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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 937 records · Page 52
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Ecosystem-Level Biomimicry for the Built Environment: Adopting Systems Ecology Principles for the Control of Heterogeneous Energy Systems

This paper presents, to our knowledge, the first system-level engineering study to bio-mimic the cybernetics and flow dynamics of energy resources in natural ecosystems for the control of heterogeneous energy infrastructures in the built environment. To this end, we introduce a novel Biomimetic Pulsing State (BPS) control that functionally mimics mature ecosystems. A preliminary Modelica-based case study features a single-family residential building with electrical and HVAC subsystems. The BPS control objective is to minimize the energy exchange between the building and the grid for the purposes of future self-supporting buildings and grid stability. The building contains PV, a wind turbine, a battery storage system, and a fan coil/heat pump HVAC system served by an ambient district energy network. Evaluating the control performance (BPS vs. constant setpoint) over several renewable energy scenarios (net importer, net zero, net exporter), simulation results show how the building's HVAC system can dynamically adjust its electrical load and temperatures to the electrical system's net energy status in real-time with BPS control. As a net importer, the heat pump consumed 29% less energy and its peak power reduced by 15% with BPS control compared to the constant setpoint case, with the zone air temperature 1 degree C lower on average. As a net exporter, the heat pump effectively consumed the same energy, but the peak power increased by 34% with BPS control, while the zone air temperature was 1 degree C higher when renewable energy was abundant, preheating the home. BPS and constant setpoint control produced comparable results under a net zero scenario. While further evaluation is essential, BPS control may help communities meet their sustainability and resiliency targets as they transition towards fully distributed and renewable energy grids.

biomimicry↗
DOE OSTI2023

Communication-Constrained Robust Control and Learning of Grid-Connected

The electric grid of things (EGoT) promises great potential for innovative grid services by tapping into vast load flexibility. However, the unique characteristics of EGoT, being a part of the cyber-physical electric power system, present both opportunities and challenges, especially concerning supply-demand balancing, stability, and communication constraints. Traditionally, centralized control was employed to ensure balance and stability in power systems. However, with the massive influx of EGoT devices, new strategies are needed to efficiently coordinate and control these distributed devices for optimal grid operations. While some studies have explored efficiency and economic models, there remains a gap in ensuring reliability under everyday operations and resilience during extreme conditions. Addressing this gap, this project develops the technology for an Energy Service Interface (ESI) that includes novel pricing, control, learning, and distributed optimization algorithms, which will enable utilities to recruit EGoT assets for crucial grid services such as load flexibility, voltage regulation, and situation-awareness. The key novelty of the proposed technology is the careful distribution of learning and control functions across utility and EGoT asset owners such that provably efficient and resilient grid operations are attained while respecting communication and information-exchange constraints. Specifically, the project team develops machine-learning enhanced load modeling methods to allow EGoT asset owners to learn their load capability and flexibility, and develops pricing-based and decentralized learning-based control so that asset owners can coordinate to meet system-wide demand-supply balance and reliability goals. For extreme situations involving high-impact, low-probability catastrophic events (termed the “black-sky” events), the team also develops (1) a “Feeder-Operating Center-on-a-Laptop” (FOCAL) software that can assist utility personnel in leveraging EGoT assets to accelerate the service recovery of damaged feeders, and (2) distributed optimization algorithms that can coordinate the operation points of EGoT devices under severe communication constraints. The proposed technology has been extensively tested and evaluated through simulations and on a testbed. In summary, as we transition into a more interconnected and digital power grid era, our project’s findings and developments offer a pivotal step toward guaranteeing both efficiency and resilience in the face of both everyday operations and rare “black-sky” events.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS1991

Final design of a free-piston hydraulic advanced Stirling conversion system

Under the US Department of Energy's (DOEs) Solar Thermal Technology Program, Sandia National Laboratories is evaluating heat engines for solar distributed receiver systems. The final design is described of an engineering prototype advanced Stirling conversion system (ASCS) with a free-piston hydraulic engine output capable of delivering about 25 kW of electric power to a utility grid. The free-piston Stirling engine has the potential for a highly reliable engine with long life because it has only a few moving parts, has noncontacting bearings, and can be hermetically sealed. The ASCS is designed to deliver maximum power per year over a range of solar input with a design life of 30 years (60,000 h). The system includes a liquid Nak pool boiler heat transport system and a free-piston Stirling engine with high-pressure hydraulic output, coupled with a bent axis variable displacement hydraulic motor and a rotary induction generator.

