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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Environmental life-cycle analysis of hydrogen technology pathways in the United States

Hydrogen is a zero-carbon energy carrier with potential to decarbonize industrial and transportation sectors, but its life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions depend on its energy supply chain and carbon management measures (e.g., carbon capture and storage). Global support for clean hydrogen production and use has recently intensified. In the United States, Congress passed several laws that incentivize the production and use of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen, such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) in 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022, which provides tax credits of up to $3/kg depending on the carbon intensity of the produced hydrogen. A comprehensive life-cycle accounting of GHG emissions associated with hydrogen production is needed to determine the carbon intensity of hydrogen throughout its value chain. In the United States, Argonne’s R&D GREET ® (Greenhouse Gases, Regulated emissions, and Energy use in Technologies) model has been widely used for hydrogen carbon intensity calculations. This paper describes the major hydrogen technology pathways considered in the United States and provides data sources and carbon intensity results for each of the hydrogen production and delivery pathways using consistent system boundaries and most recent technology performance and supply chain data.

Elgowainy, Amgad↗
DOE OSTI2024

Value of Nuclear Energy to the Reliability of the North American Power System: Results for Western and Eastern Interconnections

This report documents the fulfillment of a milestone for the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program: completing a baseline study of regional impact of nuclear power plants and hydrogen production in maintaining grid services and power quality. Models have been comprehensively demonstrated for the Western Interconnection, or Western Electric Coordinating Council area, and in the Eastern Interconnection for scenarios representative of past extreme events (e.g., drought and heat waves). Understanding the impact on the reliability of the bulk electric system of any reduction in generation capacity from nuclear power, for any reason, is the motivation of this work. Factors that might lead to the premature or unplanned closure of nuclear plants, extended outages, or repurposing of nuclear power include: • Aging infrastructure: Many nuclear power plants in the U.S. are nearing the end of their designed operating lives. Upgrading aging infrastructure can be expensive, and some utilities may choose to retire plants rather than invest in costly upgrades. • Low wholesale electricity prices: The deregulation of the electricity market in many states has led to increased competition and driven down wholesale electricity prices, causing nuclear power operators to seek other revenue sources for their heat and power such as clean hydrogen production. • Renewables growth: The rapid growth of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power is posing a challenge to traditional generation sources like nuclear. While many see renewables as a key part of the clean energy transition, their intermittent nature requires additional grid solutions for reliable power supply. • The potential for regulatory decisions to be in conflict: In its 2021 rulemaking, EPA rule (86 FR 880), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set a compliance date for the ban on processing and distribution in commerce of Decabromodiphenyl Ether (DecaBDE). Since DecaBDE is in many components, particularly wiring, of nuclear power plants which are deemed safety-related or important to safety, three plants would not have been able to restart after their 2023 spring outages, and numerous others would have faced issues in the near future. Fortunately, in this case, the EPA provided relief to the nuclear energy industry. The report provides a summary of the significant role nuclear energy plays in the United States’ power generation mix, supplying around 20% of the nation’s electricity generation, spread across 28 U.S. states. Nuclear power is reliable, mostly unaffected by weather and seasonal changes, and provides a consistent source of baseload power. In terms of capacity, nuclear power plants account for as much as 26% of balancing area power generation capacity. Nuclear power also provides a substantial contribution (e.g., 10% of the inertia in the Eastern Interconnection) of the synchronous spinning mass/inertia that buffers the rate at which frequency changes when a load and generation imbalance occurs (e.g., a large plant trips or a load is suddenly shed due to a transmission outage). This contribution is critical for maintaining grid stability during sudden changes in load or generation.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Optimizing Renewable Ammonia Production for a Sustainable Fertilizer Supply Chain Transition

Local renewable ammonia production using electrolytic hydrogen is an emerging approach to alleviate emissions attributed to synthetic nitrogen fertilizer production while also insulating against fluctuations in fertilizer prices and mitigating transportation costs and emissions. However, replacing ammonia currently produced using fossil fuels will not be immediate. To this end, we develop a supply chain transition model, which first optimizes the design and hourly operation of new renewable ammonia facilities to minimize production costs and then optimizes the annual installation timing, production scale, and location of these new renewable facilities along with ammonia transportation to meet county resolution demands. The objective is to augment and eventually replace conventional ammonia market imports in an economically competitive manner. We performed a case study for Minnesota's ammonia supply chain and found that a full transition to in-state renewable production by 2032 is optimal. This is incentivized by the U.S. federal government's clean hydrogen production credits. This transition results in 99 % reduction in carbon intensity along with stable supply costs below $475 per metric tonne. New renewable production facilities are an order of magnitude smaller than existing conventional plants. They use both wind and solar resources and operate dynamically to minimize expensive battery and hydrogen storage capacities.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Hybrid Ionomer-Free Porous Transport Electrodes With Catalyst Coated Membranes for Enhanced Water Electrolysis

