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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 883 records · Page 49

Comparison and Analysis of Instruments Measuring Plane-of-Array Irradiance for One-Axis Tracking Systems: Preprint

A variety of sensors are studied on a one-axis tracking surface and a horizontal surface in Golden, Colorado, and Eugene, Oregon. This is the first year of a long-term study that will look at not only a comparison between the instruments but also the longer-term degradation in calibration and/or performance. Initially, results from each location will be analyzed, and then results will be compared and contrasted between the two locations. A quick comparison at Eugene indicates that reference solar cells seem to compare better against a secondary standard pyranometer on a one-axis tracker than photodiode-based pyranometers. More study is needed to characterize and confirm this finding.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Assessment of the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB 1998-2016): Preprint

Applying traceable and standardized uncertainty characterization for solar resource data provides confidence in the data set for use by financiers, developers, and site operators of solar energy conversion systems, and ultimately this reduces deployment cost. Performance guarantees of solar energy conversion systems are based on the available solar resource from measurement stations or modeled data sets, such as the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB). In this study, we implemented a comprehensive uncertainty determination approach (1). The study also analyzed how the NSRDB (1998-2016): Version 3 compares with the previous NSRDB (1998-2015): Version 2. The study also attempted to estimate the uncertainty differences derived by comparing the NSRDB data to the seven measurement stations from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Surface Radiation Budget Network (SURFRAD) and University of Oregon Solar Radiation Monitoring Laboratory (SRML). The evaluation was conducted for hourly values, daily totals, monthly mean daily totals, and annual mean monthly mean daily totals, and it demonstrates the quality of the new data sets currently available from the NSRDB.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

An Economic Assessment of Portland General Electric's Salem Smart Power Center Energy Storage System

This paper presents an assessment of the economic potential of a 5 MW/1.25 MWh Energy Storage System (ESS) installed at the Salem Smart Power Center (SSPC), a smart grid technology demonstration facility owned and operated by Portland General Electric (PGE) in Salem, Oregon. The ESS and the grid conditions in which it operates were modeled using Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Battery Storage Evaluation Tool to explore tradeoffs between services, and to develop optimal control strategies. The analysis resulted in a number of lessons that provide crucial insights into the practical application of ESS.

Energy Storage, Energy Storage Valuation, Valuatio↗

Application of Strain Gages in a Highly Advective Environment for Measurement of Fluid-Structure Interactions

A multi-year experimental program has been conducted to develop a program for applying strain gages to prototypic, plate-type fuel for high performance research reactors for use during flow testing. Plate strain measurements were intended to support the qualification of new fuel materials for use in high performance research reactors under the Materials Management and Minimization (MMM) Fuels Qualification Program (FQP). A survey of currently available strain gaging materials and processes was undertaken with a focus on applications towards thin, wide aspect ratio flow channels and fuel plates exposed to high velocity flows. Special consideration was taken to minimize the effect of the strain gage installations on the flow field. This test program has resulted in the selection of appropriate strain gage construction, adhesives, protective coatings, and assembly techniques to allow the real-time acquisition of plate strain during flow testing of the Generic Test Plate Assembly (GTPA) within the Oregon State University (OSU) Hydro-Mechanical Fuel Test Facility (HMFTF). All processes have been documented in procedures developed and utilized within the ASME NQA-1 compliant quality assurance program under which the HMFTF operates. Matrix testing has been completed using the results of this work with successful measurement of plate deformation due to hydraulic loading during flow testing.

