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At least 109 records · Page 6

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2024

Pathway to Decarbonization Through Industrial Energy Efficiency: Micro and Macro Perspectives from Compressed Air Usage

Abstract Energy audits directly provided the industrial sector with reduced energy costs and avoided emissions. Still, they also lead to far-reaching indirect and induced local, regional, and national benefits. This paper aims to present the techno-economic-environmental analysis to achieve decarbonization through implementing industrial energy efficiency at micro and macro levels. An integrated techno-economic-environmental methodology is developed. Case studies of micro-level carbon reduction efforts through industrial energy efficiency technologies are presented. The broader macroeconomic and environmental effects of technology on society are analyzed using data from 206 energy audits of industrial compressed air systems conducted over 13 years. The impacts show that energy-efficient improvements lead to direct cost savings for manufacturers, boost economic activity across sectors, and affect carbon dioxide emissions both short-term and long-term in the region. Given their extensive benefits, energy audits significantly influence policymaking. We devised a methodology to link micro-level energy audit data with macroeconomic and environmental analyses to quantify these cascading benefits. The economic scenario analysis shows that $228 M has been saved from direct industrial energy savings from implementing all compressed air recommendations in the studied periods and the region. In addition, the investment made through manufacturers would create 2,025 jobs and $383 M annually, cascading regional economic impacts. The environmental analysis shows that the regional manufacturers have directly avoided about 2.8 M metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Engineering↗

NASA NTRS1987

Aircraft engine hot section technology: An overview of the HOST Project

NASA sponsored the Turbine Engine Hot Section Technology (HOST) Project to address the need for improved durability in advanced aircraft engine combustors and turbines. Analytical and experimental activities aimed at more accurate prediction of the aerothermal environment, the thermomechanical loads, the material behavior and structural responses to loads, and life predictions for cyclic high-temperature operation were underway for the last 7 years. The project has involved representatives from six engineering disciplines who are spread across three work sectors (industry, academia, and NASA). The HOST Project not only initiated and sponsored 70 major activities, but was also the keystone in joining the multiple disciplines and work sectors to focus on critical research needs. A broad overview of the project is given along with initial indications of the project's impact.

Sokolowski, Daniel E.↗

DOE OSTI2023

Electric-Field De-Wetting for Enhanced Drying

Drying processes are one of the most energy intensive operations. Drying accounts for anywhere from 12 to 20% of the energy consumption in the industrial sector. While many different drying processes and thus technologies exist and each is appropriate for particular applications, convective heated-air dryers account for about 85% of all industrial dryers, where air is heated by the combustion of fossil fuels prior to being forced through the product. The electric-field dewetting concept evaluated has the potential to increase heat pumping efficiency by 30% assuming a typical sensible heat ratio of 70%. At full deployment, this can reduce drying energy by 25%. Further, the technology can benefit the performance of air-source heat pumps in general and broaden their application base resulting in greater energy reductions.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2020

Analysis of Energy Savings and CO2 Emission Reduction Contribution for Industrial Facilities in USA

Abstract Energy audits can identify energy consumptions, energy costs of the facility and evolve to develop measures to maximize efficiency, optimize supply energy, and eliminate waste. This paper investigates the potential energy savings at 20 different industrial sectors with 152 assessments for various facilities in Wisconsin, USA. On average, eight energy recommendations were suggested and applied in each facility. This paper provides a detailed guideline for each industry in terms of eight different energy categories: heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, heat recovery systems, electrical demand management, and utility bills, motors, compressors, waste management, and productivity enhancement, lighting, besides building envelope. In total, the energy savings were as follows: 98 million kWh in the shape of electricity, 561 billion British thermal units (BTUs) gas savings, 44 million gallons water savings, and 2-million-pound solid waste savings. Based on these savings, a 100-thousand-ton reduction in carbon dioxide emissions was obtained.