To promote industrial uptake of clean hydrogen production technologies such as polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolyzers, advancements in catalyst layer (CL) morphology are required. We demonstrate how improved electrochemical performance can be achieved when using an ionomer free porous transport electrode (PTE) coupled with a traditional catalyst coated membrane (CCM) assembly in PEM water electrolyzers. Notably, we reveal that the superior performance achieved when utilizing a hybrid PTE and CCM assembly is due to enhanced ohmic performance caused by optimal contact with both the porous transport layer (PTL) and PEM interfaces. Using operando neutron radiography, we demonstrate that configurations utilizing a CCM resulted in more rapid water replenishment to reaction sites, indicating enhanced membrane hydration beneficial for performance. This enhanced membrane hydration coupled with improved contact area at the PEM-catalyst layer (CL) and PTL-CL interfaces was revealed through the reduced ohmic overpotentials of the hybrid PTE-CCM design, which achieved the lowest ohmic overpotential of 431 mV at 2000 mA cm−2. While the average in-plane water distributions are generally similar between cell configurations, we reveal that utilizing a PTE configuration promotes a more homogenous water distribution near the CL-membrane interface due to enhanced catalyst utilization.

Seip, Tess [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000232740594)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Durability of Pt-Alloy Catalyst for Heavy-Duty Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Applications under Realistic Conditions

As an emerging technology, polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) powered by clean hydrogen can be a great source of renewable power generation with flexible utilization because of high gravimetric energy density of hydrogen. To be used in real-life applications, PEFCs need to maintain their performance for long-term use under a wide range of conditions. Therefore, it's important to understand the degradation of the PEFC under protocols that are closely related to the catalyst lifetime. Alloying Pt with transitional metal improves catalyst activity. It is also crucial to understand Pt alloys degradation mechanisms to improve their durability. To study durability of Pt alloys, accelerated stress tests (ASTs) are performed on Pt-Co catalyst supported on two types of carbon. Two different AST protocols were being studied: Membrane Electrolyte Assembly (MEA) AST based on the protocol introduced by the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck consortium in 2023 and Catalyst AST, adopted from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE).

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

The Role of Interface Band Alignment in Epitaxial SrTiO 3 /GaAs Heterojunctions

Recent concerns surrounding climate change and the contribution of fossil fuels to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have sparked interest and advancements in renewable energy sources including wind, solar, and hydroelectricity. These energy sources, often referred to as “clean energy”, generate no operational onsite GHG emissions. They also offer the potential for clean hydrogen production through water electrolysis, presenting a viable solution to create an environmentally friendly alternative energy carrier with the potential to decarbonize industrial processes reliant on hydrogen. To conduct a full life cycle analysis, it is crucial to account for the embodied emissions associated with renewable and nuclear power generation plants as they can significantly impact the GHG emissions linked to hydrogen production and its derived products. In this work, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the embodied emissions associated with solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, hydro, and nuclear electricity. We investigated the implications of including plant-embodied emissions in the overall emission estimates of electrolysis hydrogen production and subsequently on the production of synthetic ammonia, methanol, and Fischer– Tropsch (FT) fuels. Results show that average embodied GHG emissions of solar PV, wind, hydro, and nuclear electricity generation in the United States (U.S.) were estimated to be 37, 9.8, 7.2, and 0.3 g CO 2 e/kWh, respectively. Life cycle GHG emissions of electrolytic hydrogen produced from solar PV, wind, and hydroelectricity were estimated as 2.1, 0.6, and 0.4 kg of CO 2 e/kg of H 2 , respectively, in contrast to the zero-emissions often used when the embodied emissions in their construction were excluded. Average life cycle emission estimates (CO 2 e/kg) of synthetic ammonia, methanol, and FT-fuel from solar PV electricity are increased by 5.5, 16, and 49 times, respectively, compared to the case when embodied emissions are excluded. This change also depends on the local irradiance for solar power, which can result in a further increase of GHG emissions by 35–41% in areas of low irradiance or reduce GHG emissions by 21–25% in areas with higher irradiance.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Direct Comparison of the Activity and Selectivity of Rh 1 Cu and Ni 1 Cu Single-Atom Alloy Sites for Ethanol Decomposition

