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At least 865 records · Page 48
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

DEVELOPMENT OF A 25 MWTH FLAMELESS PRESSURIZED OXY-COMBUSTION PILOT

The Flameless Pressurized Oxy-Combustion (FPO) cycle, a novel flexible fuel technology, is being developed into a large pilot. This effort seeks to complete the preliminary engineering and planning of a 25 MWth Pilot Plant that will demonstrate the technology for scale-up to a commercial unit. The technology, pioneered by ITEA at the 5 MWth scale, must be brought to a higher technology readiness level (TRL) to be viable at the commercial scale. The 25 MWth pilot cycle was optimized for cost and technology development and demonstration. Preliminary drawings, layouts, and plans were defined. Process flow diagrams were used to describe the pilot configuration in greater detail. A heat and mass balance with stream data was created. A master equipment list specified the operating conditions for major pieces of equipment within the pilot using this heat and mass balance. The 25 MWth FPO pilot is assessed for environmental performance. A test campaign is developed to assess the type of test and number of hours required for pilot demonstration. The environmental performance is compared against projected performance at the commercial scale. This project builds upon extensive evaluation of the techno-economic performance of the FPO technology already performed by ITEA. This includes system improvements, such as the addition of a turbo-expander to the flue gas stream. Some of the performance-enhancing components are not as well defined as others. The primary goal of this effort was to bring all of the core cycle components to the same level of design maturity. A techno-economic assessment (TEA) evaluated the FPO technology at the commercial scale in comparison to the NETL baseline cases. The reference plants were used in combination with proprietary equipment estimates to build a plant capital cost and cost of electricity evaluation. FPO performed better than the sub-bituminous post-combustion capture cases. Further preliminary estimates of improvements to the FPO cycle show even further gains when compared to conventional carbon capture methods.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Battery Storage for Resilience

As the capital costs of battery storage systems are decreasing, new opportunities to cost-effectively deploy the technology, often paired with renewable energy technologies, are emerging. At the same time, the duration and frequency of natural disasters is increasing. As a result, a growing number of institutions are deploying battery storage systems as a resilient energy solution because traditional back-up power solutions, like diesel generators, are not always sufficient, especially during longer-duration and larger-scale disasters. This fact sheet describes how battery storage, along with additional generation sources, can be used both to provide cost savings while grid-connected and to provide backup power when the grid goes down.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Long-Run Marginal CO 2 e Emission Rates for End-Use Electricity Consumption in the State of Washington [Slides]

This analysis contains an estimate of the long-run marginal emission rate for the electric sector in the state of Washington. The long-run marginal emission rate is an estimate of the rate of emissions that would be either induced or avoided by a long-term (i.e., more than several years) change in electrical demand. The metric explicitly takes into account both the underlying evolution of the electric grid, as well as the potential for an incremental change in electrical demand to influence the structural evolution of the grid (i.e., the building and retiring of capital assets, such as generators and transmission lines). It is therefore distinct from the more-commonly-known short-run marginal, which also identifies a marginal emission rate but treats the grid assets as fixed.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2021

HVAC Duct Pressure Optimization System

The US Department of Energy, the California Energy Commission, and other public and private entities including the venture capital community are seeking technical solutions that include “smart, grid-interactive, efficient buildings - to best serve the needs of building occupants and the grid while reducing energy consumption overall.” In this paper, a systems engineering approach is used to examine elements of a prior proof-of-concept project along with new ideas seeking to justify additional research funding to further advance the technology. With additional research and development funding, the technology described here has the potential to achieve success toward development of a commercially viable product. These types of projects provide financial and environmental benefit to American taxpayers and investors. Cost effectiveness and return on investment are key criteria for energy efficiency projects. By evaluating the end-to-end processes including manufacturing, installation, commissioning and comparing various options, we arrived at a proposed implementation concept of a HVAC Duct Pressure Optimization System that saves energy in commercial buildings and improves the return on investment by a factor of 6X compared to previous research projects.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2021

U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center Building Energy Efficiency (CERC-BEE) Open-Source Retrofit Targeting Tool (CRADA FP00007338 Final Report)

