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At least 1,153 records · Page 64

Improved Structure and Fabrication of Large, High-Power KHPS Rotors - Final Scientific/Technical Report

Verdant Power, Inc, working in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and the University of Minnesota St. Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL), among other partners, used evolving Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) models and techniques to improve the structure and fabrication of large, high-power composite Kinetic Hydropower System (KHPS) rotor blades. The objectives of the project were to: design; analyze; develop for manufacture and fabricate; and thoroughly test, in the lab and at full scale in the water, the improved KHPS rotor blade.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Resilience Measurement Index: An Indicator of Critical Infrastructure Resilience

The world faces numerous threats from both natural and man-made sources. Since the beginning of the 21 st century, in the United States alone, we have experienced several devastating events. Incidents such as the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, the Northeast blackout in 2003, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and Superstorm Sandy in 2012 have had far-reaching impacts that have directly affected our society’s well-being. Although current efforts that have focused on preventing or mitigating the impact of incidents have achieved admirable results, a more comprehensive approach is needed to improve the nation’s overall resilience. An all-hazards methodology that emphasizes not only protection but also preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery programs and capabilities is desired. Presidential Policy Directive 21 defines 16 critical infrastructure sectors that are essential to the nation’s security, public health and safety, economic vitality, and general quality of life (White House, 2013). If the operations of these critical infrastructure sectors are essential, their protection and resilience is paramount. As stated by President Obama, “Our goal is to ensure a more resilient Nation—one in which individuals, communities, and our economy can adapt to changing conditions as well as withstand and rapidly recover from disruption due to emergencies” (Department of Homeland Security, 2010a). Enhancing the resilience of critical infrastructure requires its owners/operators to determine the ability of the system to withstand specific threats, minimize or mitigate potential impacts, and to return to normal operations if degradation occurs. Thus, a resilience methodology requires the comprehensive assessment of critical infrastructure systems/assets—from threat to consequence. The methodology needs to support decision-making for risk management, disaster response, and business continuity. Considering these issues, the Infrastructure Assurance Center at Argonne National Laboratory, in partnership with the Protective Security Coordination Division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has developed an index, the Resilience Measurement Index (RMI), to characterize the resilience of critical infrastructure.

Petit, F. D. P.↗

Moisture Management for High R-Value Walls

The following report explains the moisture-related concerns for High R-value wall assemblies and discusses past Building America research work that informs this study. Hygrothermal simulations were prepared for several common approaches to High R-value wall construction in six cities (Houston, Atlanta, Seattle, St. Louis, Chicago, and International Falls) representing a range of climate zones (2, 3, 4C, 4, 5A, and 7, respectively). The simulations are informed by experience gained from past research in this area and validated by field measurement and forensic experience. The modeling program was developed to assess the moisture durability of the wall assemblies based on three primary sources of moisture: construction moisture, air leakage condensation, and bulk water leakage. The peak annual moisture content of the wood based exterior sheathing was used to comparatively analyze the response to the moisture loads for each of the walls in each given city. Walls which experienced sheathing moisture contents between 20% and 28% were identified as risky, whereas those exceeding 28% were identified as very high risk. All of the wall assemblies perform well under idealized conditions. However, only the walls with exterior insulation, or cavity insulation which provides a hygrothermal function similar to exterior insulation, perform adequately when exposed to moisture loads. Walls with only cavity insulation are particularly susceptible to air leakage condensation. None of the walls performed well when a precipitation based bulk water leak was introduced to the backside of the sheathing, emphasizing the importance of proper flashing details.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Moisture Management of High-R Walls (Fact Sheet)

The following report explains the moisture-related concerns for High R-value wall assemblies and discusses past Building America research work that informs this study. Hygrothermal simulations were prepared for several common approaches to High R-value wall construction in six cities (Houston, Atlanta, Seattle, St. Louis, Chicago, and International Falls) representing a range of climate zones (2, 3, 4C, 4, 5A, and 7, respectively). The simulations are informed by experience gained from past research in this area and validated by field measurement and forensic experience. The modeling program was developed to assess the moisture durability of the wall assemblies based on three primary sources of moisture: construction moisture, air leakage condensation, and bulk water leakage. The peak annual moisture content of the wood based exterior sheathing was used to comparatively analyze the response to the moisture loads for each of the walls in each given city. Walls which experienced sheathing moisture contents between 20% and 28% were identified as risky, whereas those exceeding 28% were identified as very high risk. All of the wall assemblies perform well under idealized conditions. However, only the walls with exterior insulation, or cavity insulation which provides a hygrothermal function similar to exterior insulation, perform adequately when exposed to moisture loads. Walls with only cavity insulation are particularly susceptible to air leakage condensation. None of the walls performed well when a precipitation based bulk water leak was introduced to the backside of the sheathing, emphasizing the importance of proper flashing details.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Clean Energy Program_SLC-SELF (Final Technical Report)