Energy & Fuels↗

DOE OSTI2021

Energy Saving Analysis Using Energy Intensity Usage and Specific Energy Consumption Methods

This study presents the energy saving analysis reached through employing the energy intensity usage and specific energy consumption method. The energy analyses conducted in this study are used for implementing a new technology. However, they are additionally used to evaluate the latest concepts, techniques, processes, and uses for technologies, which are aimed at improvement of energy savings. This study shows the correlation between energy consumption, potential energy savings, and the impact of the energy assessment in different industrial sectors. The correlation is found by using two indicators: (1) the energy intensity usage (EIU) and (2) the specific energy consumption (SEC). The data analysis in this study considers the assessments for 67 industries from 2015 to 2019 and classifies those assessments using the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code. The results show that energy savings and energy consumption are linearly related. Also, the energy assessment improves energy performance in a more significant way for smaller companies than for larger industries. Furthermore, these results can be extrapolated by identifying the potential benefits of the energy management system (EMS) implementation.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2024

Industrial Assessment Center

Established in 1990, San Diego State University’s (SDSU) Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) is proud of its years of service. During this period, it has served over 620 small and medium-sized manufacturing plants in Southern California. SDSU/IAC’s efforts to transfer state-of-the-art technologies to industry have increased revenues, cultivated creativity, improved energy efficiencies, and benefited the environment. The Center has contributed to the region's economic growth and stability by assisting small and medium size companies to better compete in the global market. It has helped mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. IAC activities have fostered productive relationships between the University and local industry, assisted industrial sectors to improve their energy efficiency and enhance their manufacturing productivity, in turn impacting the material and working conditions of their employees. In addition to financial savings and environmental benefits, we have trained tens of students who became energy specialists in various companies. Thus, a substantial benefit of the IAC has been the ongoing training of engineering faculty and students. All IAC graduates were offered jobs before or within weeks of their graduation. The activities of the SDSU/IAC have expanded the institutional expertise of the College and improved the knowledge base of the faculties involved leading to several related publications, master’s theses, and senior student projects. Significant number of peer-reviewed publications of the IAC director at SDSU have greatly benefitted from the experience of the Center. As a result of this extensive exposure to manufacturing processes, the SDSU/IAC has grown to be an integral component of SDSU’s engineering research and training. We have successfully built upon these established achievements and academic excellence. IAC service to industry is particularly vital in Southern California, a region with one of the highest manufacturing concentrations in the country. SDSU/IAC has understood and implemented the overall objectives of DOE’s IAC program and guidelines except for the pandemic years when the country’s manufacturing sector was put in dire stress. In addition to student training and service to industry, IAC’s contribution to state and local governments as well as utility companies to assess energy policies and design rebate and incentive strategies cannot be undermined.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2025

Nuclear—thermal energy storage configurations for industrial combined heat and power supply—conceptual and thermodynamic study with high temperature gas-cooled reactor

Nuclear systems are promising candidates for delivering resilient heat and power for future energy security and independence. Traditionally, nuclear plants have been used for baseload electricity production and cogeneration of heat has seen relatively limited application utilizing typically only small portion of a reactor's thermal output. This paradigm may shift due to the increasing penetration of intermittent renewables and need for resource flexibility, various decarbonization efforts aimed at both electricity and heat demands, along with the perspective of small modular nuclear reactor applications, which can be sized based on local industrial needs. Here, this study provides a comprehensive guide for the nuclear and industrial sectors, emphasizing controllability in the combined heat and power configuration options for high temperature gas-cooled reactor and process steam supply. It investigates the integration of thermal energy storage to improve nuclear energy's responsiveness to varying industrial demands. The study emphasizes placing thermal energy storage between the nuclear primary loop and steam cycle to achieve greater efficiency and flexibility in power and heat output, surpassing traditional combined heat and power systems and avoiding efficiency losses seen in other thermal energy storage integration approaches.

combined heat and power (CHP)↗

DOE OSTI2022

An Assessment of Hydropower Potential at National Conduits

In support of the mission of the US Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office to promote domestic next-generation hydropower growth, this study provides a first-of-its-kind assessment of the hydropower development potential on existing water conduits nationwide. This study evaluates the potential for conduit hydropower development in the municipal, agricultural, and industrial sectors across the United States. The research team developed systematic methods to evaluate conduit hydropower capacity potential (MW) and energy generation potential (GWh/year) at four categories of conduits across the United States. They include the following: (1) Water supply pipelines for municipal and industrial uses, (2) Wastewater discharge conduits from municipal and industrial systems, (3) Agricultural water conduits including irrigation canals and ditches in the 17 western states that rely heavily on irrigation, and (4) Thermoelectric power plant cooling water discharge conduits. For each type of conduit, the team developed and implemented a method to estimate hydraulic head and annual water flows—and the hydropower potential—based on analyses of satellite imagery, topography, and existing data sets on water systems and power plants. These methods support a consistent, replicable estimate of conduit hydropower potential across 3 sectors and all 50 states, aggregated at the county and state levels. The assessment was conducted at the reconnaissance level, considering resources that could be available for development at the state and national levels using present-day assumptions about conduit hydropower technology.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2020