To increase the cost-saving energy and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions reductions in buildings and portfolios at the scale and speed necessary to limit climate change, researchers at LBNL and Johnson Controls (JCI) developed the Building Efficiency Targeting Tool for Energy Retrofits (BETTER). BETTER is a software tool that consists of three components: (1) the BETTER analytical engine source code (which was developed with intellectual property provided by JCI under CRADA FP00007338); (2) the BETTER web application, developed by LBNL and McQuillen Interactive Pty. Ltd; and (3) the BETTER application programming interface (API), also developed by LBNL and McQuillen Interactive Pty. Ltd. BETTER enables building and portfolio owners, managers, and service providers worldwide to quickly, easily identify cost-saving energy efficiency retrofits in existing buildings and portfolios without expensive site visits or complex modeling. With minimal data input, the tool benchmarks a building’s electric and fossil energy usage against peers; quantifies energy, cost and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction potentials at the building and portfolio levels; and recommends energy efficiency measures to decarbonize and electrify buildings and portfolios, targeting specific energy savings levels. No other tool so comprehensively analyzes buildings and portfolios with such ease. If fully implemented, it is estimated that BETTER could help reduce emissions equivalent to planting 1.3 billion trees globally by 2030. Moreover, an additional 50-75% of embodied GHG emissions could be avoided in each case where BETTER results in a building being retrofitted instead of demolished and replaced, providing substantial additional decarbonization benefits for the buildings sector. BETTER has garnered multiple awards and avid interest from investors. In 2020, it earned a R&D 100 Award for innovation and a LBNL Director’s Award for Technology Transfer. In 2021, BETTER was named an EarthX E-Capital Summit Climate Tech Prize semi-finalist

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Novel Platform for Algal Biomass Production Using Cellulosic Mixotrophy (CeMix) (Final Technical Report)

This novel project, branded CeMIX for cellulosic mixotrophy, targets solutions for several technological barriers limiting the deployment of algae cultivation in sunny, arid regions (specifically the southwest United States). Opening up the region for algae cultivation could increase DOE’s resource assessments and biofuel potential for the U.S. Mixotrophic metabolism in support of liquid fuel production is completely dependent on the availability of waste organic carbon in order to avoid diversion of food resources for fuel production. The use of cellulosic sugar hydrolysate (CSH) produced via the NREL process provided a standardized carbon source for study of the underlying biochemistry and metabolic adjustments to mixotrophy. Mixotrophic metabolism uses both photosynthetic CO 2 fixation and sugar oxidation to improve biomass productivity and harvest yield. The project was high-risk, high-reward in the sense that adding organic carbon to algal cultivation is an invitation for rapid-growth, heterotrophic contaminants to overtake the culture and consume mineral nutrients needed for algal growth. To help evade this outcome the project focused on acidophilic red algae that require low pH conditions with 40-48°C optimal temperature profiles that define them as low-range thermophiles. This is the only project in the BETO portfolio to utilize extreme conditions of low pH and high operating temperatures to control pathogens and competitors in mass culture. The project yielded five major outcomes. 1) Harvest densities of 5-10 g ash-free dry weight are easily achieved, providing a 10-fold reduction in water required and dewatering demand. 2) Catabolic repression of photosynthesis in G. sulphuraria is conditionally repressed by low oxygen. 3) Mixotrophic growth on cellulosic hydrolysate consumes all C6 and C5 sugars concomitant with increases in floridean starch with little change in lipid content. Protein content can be manipulated between 35 and 54 wt% by varying the C:N molar ratio from 10:1 to 20:1, respectively. 4) Mixotrophic cultures with up to 50 mM total sugar are remarkably stable at pH 2.5 and daily average reactor temperatures of 40°C. 5) Capital costs for glass tubular photobioreactors are prohibitive for liquid fuel production using a hydrothermal liquefaction processing pathway. The economic outlook for covered raceway ponds is better with a project minimum fuel selling price at $3.32 dm 3 GE -1 .

