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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 541 records · Page 30
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

A Neural Network-Based Power Mismatch Elimination Strategy for Integrated Solar and ESS AC/DC Systems (MARS)

The multiport autonomous reconfigurable solar power plant (MARS) is a promising concept for the integration of photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage system (ESS) to the transmission ac grid and a high-voltage direct current (HVdc) link. The presence of PV and ESS in each arm of the MARS results in uneven distribution of active power among different submodules (SMs), thereby leading to unbalanced SM capacitor voltages and potentially compromising the system stability. Moreover, in the case of partial shadings, shaded PV SMs will suffer from decreased power injections causing power mismatch in the MARS system. To address this issue, a neural-network-based power mismatch elimination (NNPME) strategy is proposed in this article. The proposed NNPME strategy optimizes ESS usage and leverages both dc and ac circulating currents to facilitate power transfer among the SMs, arms, and phases of the MARS system. Simulation and control hardware-in-the-loop (cHIL) experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed NNPME strategy. Compared with the traditional approaches, the proposed NNPME strategy can significantly enhance system efficiency and ensure stable and continuous operation, even in the presence of uneven power distribution within the MARS system.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

A techno-economic survey of energy storage media for long-duration energy storage applications

Energy storage technologies that can economically store and provide electricity over multi-day and seasonal timescales are likely to be a critical component of a sustainable and resilient energy system. In this analysis, we perform a broad survey of energy storage technologies to find storage media (SM) that are promising for these long-duration energy storage (LDES) applications. The energy capital cost of the SM is identified as a key figure of merit for LDES. We develop a data collection framework to collect material price and physical property data, which are used to calculate the energy capital cost floor for 376 SM. These costs are then compared with cost targets for the LDES applications. The results show a multitude of thermal and chemical SM are economically promising, including some synthetic fuels, sensible thermal, latent thermal, thermochemical, and batteries based on low-cost materials. In contrast, currently deployed energy storage systems such as lithium-ion batteries and pumped hydro storage do not appear to be promising systems for LDES applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Synergies Between Building-Sited Batteries and Thermal Energy Storage

As renewable penetration increases, there is a greater need for energy storage systems located at buildings. This storage can include batteries, which directly shift the metered load, or thermal energy storage, which shifts thermal-driven electric loads like air conditioning. This presentation covers modeling results of the potential demand reduction and annualized cost savings for different combinations of thermal and battery energy storage sizes. It also shows how battery storage can expand the usefulness of thermal energy storage for electric load shaving, and how thermal storage can lower the cost of the overall storage system and extend battery lifetime by reducing cycling.

batteries↗
DOE OSTI2023

Densified vertically lamellar electrode architectures for compact energy storage

As one of the most compact electrochemical energy storage systems, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are playing an indispensable role in the process of vehicle electrification to accelerate the shift to sustainable mobility. Making battery electrodes thicker is a promising strategy for improving the energy density of LIBs which is essential for applications with weight or volume constraints, such as electric-powered transportation; however, their power densities are often significantly restricted due to elongated and tortuous charge traveling distances. Here, we propose an effective methodology that couples bidirectional freeze-casting and compression-induced densification to create densified vertically lamellar electrode architectures for compact energy storage. The vertically lamellar architectures not only overcome the critical thickness limit for conventional electrodes but also facilitate and redistribute the lithium-ion flux enabling both high rate capability and stable cyclability. Furthermore, this proposed methodology is universal as demonstrated in various electrochemical active material systems. This study offers a facile approach that realizes simultaneous high energy and high power in high-loading battery electrodes and provides useful rationales in designing electrode architectures for scalable energy storage systems.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Reserve Model of Energy Storage in Day-ahead Joint Energy and Reserve Markets: A Stochastic UC Solution