Evaluation and Demonstration of Blockchain Applicability Framework

Blockchain technology has been gaining great interest from a variety of industry sectors, including financial, food processing, and power and energy markets. Realizing the strength of blockchain technology beyond the successful application in the cryptocurrency arena, researchers have been evaluating and using blockchain for applications such as supply chain management, transactive industry (both financial and energy), system integrity, device cybersecurity, identity management, and much more. One of the unique elements of the blockchain technology that made it such a captivating technology to researchers is its plethora of features. Some of the features include smart contracts, cryptocurrency and tokenizing, immutable distributed ledger, cryptographic hashing, and digital signature. In addition, there are multiple types of blockchains, such as permissioned/private and permissionless/public, and various consensus models, such as proof-of-work, proof-of-authority, proof-of-burn, and proof-of-stake. Therefore, it is often non-trivial to determine if an application requires a blockchain. If so, what kind of blockchain and consensus is most appropriate? This paper discusses the blockchain applicability framework (BAF), which was specifically designed with the purpose to answer those questions. BAF is divided into five domains, 18 subdomains, and about 100 controls. It is designed to ingest detailed user requirements to perform a weighted evaluation that is built on mathematical constructs to determine the ideal combination of blockchain that is appropriate for an application. Along with the core logical formulation of BAF, this paper depicts the efficacy of BAF through two use cases

Gourisetti, Sri Nikhil G.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Field Validation of Electrochemical Water Filtration System on an Open Loop Cooling Tower at Nissan Manufacturing Plant in Canton, Mississippi

The U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office’s Industrial Technology Validation (ITV) program aims to identify and demonstrate the performance of new, emerging, and underutilized technologies in the industrial sector to help inform decisions towards accelerating commercialization and deployment. This ITV demonstration investigated the performance of an early-commercial electrochemical water treatment technology on a cooling tower at an automotive plant. Cooling towers are vital equipment for dissipating heat from industrial processes, but they face challenges related to scaling, corrosion, and the growth of biological contaminants. Effective cooling tower water treatment is therefore essential in reducing these contaminants and other total suspended solids (TSS) and total dissolved solids (TDS). Various treatment systems, such as sand-based filters, centrifugal separators, and disc filters are available, each having its advantages and drawbacks. ElectroCell Systems, a filtration technology provider, offers an electrochemistry-based water treatment system that is skid-mounted and can be configured as a side-stream filtration system.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

NASA NTRS1992

Office of Commercial Programs' research activities for Space Station Freedom utilization

One of the objectives of the Office of Commercial Programs (OCP) is to encourage, enable, and help implement space research which meets the needs of the U.S. industrial sector. This is done mainly through seventeen Centers for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS's) which are located throughout the United States. The CCDS's are composed of members from U.S. companies, universities, and other government agencies. These Centers are presently engaged in industrial research in space using a variety of carriers to reach low Earth orbit. One of the goals is to produce a body of experience and knowledge that will allow U.S. industrial entities to make informed decisions regarding their participation in commercial space endeavors. A total of 32 items of payload hardware were built to date. These payloads have flown in space a total of 73 times. The carriers range from the KC-135 parabolic aircraft and expendable launch vehicles to the Space Shuttle. This range of carriers allows the experimenter to evolve payloads in complexity and cost by progressively extending the time in microgravity. They can start with a few seconds in the parabolic aircraft and go to several minutes on the rocket flights, before they progress to the complexities of manned flight on the Shuttle. Next year, two new capabilities will become available: COMET, an expendable-vehicle-launched experiment capsule that can carry experiments aloft for thirty days; and SPACEHAB, a new Shuttle borne module which will greatly add to the capability to accommodate small payloads. All of these commercial research activities and carrier capabilities are preparing the OCP to evolve those experiments that prove successful to Space Station Freedom. OCP and the CCDS's are actively involved in Space Station design and utilization planning and have proposed a set of experiments to be launched in 1996 and 1997. These experiments are to be conducted both internal and external to Space Station Freedom and will investigate industrial research topics which range from biotechnology to electronic materials to metallurgy. Some will be designed to make maximum use of the quiescent microgravity conditions in the 'ground-tended' phases during the early years of Space Station Freedom operations.