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Corrosion Protection and Dissimilar Material Joining for Next Generation Lightweight Vehicles

The Arconic Technology Center working with Honda R&D Americas, LLC and the Ohio State University evaluated the corrosion performance of several multi-material conditions and demonstrated the production worthiness of the Resistance Spot Riveting (RSR™) process. RSR is a new technology being developed by Howmet Fastening Systems (formerly Arconic, Inc.) that employs a fastener that is installed using conventional resistance spot welding equipment to produce multi-material joints. The goal of the 3-year project was to demonstrate the use of RSR to join aluminum to steel and aluminum to carbon fiber composites on a prototype scale. Deployment of this technology would help the automotive industry achieve an additional 10 to 20% weight reduction over high strength steels. These weight-savings to the body in white generally translates to 2.5-5.0% of overall vehicle curb weight. The resulting total weight-savings could provide a 1.5% to 3.0% total improvement in fuel efficiency for vehicles that incorporate RSR for multi-material joining. The RSR technology addresses several production barriers to achieving DOE’s fuel efficiency targets including eliminating the need of additional capital for new joining technologies and the flexibility to process conventional steel and multi-material structures with the same equipment. Additionally, the trend towards ultra-high strength steels limits the availability of conventional joining technologies that can effectively process these multi-material combinations. In order to accomplish these goals, the following program milestones were completed by the team: 1) Developed RSR process parameters, producing multi-material joints for mechanical testing and corrosion assessments. 2) Conducted corrosion evaluation of RSR and baseline joints assembled between automotive type aluminum alloys, steels, and carbon fiber using several corrosion mitigation strategies. 3) Developed a production ready feed system and integrate into a robotic resistance spot welding station to simulate automotive production conditions. 4) Produced demonstration assemblies for testing and evaluation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Electrical Systems of Pumped Storage Hydropower Plants: Electrical Generation, Machines, Power Electronics, and Power Systems

Adjustable-speed (AS) pumped storage hydropower (PSH) technology has the potential to become a large, consistent contributor to grid stability enabling higher penetrations of wind and solar energy on the future U.S. power system. AS-PSH has high-value characteristics, such as fast response to provide ancillary services to the grid, because it is a power converter interface with the grid (like battery storage), but at the same time it has the energy content large enough to supply both short-term (seconds-to-minutes) and long-term (minutes-to-hours) of energy needs, like more conventional power plants. However, designs must be optimized to lower the capital expenditure (CapEx) and to provide a high-quality grid interface capability (e.g. power quality, ancillary service provider, fault-tolerant or fault ride-through capability), which is a primary factor in the acceptance of AS-PSH into a utility’s generation mix. This CapEx will be greatly affected by the cost savings associated with the civil structure, turbine design, power electronics, control systems, or unique generator designs. A holistic design must be considered to get a full picture of the benefits of the technology proposed. The AS-PSH can be controlled to reduce the impact of transient disturbance on a power system and at the same time can be controlled to minimized subsequent component fatigue and potential oscillation modes within the plant, with the overall impact in reducing the operational expenditures (OpEx).Generating clean power to meet standards such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 519 and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 1000-3-2 will be a continuing challenge. For many technology developers, however, improved AS-PSH technologies will become a key component of generator-storage systems of the future given the prospects of increased performance and decreasing costs, and the ever-increasing penetration of renewables (e.g wind power and solar power).

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Co-Development of Oscillating Water Column (OWC) and Offshore Power Station

The project proposed an Oscillating Water Column (OWC) at a low power rating (1-5kW); to build a prototype and perform field testing within 1–3 years and achieving a commercial version of the OWC 3–5 years. We selected the OWC off-the-shelf components to secure the supply-chain sources and to warrant stable and minimum pricing. We want to curtail the capital cost by reducing the weight and volume of the overall system structure at the design level by designing a high-speed turbine generator and optimizing the airspeed amplification. We want to minimize the operational and maintenance (O&M) costs through simplified architecture, minimal parts, modular/plug-and-play, and easy access designs.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2021

