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At least 1,171 records · Page 65

Performance Evaluation of Hierarchical Controls for Advanced Distribution Management System-Centered Grid Operations: Preprint

This paper presents a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) platform to evaluate the performance of voltage regulation using an advanced distribution management system (ADMS) for grid operations to control legacy and grid-edge voltage control devices and coordinate with distributed energy management systems (DERMS) to manage high penetrations of photovoltaics (PV) on a utility distribution system. The HIL platform provides realistic laboratory testing, including accurate modeling (legacy devices, grid-edge devices, and PV) of the real-world distribution system from a utility partner, a real controller (ADMS), software controller DERMS, hardware grid-edge devices, and standard communications protocols. The test results show proper functionalities of the integrated platform and the performance of voltage regulation of the coordinated control systems. Based on laboratory testing, the utility can set up the same grid-automation system to manage DERs, legacy devices, and grid-edge devices to achieve their system-level control and operation objectives (e.g., voltage regulation), thus de-risking potential issues (e.g., instability) for field deployment.

ADMS↗

Port Electrification Handbook: A Reference to Aid U.S. Port Energy Transitions

Port electrification can take many forms, such as electrifying cargo handling equipment or deploying a microgrid to power critical port infrastructure. To help evaluate the growing challenge of increased electrification and its impacts on the system, the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity’s Microgrids R&D [research and development] program created this Port Electrification Handbook through a project led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The goals of this handbook are the following: help port operators and planners evaluate different electrification technologies, explain how these technologies could aid and impact ports and surrounding communities, provide step-by-step considerations for port electrification.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Study of Storage Requirements and Costs for Shaping Renewables and Nuclear Energy (FY23 Summary Report)

To decarbonize electricity generation primarily by using wind and solar resources, it is likely that additional low (or zero) carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) alternatives will be required for ensuring a reliable electricity supply. This study extends the work and modeling framework that we consolidated in FY 2022, by assessing the zero-CO 2 pathways of a Texas power system in which the availability of variable renewable energy (VRE), nuclear energy, and energy storage types (i.e., battery and thermal energy storage [TES]) are considered the sole resources available for expansion. Using the Risk Analysis Virtual Environment (RAVEN) and Holistic Energy Resource Optimization Network (HERON) frameworks, this study investigates the market of two nuclear energy technologies (i.e., large light-water reactors [LWRs] and LWR-type small modular reactors [SMRs]) under two plausible storage coupling scenarios (i.e., electric coupling and direct thermal coupling). We also explore optimal environments for nuclear energy deployment, and identify key performance characteristics that make nuclear energy economically viable in areas with significant intermittent energy sources. Our analysis encompasses 24 cases. We model the least-cost grid systems, highlight the potential for a coupled LWR-TES approach, and utilize SMRs to achieve deep decarbonization in an affordable, technically feasible manner. We also examine seasonal variations in balancing electricity supply and demand, and account for varying performance, costs, and grid constraints. Overall, the findings of our modeling afford valuable insights for supporting future technology investment decisions in the energy sector.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Outlook on Industrial Requirements for Incorporating Nuclear Energy into Industrial Processes

There is an increasing interest globally and in the U.S. in decarbonizing heavy industrial processes which have large demands for heat and power. Currently these industries primarily use fossil fuels to meet these demands and they include: oil & gas, petroleum refining, chemicals and derivative products manufacturing, iron & steel production, polymers, ammonia and fertilizers, etc. The U.S. DOE Integrated Energy Systems (IES) program seeks to identify and analyze opportunities for integrating and substituting nuclear energy to fulfil these large heat and power demands in a cost competitive and sustainable manner while reducing carbon emissions of the processes by using clean nuclear power. Presently various representatives from a subset of these industrial companies have expressed interest in evaluating the options of integrating future advanced nuclear small modular reactors with their industries. This study is a scoping study to provide an outlook of industrial energy demands and the potential nuclear energy substitution potential. Future work will analyze in a more detailed manner the potential designs for coupling advanced nuclear reactors with various industries. The industrial processes of oil refining, methanol production, pulp and paper, ammonia and chlorine-alkali are described focusing on how heat and power is used within the facilities in the context of identifying nuclear substitution opportunities. The aim is to provide reliable, competitive, and sustainable energy that is clean while reducing carbon emissions and other environmental impacts such as water withdrawals, consumption, and contamination.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Energy Efficient Mobility Systems (2023 Annual Progress Report)

This document summarizes the progress of VTO Energy Efficient Mobility Systems projects supported during the fiscal year 2023. DOE conducts research to understand how the changing mobility landscape will affect transportation energy consumption and identifies opportunities to create more efficient, affordable, reliable, accessible, equitable, and secure transportation options that enhance mobility for individuals and businesses. Within EERE, the EEMS Program is responsible for this research portfolio. This APR describes work that the EEMS Program conducted during FY 2023 in support of the EEMS Program goals.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Modeling and Simulation of Xe-100-type Pebble Bed Gas-Cooled Reactor with SCALE

