and analysis, using publicly available data, of the Project effects, both negative and positive, on the marine environment. The scope of this assessment is limited by the fact that the Project development is presently at the conceptual level. Data on marine organisms were aggregated and evaluated; however seabirds were evaluated by Herrera Environmental Consulting and, along with bats, were not included in the scope of this study. Significant additional work is necessary to characterize ocean, seafloor, and environmental conditions; select appropriate floating offshore wind technologies; identify construction methods and locations; and assess facility locations, including electrical interconnection. Data aggregation and analysis of seabirds and bats is also needed. Evaluation of the full range of potential environmental effects would be conducted following an award of a lease from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) as part of the leasing, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)/State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) environmental review and permitting processes. While this initial data aggregation and analysis uses best available public scientific information and current assumptions about the Project configuration, the effects discussed herein are based on the status of review to-date and may change as Project-specific details are developed.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

An Observational Understanding of Connected Lighting Systems

As part of the Internet of Things (IoT), connected lighting systems provide additional control capabilities and nonlighting-related services (such as communications and data infrastructure) to reduce energy use while increasing both application efficiency and system value. But the positive or negative energy impact of implementing these systems is still largely unknown due to the variety of human factors associated with installation, maintenance, and use. These complications interfere with adoption and acceptance rates of products that will play a significant role in achieving energy savings long-term. Next Generation Lighting Systems, or NGLS, developed and implemented an observational research methodology for connected lighting systems. The methodology was implemented at an indoor (classroom/office) Living Lab at Parsons School of Design in New York City, and an outdoor (parking lot) Living Lab at Virginia Tech Transportation Institute in Blacksburg, Virginia. Although this report focuses on the approach to indoor installations, observational research in both settings provides insight to the type, scale, and frequency of issues across available products as experienced by installing contractors, end users, and other stakeholders.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2021

Igiugig Site Visit Report

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) team conducted a site visit during January 23-25, 2019 with the Igiugig Village Council (IVC) and other stakeholders to assist the community of Igiugig in refining their long-term energy strategy. The agenda included a tour of the village, data collection, presentations, long-term visioning exercises, identification of energy scenarios, and a school presentation. Participants in the site visit activities spanned a range of local, regional, government, and industry participation. There were 24 attendees at the all-day community workshop on Thursday, January 24th, with participants from the IVC, NREL, Bristol Bay Native Association (BBNA), Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC), Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska Energy Authority, Intergrid, ORPC, Deer Stone Consulting, the Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference, and University of Alaska Fairbanks - Alaska Center for Energy and Power. Igiugig is a well-organized rural Alaskan community, with a leadership team that appears to have broad community support. The use of consensus-based decision making is one tangible example of how the leadership team actively invokes and promotes community-focused thinking. The NREL team observed anecdotal evidence of how this approach seems to be strengthening the community: active participation in the visioning exercise, a student hosted fund-raiser dinner at the school, a clean and organized landfill, and well-maintained roads and buildings. Igiugig has wind, solar, and river hydrokinetic resources readily available within the community. Wind has shown to be a promising resource in the region, and has been integrated into microgrids around the state, but the community has had mixed success with wind technologies: some devices failed quickly and others continue to operate. The economics of solar energy are improving in Alaska, and economical solar projects are being installed around the state. Considering that economic activity in Igiugig peaks during the summer sport fishing season, solar could prove to be a valuable supplement to the electrical system. Igiugig has been a test site for two different river hydrokinetic devices, and they have began a third project to operate ORPC's RivGen device, which is delivering valuable device performance data, operations and maintenance experience, and design refinement information. Already, this device has made over 7-million revolutions, and delivered over 8 MWh of power to the community. Igiugig's river resource is fairly unique because it is available year-round and has the potential to provide reliable base-load power for months at a time. A preliminary investigation of this diverse resource mix suggests that Igiugig could achieve very high levels (70% or more) of annual renewable generation contributions. A critical step in pursuing this path is identifying the mix of energy assets (generation and storage) that best meets the community's budget, needs, and goals. The assets that a community installs early in their grid-modernization initiative can constrain the options that are economical at later stages, which may lead to sub-optimal solutions. This is where technical and economic analysis of potential scenarios (i.e., distinct mixes of energy assets) can be useful in identifying the most promising pathways so that a community can make informed and strategic decisions about the assets they install. These analyses are most accurate and informative when they are based on actual technology performance and cost data. As the RivGen project continues to operate and generate this data, we will be better prepared to evaluate the technology's long-term viability and to identify research areas that would improve it. Igiugig's energy projects are at the cutting edge of two intersecting technology areas: 1) deploying an operational river hydrokinetic turbine, and 2) integrating renewable energy sources to achieve very high percent renewables. If these projects are successful, the lessons learned and technologies developed could be valuable for other microgrids around the world. Igiugig's unique resource mix make it an ideal location for this work, and the community's organizational strength make it an ideal partner in this ground-breaking work. Ongoing support for technical assistance to manage and address technical challenges along the way will maximize the probability of project success.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Preliminary Environmental and Financial Viability Analysis of Circular Economy Scenarios for Satisfying PV System Service Lifetime

PV deployment has grown rapidly in recent decades, and this growth is expected to continue. At the same time, the rapid increase in PV panel efficiencies offers the opportunity to repower/revamp existing installations - replacing operational, lower-efficiency panels before the end of their 30-year service lifetime with newer, higher-efficiency panels. As a result, an increasing volume of PV panels could be decommissioned well before reaching the end of their 30-year service lifetime. Two broad strategies can be applied to manage the expected increase in decommissioned PV panels: (i) recycle prematurely decommissioned panels, and (ii) prevent recycling of these panels by satisfying the typical service lifetime of 30 years through circular economy strategies such as repair and reuse. Each strategy presents an environmental and economic trade-off. Retaining and satisfying the lifetime of the older, lower-efficiency panels avoids environmental burdens from recycling or landfilling but incurs burdens from additional repair and forgoing the opportunity to install newer panels with greater electricity-generation capabilities. This study assesses whether satisfying the expected service lifetime of a PV system through circular economy scenarios generates a greater environmental and financial benefit than recycling used panels and installing newer panels with higher efficiencies. The circular economy scenarios include repair and reuse of the PV system. Specifically, the study determines whether it is better for the environment to keep a PV panel in use for its 30-year service life after accounting for potential repair and additional transportation, or to replace older panels with more efficient new ones. In addition, we explore whether satisfying the service lifetime of PV panels proves competitive with the recycling route from a financial perspective.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