COVID-19 Testing R&D (Final Report)

Eleven Labs within the US Department of Energy (DOE), National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory (NVBL), came together as a team to address significant R&D gaps in COVID-19 testing. Beginning in March 2020, the NVBL COVID Testing Team developed an R&D agenda, worked with DOE and other agencies to set priorities, and collaborated to deliver timely results. Priority was given to quick implementation as well as development of novel capabilities for immediate and evolving pandemic needs without placing additional burden on operational performers. Priority elements capitalized on DOE National Laboratory strengths and expertise. The Team delivered: testing and evaluation that enabled decisions on testing options, forwardleaning approaches to prepare for future scale-up needs, and models and experiments that supported prioritization of diagnostic and therapeutic candidates.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

A combined biological and chemical flue gas utilization system towards carbon dioxide capture from coal-fired power plants (Final Report)

Photosynthetic algal cultivation has been intensively studied for CO 2 capture and utilization for several decades. The footprint for using algae to capture CO 2 emitted from carbon-intensive industrial processes (power plants, cement plants, and fermentation processes) is extremely large, which creates serious technical and economic hurdles that must be cleared if algal technologies are to be commercially implemented. Fortunately, algal biomass is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids, providing a good chemical source for organic absorbents and other value-added chemical feedstocks. In particular, amino acids from algal protein can be used to generate amino acid salt solutions that have been proven to be effective for capturing CO 2 . In order to take advantage of both algal cultivation and biomass utilization, the goal of the proposed project is to develop a combined biological and chemical system for coal-fired power plants for sequestering CO 2 in biological absorbents and generating value-added products. This approach significantly reduces the land and energy footprint of CO 2 capture, and minimizes capital and operational expenses. Three specific objectives are targeted: 1) optimizing the growth of the selected algal strain to maximize biomass accumulation from the coal-fired flue gas; 2) developing a cascade biomass utilization to produce amino acid absorbents, polyurethanes, biodiesel, and methane; and 3) conducting techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) of the proposed process. Three key technical outcomes were achieved: (1) With the selected robust algal strain and unique photobioreactor design, long-term culture stability can be extended, and algal biomass productivity reached 0.5 g dry biomass/L/day year-round at a biomass concentration of 1.2 g/L in the pilot photobioreactor; (2) The biomass utilization process led to complete utilization of the algal biomass to produce amino acid salt absorbent, polyurethanes, and methane; and (3) The combined biological and chemical flue gas utilization process concluded a technically and economically feasible commercial-scale system that completely captures CO 2 in coal-fired flue gas with greatly reduced energy consumption.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2021

Microwave Plasma Flash Pyrolysis for Coal-to-Product Applications

Since 2010, the US coal industry has experienced a precipitous decline, with coal production volumes dropping by as much as 35% according to EIA. This decline is hardly surprising given that 90% of domestic coal use is allocated to electricity production: While coal generation supplied about 45% of the nation's power in 2010, its share is projected to fall to only 22% in 2020. Fortunately, alternative uses for coal as a feedstock rather than as energy source are available. Coal tar is an established feedstock for chemicals and high-value carbon products including carbon fiber and battery-grade graphites. At present, growth of these uses is constrained by the low availability, purity, and yields of currently available coal liquids, and high energy- and CO2-intensity of current methods of production (i.e. coking). Previously reported work conducted in a partnership with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory demonstrated technical and economic viability of flash pyrolysis of coal in a microwave plasma environment at bench scales targeting production of fuel feedstocks (synthetic oil). H Quest’s work since then indicated promise of microwave-derived coal liquids to be uniquely suited for the lower-cost production of carbon materials, including synthetic graphite, carbon fiber, and composites. Low bulk process temperatures, subsecond residence times, and ambient pressure operation enable small-scale deployment, reduce capital and operating costs, and suppress formation of impurities, including QI material, typical in conventional coal tars. With no inherent production of CO2 or water consumption, microwave plasma flash pyrolysis presents a viable route to the sustainable production of both platform chemicals and carbon-based materials. Most recently, H Quest developed a novel, ruggedized microwave plasma reactor, which departs from the proof-of-concept approach and addresses the problems typically encountered in scaling laboratory microwave plasma apparata (e.g. eliminating fragile quartz enclosures prone to coking and fouling). This reactor has been integrated with a 15kW microwave power supply, a pulverized coal injection system, and a product recovery system. A series of screening tests across a range of coals (including hv-, lv-bituminous and subbituminous PRB), entrainment gas flows and compositions and microwave energy inputs are performed to evaluate conversion rates within the novel, scaled-up system, confirm yields of liquid products, and to perform compositional (GC/MS and elemental) analyses of the products. Results of these tests will be presented and discussed.

