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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 451 records · Page 25
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Catalytic Hydroprocessing of Single-Cell Oils to Hydrocarbon Fuels : Converting microbial lipids to fuels is a promising approach to replace fossil fuels

Microbial lipids hold great promise as biofuel precursors, and research efforts to convert such lipids to renewable diesel fuels have been increasing in recent years. In contrast to the numerous literature reviews on growing, characterising and extracting lipids from oleaginous microbes, and on converting vegetable oils to hydrocarbon fuels, this review aims to provide insight into aspects that are specific to hydroprocessing microbial lipids. While standard hydrotreating catalysts generally perform well with terrestrial oils, differences in lipid speciation and the presence of co-extracted compounds, such as chlorophyll and sterols, introduce additional complexities into the process for microbial lipids. Lipid cleanup steps can be introduced to produce suitable feedstocks for catalytic upgrading.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Crude Glycerol as Cost-Effective Fuel for Combined Heat and Power to Replace Fossil Fuels (Final Technical Report)

The primary objectives of this work can be summed into two major categories. Firstly, the fundamentals of the combustion of glycerol (in both a refined and unrefined form) were to be investigated, with emphasis of the development of a system capable of reliably and repeatedly combusting glycerol as well as an analysis of the emissions produced during glycerol combustion. Focus was placed on quantifying common emissions in comparison to more traditional fuels and this work showed that the burner developed was able to completely combust glycerol within a relatively wide range of operating conditions. Additionally, focus was placed on examining specific emissions in more detail, namely interesting NOx emissions observed in initial trials, acrolein and other volatile organic emissions, and particulate and ash emissions. This work showed that the combustion of crude glycerol could result in significantly reduced NOx emissions as a function of the high fuel bound oxygen content within the glycerol fuel. It also showed that when burned properly, the combustion of crude glycerol did not result in excessive emissions of acrolein or any other VOC compared to the combustion from more traditional fuels. Lastly however, this work has shown that in any practical application in which glycerol is being burned, it will be necessary to explore ash mitigation techniques due to the very high particulate matter concentrations produced during glycerol combustion. These emissions are comparable to unfiltered coal combustion and are directly tied to the biodiesel production method. The second focus of this work was directed to developing a commercialization strategy for the use of glycerol as a fuel replacement. This strategy has identified a 30 month plan for the scaling up of the laboratory scale burner into a pre-pilot scale system. Additionally, financing options were explored and an assessment was made of the economics of replacing a traditional fuel (namely natural gas) with crude glycerol from biodiesel production. This analysis showed that the cost of replacing natural gas with crude glycerol requires a strong function of the market price per unit of energy for the traditional fuel. However, the economics can be improved through the inclusion of a federal tax credit for the use of a renewable fuel. The conclusion of this analysis also shows that the ideal customer for energy replacement via crude glycerol is biodiesel producers who are located in remote regions, where the cost of energy is higher and the cost of crude glycerol is lowest. Lastly, the commercialization strategy analyzed competing technologies, namely traditional natural gas and electric heaters, as well as competing glycerol burners, and concludes with a discussion of the requirements for a pilot demonstration.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2014

AB INITIO Modeling of Thermomechanical Properties of Mo-Based Alloys for Fossil Energy Conversion

In this final scientific/technical report covering the period of 3.5 years started on July 1, 2011, we report the accomplishments on the study of thermo-mechanical properties of Mo-based intermetallic compounds under NETL support. These include computational method development, physical properties investigation of Mo-based compounds and alloys. The main focus is on the mechanical and thermo mechanical properties at high temperature since these are the most crucial properties for their potential applications. In particular, recent development of applying ab initio molecular dynamic (AIMD) simulations to the T1 (Mo 5 Si 3 ) and T2 (Mo 5 SiB 2 ) phases are highlighted for alloy design in further improving their properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Fossil fleet transition with fuel changes and large scale variable renewable integration