Ethanol is an important source of clean hydrogen, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, acetate esters, and light hydrocarbons. Controlling the divergent reaction pathways to these products requires understanding how different active sites influence the elementary steps involved. Herein, we present a combined surface science, theory, and nanoparticle catalysis study demonstrating how two single-atom dopants (Rh and Ni) in a Cu host can distinctively alter the selectivity of alcohol conversion. Specifically, our model studies reveal that ethanol reacts on Ni 1 Cu single-atom alloys to selectively produce acetaldehyde, whereas methane and CO are also formed on Rh 1 Cu single-atom alloys. Interestingly, these different reactivities are in contrast to the behavior of the pure metals as Ni(111) and Rh(111) surfaces favor methane/CO and surface carbon/CO, respectively. DFT calculations of reaction pathways and simulated product desorption based on microkinetic analyses explain these reactivity differences, demonstrating that C–C cleavage leading to methane formation has a lower barrier on Rh single-atom sites. To test the catalytic relevance of these fundamental results we synthesized and characterized supported Ni 1 Cu and Rh 1 Cu single-atom alloy nanoparticles with dopant:Cu ratios of 1:200. Flow reactor results revealed that both Ni and Rh increased ethanol conversion over Cu and that Ni 1 Cu catalysts were >99.9% selective to acetaldehyde, while Rh 1 Cu also produced 0.6%–2.6% of equimolar methane and CO between 433 and 493 K, demonstrating that C–C bond cleavage is enabled by isolated Rh sites. Furthermore, these catalytic results bridge the pressure and materials gaps, and together, this study provides insights into how different isolated dopant sites promote different catalytic pathways.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Structure of Iridium Oxides and Their Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysis in Acidic Media

Proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs) have emerged as one of the most promising technologies for the large-scale production of clean hydrogen. Gigawatt scale deployment of PEMWEs requires substantial reduction in the loading of iridium (Ir), which is one of the most expensive and rarest elements. Substantial reduction in Ir loading calls for the development of innovative Ir-based anodes, which requires a clear understanding of how iridium oxides accelerate the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in acidic media. Herein, we studied the structure and OER electrocatalysis of three representative iridium oxides ─ hydrous, amorphous, and rutile ─ by employing a combination of physicochemical and electrochemical characterization. Additionally, we found that the hydrous iridium oxide had a different local structure of IrO 6 octahedra and a superior OER intrinsic activity compared with the other two, and that the OER activities of all three types decreased with decreasing pH of acidic solution. We proposed that the OER process of these iridium oxides is limited by water nucleophilic attack on the OER intermediate oxygenated adsorbates. Based on this mechanism, we attributed the superior OER activity of hydrous iridium oxides to their longer Ir–O bonds and the pH-dependent OER activity of iridium oxides to the pH-dependent oxidation of Ir.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Nickel Sulfide-Nanowire-Filled Carbon Nanotubes as an Efficient Overall Water Splitting Electrocatalyst