Weiss, Aaron↗

Single-Axis Tracked Bifacial System Results

Results of a study on single-axis tracked bifacial PV in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Includes the adaptive tracking angle, edge brightening, and torque tube shading.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Development of WEC Design Loads: A Comparison of Numerical and Experimental Approaches: Preprint

The development of accurate design loads is a critical part of the design of a wave energy converter (WEC). In this paper, we evaluate the impact of different approaches to determining extreme wave loading on the Triton WEC using a combination of mid-fidelity and high-fidelity numerical modeling tools, complemented by scaled physical model tests. The mid-fidelity approach used is a time-domain model based on linearized potential flow hydrodynamics while the high-fidelity modeling tool is an unsteady RANS CFD model. A 1:30 scale physical model of the Triton WEC was tested at the Oregon State University Large Wave Flume. A comparison will be presented between the design loads predicted by the mid-fidelity model, the CFD model, and the physical model tests, and suggestions for best practices will be offered.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Super Hot EGS and the Newberry Deep Drilling Project

A productive geothermal well drilled into super-hot rock (SHR) with a temperature above 400°C will produce super-critical fluid. At a flow rate of 60 kg/s, a SHR well could produce 50 MWe compared to 5-7 MWe for the same flow at 200°C. Even though these deeper, super-hot wells will cost more, the high energy density means power produced by engineered geothermal systems (EGS) can meet the market ($46 MW-hr) by directly tapping the heat source. We propose a proof of concept where hot rock is close to the surface (~5 km), and the cost of drilling and EGS stimulation will be lowest. A suitable, ready-to-go SHR site is on Newberry Volcano, Oregon, one of the largest geothermal heat reservoirs in the USA, extensively studied for the last 40 years. Millions of dollars have already been invested in the site by private geothermal developers and the US Department of Energy (DOE), resulting in a ready-to-use facility with the necessary infrastructure, environmental permits, land commitments, and monitoring plans. The Newberry Deep Drilling Project (NDDP) will be located at an idle geothermal exploration well, NWG 46-16, drilled in 2008, 3500 m deep and 320°C at bottom, which will be deepened another 1000 to 1300 m to reach 500 °C. The original well was drilled with few lost circulation zones and the temperature profile indicates conductive heat flow. Compared to other SHR projects world-wide, this well would return more materials (cuttings, core and fluids) with more predictable drilling conditions, thus providing a suite of data near and across the brittle-ductile transition in silicarich rocks. After drilling, a hydraulic well stimulation will both change the pore pressure in fractures and cool the fracture walls resulting in permeability enhancement through both thermal fracturing, and hydro-shearing. The first step for the NDDP was an International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP) sponsored workshop held at the OSU-Cascades campus in Bend from Sept. 10-14, 2017. The workshop concluded by setting ambitious goals for NDDP: 1) test EGS above the critical point of water, 2) collect samples of rocks within the brittle-ductile transition, 3) investigate volcanic hazards, 4) study magmatic geomechanics, 5) calibrate geophysical imaging techniques, and 6) test technology for drilling, well completion, and geophysical monitoring in a very high temperature environment. The second step, completed January 15, 2018, was submitting a proposal to ICDP for 46-16 deepening. The next steps will be to continue building a team with project, technology, and investment partners to make NDDP a reality.

EGS, Geothermal, Newberry↗

Toward Super Hot EGS: The Newberry Deep Drilling Project

Newberry Volcano in Central Oregon is an extensively studied volcano that contains one of the largest geothermal heat reservoirs in the western United States. The detailed characterization of this continental volcanic system reveals it is an excellent choice for drilling a well that will reach temperatures greater than 450°C at relatively shallow depths (< 5000 m). The main purpose of the Newberry Deep Drilling Project (NDDP) is to test the feasibility of super-hot EGS where super critical fluid can be produced with a higher energy compared to conventional EGS. NDDP will be located at an idle geothermal exploration well, NWG 46-16, drilled in 2008 on the western flank of the volcano. The project has several main goals: test EGS above the critical point of water; collect samples of rocks within the brittle-ductile transition zone; investigate volcanic hazards; study geomechanics in plastic rock and test technology for drilling, well completion, and geophysical monitoring. The well NWG 46-16, now 3500 m deep and 340-374°C at bottom, will be deepened another 1000 to 1300 m to reach 500°C into the supercritical region, and potentially approaching the brittle-ductile transition or even zones of partial melt. The original well was drilled with lost circulation zones only at very shallow depth and the temperature profile indicates conductive heat flow. Compared to other super-hot geothermal projects worldwide, this well would return more materials (cuttings, core and fluids) with more predictable drilling conditions, thus providing a suite of data near and across the brittle-ductile transition in silica-rich rocks. The well will be completed with casing and cement designed and tested to withstand the abuses of thermal cycling, hydraulic and thermal stimulation, and flow of supercritical fluids. Geothermal, volcanic, geophysical, and engineering information gained will be widely applicable to other magmatically active areas throughout the Pacific Rim and beyond.