With many favorable advantages including fast response ability in particular, utility-level energy storage systems (ESS) are being integrated into energy and reserve markets to help mitigate uncertain renewable resources and fluctuant demands. This paper discusses a stochastic unit commitment (UC) model to explore capabilities of ESSs in providing valuable grid services by simultaneously joining energy and reserve markets. The proposed reserve model of ESSs presents the following features: (i) two constraints are proposed to formulate ESS’s reserve provision ability in each hour via six operation modes, namely increasing/reducing the level of charge, switching to discharge, increasing/reducing the level of discharge, switching to charge; (ii) as an energy-limited asset, constraints on ESS’s reserve deliverability across multiple hours is introduced to hold enough state of charge (SOC) headroom and floor room, guaranteeing that reserves cleared in individual hours are continuously deliverable over multiple successive hours without violating operation limits. Furthermore, a scenario-based UC model, which addresses uncertainties of renewables and demands, is adopted to evaluate reserves provided by ESSs and generators. To effectively solve the stochastic UC problem, the progressive hedging algorithm with heuristic approaches is discussed. A 6-bus system and a modified IEEE 118-bus system are used to illustrate effectiveness of the proposed approaches.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Dispersion of stored energy within a battery system at risk of failure

A method and system for dispersing stored energy in an energy storage system to delay or arrest propagation of thermal runaway and thermally-induced cascading failures. The system includes a plurality of battery sub-assemblies and DC-DC converters connected to a shared DC bus through which energy may be exchanged. The system may be interfaced to an AC power grid or DC power system through an additional power converter. The method of dispersing stored energy uses this system to charge and discharge sub-assemblies such that the system is less susceptible to propagation of thermal runaway. The method determines, based on awareness of current system state, battery types, and electrical and thermal structure, the sequence of charging and discharging actions to best inhibit thermal runaway while preserving the system's ability to perform subsequent energy redistribution.

Mueller, Jacob↗
DOE OSTI2020

Reversible redox chemistry in azobenzene-based organic molecules for high-capacity and long-life nonaqueous redox flow batteries

Redox flow batteries (RFBs), often categorized as aqueous and nonaqueous systems, represent a type of large-scale energy storage technology for renewable energy resources. Redox-active organic molecules have recently drawn extensive interests in RFBs as promising active materials due to their elemental abundance, structural diversity and high tunability of properties, but employing organic molecules in nonaqueous systems is far limited in terms of useable capacity and cycling stability. Here we introduce a class of azobenzene-based organic compounds with the azo group as redox-active center in the p-conjugated structure as new active materials to realize high-performance nonaqueous RFBs with long cycling life and high capacity. By screening suitable organic solvents with high solubility and conductivity, the azobenzene organic molecule was capable to achieve a stable long cycling with a low capacity decay of 0.014% per cycle and 0.16% per day over 1000 cycles. And the stable cycling of electrolytes under a high concentration of 1 M was also realized, delivering a high reversible capacity of ~46 Ah L -1 . The unique lithium-coupled redox chemistry accompanied with a voltage increase was observed and revealed by experimental characterization and theoretical simulation. With the reversible two-electron redox activity of azo group in p-conjugated structures, azobenzene as an azo-aromatic molecule represents a class of promising redox-active organics for potential grid-scale energy storage systems.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Control System of Multi-Port Autonomous Reconfigurable Solar Power Plant (MARS) & HIL Platforms for Design

Multi-port autonomous reconfigurable solar power plant (MARS) provides an attractive alternative to connect photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage systems (ESSs) to high-voltage direct current (HVdc) links and high-voltage alternating current (ac) grids. In this paper, a unique hierarchical control system of MARS is proposed and evaluated. To evaluate the control system and associated algorithms in early-stage research of complex architectures like MARS, it is important to develop unique suitable hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) platforms. In this paper, the HIL platforms for MARS to evaluate the performance of the hierarchical control system and the control algorithms implemented are presented. Further, they help with the design process of control systems. The real-time simulation models and algorithms that are utilized for MARS in the HIL platforms are also discussed in the paper. The HIL experiments of the control system of MARS showcase the capability to provide continuity of operation under faults and frequency support to the power grid during loss of generation. They also showcase the stability of the proposed hierarchical control system of MARS.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Bio-Based Phase Change Materials (PCMs) for Thermal Energy Storage (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