Fountain, James A.↗

DOE OSTI2023

Quantum computing for finance

Quantum computers are expected to surpass the computational capabilities of classical computers and have a transformative impact on numerous industry sectors. Here, we present a comprehensive summary of the state of the art of quantum computing for financial applications, with particular emphasis on stochastic modelling, optimization and machine learning. This Review is aimed at physicists, so it outlines the classical techniques used by the financial industry and discusses the potential advantages and limitations of quantum techniques. Finally, we look at the challenges that physicists could help tackle. Quantum computers are expected to surpass classical computers and transform industries. This Review focuses on quantum computing for financial applications and provides a summary for physicists on potential advantages and limitations of quantum techniques, as well as challenges that physicists could help tackle.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2021

Evaluating long-term emission impacts of large-scale electric vehicle deployment in the US using a human-Earth systems model

While large-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) globally would reduce carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and traditional air pollutant emissions from the transportation sector, emissions from the electric sector, refineries, and potentially other sources would change in response. Here, a multi-sector human-Earth systems model is used to evaluate the net long-term emission implications of large-scale EV adoption in the US over widely differing pathways of the evolution of the electric sector. Our results indicate that high EV adoption would decrease net CO 2 emissions through 2050, even for a scenario where all electric sector capacity additions through 2050 are fossil fuel technologies. Greater net CO 2 reductions would be realized for scenarios that emphasize renewables or decarbonization of electricity production. Net air pollutant emission changes in 2050 are relatively small compared to expected overall decreases from recent levels to 2050. States participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative experience greater CO 2 and air pollutant reductions on a percentage basis. These results suggest that coordinated, multi-sector planning can greatly enhance the climate and environmental benefits of EVs. Additional factors are identified that influence the net emission impacts of EVs, including the retirement of coal capacity, refinery operations under reduced gasoline demands, and price-induced fuel switching in residential heating and in the industrial sector.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2022

Semiconductor: Supply Chain Deep Dive Assessment

In February 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order (EO) 14017, “America’s Supply Chains,” directing seven executive agencies to evaluate the resilience and security of the nation’s critical supply chains and to craft strategies for six industrial bases that underpin America’s economic and national security. See Sec. 3(b) of E.O. 14017. As part of the one-year response to EO 14017, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through the national laboratories, conducted evaluations of the supply chains that encompass the Energy Sector Industrial Base, with a particular focus on technologies required to decarbonize the U.S. by 2050. This report focuses on one of these technologies, semiconductors, both conventional and wide bandgap (WBG) power electronics (PE). As noted in the 100-Day report, conventional semiconductors are a keystone technology that are essential for the operation of nearly every electronic device, including those that are critical to decarbonization, such as electric vehicles (EVs), industrial and building applications, and electricity generation and end use. In addition, power electronics have been applied to industrial equipment to improve energy efficiency and enhance controllability. Power electronics have also been used to improve the reliability of data centers and critical infrastructure, including the stabilization of the electric grid while subjected to disturbances. Increasingly, power electronics are being used to integrate renewable energy and battery storage systems, enabling new grid services and the development of microgrids. It is estimated that 30% of the electricity used in the U.S. passes through power electronic devices, and studies suggest that this number could reach 80% as power electronics are deployed in more markets. Nearly all forms of electrified transportation will depend on power electronics. Power electronic systems utilize high-capacity semiconductor devices at their core. The continued growth in power electronics depends on sustained innovation in the semiconductor industry.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2022