Pursuing stable, efficient, and cost-effective nanostructured bifunctional electrocatalysts is crucial for advancing the electrochemical water splitting process and enabling clean hydrogen energy production. In recent years, considerable efforts have focused on developing highly efficient and durable commercial electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and overall water splitting (OWS). This research introduces an OWS electrocatalyst-nickel sulfide-filled carbon nanotubes grown on a carbon cloth substrate (Ni 3 S 2 @CNTs/CC), synthesized via a one-step in-situ process. The synergistic integration of metal sulfide (Ni 3 S 2 ) and carbon nanotubes provides abundant active sites for catalytic reactions, ensuring a robust composite nanostructure with enhanced durability. Furthermore, the electrocatalytic performance for OER and OWS has been significantly improved by a simple acid treatment to the electrocatalysts, which introduces physical and chemical defects, particularly oxygen functional groups (the acid-treated sample is termed as Ni 3 S 2 @CNTs/CC-AT). As OER electrocatalysts, Ni 3 S 2 @CNTs/CC and Ni 3 S 2 @CNTs/CC-AT present overpotentials of 304 and 200 mV, respectively, for achieving a current density of 10 mA/cm 2 in the OER process. Furthermore, for complete water splitting in 1.0 M KOH electrolyte, Ni 3 S 2 @CNTs/CC and Ni 3 S 2 @CNTs/CC-AT exhibit potentials of 1.63 and 1.44 V, respectively, to achieve a current density of 10 mA/cm 2 when employed as both anode and cathode. Moreover, Ni 3 S 2 @CNTs/CC and Ni 3 S 2 @CNTs/CC-AT demonstrate durable nature for 22 and 20 h durability in the OER and OWS processes, respectively, offering a promising alternative to ruthenium- and iridium-based electrocatalysts for electrochemical hydrogen production through water splitting. In conclusion, the in-situ synthesis method and acid treatment strategy described in this research are promising approaches to fabricating high-performance encapsulated carbon-nanotube-based electrocatalysts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Ultra-stable and poison tolerant oxygen evolution activity enabled by surface In 2 O 3- x (OH) y of Co 3 In 2 S 2 large single crystals

Water is an earth-abundant source for clean hydrogen production via electrochemical water electrolysis (WE). However, the surface poisoning that occurs in aqueous electrolytes drastically deactivates the electrocatalytic performance of electrodes. Here, in this study, we report electrochemically formed In 2 O 3-x (OH) y on the surface of a large (1–1.5 mm long, 0.5–0.6 mm wide and 0.3–0.5 mm thick) single crystal of Weyl semimetal Co 3 In 2 S 2 (Co 3 In 2 S 2 /In 2 O 3-x (OH) y ) as an ultra-stable and poison tolerant electrode for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in 1 M KOH, addressing a bottleneck in WE. The OER activity of the powder form of Co 3 In 2 S 2 is limited by its aerophilic nature. Remarkably, the single-crystal electrodes maintained their high activity for a continuous operational period of 5 h in 1 M KOH electrolyte with/without 10 mM strong surface-poisoning ligands i.e., potassium cyanide, bipyridine, and ethylenediaminetetraacetate disodium salt. The electrodes exhibited stable OER activity for 1000 h at 100 mA cm -2 (1.73 V vs. RHE). The temperature-dependent OER polarization curves (10–70 °C) unambiguously revealed surface poisoning through the suppression of precatalytic Co-redox peaks on the bipyridine poisoned electrode, which led to the stabilization of surface Co-sites. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses of pristine, poisoned and post-electrocatalytic single-crystal Co 3 In 2 S 2 electrodes revealed the existence of an In 2 O 3-x (OH) y surface phase, which could be the potential heterostructure for the origin of ultra-stable and poison tolerant OER activity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Correlating surface adsorbate configuration and electrochemical performance of IrO 2 during seawater-relevant electrolysis

Seawater electrolysis alleviates freshwater demand to produce clean hydrogen while eliminating the need for water purification steps. The anodic process, seawater oxidation, typically requires high overpotentials and yields low selectivity to oxygen via the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), primarily due to the competing chlorine evolution reaction (CER) and hypochlorite evolution reaction (HCER) in pH-neutral conditions. Here, combining in situ surface-enhanced Raman characterization, grand canonical density functional theory-based calculations, and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, we report the evolution of surface adsorbate configurations driven by applied potential and pH during seawater-relevant OER over IrO 2 , a highly OER-active and chloride-corrosion-resistant catalyst. As a result, the chemical properties of active sites, and thereby the kinetics of OER and CER/HCER, are effectively tuned. However, it is revealed that there is no optimal combination of potential and pH to achieve both high activity and high selectivity for seawater-relevant OER. To address this limitation, we establish a correlation between activity/selectivity and surface adsorbate configurations, enabling the optimization of highly active and OER-selective IrO 2 -based catalysts in seawater-relevant oxidation by modulating the local adsorbate environment of active sites.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2024

Pioneering Microporous Layers for Proton-Exchange-Membrane Water Electrolyzers via Tape Casting

