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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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This work focused on designing, manufacturing, and testing a new particle flow control valve for use in particle-based CSP systems. Additionally, simulations were conducted to verify the results and validate the ability to predict the particle flow control of alternative designs.
The project significantly enhanced the community's understanding of the fundamental physics drivers underlying the wind-loading experienced by concentrating solar power (CSP) collector structures (i.e., parabolic troughs and heliostats) as well as their support structures. This project had two overarching objectives: (1) detailed measurements to characterize the prevailing wind conditions and resulting operational loads on collector structures, and (2) development and validation of a computationally efficient, high-fidelity modeling tool capable of predicting wind-loading in deep-array installations. Over three years, we conducted comprehensive at-scale field measurements of the atmospheric turbulent wind conditions, and the resulting wind loads on parabolic troughs and heliostats. Two at-scale measurement campaigns yielded first-of-its-kind, high-resolution, long-term datasets that are used to characterize the complex flow field and wind loading on parabolic-troughs and heliostats in operational power plants. The high-resolution measurements collected during these campaigns were used to validate the high-fidelity computational models developed at NREL. These open-source computationally efficient models were shown to be accurate in predicting wind-driven loads on collectors without the need for a large supercomputer.
Berkeley Labs "Utility-Scale Solar", 2023 Edition presents analysis of empirical plant-level data from the U.S. fleet of ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV), PV+battery, and concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) plants with capacities exceeding 5 MWAC. While focused on key developments in 2022, this report explores trends in deployment, technology, capital and operating costs, capacity factors, the levelized cost of solar energy (LCOE), power purchase agreement (PPA) prices, wholesale market value, and interconnection queue data.
Berkeley Labs "Utility-Scale Solar", 2022 Edition presents analysis of empirical plant-level data from the U.S. fleet of ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV), PV+battery, and concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) plants with capacities exceeding 5 MWAC. While focused on key developments in 2021, this report explores trends in deployment, technology, capital and operating costs, capacity factors, the levelized cost of solar energy (LCOE), power purchase agreement (PPA) prices, wholesale market value, and interconnection queue data.
Berkeley Labs "Utility-Scale Solar", 2024 Edition presents analysis of empirical plant-level data from the U.S. fleet of ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV), PV+battery, and concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) plants with capacities exceeding 5 MWAC. While focused on key developments in 2023, this report explores trends in deployment, technology, capital and operating costs, capacity factors, the levelized cost of solar energy (LCOE), power purchase agreement (PPA) prices, wholesale market value, net value, and interconnection queue data.
A JPL-led chip scale package (CSP) Consortium of enterprises, composed of representing agencies and private companies, recently joined together to pool in-kind resources for developing the quality and reliability of chip scale packages (CSPs) for a variety of projects.
Reviews the many factors that affect interconnect reliability of emerging chip scale package (CSP) assemblies. These include: package type, package build, board design, and assembly variables.
This paper reviews the package trend towards further miniaturization of emerging chip scale package (CSP).
This paper reviews the package trend towards miniature scale package (CSP).
This paper will compare three different CSP concepts as well as their assembly reliability.
Although the weakest link of CSP assembly reliability has been often internal package failure, solder joint fatigue is still considered to be the key factor for reliability.
The JPL-led CSP Consortium of enterprises representing government agencies and private companies has jointed together to pool in-kind resources for developing the quality and reliability of chip scale packages (CSPs) for a variety of projects.
The LIMOSA project extends the Gen3 CSP "Liquid Pathway" project to evaluate 720 degrees C thermal energy storage based on molten chloride salts. While SETO selected the Particle Pathway for Gen3 demonstration, LIMOSA was created to resolve a major risk factor with molten chloride salts - the design of the salt storage tank. The project team designed and assembled a test system leveraging experience from Oak Ridge National Lab and the Liquid Pathway Phases 1 and 2. The key innovation in the project is development of a graphite-foil barrier to protect insulation from salt intrusion and wetting.
35 Cl ( I = 3/2) solid-state NMR data is used in a nascent quadrupolar NMR crystallographic protocol, dubbed QNMRX-CSP, for the structural prediction, refinement, and validation of organic HCl salts.
Correction for ‘Quadrupolar NMR crystallography guided crystal structure prediction (QNMRX-CSP)’ by Austin A. Peach et al. , CrystEngComm , 2024, 26 , 4782–4803, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CE01306E.
In order to maintain viability as a future power-generating technology, concentrating solar power (CSP) must reduce its levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). One component of solving this problem is reducing the cost of the power block while simultaneously increasing the efficiency of the thermodynamic cycle. One disruptive technology that has the promise to accomplish this is supercritical CO 2 (sCO 2 ) based power cycles. Here, these cycles are conceptually similar to steam cycles; however, they have substantially smaller turbomachinery at equivalent power while also delivering more efficiency at turbine inlet temperatures of 500-700 °C.
Particle fluidized beds have the potential to improve the efficiency of heat transfer in concentrated solar receiver furnace for use in next generation concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. This study presents an experimental investigation on the flow characterization of vertically downward moving packed bed with counter fluidization through an array of jets. To control the bubble size and its distribution in the bubbling fluidized bed, an array of cylindrical pin fins was arranged uniformly across the test article. The flow visualization was performed on the surface of transparent glass coated with electrically conductive materials for electrostatic dissipation purposes. The image acquisition was carried out via high-speed camera at a frequency of ~ 1kHz. The acquired images were analyzed in pairs with the help of a modern optical flow algorithm capable of calculating the movement of dense particle flow in the fluidized bed by tracking the light intensity of each predefined window of the frames. A comparison of fluidized beds with plane and pin-finned channels revealed distinct bubble behavior. Pin-finned channels were found to produce a larger number of small-sized bubbles, while plane channels generated fewer but larger bubbles at any given instant. The presence of pin fins was observed to reduce bubble size by preventing bubble merging and splitting larger bubbles when they encountered a pin.
During the project Agira was pursued: (a) R&D efforts leading to the development of an innovative and revolutionary future-generation waveguide concentrating solar collector that will have improved value or productivity when compared to best-in-class, near-commercial concentrating solar power (CSP) solar collector technologies; (b) demonstrate results supporting that the proposed innovation meets or goes beyond the 6 cents per kWh levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) goals set forth by the SunShot Initiative (c) pursue clear market- and application-driven objectives and partnerships as part of a credible pathway to commercial development and eventual deployment. The novel optical approach consisted of a primary light bending optics converting normal incidence light to shallow angles which is then input onto a shallow secondary reflector which redirects and concenrates the light onto the evacuated solar tube.