Wallace, D. A.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Evaluation of Commercially Available Proprietary Vehicle-to-Home Systems: A V2X Connect Project Report

Bidirectional charging and Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) technologies enable the energy stored in a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle’s (PHEV) or battery electric vehicle’s (BEV) onboard battery to supply residential loads during grid outages and support broader energy management objectives. Conventional backup solutions, such as Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) and standalone inverter systems, are limited in capacity and scalability, whereas PHEV/BEV-based storage offers substantially greater energy reserves that can sustain household loads for extended periods.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Numerical modeling and parametric study of a dual purpose underground thermal battery

We report integrating thermal energy storage with building energy systems can enable flexible building electric demands at buildings to help mitigate the mismatch between electricity supply and demand. A novel building heating and cooling system that integrates a dual-source heat pump with hybrid thermal storage named dual-purpose underground thermal battery (DPUTB) has been developed for reshaping building electric demands. The proposed DPUTB integrated geothermal heat pump system is an original innovation that enables Grid-interactive Energy Efficient buildings. This paper focuses on the study of the novel DPUTB. The DPUTB works as both a thermal storage tank (an inner tank) and a ground heat exchanger (an outer tank separated from the inner tank by the insulation material). High fidelity and computationally effective models are needed to predict the performance of the novel DPUTB. This study has developed a simplified dynamic model for the DPUTB according to heat transfer and energy conservation principles and validated it by using experimental data obtained from testing a small-scale DPUTB apparatus. A parametric study was conducted to identify a design that can achieve the target thermal storage performance of load shift and energy efficiency. The parametric study results show that the inner tank shell thermal conductivity and the phase change material's melting point are the two most influencing factors on the performance of the DPUTB. One single full-size DPUTB with the identified design could provide 1-ton cooling (3.51 kW) with the supply temperature lower than 11 °C for 4 hours in summer after being fully charged in 8 hours. The inner tank filled with phase change material is for cooling thermal storage as a latent tank in the design. However, its capacity can be as high as 60 MJ as a sensible water tank for heating storage in winter. In the future study, the DPUTB model will be incorporated into the dual-source heat pump system for evaluating the overall system performance of demand side management in the long term.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

ARIES: Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems Research Plan

The Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) platform is one of the most powerful research environments anywhere for addressing the speed and scale of change on power systems. This research plan details ARIES capabilities, current and upcoming, and how they relate to objectives for advanced energy systems.

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DOE OSTI2020

Electromagnetic Pulse – Resilient Electric Grid for National Security: Research Program Executive Summary

Sandia National Laboratories sponsored a three-year internally funded Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) effort to investigate the vulnerabilities and mitigations of a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) on the electric power grid. The research was focused on understanding the vulnerabilities and potential mitigations for components and systems at the high voltage transmission level. Results from the research included a broad array of subtopics, covered in twenty-three reports and papers, and which are highlighted in this executive summary report. These subtopics include high altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) characterization, HEMP coupling analysis, system-wide effects, and mitigating technologies.

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DOE OSTI2022

Generator Interconnection Cost Analysis in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) territory

Electric transmission system operators (ISOs, RTOs, or utilities) require new large generators seeking to connect to the grid to undergo a series of impact studies before they can be built. This process establishes what new transmission equipment or upgrades may be needed before a project can connect to the system and assigns the costs of that equipment. Berkeley Lab has collected interconnection cost data from interconnection studies for the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), representing nearly 50% of all projects requesting interconnection from 2010 to 2020. Project-level cost summary data are available for download on this page. We find: -Average interconnection costs have grown as the number of interconnection requests have escalated -Projects that have completed all required interconnection studies have the lowest cost compared to applicants still actively working through the interconnection process or those that have withdrawn. -Broader network upgrade costs are the primary driver of recent cost increase. -Potential interconnection costs for wind, storage, and solar are larger than for natural gas -Larger generators have greater interconnection costs in absolute terms, but economies of scale exist on a per kW basis. -Interconnection costs vary by location Berkeley Lab will publish a series of short analytical papers of generator interconnection costs to the transmission system for MISO, PJM, SPP, ISO-NE and NYISO, which you can find at https://emp.lbl.gov/interconnection_costs.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Interconnection Cost Analysis in the PJM Territory