The imperative shift towards decarbonization necessitates the production of clean hydrogen through water electrolysis, powered by renewable energy sources. Among electrolyzer technologies, proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) systems emerge as a promising option for large-scale hydrogen generation due to their modular design and rapid response, aligning well with the intermittency of renewable energy. In this study, we employ a tape casting method to fabricate microporous layers (MPLs), both as a single layer and as a bilayer over commercial porous transport layers (PTLs), to further enhance performance of water electrolyzers. We demonstrate that microporous layers require adequate pore sizes to facilitate gas removal, preventing gas flooding and preserving electrolyzer performance. Our single layer microporous layers exhibit lower overpotentials compared to commercial sintered Ti PTLs by 142 mV at 4 A·cm ⁻2 . Moreover, we show that having an effective microporous layer enhances electrolyzer performance irrespective of the substrate used, offering avenues for cost reduction. We also investigate novel PTL structures with reduced tortuosity and integrated MPL fabricated via phase inversion tape casting, resulting in a performance enhancement of 92 mV. Our findings unravel the critical role of microporous layer structures and their impact on electrolyzer performance.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Mechanical Characterization of Electrolyzer Membranes and Components Under Compression

Proton-exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis is a promising technology for producing clean hydrogen by electrochemically splitting water when paired with renewable energy sources. A major roadblock to improving electrolyzer durability is the mechanical degradation of the cell components, which requires an understanding of their mechanical response under device-relevant conditions. However, there is a lack of studies on the mechanical characterization of the PEM and other components, as well as and their interactions. This study aims to address this gap by using a custom-designed testing apparatus to investigate the mechanics of electrolyzer components in uniaxial compression at 25 and 80 °C. Findings show stress-strain response of components have a varying degree of nonlinearity owing to their distinct deformation mechanisms and morphologies, from porous structures to polymers. These results are used to develop an expression for compressive stress-strain response of Nafion membranes and then analyze the deformation of components under applied pressure by using a 1-D spring network model of cell assembly. This work provides a new understanding of mechanical responses of the electrolyzer membrane and cell components, which can help assess material design and cell assembly strategies for improved electrolyzer durability.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2024

Technoeconomic Analysis of Kraft Pulp Mill Integration with an Advanced Nuclear Reactor

This study focuses on post-combustion capture and oxy-fuel combustion for the boilers at the mill, as well as steam integration with the nuclear power plant. The primary goal of the research outlined in this report is to design, analyze, and document the integration of industrial-scale HTGR with a reference Kraft Pulp Mill. The purpose is to deliver reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable clean energy alternatives while reducing CO2 emissions. Specifically, this study focuses on 6 different scenarios that include carbon capture equipment and some of them use nuclear power to meet the heat and electricity needs of the reference plant. Also, 2 of these scenarios are created while also producing clean hydrogen through integrated High-Temperature Steam Electrolysis (HTSE). This report offers a detailed techno-economic assessment of different scenarios for a Kraft Pulp Mill, including an analysis of tax credits (section 45V, 45Q, and 48E) provided by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. The evaluation explores the potential economic benefits and challenges of incorporating different configurations, including nuclear energy, into Kraft Pulp Mill operations, with particular attention to energy efficiency, economic implications, and environmental impact. By assessing both the technical feasibility and economic viability, this analysis aims to identify existing gaps and propose solutions for the successful implementation of nuclear integration. The findings are intended to provide valuable insights for stakeholders considering the adoption of advanced nuclear reactors in the pulp and paper industries.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2024

Summary Report of the Carbon-Negative Hydrogen Workshop

This report summarizes the outcomes of the Carbon-Negative Hydrogen Workshop held at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado on June 22-23, 2023. The workshop was co-sponsored by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the National Energy Technology Laboratory and focused on developing a shared understanding of the importance of and opportunities for generation and use of carbon-negative hydrogen in industrial decarbonization. For the purposes of this workshop, carbon-negative hydrogen was defined as hydrogen (H 2 ) produced in a manner that leads to net carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere thus giving rise to a life cycle cradle-to-grave carbon intensity that is below zero.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2026