This is the Final Technical Report for DOE's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, Award No. DE-EE0003813, submitted by St. Lucie County, FL (prime recipient) and the Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF), the program's third-party administrator. SELF is a 501(c)(3) and a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). SELF is a community-based lending organization that operates the Clean Energy Loan Program, which focuses on improving the overall quality of life of underserved populations in Florida with an emphasis on home energy improvements and cost-effective renewable energy alternatives.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Investigation on the Core Bypass Flow in a Very High Temperature Reactor

Uncertainties associated with the core bypass flow are some of the key issues that directly influence the coolant mass flow distribution and magnitude, and thus the operational core temperature profiles, in the very high-temperature reactor (VHTR). Designers will attempt to configure the core geometry so the core cooling flow rate magnitude and distribution conform to the design values. The objective of this project is to study the bypass flow both experimentally and computationally. Researchers will develop experimental data using state-of-the-art particle image velocimetry in a small test facility. The team will attempt to obtain full field temperature distribution using racks of thermocouples. The experimental data are intended to benchmark computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes by providing detailed information. These experimental data are urgently needed for validation of the CFD codes. The following are the project tasks: (1) Construct a small-scale bench-top experiment to resemble the bypass flow between the graphite blocks, varying parameters to address their impact on bypass flow. Wall roughness of the graphite block walls, spacing between the blocks, and temperature of the blocks are some of the parameters to be tested. (2) Perform CFD to evaluate pre- and post-test calculations and turbulence models, including sensitivity studies to achieve high accuracy. (3) Develop the state-of-the art large eddy simulation (LES) using appropriate subgrid modeling. (4) Develop models to be used in systems thermal hydraulics codes to account and estimate the bypass flows. These computer programs include, among others, RELAP3D, MELCOR, GAMMA, and GAS-NET. Actual core bypass flow rate may vary considerably from the design value. Although the uncertainty of the bypass flow rate is not known, some sources have stated that the bypass flow rates in the Fort St. Vrain reactor were between 8 and 25 percent of the total reactor mass flow rate. If bypass flow rates are on the high side, the quantity of cooling flow through the core may be considerably less than the nominal design value, causing some regions of the core to operate at temperatures in excess of the design values. These effects are postulated to lead to localized hot regions in the core that must be considered when evaluating the VHTR operational and accident scenarios.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

City of Tallahassee's Innovative Energy Initiatives: Evaluating Smart Meter-enabled technologies

The City of Tallahassee's Innovative Energy Initiatives program sought, first, to evaluate customer response and acceptance to in-home Smart Meter-enabled technologies that allow customers intelligent control of their energy usage. Additionally, this project is in furtherance of the City of Tallahassee's ongoing efforts to expand and enhance the City's Smart Grid capacity and give consumers more tools with which to effectively manage their energy consumption. This enhancement would become possible by establishing an "operations or command center" environment that would be designed as a dual use facility for the City's employees - field and network staff - and systems responsible for a Smart Grid network. A command center would also support the City's Office of Electric Delivery and Energy Reliability's objective to overcome barriers to the deployment of new technologies that will ensure a truly modern and robust grid capable of meeting the demands of the 21 st century.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Initiating Event Rates at U.S. Nuclear Power Plants. 1988 - 2013

Analyzing initiating event rates is important because it indicates performance among plants and also provides inputs to several U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) risk-informed regulatory activities. This report presents an analysis of initiating event frequencies at U.S. commercial nuclear power plants since each plant’s low-power license date. The evaluation is based on the operating experience from fiscal year 1988 through 2013 as reported in licensee event reports. Engineers with nuclear power plant experience staff reviewed each event report since the last update to this report for the presence of valid scrams or reactor trips at power. To be included in the study, an event had to meet all of the following criteria: includes an unplanned reactor trip (not a scheduled reactor trip on the daily operations schedule), sequence of events starts when reactor is critical and at or above the point of adding heat, occurs at a U.S. commercial nuclear power plant (excluding Fort St. Vrain and LaCrosse), and is reported by a licensee event report. This report displays occurrence rates (baseline frequencies) for the categories of initiating events that contribute to the NRC’s Industry Trends Program. Sixteen initiating event groupings are trended and displayed. Initiators are plotted separately for initiating events with different occurrence rates for boiling water reactors and pressurized water reactors. p-values are given for the possible presence of a trend over the most recent 10 years.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Perfluoro Aryl Boronic Esters as Chemical Shuttle Additives in Lithium Ion Batteries