Electric transmission system operators (ISOs, RTOs, or utilities) require new large generators seeking to connect to the grid to undergo a series of impact studies before they can be built. This process establishes what new transmission equipment or upgrades may be needed before a project can connect to the system and assigns the costs of that equipment. Berkeley Lab has collected interconnection cost data from interconnection studies for the PJM Territory, representing nearly 86% of all new unique generators requesting interconnection from 2000 to 2022. Project-level cost summary data are available for download on this page. We find: -Average interconnection costs have grown as the number of interconnection requests have escalated -Projects that have completed all required interconnection studies have the lowest cost compared to applicants still actively working through the interconnection process or those that have withdrawn. -Broader network upgrade costs are the primary driver of recent cost increase. -Potential interconnection costs for wind, storage, and solar are larger than for natural gas -Larger generators have greater interconnection costs in absolute terms, but economies of scale exist on a per kW basis. -Interconnection costs vary by location Berkeley Lab will publish a series of short analytical papers of generator interconnection costs to the transmission system for MISO, PJM, SPP, ISO-NE and NYISO, which you can find at https://emp.lbl.gov/interconnection_costs.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Generator Interconnection Cost Analysis in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) Territory

Electric transmission system operators (ISOs, RTOs, or utilities) require new large generators seeking to connect to the grid to undergo a series of impact studies before they can be built. This process establishes what new transmission equipment or upgrades may be needed before a project can connect to the system and assigns the costs of that equipment. Berkeley Lab has collected interconnection cost data for 845 projects from interconnection studies for the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) Territory. The studies were performed between 2002 and 2023 and include all of the most refined cost estimates available. Project-level cost summary data are available for download on this page. We find: -Project-specific interconnection costs can differ widely. -Average interconnection costs are stable for projects that complete all interconnection studies but have escalated for those that withdraw. -Broader network upgrade costs are the primary driver of recent cost increases, especially for withdrawn projects. -Potential interconnection costs of all solar and wind requests have been greater than those of storage and natural gas projects. -Economies of scale exist for completed wind and solar projects but not for other fuel types or withdrawn projects. -Interconnection costs vary by location. Berkeley Lab publishes a series of short analytical papers of generator interconnection costs to the transmission system for MISO, PJM, SPP, ISO-NE and NYISO, which you can find at https://emp.lbl.gov/interconnection_costs.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Interconnection Cost Analysis in ISO-New England

Electric transmission system operators (ISOs, RTOs, or utilities) require new large generators seeking to connect to the grid to undergo a series of impact studies before they can be built. This process establishes what new transmission equipment or upgrades may be needed before a project can connect to the system and assigns the costs of that equipment. Berkeley Lab has collected interconnection cost data for 194 projects in New England from interconnection studies performed between 2010 and 2021. Project-level cost summary data are available for download on this page. We find: -Interconnection costs have grown over time, especially for projects that withdraw. -Interconnection costs are highest for onshore wind, followed by solar and storage. Natural gas and offshore wind projects tend to cost less to interconnect, in comparison. -Economies of scale exist for solar and possibly storage projects, but not for other resource types. -Wind and solar projects requesting capacity network resource interconnection service have higher interconnection costs, despite being evaluated using the same interconnection standard in the analyzed studies. -Low and high interconnection costs can be found throughout the ISO-NE footprint. -Costs are split fairly evenly between investments at the point of interconnection and within the broader network for active and withdrawn projects, while complete projects incur most costs at the point of interconnection.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2023

5G Securely Energized and Resilient: Task 2 and 3 Progress Report

The 5G Securely Energized and Resilient project implemented at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is sponsored by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense and is designed to demonstrate the successful deployment of 5G-6G (FutureG) technologies in the context of electrical microgrid scenarios. Through implementation of this project, cybersecurity researchers were able to design a platform to better understand the fundamental system architecture, limitations, and benefits of 5G systems supporting energy system requirements. Although the work for this project was developed in the context of “FutureG Advanced Component Development & Prototypes,” which is a U.S. Department of Defense effort to ensure communications system resilience in the context of military deployments, the results can also apply to communications for electrical grids in general. Several key points were established in Tasks 2 and 3 of this project that are further expanded on in the body of this document.