Multi‐Scale Model‐Informed Deep Learning for Plasma‐Nanoparticle Interaction

The Overarching Goal of this proposed research is to understand and quantitively determine the interactions between non-thermal plasma (hot electrons, reactive radicals, vibrationally excited species) and surface reactions on influencing the activity and selectivity of the desired reactions via developing multi-scale model informed deep learning algorithm. Investigating non-thermal plasma-surface interaction is feasible due to the low bulk temperature in the discharge region. To investigate the role of plasma-nanoparticle interaction on enhancing the reaction kinetics, we will focus on ammonia cracking to generate clean hydrogen over earth-abundant, non-critical metallic nanoparticles, which is of great significance for decarbonization. We hypothesize that (1) reactive radicals interacting with surface reaction species via Eley–Rideal mechanism will significantly lower the energetics of the potential rate-limiting step of nitrogen formation; (2) the surface will be charged heterogeneously under non-thermal plasma conditions and the charged site will lower the energetics of ammonia cracking through Langmuir– Hinshelwood mechanism; (3) vibrationally excited ammonia will further promote the initial N-H bond cleavage. To access the hypothesis, we will (1) reveal the surface charge effects on tunning the reaction energetics via interpretable, physics-informed deep learning accelerated density functional theory (DFT) calculations; (2) determine the reactive radicals interacting with surface reaction species on tuning the reaction energetics via DFT; (3) reveal the surface charge effects on tunning the reaction energetics via DFT and deep learning models, (4) quantify how vibrationally excited species, reactive radicals, and surface charging effects on enhancing the catalysis via developing DFT-based microkinetic modeling (MKM) and active learning. Deep and active learning of plasma-nanoparticle interactions effects on enhancing ammonia cracking to generate hydrogen represents a new paradigm for designing high performance plasma materials. The fundamental science of how plasma-nanoparticle interactions will change the plasma kinetics and will improve the energy efficiency for decarbonization and sustainability. The interpretable and physics-informed machine learning model will accelerate low temperature plasma chemistry and material discovery with physics rules and model interpretation.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Reduced-Order Model of a Nuclear Power Plant with Thermal Power Dispatch

This paper presents reduced-order modeling of thermal power dispatch (TPD) from a pressurized water reactor (PWR) for providing heat to nearby heat consuming industrial processes that seek to take advantage of nuclear heat to reduce carbon emissions. The reactor model includes the neutronics of the reactor core, thermal–hydraulics of the primary coolant cycle, and a three-lump model of the steam generator (SG). The secondary coolant cycle is represented with quasi-steady state mass and energy balance equations. The secondary cycle consists of a steam extraction system, high-pressure and low-pressure turbines, moisture separator and reheater, high-pressure and low-pressure feedwater heaters, deaerator, feedwater and condensate pumps, and a condenser. The steam produced by the SG is distributed between the turbines and the extraction steam line (XSL) that delivers steam to nearby industrial processes, such as production of clean hydrogen. The reduced-order simulator is verified by comparing predictions with results from separate validated steady-state and transient full-scope PWR simulators for TPD levels between 0% and 70% of the rated reactor power. All simulators indicate that the flow rate of steam in the main steam line and turbine systems decrease with increasing TPD, which causes a reduction in PWR electric power generation. The results are analyzed to assess the impact of TPD on system efficiency and feedwater flow control. Due to the simplicity of the proposed reduced-order model, it can be scaled to represent a PWR of any size with a few parametric changes. In the future, the proposed reduced-order model will be integrated into a power system model in a digital real-time simulator (DRTS) and physical hardware-in-the-loop simulations.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Leveraging System Dynamics to Predict the Commercialization Success of Emerging Energy Technologies: Lessons from Wind Energy

The United States urgently needs to tackle the climate crisis while enhancing energy security and resiliency. The complexity of the U.S. energy system, with its interconnected elements, makes predicting future states challenging, especially with the introduction of novel energy systems like wind, solar, clean hydrogen, and advanced nuclear technologies. Modern systems engineering methods and tools can provide deeper insights into these dynamics and future behaviors. This research aims to develop a comprehensive model that captures the main elements and behaviors of new energy technologies within the existing energy system. We hypothesized that the market uptake of novel energy systems is influenced by multiple diverse factors, such as technological learning, availability of resources, and economic incentives; examined the history of electricity generation using land-based wind technologies; and developed a system dynamics model to investigate the relationships between capacity growth and influencing factors, both internal and external. The developed model yielded outcomes that confirmed the hypothesized dynamics of wind energy system diffusion through a quantitative comparison of installed capacity and highlighted the significant influence of resource availability, federal incentives (production tax credits), and technological learning on capacity growth and cost reduction. This research aims to support informed decision-making for investments in novel energy systems and aid in developing effective policies for technology deployment.

17 WIND ENERGY↗