Redox shuttles could provide an added measure of control for lithium ion batteries beyond that which is provided by the battery management system. Redox shuttles, which are electrolyte additives, provide electrochemical overcharge protection. Since they possess a reduction-oxidation potential that is slightly above the maximum cathode potential during normal use, they should cause no degradation in cell performance during normal operation, but should shuttle excess electrons during overcharge conditions, effectively limiting the full cell voltage. The goals of the Chemical Shuttle Additives program were to discover and implement a redox shuttle that is compatible with large format lithium ion cells utilizing LiNi 1/3 Mn 1/3 Co 1/3 O 2 (NMC) cathode material and to understand the mechanism of redox shuttle action. Many redox shuttles, both commercially available and experimental, were tested and much fundamental information regarding the mechanism of redox shuttle action was discovered. In particular, studies surrounding the mechanism of the reduction of the oxidized redox shuttle at the carbon anode surface were particularly revealing. Shuttles that were evaluated in various lithium ion cell chemistries include: • 2-(pentafluorophenyl)-tetrafluoro-1,3,2-benzodioxaborole (BDB) supplied by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Lemont, Illinois; • 2,5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-dimethoxybenzene (DDB) supplied by 3M, St. Paul, Minnesota; • Li 2 B 12 F 12 supplied by Air Products, Allentown, Pennsylvania (pure compound) and Showa Denko, Japan (in electrolyte); • 1,4-bis(2-methoxyethoxy)-2,5-di-tert-butyl-benzene (ANL-RS2) supplied by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Lemont, Illinois; and • A 4.5V class redox shuttle supplied by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Lemont, Illinois Although redox shuttles with an appropriate redox potential and sufficient chemical and electrochemical stability for cells utilizing cathodes with potentials higher and lower than that of NMC, a redox shuttle that is viable for use in large format lithium ion cells with NMC cathodes was not found. The effect of the anode on the capacity loss of lithium ion cells with redox shuttles in cells utilizing lithium, lithium titanate, or graphite cells was studied. Molecular imprinting of the redox shuttle molecule during solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer formation likely contributes to the successful reduction of oxidized redox shuttle species at carbon anodes. This helps understand how a carbon anode covered with an SEI layer, that is supposed to be electrically insulating, can reduce the oxidized form of a redox shuttle.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Low-Temperature Enhanced Geothermal System using Carbon Dioxide as the Heat-Transfer Fluid

This report describes work toward a supercritical CO 2 -based EGS system at the St. Johns Dome in Eastern Arizona, including a comprehensive literature search on CO 2 -based geothermal technologies, background seismic study, geological information, and a study of the possible use of metal oxide heat carriers to enhance the heat capacity of sCO 2 . It also includes cost estimates for the project, and the reasons why the project would probably not be cost effective at the proposed location.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Samuel P. Massie Chair of Excellence In Environmental Disciplines: Hampton University 1994-2010 Year Report

The establishment of the DOE-EM Dr. Samuel P. Massie Chair of Excellence provides an excellent opportunity for Hampton University to be involved in key environmental issues in the 21 st Century. The main areas of focus are on: 1. Coal gasification with respect to pollution prevention and reduction. 2. Solid waste treatment through bioremediation technology and 3. Industrial wastewater treatment Synthesizing ion catalysts suitable for use in slurry bubble column reaction was carried out. Construction of an autoclave continuous stirred tank reactor has been completed. At the initial stage of the development of this program, work was conducted in the area of formic acid recovery from waste streams, which yielded useful results. We also succeeded in the removal of priority metal ions such as cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, silver, thallium, zinc, etc., from industrial and municipal wastewater by using natural wastes. The process uses tree leaves to adsorb the metal ions in the wastewater. The ultimate goal is to develop inexpensive, highly available, effective metal ion adsorbents from natural wastes as an alternative to existing commercial adsorbents, and also to explain the possible adsorption mechanism that is taking place. This technology uses natural wastes to eliminate other wastes. Obviously, there are several advantages: (1) the negative impact on environment is eliminated, (2) the complicated regeneration step is not needed, and (3) the procedure saves money and energy. Twelve different types of leaves have been tested with lead, zinc, and nickel. The study mechanism showed that the leaf tannin is an active ingredient in the adsorption of metal ions. The ion-exchange mechanism controlled the adsorption process.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Normal Conditions of Transport Truck Test of a Surrogate Fuel Assembly