The goal of this project is to develop a novel bio-based phase change material (PCM) derived from squid ring teeth (SRT) proteins, and design a prototype heat exchanger based on these bio-based PCMs for energy storage and dynamic heat exchange for building thermal energy storage systems. The PCMs, derived from SRT proteins, will demonstrate room temperature energy storage capacities and switchable thermal conductivities that redefine the current state-of-the-art (SOA) for building thermal energy storage. Further, in a single material and with a single manufacturing processes, our proposed thermal battery will be developed with “on demand” thermal conductivity for rapid charging/discharging but superior insulation during energy storage periods. More specifically, our bio-based PCMs have demonstrated: 1) the potential for increased energy storage capacity (i.e., greater than paraffines at room temperature); 2) tunability in thermal conductivity with the largest thermal conductivity switching ratios for an intrinsic material reported to date, and 3) a 100% recyclable and biodegradable PCM with low volatility and toxicity and scalability in its manufacture for both residential and commercial applications. The already established ability for roll-to-roll processing of these non-toxic, non-flammable SRT composites along with their carbon-neutral manufacturing processes that has been pioneered by our team make this solution a disruptive and impactful technology to redefine the current SOA of energy storage technologies. The outcomes of this effort have been: 1) the identification of new bio-based PCM that establishes a new SOA for thermal conductivity and energy storage density at room temperature and 2) the development of a new experimental technique to measure the energy storage density via latent heat measurements during melting of thin films. This new technique can be applied to thin films (as thin as < 1 micrometer), and represents a novel approach for thin film energy storage density measurements. Dynamic thermal energy storage is the missing technology that will enable a grid- interactive efficient building (GEB). For a “smart” building capable of connecting with the power grid, the media must be inexpensive and possess thermal switching capabilities to control the time-dependent heat flow into (and out of) the PCM on demand. Unique to the material system in this program, programmable SRT-based PCM show improvements as compared to traditionally used PCMs, and thus its technical performance will represent a leap forward for the future GEB concept.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

BESSIE: Battery & Energy Storage Supply Chain Analysis, Mitigation Deployment, and Tools

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) and their associated power electronic interfaces are key components to delivering clean and more resilient energy, providing much-needed fast-ramping, emergency discharge, generation, and operations support to the electric grid. These services have grown to be invaluable over the past ten years and will soon be an irreplaceable element of energy delivery. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) strives to address these challenges through a strategic approach to supply chain risk assessment and mitigation for BESS and related digital energy equipment through the BESSIE project under the Center for Securing Digital Energy Technology. Recognizing that decreasing dependence on a foreign supply chain will take significant time and investment, BESSIE’s focus is strategically addressing battery supply chain risks by pairing short-term steps to operate securely through today’s risks with long-term steps to shape the supply chain over the coming years.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Renewable Integration in Hybrid ac-dc Systems using Multi-port Autonomous Reconfigurable Solar power plant (MARS)

To increase inertia and improve primary frequency response of future grids, grid-forming inverters connecting PV to grid and energy storage systems (ESSs) are likely to play an important role. Moreover, high-voltage direct current (HVdc) links will also be an enabler to transfer remote PV generation and for improved grid stability. That is, with increased penetration of PV, discrete development of PV and ESS connecting to transmission ac grid and HVdc links is one of the solutions for stable operation of grid. Here, an integrated concept for integration of PV and ESS to transmission ac grid and HVdc links is proposed that is named as multi-port autonomous reconfigurable solar power plant (MARS). The proposed integrated development reduces the cost associated with respect to discrete development of PV-ESS systems connecting to transmission ac grid and HVdc links. The integrated development incorporates advanced control methods to provide inertial and primary frequency response, reactive power support, and transient stability to manage PV and ESS resources. In this paper, high-fidelity switched system model of the integrated system and grids are developed and detailed simulation results are provided to showcase the stable operation of the integrated system and provision of grid support functions.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Enabling Extreme Fast Charging with Energy Storage Final Report