Skoptsov, George↗
DOE OSTI2021

Resilience Framework for Electric Energy Delivery Systems (R.1)

The intent of this document is to provide a Resilience Framework for electrical energy delivery systems which can be applied to Distributed Wind. However, the framework is not limited by application to any resource or system. This framework represents the defined steps to a cyclical process similar in mechanism to both cybersecurity and risk frameworks, while providing a common set of language and process for all stakeholders involved. The need for this Resilience Framework was established in a previous document, “Distributed Wind Resilience Metrics for Electric Energy Delivery Systems.” One important characteristic we see in resilience is the unique needs and perspectives of different systems, geographies, resources, stakeholders, perceived risks, and consequences, which we term the distinctiveness property. This distinctiveness property drives the requirement to have a resilience framework or methodology that can be implemented by different types of organizations and systems. The process or methodology should be cyclic. Recognizing that a system’s resilience is based on finite resources and time, it must continually evolve through this framework’s risk management and capital investment steps at an appropriate pace for its distinctiveness property.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Solar Field Layout and Aimpoint Strategy Optimization

The existing methods that determine heliostat aiming strategies for concentrating solar power (CSP) central receiver plants typically use heuristics and/or are computationally expensive, and they lack flexibility for different desired flux profiles and receiver geometries. Because of the interaction between layout and aimpoint strategy, considering the former without accounting for the latter may yield solutions with superfluous heliostats that cannot be used efficiently without compromising receiver flux constraints. To that end, we develop a software decision tool that uses innovative optimization methods to both optimize aimpoint strategies and improve candidate layouts for the solar collection field of a CSP central receiver plant. A CSP plant’s effectiveness relies on the optical efficiency of the solar field, which may be limited by losses due to (i) the cosine effect, (ii) atmospheric attenuation, (iii) interference (i.e., shading and blocking) between heliostats, (iv) spillage as a result of heliostat positioning and geometry, and (iv) some heliostats’ inability to direct irradiance to the receiver without damage due to excessive thermal flux. The goal of this work is to obtain optimized aiming strategies and improved solar field layouts that reduce capital cost and increase field optical efficiency and utilization, while meeting the power requirements of a given CSP receiver design. We formulate the aimpoint optimization problem as a mixed-integer linear programming model, which we then decompose into submodels that we solve in parallel. The decomposition subdivides the solar field into sections, and aimpoint strategies for each section are obtained independently of the others. To improve existing layouts, we develop a utilization-weighted efficiency metric that we use to relocate heliostats to sections of the solar field with similar efficiency and higher utilization. Finally, to connect our software to high-fidelity flux models, we develop a Python application programming interface for SolarPILOT, a mature software package that characterizes solar field performance and generates the heliostat layouts and flux maps that serve as input to our models.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Final Report on Aerosol Pretreatment Technology Performance and Benchmarking