This report describes a test of an instrumented surrogate PWR fuel assembly on a truck trailer conducted to simulate normal conditions of truck transport. The purpose of the test was to measure strains and accelerations on a Zircaloy-4 fuel rod during the transport of the assembly on the truck. This test complements tests conducted in FY13 in which the same assembly was placed on a shaker and subjected to vertical vibrations and shocks simulating truck transport. The results of those tests are in the report “FUEL ASSEMBLY SHAKER TEST for Determining Loads on a PWR Assembly under Surrogate Normal Conditions of Transport” McConnell, et al., SAND2013-5210P, Rev. 0.1, FCRD-UFD-2013-000190, June 30, 2013 (revised December 1, 2013). This report constitutes the Milestone M2FT-14SN0813041 for the DOE/NE Fuel Cycle Research and Development Used Fuel Disposition Campaign ST Transportation Work Package FT-14SN081304 (Rev. 1). The strains measured on the instrumented Zircaloy-4 rod over a 40.2 mile route in the Albuquerque area over a variety of road conditions – rough dirt to Interstate highway (Figure S.1) – never exceeded 150 µin./in. – a very low level of strain well below the elastic limit/yield strength of Zircaloy-4, Figure S.1. The strains measured in the truck test were slightly lower than those measured in the shaker tests.

McConnell, Paul E.↗

PS2013 Satellite Workshop on Photosynthetic Light-Harvesting Systems

These funds were used for partial support of the PS2013 Satellite Workshop on Photosynthetic Light-Harvesting Systems, that was held on 8-11 August, 2013, at Washington University, St. Louis, MO. This conference, held in conjunction with the 16th International Congress on Photosynthesis/St. Louis, continued a long tradition of light-harvesting satellite conferences that have been held prior to the previous six international photosynthesis congresses. In this Workshop, the basis was explored for the current interest in replacing fossil fuels with energy sources derived form direct solar radiation, coupled with light-driven electron transport in natural photosynthetic systems and how they offer a valuable blueprint for conversion of sunlight to useful energy forms. This was accomplished through sessions on the initial light-harvesting events in the biological conversion of solar energy to chemically stored energy forms, and how these natural photosynthetic processes serve as a guide to the development of robust bio-hybrid and artificial systems for solar energy conversion into both electricity or chemical fuels. Organized similar to a Gordon Research Conference, a lively, informal and collegial setting was established, highlighting the exchange of exciting new data and unpublished results from ongoing studies. A significant amount of time was set aside for open discussion and interactive poster sessions, with a special session devoted to oral presentations by talented students and postdoctoral fellows judged to have the best posters. This area of research has seen exceptionally rapid progress in recent years, with the availability of a number of antenna protein structures at atomic resolution, elucidation of the molecular surface architecture of native photosynthetic membranes by atomic force microscopy and the maturing of ultrafast spectroscopic and molecular biological techniques for the investigation and manipulation of photosynthetic systems. The conferees represented a diverse international and multidisciplinary group, with over 160 individuals attending from a total of 17 different countries. Attendees came from a wide range of fields assuring that the widest possible interdisciplinary exchanges. They included prominent biochemists, biophysicists, plant physiologists, chemical physicists, as well as theoretical and computational physical chemists, who presented their research findings or to hear the latest advances in this very dynamic field. In the choice of speakers, a balance was created between established scientists and young, emerging researchers, given this opportunity to showcase their results. Sessions were held on electronic and vibrational coherence including coherent sharing of excitations among donor and acceptor molecules during excitation energy transfer, nonphotochemical quenching, acclimation to light environments, evolution, adaptation and biodiversity of light-harvesting pigment-protein complexes, their structure and membrane organization, spectroscopy and dynamics, as well as artificial antenna systems. A joint session was also held with the participants from the Cyanobacterial Satellite Conference. A special issue of Photosynthesis Research devoted to light harvesting (Volume 121, Issue No. 1, July 2014) has recently appeared which contains peer-reviewed original research contributions arising from talks and posters presented at the PS2013 Satellite Workshop on Photosynthetic Light-Harvesting Systems. Edited by the Organizers of the Workshop, Robert E. Blankenship, Harry A. Frank and Robert A. Niederman, it includes topics ranging from the isolation of new bacteriochlorophyll species from green bacteria, temperature effects on the excited states of the newly discovered chlorophyll (Chl) ƒ, new architectures for enhancing energy capture by biohybrid light-harvesting complexes, forces governing the formation of light-harvesting rings, spectroscopy of carotenoids of algae and diatoms and the supramolecular organization of caroteno-Chl proteins in diatoms, the molecular basis for urea dissociation of phycocyanin trimers and the role of vibronic molecular excitation theory in describing the spectral dynamics of pigment-protein complexes.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