Variability in demand as seen by grid-connected dispatchable generators can increase due to factors such as greater production from variable generation assets (for example, wind and solar), increased reliance on demand response or customer-driven automation, and aggregation of loads. This variability results a need for these generators to operate in a range of different modes, collectively referred to as “flexible operations.” This study is designed to inform power companies, researchers, and policymakers of the scope and trends in increasing levels of flexible operations as well as reliability challenges and impacts for dispatchable assets. Background Because there is rarely a direct monetization of the value of operational flexibility, the decision to provide such flexibility is typically dependent on unit- and region-specific decisions made by asset owners. It is very likely that much greater and more widespread flexible operations capabilities will be needed due to increased variability in demand seen by grid-connected generators, uncertainty regarding investment in new units to provide adequate operational flexibility, and the retirement of older, uncontrolled sub-critical pulverized coal units. Objective To enhance understanding of the technical challenges and operational impacts associated with dispatchable assets needed to increase operational flexibility and support variable demand. Approach The study approach consists of three elements: a literature review of relevant prior studies, analysis of detailed scenarios for evolution of the future fleet over the next 35 years, and engineering assessment of the degree and scope of technical challenges associated with transformation to the future fleet. The study approach integrated two key elements rarely brought together in a single analysis—1) long-term capacity planning, which enables modeling of unit retirements and new asset investments, and 2) unit commitment analysis, which permits examination of hourly unit dispatch while considering operational limitations relevant to flexible operations capabilities.

James, Revis↗
DOE OSTI2013

Resource Assessment for Hydrogen Production: Hydrogen Production Potential from Fossil and Renewable Energy Resources

This study examines the energy resources required to produce 4-10 million metric tonnes of domestic, low-carbon hydrogen in order to fuel approximately 20-50 million fuel cell electric vehicles. These projected energy resource requirements are compared to current consumption levels, projected 2040 business as usual consumptions levels, and projected 2040 consumption levels within a carbonconstrained future for the following energy resources: coal (assuming carbon capture and storage), natural gas, nuclear (uranium), biomass, wind (on- and offshore), and solar (photovoltaics and concentrating solar power). The analysis framework builds upon previous analysis results estimating hydrogen production potentials and drawing comparisons with economy-wide resource production projections

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2016

The Middle East. Domestic sufficiency of fossil fuel resources

In this paper, we’ve compared energy production and consumption across the broader Middle East, paying special attention to three different countries; Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s largest oil producers (second in the CIA World Factbook ranking of crude oil producing countries), with a growing population in the mid-range (47th in the world, according to the CIA World Factbook, and fifth among the nations in this region), a large GDP and GDP per capita (15th in the world, second in this region in GDP, and 21st in GDP per capita in the world, just behind the US at 19th); Qatar, the world’s fourth largest producer of natural gas, with a small native population (and a relatively large foreign labor contingent) that is very wealthy (with the world’s highest GDP per capita, more than twice that of the US); and Egypt, the most populous nation in the region (with the world’s 16th largest population), but relatively poor (with a GDP per capita of about a fifth that of the US and a twelfth that of Qatar); Egypt is a significant energy producer – 29th in the world in crude oil production and 17th in natural gas production – but production has stalled or declined in recent years, and domestic consumption has overtaken production.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2014

Application of solid state NMR for the study of surface bound species and fossil fuels

In this study, stimulated echo with pulsed field gradients was used to measure the diffusion of two different solvents, water and hexane, in AP-MSN-2.7 and AP-MSN-3.7. The resulting data were then fit using two different methods. Based on these fits, the diffusion of hexane in AP-MSN-2.7 was shown to be slower than in the larger pores. This agrees well with our studies of catalytic activity, which show an increase in the reaction rate with the increase in pore size. Thus, both substrate inhibition and diffusion played a role in the decreased efficiency of the APMSN with small pore sizes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Cost and Performance Baseline for Fossil Energy Plants - Volume 4: Coal-to-Liquids via Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