Solvent-based post-combustion CO 2 capture (PCC) technology remains one of the leading methods to combat global CO 2 emissions produced from large-scale coal-fired power production. Advanced solventbased PCC technology has made significant improvements in design and performance that reduce capital and operating costs to enable its commercial use. Key to low cost, manageable logistics, and environmentally safe operation of solvent-based PCC technology are minimal solvent losses from the process through the treated gas stream exiting PCC plant absorbers. High flue gas aerosol particle concentrations (>10 5 particles/cm 3 ) for particles in the range of 70-200 nm have been shown to cause significant amine solvent losses for solvent-based PCC processes through several mechanisms including absorption of solvent and water into growing aerosol particles. Flue gas aerosol pretreatment technology is the only realistic and economically attractive method to reduce very high aerosol particle concentrations (>10 7 particles/cm 3 ) to enable solvent-based PCC for existing power plants lacking sufficient particle removal systems, such as baghouses. The overall goal of this project was to design, construct, independently test, and evaluate three flue gas aerosol pretreatment technologies identified to significantly reduce high aerosol particle concentrations (>10 7 particles/cm 3 ) in the 70-200 nm particle size range: (1) a novel, high-velocity water injection spray concept developed by RWE and tested by Linde, (2) an innovative electrostatic precipitator (ESP) device with optimized operating conditions developed by Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL), and (3) a non-regenerative sorbent-based filter technology developed by InnoSepra for SO x and NO x removal from coal-fired power plant flue gas. Each technology has been validated with tests on 500-1000 scfm of actual coal-fired flue gas and evaluated in terms of particle removal efficiency (%), cost competitiveness, and environmental impact. Aerosol measurements were performed upstream and downstream of each aerosol reduction unit during independent testing of each technology using advanced instrumentation and analytical methods provided by WUSTL. To perform aerosol measurements, isokinetic probes were inserted into flanged pipes attached to the flue gas piping, and a small suction pump was used to sample gas containing aerosol particles. Aerosol particle number concentrations (# particles/cm 3 ) and size distributions were then measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS, TSI Inc.) for very fine particles (<1,000 nm) and a particle counter manufactured by GRIMM for particles larger than 1,000 nm. This report summarizes the aerosol removal performance results from pilot scale testing of each technology. Performance results have been benchmarked against pre-defined targets and other flue gas aerosol pretreatment technologies with documented performance. Linde Gas North America LLC has been the prime contractor to DOE responsible for overall project management and provided the design for the high-velocity water spray-based aerosol removal technology based on a design concept developed by the German utility company RWE.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Summary Report of the Reactive CO 2 Capture: Process Integration for the New Carbon Economy Workshop

Decarbonization of our global economy is required to limit planetary warming to +1.5⁰C above pre-industrial levels, an ambitious goal set into motion by the Paris agreement. Given the scale and urgency, the solution demands international, cross-sector advancements spanning policy, social responsibility, and technology, with emphasis on step changes over incremental changes. To that end, technological revolutions that disrupt the status quo need to be envisioned and enacted. One potential technological revolution is the production of fuels, chemicals, and materials from carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) as the starting feedstock, leveraging renewable energy as the driving force. Over the past decades, significant research, development, and deployment has occurred on technologies for capturing CO 2 from point sources or the air and utilizing this CO 2 as a working fluid or as a chemical reactant; however, most of this work has been siloed in these two categories. Recently, an emerging field has started to explore the direct integration of CO 2 capture and conversion technologies as a means to reduce overall energy demand (i.e., avoid energy penalty of CO 2 desorption/regeneration of capture media) and capital expense through process intensification. This strategy represents an opportunity to leapfrog forward this technological revolution. However, the field is in its infancy and the technologies are at an early stage of development, thus it is critically important to define and assess the value proposition of this strategy relative to alternatives (e.g., separated capture and conversion technologies, fuels and chemicals derived from renewable feedstocks like biomass, and industrial electrification) to chart a path forward. To identify next steps, we organized a workshop titled “Reactive CO 2 Capture: Process Integration for the New Carbon Economy” which was held in Golden, Colorado, February 18–19, 2020. The focus of this workshop was to discuss approaches for merging CO 2 capture and CO 2 conversion/utilization systems into what we denoted as an integrated "reactive capture" strategy. By our definition, reactive capture of CO 2 is the coupled process of capturing CO 2 from a mixed gas stream and converting it into a valuable product without going through a purified CO 2 intermediate (see full definition in the Introduction section). This report seeks to summarize feedback from the approximately 125 participants and subject matter experts in attendance from academia, industry, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and DOE national laboratories. The workshop agenda is included in Appendix A and the full list of attendees can be found in Appendix B. To elucidate a path forward, we first asked the attendees to define what success would look like for reactive capture in the short term (0–5 years), midterm (5–10 years), and long term (10+ years) and then asked them to answer four questions related to how we could achieve that success: (1) What are the key barriers and challenges to success? (2) What are needed activities to overcome barriers and challenges? (3) What opportunities will arise from these activities? (4) What is a target outcome and what metrics need to be met?