U.S. Department of Energy Reference Model Program RM2: Experimental Results

The Reference Model Project (RMP), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Wind and Water Power Technologies Program within the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE), aims at expediting industry growth and efficiency by providing non-proprietary Reference Models (RM) of MHK technology designs as study objects for open-source research and development (Neary et al. 2014a,b). As part of this program, MHK turbine models were tested in a large open channel facility at the University of Minnesota’s St. Anthony Falls Laboratory (UMN - SAFL) . Reference Model 2 (RM2) is a 1:15 geometric scale dual - rotor cross flow vertical axis device with counter - rotating rotors, each with a rotor diameter d T = 0.43m and rotor height, h T = 0.323 m. RM2 is a river turbine designed for a site modeled after a reach in the lower Mississippi River near Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Barone et al. 2014) . Precise blade angular position and torque measurements were synchronized with three acoustic Doppler velocimeters (ADV) aligned with each rotor and the midpoint for RM2 . Flow conditions for each case were controlled such that depth, h = 1m, and volumetric flow rate, Q w = 2. 35m 3 s -1 , resulting in a hub height velocity of approximately U hub = 1. 2 ms -1 and blade chord length Reynolds numbers of Re c = 6 .1x10 4 . Vertical velocity profiles collected in the wake of each device from 1 to 10 rotor diameters are used to estimate the velocity recovery and turbulent characteristics in the wake, as well as the interaction of the counter-rotating rotor wakes. The development of this high resolution laboratory investigation provides a robust dataset that enables assessing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models and their ability to accurately simulate turbulent inflow environments, device performance metrics, and to reproduce wake velocity deficit, recovery and higher order turbulent statistics.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

U.S. Department of Energy Reference Model Program RM1: Experimental Results

The Reference Model Project (RMP), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Wind and Water Power Technologies Program within the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE), aims at expediting industry growth and efficiency by providing non-proprietary Reference Models (RM) of MHK technology designs as study objects for open-source research and development (Neary et al. 2014a,b). As part of this program, MHK turbine models were tested in a large open channel facility at the University of Minnesota’s St. Anthony Falls Laboratory (UMN-SAFL). Reference Model 1 (RM2) is a 1:40 geometric scale dual-rotor axial flow horizontal axis device with counter-rotating rotors, each with a rotor diameter d T = 0.5m. Precise blade angular position and torque measurements were synchronized with three acoustic Doppler velocimeters (ADVs) aligned with each rotor and the midpoint for RM1. Flow conditions for each case were controlled such that depth, h = 1m, and volumetric flow rate, Q w = 2.425m3s -1 , resulting in a hub height velocity of approximately U hub = 1.05ms -1 and blade chord length Reynolds numbers of R ec ≈ 3.0x105. Vertical velocity profiles collected in the wake of each device from 1 to 10 rotor diameters are used to estimate the velocity recovery and turbulent characteristics in the wake, as well as the interaction of the counter-rotating rotor wakes. The development of this high resolution laboratory investigation provides a robust dataset that enables assessing turbulence performance models and their ability to accurately predict device performance metrics, including computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models that can be used to predict turbulent inflow environments, reproduce wake velocity deficit, recovery and higher order turbulent statistics, as well as device performance metrics.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Post-Irradiation Examination of Zircaloy-4 Samples in Target Capsules and Initiation of Bending Fatigue Testing for Used Nuclear Fuel Vibration Integrity Investigations (FY 2013 Summary Report)