Recent Advances in the Chemistry of Hydrometallurgical Methods

Producing pure substances has been the obsession of scientists for centuries and has defined chemistry as we know it. Nowadays, most of our economy still relies on the chemist ability to extract and purify metallic elements from raw or recycled materials, which, in most cases, is done partly or entirely via hydrometallurgical methods. In this work, the authors present the critical aspects of this relatively overlooked, yet critical, chemistry discipline. This review article highlights the importance of hydrometallurgical processes for strategic industrial sectors, put in perspective traditional separation methods with emerging ones (new metal-binding chelators, ionic liquids, deep eutectic solvents, microfluidic devices, biomaterials, etc.), critically reviews progress made on separation methods over the past two decades, and highlights the challenges lying ahead for the hydrometallurgists in academia and the industry.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2022

Cost of Capturing CO 2 from Industrial Sources

This systems analysis by the National Energy Technology Laboratory's Strategic Systems Analysis and Engineering directorate) evaluates the cost and performance impacts of capturing CO 2 emissions from nine industrial sources (ammonia, ethylene oxide, and ethanol production, natural gas process, coal- and gas-to-liquids, refinery hydrogen production, iron and steel, and cement manufacturing). The industrial sectors examined are segregated according to the CO 2 purity level of the flue gas stream, prior to treatment. Certain sectors naturally produce a gas stream that is inherently high in CO 2 purity, and these sectors can achieve 99-100% removal. Other sectors produce a lower purity CO 2 flue gas stream and achieving 90-99% removal requires deeper levels of treatment, adding cost. In addition to the report that documents the analysis, a Carbon Capture Retrofit Database tool was also created that allows users to apply CO 2 capture to selected industries, to evaluate the cost of capture and compare across multiple plants, as well as across different industries. Users have the ability to change select input parameters (such as fuel price, capture rate, and financing assumptions) to evaluate the impact on industrial CO 2 capture economics.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Study of Energy Saving Analysis for Different Industries

This study analyzes the energy consumption and saving performance in the industries in the U.S.A. All energy assessments implemented were for facilities whose annual energy consumptions were less than 9,000,000 kWh (small- and medium-sized industries) that belong to the manufacturing industries with Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes ranging from 2000 to 3999 in addition to SIC codes starting with 49. In this study, assessments are classified based on the SIC codes with recommendations analysis for each classification to get a better idea of what recommendations were suggested in each major industrial sector, knowing that 68 assessments were made, and their SIC ranged from 14 to 49. In addition, this study could be considered as a guide for energy engineers and other personnel involved in the energy assessment process. The information investigated can give a better prediction for composing better energy-demanding industries and minimizing energy consumption. More than 61 energy assessments were conducted for manufacturing facilities and analyzing the data gathered and processed. Through the research, the Fabricated Metal industry achieved the highest average kWh savings and cost savings within the industries studied in this study. According to the average gigajoule (GJ) savings, the fabricated metal industry ranked second within the studied industries. Conversely, Food and Kindred Products achieved the highest GJ energy savings within the studied industries. Overall, lighting, motors, compressors, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) were the most contributing industries in a total of 547 recommendations.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Key Strategies in Industry for Circular Economy: Analysis of Remanufacturing and Beneficial Reuse

Manufacturing, in the effort to be more sustainable, is increasingly focusing on energy efficiency and waste reduction. DOE's Better Buildings Better Plants Program has established Waste Reduction Network that works with 32 industrial partners to achieve higher material efficiency and reduce waste. United States generates 7.6 Billion Tons of industrial solid waste as estimated by EPA. In a linear economy as the economy grows, so does the waste – increasing strain on resources and the environment. The Circular Economy (CE) model keeps the available resources in circulation for longer period of time easing the burden on the environment.Remanufacturing and (Beneficial) reuse are widely accepted channels in 9R methodology and established pillars of CE. This chapter reviews the two key strategies and their adoption in different industrial sectors. It reviews the key barriers faced by manufacturers in implementing these methodologies and discusses the possible solutions to those barriers. The chapter also reviews impact of these CE strategies on sustainability, material efficiency and the economic and social benefits. Finally, this chapter presents two case studies from DOE's Better Plants partners – one on remanufacturing of components in heavy vehicles industry and one on beneficial reuse of spent foundry sand, a non-hazardous solid waste, and discusses the project impacts.

Chaudhari, Subodh↗