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2021

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Primary Power Large-Scale Pilot Plant

The United States electrical power generation fleet encompasses a wide range of technologies, ranging from traditional combustion-based power generation, to nuclear power, to renewable energy. While the distribution of these assets continues to shift due to economic and regulatory influences, coal combustion continues to be a key part of the US energy portfolio. Despite the relative maturity of coal combustion technology, improvements in overall fuel-to-power efficiency and generation flexibility are still possible and will improve both the economic and environmental factors of coal combustion. Echogen Power Systems proposes to lead a world-class team including the University of Missouri, Electric Power Research Institute and Louis Perry Associates in the design, construction and operation of a 10MWe coal-fired supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO 2 ) large-scale pilot. This transformational technology uses sCO 2 as a working fluid instead of water to achieve high thermodynamic efficiencies that can significantly exceed advanced steam-Rankine cycles. Further, the compact nature of sCO 2 turbomachinery offers capital cost and footprint advantages, and the low maintenance of a water-free power cycle can significantly reduce operation and maintenance (O&M) costs over conventional steam-Rankine systems. Recent integration studies of sCO 2 with coal combustion power plants highlight the significant improvements in plant efficiency that sCO 2 can offer relative to even advanced steam Rankine cycles. At commercial scales, coal-sCO 2 plant net efficiency is predicted to be 39-44.0% (HHV), or 10-20% higher output than conventional steam-Rankine systems, which will significantly improve the competitiveness of coal-fired generation. This proposal builds upon projects previously funded by the Department of Energy, including DE-FE0025959 (High-Efficiency Thermal Integration of Closed Supercritical CO 2 Brayton Power Cycles with Oxy-Fired Heaters) and DE-NE0008470 (Conceptual Design for sCO 2 Power Cycle Test Facility). An appropriately-scaled and properly designed and operated pilot project is essential to overcome the natural risk-aversion of the power generation industry and project financing community. The 10 MWe coal-fired sCO 2 pilot power plant proposed herein will reduce the technical and economic risk of this transformational technology, enabling commercial deployment at the conclusion of the project. For the second phase of this project, Echogen lead a team that completed and refined the pilot system conceptual system and key component designs resulting in the completion of a front-end-engineering-design (FEED) study, completed the NEPA review process, completed the permitting process for construction and operation, refined the techno-economic analysis of the proposed system at commercial scale and received commitments for Phase III cost share. The end result of the program will be to demonstrate the technical and economic superiority of the sCO 2 power cycle for coal-fired operation. Major risk elements will have been retired with sufficient operation at high power to enable the power generation industry to move forward with the first commercial deployment of this transformational system.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2021

Energy Storage Financing: Project and Portfolio Valuation

This study investigates the issues and challenges surrounding energy storage project and portfolio valuation and provide insights in to improving visibility into the process for developers, capital providers, and customers so they can make more informed choices. Energy storage project valuation methodology is typical of power sector projects through evaluating various revenue and cost assumptions in a project economic model. The difference is that energy storage projects have many more design and operational variables to incorporate, and the governing market rules that control these variables are still evolving. This makes project valuation for energy storage more difficult. As the number of operating projects grow, portfolios of these projects are being developed, garnering the interest of larger investors. Valuation challenges of these portfolios can be even more challenging as market role and geographical diversity can actually exacerbate the variability, not mitigate it. By proposing additional visibility of key factors and drivers for industry participants, the US DOE can reduce investment risk, expanding both the number and types of investors, plus helping emerging energy storage technology into sustained commercialization.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