This report establishes performance and cost data for coal-to-liquids systems, specifically by means of gasification and Fischer-Tropsch reaction. The analyses were performed on a consistent technical and economic basis to assess the design and financial performance of a commercial-scale coal-to-Fischer-Tropsch liquids facility. The cost and performance data were compiled from published reports, information obtained from vendor quotes and users of the technology, and data from designing and building utility and refining projects.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2011

Cost and Performance Baseline for Fossil Energy Plants - Volume 2: Coal to Synthetic Natural Gas and Ammonia

This report establishes performance and cost data for coal fueled plants producing synthetic natural gas and ammonia. The plants are based on a dry-feed entrained-flow gasifier and include cases using bituminous, sub-bituminous, and lignite coals. All configurations were studied with and without carbon sequestration. The analyses were performed on a consistent technical and economic basis that accurately reflects current market conditions for plants starting operation in 2012. This is believed to provide the most comprehensive set of cost and performance data available in the public literature to date. The cost and performance data were compiled from published reports, information obtained from vendor quotes and users of the technology, and data from designing and building projects.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2022

Carbon Dioxide Utilization Life Cycle Analysis Guidance for the U.S. DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (Version 2.0)

Capturing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and placing it in permanent storage in geologic formations is an option for reducing CO 2 emissions, but it may not be a viable one for all CO 2 emitters. For some, the added cost of capture may be too high to implement, or the geology near the source may not be suitable for storage. In these circumstances, other options will be needed. Carbon use and reuse, or CO 2 utilization (CO2U), is an alternative approach that seeks beneficial uses for captured CO 2 , such as using it as a feedstock in the production of fuels, chemicals, and building materials. These uses would give CO 2 value that could be used by suppliers (emitters) to offset capture costs. One of the principal features and challenges associated with CO2U is that the products derived from CO 2 must have lower carbon footprints than their conventional counterparts. Previous assessments of CO2U alternatives have focused on the carbon content of utilization products as an indicator of CO 2 equivalent (CO 2 e) emissions reduction potential. However, embodied emissions are—at best—only weakly correlated with the amount of carbon contained in any physical product. Therefore, the most attractive CO2U options will both displace the carbon in an existing product and improve the overall carbon efficiency of the manufacturing process. Research to overcome barriers will include identifying existing co-feeds and available low-carbon energy sources to enable the conversion of CO 2 to value-added products under favorable processing conditions. New discoveries in the fields of nano- and bio-technology will be applied to efficiently utilize CO 2 in new applications. Development of advanced materials and processes, integrating CO 2 capture with utilization processes (e.g., algae), exploring a diverse slate of products from CO 2 to effectively offset capture costs and developing processes based on waste energy are means to overcome these barriers. The research will lead to the development of advanced catalysts, materials, and equipment that can be used to convert CO 2 into useful products. The result will be multiple flexible and adaptable technology platforms that can be used to produce suites of products spanning multiple utilization pathways.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Climate Forcing & Feedbacks by Fires, Forests, Fossil Energy & Food Production: Observations are Key to Predictions [Slides]

Human emitted GHGs (long lived, cumulative) that trap more heat (IR) and aerosols (short lived, steady) that reflect sunlight (Vis) have altered Earth’s radiation budget and warmed our climate measurably and predictably. Our complex dynamic climate system has trapped 400 ZettaJ (10 21 ) and has many positive feedbacks. Regions are changing at unprecedented rates and crossing thresholds as BAU will lock us into 8.5 W m -2 in 2100.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Cost and Performance Baseline for Fossil Energy Plants, Volume 3 – Low Rank Coal and Natural Gas to Electricity

Presentation by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) on performance and cost results of utilizing low rank coals and natural gas to produce electricity, including the effects of carbon capture. The coal plants are located in elevated terrain, and the natural gas plants are sited in the same conditions to allow comparability of elevation impacts. The study reports on overall performance of both fuel types, without and with carbon capture, and gives comparisons of the levelized cost of electricity for each unit. This presentation was given at the 2022 Pittsburgh Coal Conference.

James, III, Robert E.↗