EGS, supercritical, Newberry Volcano, brittle-duct↗

Instrumentation Plan for the OSU High Temperature Test Facility, Revision 4

This instrumentation plan describes the instrumentation requirements and design for the Oregon State University (OSU) High Temperature Test Facility (HTTF). This report outlines HTTF instrumentation design specifications, data acquisition and control system (DACS) design specifications as well as a brief description of the instrumentation to be used in the HTTF. The HTTF is an integral test facility, which has been designed to model the behavior of interest for a Very High Temperature Gas Reactor (VHTR) during the Depressurized Conduction Cooldown (DCC) event. It also has the potential to conduct limited explorations into the progression of the Pressurized Conduction Cooldown (PCC) event and phenomena during normal operations. The facility is scaled 1:4 by height and 1:64 by volume. The maximum core power for the facility is approximately 2.2MW. The core region is of a modular design to allow for both the prismatic block core and the pebble bed core designs to be tested. However, only the prismatic block design is discussed in this report. A correctly scaled integral facility modeling the VHTR that can be used to examine the thermal hydraulic system behavior of the design basis and beyond design basis transients is of significant value. The experimental results obtained in such a program could be used to validate analytical tools and methods being proposed for use with the VHTR. Therefore, it is of importance that the HTTF be instrumented in such a way that the required data is collected to meet its overall goals of phenomena examination and code validation. In addition to the instrumentation used to collect data to achieve the overall goals of the HTTF test program, there is instrumentation in the HTTF, which is primarily used to ensure the safe operation of the test facility. This type of instrumentation shall be termed “Control Instrumentation” and is discussed in this report. This report discusses the DACS, which is a personal computer controlled system that is used to control both the collection and storage of the test matrix and control system data as well as electrical and mechanical operation of the test facility.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

OSU High Temperature Test Facility Test Acceptance Report, PG-28 Low Power (<350kW) Lower Plenum Mixing Test

Test Acceptance Report for Test PG-28 at the Oregon State University High Temperature Test Facility. The purpose of this test is to investigate the impact on Lower Plenum thermal profiles and mixing due to changes in the system mass flow rate in an integral test facility scaled to General Atomics’ Modular High Temperature Gas Reactor (MHTGR) design.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

OSU High Temperature Test Facility Test Acceptance Report, PG-29 Low Power (<350kW) Double Ended Inlet-Outlet Crossover Duct Break, Hybrid Heater

Test Acceptance Report for Test PG-29 at the Oregon State University High Temperature Test Facility. The purpose of this test is to examine the progression of the Double Ended Inlet-Outlet Crossover Duct Break transient in an integral test facility scaled to General Atomics’ Modular High Temperature Gas Reactor (MHTGR) design.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

OSU High Temperature Test Facility Test Acceptance Report, PG-30 Low Power (<350kW) Lower Plenum Mixing, Constant Temperature Test

Test Acceptance Report for Test PG-30 at the Oregon State University High Temperature Test Facility. The purpose of this test is to investigate the impact on Lower Plenum thermal profiles and mixing due to changes in the system mass flow rate in an integral test facility scaled to General Atomics’ Modular High Temperature Gas Reactor (MHTGR) design.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

OSU High Temperature Test Facility Test Acceptance Report, PG-31 Low Power (<350kW) Pressure Vessel Bottom Break with Restored Forced Convection Cooling Test

Test Acceptance Report for Test PG-31 at the Oregon State University High Temperature Test Facility. The purpose of this test is to examine the progression of the Pressure Vessel Bottom Break with Restored Forced Convection Cooling transient in an integral test facility scaled to General Atomics’ Modular High Temperature Gas Reactor (MHTGR) design.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