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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 955 records · Page 53
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Techno-Economic Analysis of Biofuel Production via Catalytic Upgrading of Carbohydrates in Paper Sludge

A full-plant model was developed using correlations from a rigorous mass and energy balance and based on experimental results to determine the MFSP and its Sensitivity Analysis in the production of a hydrocarbon product from Paper Sludge. In this base case a preliminary MFSP of $5.97/GGE has been determined. This value is higher than the results reported in recent NREL reports. The difference is explained since much larger capacity plants are considered in those reports, and because we are not considering the production of co-products that bring the fuel costs down. The obtained model is being used to guide the next steps in our laboratory work since the team is now aware of which are the more sensitive process parameters "impacting" the MFSP of the final product.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Wall Upgrades for Deep Energy Savings in Residential Buildings: Interim Results from a Multi-Year Study

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Minnesota are conducting a three-year, multipart study on residential retrofit wall assemblies. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technology Office and will identify, test and verify wall assemblies for hygrothermal performance in retrofit applications. The study includes a comprehensive literature review and expert advisory group, which inform wall selection. Selected wall assemblies are then thermally simulated using EnergyPlus and THERM, and hygrothermally simulated using WUFI, to model both thermal and moisture performance of the wall assembly. Eight wall assemblies are then experimentally tested in an in-situ laboratory environment at the University of Minnesota, with a typical residential wall used as a baseline. The in-situ experiment looks at the physical hygrothermal performance of each assembly. The simulation and experimental results will be combined with an economic analysis to produce a techno-economic study of residential wall systems for deep energy retrofits. This paper presents progress after year one of the study. Wall system modeling and laboratory testing is scheduled to begin in November, 2019. We will discuss the parameters for wall selection and experimental design, which includes approaches to modeling and simulation, along with the physical experiment design. This paper will also outline the parameters for the techno-economic analysis, and criteria used to inform model development.

Antonopoulos, Chrissi A.↗
DOE OSTI2021

BETO 2021 Peer Review - Improving Formate Upgrading by Cupriavidus Necator 2.3.2.111

Formate can be generated by electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 and has been proposed as a soluble intermediate for the storage of carbon and energy. Biological systems capable of assimilating formate could enable conversion of formate generated from low-cost renewable energy and waste CO2 to myriad fuels and chemicals. To that end, the goal of this project is to develop the natural formatotroph Cupriavidus necator as a robust microbial chassis for efficient conversion of formate to value-added products. Using a combination of laboratory evolution and rational engineering, we have identified mutations and genetic deletions that improve its growth rate and biomass yield on formate by 1.2X. Using RNA-seq transcriptomics, we are elucidating the mechanisms that underly these improvements and anticipate this will contribute to our understanding of formate conversion. We have also engineered C. necator to convert formate to the potential polymer precursor 2-hydroxymuconate semialdehyde (2HMS) by introducing an exogenous pathway and deleting competing pathways and demonstrated production and robust growth using a pH-stat bioreactor. Final techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessment on biological production of 2HMS from formate will enable the DOE and other stake holders to evaluate the economic and environmental impact of this project and related technologies.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2021

BETO 2021 Peer Review - Waste Carbon Gas Upgrading via Acetogens 2.3.2.106

Waste carbon gas represents a large and diverse set of feedstocks that could be captured and turned into useful products. This includes waste gas emitted from industrial activity, syngas from burned plant biomass or processed municipal waste, and electrochemical reduction of CO2. Currently, carbon gas is being microbially converted to ethanol as a main product. However, ethanol is a lower value product with a limited market size. While these microbes can make other higher value products, there are no commercial processes for generating these other products, leaving a gap in understanding potential implementation for commercialization. Expanding the products microbially produced from waste carbon gas requires several steps before commercial implementation. We are studying the acetogen Clostridium ljungdahlii as a biocatalyst to convert waste carbon gas to the chemical 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB), a plastic monomer and fuel precursor. For that, we are studying and engineering microbial characteristics for novel 3HB product formation from waste gas streams. This includes metabolic characterization, genetic engineering, gas fermentation scaling, as well as technoeconomic and life cycle analysis.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