This report documents ongoing work performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for the Department of Energy, Office of Fuel Cycle Technology Used Fuel Disposition Campaign (UFDC), and satisfies the deliverable for milestone M2FT-13OR0805041, “Data Report on Hydrogen Doping and Irradiation in HFIR.” This work is conducted under WBS 1.02.08.05, Work Package FT-13OR080504 ST “Storage and Transportation-Experiments – ORNL.” The objectives of work packages that make up the S&T Experiments Control Account are to conduct the separate effects tests (SET) and small-scale tests that have been identified in the Used Nuclear Fuel Storage and Transportation Data Gap Prioritization (FCRD-USED-2012-000109). In FY 2013, the R&D focused on cladding and container issues and small-scale tests as identified in Sections A-2.9 and A-2.12 of the prioritization report.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Turbulent Flame Propagation Characteristics of High Hydrogen Content Fuels

This final report describes the results of an effort to better understand turbulent flame propagation, especially at conditions relevant to gas turbines employing fuels with syngas or hydrogen mixtures. Turbulent flame speeds were measured for a variety of hydrogen/carbon monoxide (H 2 /CO) and hydrogen/methane (H 2 /CH 4 ) fuel mixtures with air as the oxidizer. The measurements include global consumption speeds (S T,GC ) acquired in a turbulent jet flame at pressures of 1-10 atm and local displacement speeds (S T,LD ) acquired in a low-swirl burner at atmospheric pressure. The results verify the importance of fuel composition in determining turbulent flame speeds. For example, different fuel-air mixtures having the same unstretched laminar flame speed (S L,0 ) but different fuel compositions resulted in significantly different ST,GC for the same turbulence levels (u'). This demonstrates the weakness of turbulent flame speed correlations based simply on u'/S L,0 . The results were analyzed using a steady-steady leading points concept to explain the sensitivity of turbulent burning rates to fuel (and oxidizer) composition. Leading point theories suggest that the premixed turbulent flame speed is controlled by the flame front characteristics at the flame brush leading edge, or, in other words, by the flamelets that advance farthest into the unburned mixture (the so-called leading points). For negative Markstein length mixtures, this is assumed to be close to the maximum stretched laminar flame speed (S L,max ) for the given fuel-oxidizer mixture. For the S T,GC measurements, the data at a given pressure were well-correlated with an SL,max scaling. However the variation with pressure was not captured, which may be due to non-quasi-steady effects that are not included in the current model. For the S T,LD data, the leading points model again faithfully captured the variation of turbulent flame speed over a wide range of fuel-compositions and turbulence intensities. These results provide evidence that the leading points model can provide useful predictions of turbulent flame speed over a wide range of operating conditions and flow geometries.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

An Industry/Academe Consortium for Achieving 20% wind by 2030 through Cutting-Edge Research and Workforce Training

In January 2010, the University of Minnesota, along with academic and industry project partners, began work on a four year project to establish new facilities and research in strategic areas of wind energy necessary to move the nation towards a goal of 20% wind energy by 2030. The project was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy with funds made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. $7.9M of funds were provided by DOE and $3.1M was provided through matching funds. The project was organized into three Project Areas. Project Area 1 focused on design and development of a utility scale wind energy research facility to support research and innovation. The project commissioned the Eolos Wind Research Field Station in November of 2011. The site, located 20 miles from St. Paul, MN operates a 2.5MW Clipper Liberty C-96 wind turbine, a 130-ft tall sensored meteorological tower and a robust sensor and data acquisition network. The site is operational and will continue to serve as a site for innovation in wind energy for the next 15 years. Project Areas 2 involved research on six distinct research projects critical to the 20% Wind Energy by 2030 goals. The research collaborations involved faculty from two universities, over nine industry partners and two national laboratories. Research outcomes include new knowledge, patents, journal articles, technology advancements, new computational models and establishment of new collaborative relationships between university and industry. Project Area 3 focused on developing educational opportunities in wind energy for engineering and science students. The primary outcome is establishment of a new graduate level course at the University of Minnesota called Wind Engineering Essentials. The seminar style course provides a comprehensive analysis of wind energy technology, economics, and operation. The course is highly successful and will continue to be offered at the University. The vision of U.S. DOE to establish unique, open-access research facilities and creation of university-industry research collaborations in wind energy were achieved through this project. The University of Minnesota, through the establishment of the Eolos Wind Energy Consortium and the Eolos Wind Research Field Station continue to develop new research collaborations with industry partners.

17 WIND ENERGY↗