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DOE OSTI2026

Speed to Power: Solutions for Accelerating Large Load Connections

Rapid growth in demand from data centers and other large loads is creating a range of new challenges for electricity planners, investors, system operators, and regulators, leading to bottlenecks that have slowed connection of large loads to the electric grid. In response, innovative solutions for accelerating large load connections are beginning to emerge across the U.S. Drawing on an extensive document and literature review, this report identifies more than 40 potential solutions for accelerating large load connections, organized into five functional areas: load forecasting, interconnection, resource planning and procurement, markets and operations, and cost allocation and ratemaking. The five functional areas provide a framework for organizing challenges and solutions to large load connection bottlenecks.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Opportunity Assessment for U.S. Industry: Energy-Efficient Cooling Technologies in Mexico

Mexico's rapidly expanding room air conditioner (AC) market presents a strategic opportunity for U.S. manufacturers to strengthen North American supply chains while addressing critical energy infrastructure challenges. With demand for room AC units in residential and commercial buildings projected to drive a 26 GW increase in Mexico’s peak electrical load by 2050, high-efficiency air conditioning systems offer both substantial market opportunities and essential grid stability benefits.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2023

Balancing Authority Data Reformatted

We collect the data from the electricity balancing authorities (BAs) that operate the grid. A balancing authority ensures, in real time, that power system demand and supply are finely balanced. This balance is needed to maintain the safe and reliable operation of the power system.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2014

Modeling Extreme 'Carrington-Type' Space Weather Events Using Three-dimensional Global MHD Simulations

There is a growing concern over possible severe societal consequences related to adverse space weather impacts on man-made technological infrastructure. In the last two decades, significant progress has been made toward the first-principles modeling of space weather events, and three-dimensional (3-D) global magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) models have been at the forefront of this transition, thereby playing a critical role in advancing our understanding of space weather. However, the modeling of extreme space weather events is still a major challenge even for the modern global MHD models. In this study, we introduce a specially adapted University of Michigan 3-D global MHD model for simulating extreme space weather events with a Dst footprint comparable to the Carrington superstorm of September 1859 based on the estimate by Tsurutani et. al., (2003). Results are presented for a simulation run with "very extreme" constructed/idealized solar wind boundary conditions driving the magnetosphere. In particular, we describe the reaction of the magnetosphere-ionosphere system and the associated induced geoelectric field on the ground to such extreme driving conditions. The model setup is further tested using input data for an observed space weather event of Halloween storm October 2003 to verify the MHD model consistence and to draw additional guidance for future work. This extreme space weather MHD model setup is designed specifically for practical application to the modeling of extreme geomagnetically induced electric fields, which can drive large currents in ground-based conductor systems such as power transmission grids. Therefore, our ultimate goal is to explore the level of geoelectric fields that can be induced from an assumed storm of the reported magnitude, i.e., Dst approx. = −1600 nT.

space weather↗
DOE OSTI2021

An economic assessment of behind-the-meter photovoltaics paired with batteries on the Hawaiian Islands.

Due to natural variability and uncertainty, the ever-increasing penetration of solar generation in Hawaii presents challenges to power grid operators to maintain reliable system operation. Demand response (DR) has the potential to be a cost-effective tool for Hawaii to reach its aggressive renewable energy goals while maintaining the reliability of power grids. The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission has approved the Hawaiian Electric Company's revised portfolio of DR programs. The companies have released a grid services purchase agreement and subscribed an initial tranche of load into their DR programs. This paper presents innovative analytical methods and comprehensive economic assessment for distributed photovoltaics (PV) paired with battery energy storage systems (BESSs) for two new DR programs, including fast frequency response and capacity grid service. Optimal dispatch and sizing methods are proposed for the paired system considering different tariff schedules and PV compensation programs across five islands. It was found that while the best resource configuration and potential economic benefits vary with tariff structure, a BESS paired with PV can be optimally dispatched to generate multiple value streams simultaneously. Compensation from DR programs is an important value stream to help increase the cost-effectiveness of the integrated system.

Battery energy storage system↗
DOE OSTI2021

Clean Grid Vision: A U.S. Perspective - Chapter 4. Demand-Side Development

This chapter focuses on recent developments on the demand side of the electricity system in the United States and beyond. After decades of slow-moving change in power system technology, business models, regulatory structures, and even financing schemes, changes on the demand side are accelerating rapidly. These changes are also more tightly linking the supply side with the demand side. This chapter provides high-level summaries of traditional subjects like demand-side management, which includes energy efficiency and demand response, and then transition to a subject that has gathered increasing attention as the most dynamic change likely to impact power systems in the coming decades: beneficial electrification. In each case, we attempt to address the impacts on system flexibility to the degree possible. These demand-side subjects are widely considered essential elements of a clean grid strategy.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