The objective of this project was to develop and demonstrate an extreme fast charging (XFC) station with three 350 kW charging ports that operate at a combined power exceeding 1 MW and mitigate the grid impact by employing smart charging algorithms, using an energy storage system, and connecting directly to a medium-voltage (15 kV-class three-phase) distribution feeder. This final report describes the team's achievements in all aspects of the technology development.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2020

Frequency Analysis of Solar PV Power to Enable Optimal Building Load Control

In this paper, we present a flexibility estimation mechanism for buildings’ thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs) to enable the distribution level consumption of the majority of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation by local building TCLs. The local consumption of PV generation provides several advantages to the grid operation as well as the consumers, such as reducing the stress on the distribution network, minimizing voltage fluctuations and two-way power flows in the distribution network, and reducing the required battery storage capacity for PV integration. This would result in increasing the solar PV generation penetration levels. The aims of this study are twofold. First, spectral (frequency) analyses of solar PV power generation together with the power consumption of multiple building TCLs (such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, water heaters, and refrigerators) are performed. These analyses define the bandwidth over which these TCLs can operate and also describe the PV generation frequency bandwidth. Such spectral analyses, in frequency domain, can help identify the flexible components of PV generation that can be consumed by the various TCLs through optimal building load utilization. Second, a quadratic optimization problem based on model predictive control is formulated to allow consuming most of the low and medium frequency content of the PV power locally by building TCLs, while maintaining occupants’ comfort and TCLs’ physical constraints. The solution to the proposed optimization problem is achieved using optimal control strategies. Numerical results show that most of the low and medium frequency content of the PV generation can be consumed locally by building TCLs. The remaining high-frequency content of the PV generation can then be stored/offset using energy storage systems.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Implementation of a Model Predictive Control Strategy to Regulate Temperature Inside Plug-Flow Solar Reactor With Countercurrent Flow

Abstract Solar-driven thermochemical energy storage systems are proven to be promising energy carriers (solar fuels) to utilize solar energy by using reactive solid-state pellets. However, the production of solar fuel requires a quasi-steady-state process temperature, which represents the main challenge due to the transient nature of solar power. In this work, an adaptive model predictive controller (MPC) is presented to regulate the temperature inside a tubular solar reactor to produce solid-state solar fuel for long-term thermal storage systems. The solar reactor system consists of a vertical tube heated circumferentially over a segment of its length by concentrated solar power, and the reactive pellets (MgMn2O4) are fed from the top end and flow downwards through the heated tube. A countercurrent flowing gas supplied from the lower end interacts with flowing pellets to reduce it thermochemically at a temperature range of 1000—1500 °C. A low-order physical model was developed to simulate the dynamics of the solar reactor including the reaction kinetics, and the proposed model was validated numerically by using a 7-kW electric furnace. The numerical model then was utilized to design the MPC controller, where the control system consists of an MPC code linked to an adaptive system identification code that updates system parameters online to ensure system robustness against external disturbances (sudden change in the flow inside the reactor), model mismatches, and uncertainty. The MPC controller parameters are tuned to enhance the system performance with minimum steady-state error and overshoot. The controller is tested to track different temperature ranges between 500 °C and 1400 °C with different particles/gas mass flowrates and ramping temperature profiles. Results show that the MPC controller successfully regulated the reactor temperature within ± 1 °C of its setpoint and maintained robust performance with minimum input effort when subjected to sudden changes in the amount of flowing media and the presence of chemical reaction.

Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2020

Grid-scale Energy Storage Hazard Analysis & Design Objectives for System Safety

Battery based energy storage systems are becoming a critical part of a modernized, resilient power system. However, batteries have a unique combination of hazards that can make design and engineering of battery systems difficult. This report presents a systematic hazard analysis of a hypothetical, grid scale lithium-ion battery powerplant to produce sociotechnical "design objectives" for system safety. We applied system's theoretic process analysis (STPA) for the hazard analysis which is broken into four steps: purpose definition, modeling the safety control structure, identifying unsafe control actions, and identifying loss scenarios. The purpose of the analysis was defined as to prevent event outcomes that can result in loss of battery assets due to fires and explosions, loss of health or life due to battery fires and explosions, and loss of energy storage services due to non- operational battery assets. The STPA analysis resulted in identification of six loss scenarios, and their constituent unsafe control actions, which were used to define a series of design objectives that can be applied to reduce the likelihood and severity of thermal events in battery systems. These design objectives, in all or any subset, can be utilized by utilities and other industry stakeholders as "design requirements" in their storage request for proposals (RFPs) and for evaluation of proposals. Further, these design objectives can help to protect firefighters and bring a system back to full functionality after a thermal event. We also comment on the hazards of flow battery technologies.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Multi-objective sizing and dispatch for building thermal and battery storage towards economic and environmental synergy

The role of building thermal and battery storage is pivotal in advancing smart cities and achieving sustainability goals through effective energy management. Despite their significance, there are several limitations in the sizing approach and value stream analysis with various objectives for their widespread adoption in buildings. This work proposes a flexible and scalable multi-objective optimization framework for optimal sizing and dispatch of building thermal and battery storage, addressing conflicting objectives simultaneously using mixed-integer linear programming. The weighted-sum method is adapted, combining multiple objectives into a single function. The two-stage procedure iterates over different weights, generating optimal solutions and forming the Pareto front. Case studies are performed to assess the energy, economic, and environmental benefits of building energy storage systems for a large office building in three climate locations. The results demonstrate that the proposed framework efficiently determines optimal sizing and dispatch strategies, addressing the balance between economic viability and emission reduction. The dynamic relationship between time-of-use energy charges and emission factors leads to significantly different strategies based on whether economic or environmental concerns are prioritized. This research enhances our understanding of the benefits of TES and BES systems in buildings, providing valuable guidance to stakeholders.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Modeling Framework for Data Center

This chapter highlights the critical need for advanced modeling of data centers due to their rapidly increasing energy consumption and impact on grid reliability. Driven by the demand for AI applications, data centers are projected to consume a significant portion of US energy by 2028, putting stress on an already challenged power grid. The chapter emphasizes the importance of "fast" time-scale models to understand the dynamic interactions between data centers and the grid, especially given the rapid power fluctuations of AI workloads. It outlines a modeling framework that includes both offline and real-time EMT domain simulations, detailing the necessary representations for various components like utility interfaces, transformers, IT loads, UPS, cooling loads, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), generators, protection systems, and higher-level control systems. While standard simulation tools like PSCAD offer basic models, custom development is often required to accurately capture the unique and fast-changing behaviors of modern data centers. The chapter also discusses key metrics and test cases for validating these models, focusing on transient load responses, protection relay coordination, and demand flexibility. Finally, it addresses the challenges of modeling large-scale data centers, such as computational complexity and the trade-off between model fidelity and practicality, suggesting hybrid modeling approaches as a solution. The overarching goal is to create a robust framework that helps assess data center impacts on grid stability, identify vulnerabilities, and inform the development of standards for reliable integration of these large loads into the bulk power system.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

QuESt PCM

SAND2025-14369O QuESt PCM is a tool for modeling power system production cost. It is designed for high-fidelity representation of energy storage systems (ESS) and is part of QuESt 2.0: Open-source Platform for Energy Storage Analytics. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Nguyen, Tu Anh [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Liv↗