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) to accelerate the deployment of advanced reactor concepts. Awardees of ARDP funds are expected to demonstrate the operation of an advanced reactor within 7 years of receiving the award. X-Energy’s advanced reactor concept, the Xe-100, was selected as one of two advanced reactor concepts to receive funding to demonstrate the operation of its high-temperature gas-cooled pebble-bed reactor before the end of this decade. As a result of this push to bring advanced reactors to maturation and commercialization, transition and deployment scenario studies are being performed under the Systems Analysis and Integration (SA&I) campaign within the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) to evaluate the transition of the current US commercial fleet of light-water reactors (LWRs) to a future fleet of advanced reactors consisting of a mix of ARDP type reactor concepts and advanced LWRs. To accurately evaluate the front- and back-end resource requirements, it is important to perform reactor physics calculations to determine the discharge burnup and isotopic content, fuel residence time, as well as other parameters. For this purpose, a summer project funded by the SA&I campaign allowed for the setup of SCALE models for full-core Xe-100 type high-temperature gas-cooled pebble-bed reactor and a Xe-100 type slice using publicly available information. The core-averaged equilibrium compositions and zone-wise equilibrium compositions for the slice and 3D models, respectively, were obtained following an iterative depletion method developed by Bostelmann et al. using SCALE’s reactor physics sequence TRITON. The slice model was used with TRITON to generate burnup-dependent cross section libraries at different temperatures which can be used with SCALE’s ORIGAMI code to rapidly determine fuel inventory and therefore to perform quick sensitivity studies on parameters such as the pebble location in the core. The SCALE/TRITON transport and depletion calculation for the Xe-100 type slice model indicates that the isotopic concentrations are in good agreement at 1,300 effective full power days (EFPD) for 235 U. An analysis of 236 U results match 239 Pu results would seem to indicate a typographical error in Mulder and Boyes wherein the reported results of 236 U and 239 Pu are reversed. In addition to SCALE/TRITON calculations, a new capability within SCALE/ORIGAMI for the simulation of pebble-bed reactors was used to study the burnup sensitivity with respect to the pebble pathway through the core. The SCALE/ORIGAMI results show that pebbles that travel closer to the reflector for the entire depletion history have a higher burnup than pebbles that travel through the middle of the core because of the higher thermal to fast flux ratio near the reflector. Consequently, a pebble’s burnup is strongly affected by the pebble’s pathway for each pass. Additional phenomena such as temperature distributions in the core and different travel times of the pebbles in the individual radial zones further affect the burnup distribution. The sensitivity of the discharge vector to the pebble pathways taken during each pass can be evaluated in the future using SCALE/ORIGAMI now that the SCALE inputs have been established.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Roadmap to Automated Mobility Systems: Informing the Planning of a Sustainable, Resilient Transportation Ecosystem for Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed this report to provide Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) assistance toward a vision that considers the maturation and proliferation of mobility automation, electrification, and infrastructure integrated with Internet of Things (IoT) technologies as they present themselves on the path to 2035. In planning ongoing infrastructure investments, DFW has goals to accommodate and leverage these enabling technologies toward greater sustainability and enhanced traveler and employee experiences, ensuring that infrastructure investments are fully utilized into the future. The objective of this document is to assist DFW to anticipate and envision future airport access by travelers, employees, and goods by examining existing needs and exploring opportunities enabled by technology that informs longer-term infrastructure planning. The vast infrastructure of DFW, which includes buildings, roadways, and other physical structures, as well as growing digital and energy network infrastructures, requires long-term planning and strategy to fully leverage technology advancement and avoid abandoning assets due to functional obsolescence.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Electric Vehicles: A Sustainable Solution for Transportation Systems

The imperative for strong and rapid emissions reductions to mitigate global warming and enhance air quality necessitates a transition to net-zero emissions. This shift requires significant changes throughout the entire energy supply-demand ecosystems, tailored to various sectors. Transportation stands as the least-diversified energy sector and the largest source of U.S. GHG emissions. As the primary enabler for vehicle decarbonization when paired with clean electricity, electric vehicles (EVs) will play a pivotal role in the future. This talk summarizes current status of EV technologies and markets, future projections, and opportunities associated with a conversion to EV for all on-road vehicles. Moreover, EVs are poised to drive substantial growth in electricity demand and presents a unique opportunity to provide demand-side flexibility that is crucial for future renewable-dominated electricity systems. Smart integration of EVs can strengthen the grid, reducing costs and enhancing resilience.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,POWER TRANSMISSION AND↗

Advanced battery modeling for interfacial phenomena and optimal charging

Lithium ion batteries are one of the most promising energy storage systems for portable devices, transportation, and renewable grids. To meet the increasing requirements of these applications, higher energy density and areal capacity, long cycle life, fast charging rate and enhanced safety for lithium ion battery (LIBs) are urgently needed. To solve these challenges, the relevant physics at different length scale need to be understood. However, experimental study is time consuming and limited in small scale’s study. Modeling techniques provide us powerful tools to get a deep understanding of the relevant physics and find optimal solutions. This work focuses on studying the mechanism in advanced battery engineering techniques and developing a new charging algorithm by model-based optimization. The research topics are divided into six topics and each topic is reported as a form of journal publication. Paper Ⅰ provides a new aspect of how ALD coating improves the lithium ion diffusion at electrode particles. Paper Ⅱ explains the mechanisms by which 3D electrodes enhance battery performance and reveals guidelines for optimized 3D electrode designs by a 3D electrochemical-mechanical battery model. Paper Ⅲ investigates the electrolyte concentration impact on SEI layer growth and Li plating, especially under high charge rates. Paper Ⅳ proposes an optimized charging protocol for fast charging for reducing the charging time with minimal degradation. Paper Ⅴ reports a comprehensive degradation model for degradation estimation and life predication of energy storage system (ESS). Paper Ⅵ is a study of temperature-dependent state of charge (SOC) estimation for battery pack.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Scaling Ultrahigh-Resolution E3SM Land Model for Leadership-Class Supercomputers

This paper presents advancements in scaling the ultrahigh-resolution E3SM Land Model (uELM) for deployment on leadership-class supercomputers, addressing the increased demand for km-scale Earth system modeling. By focusing on km-scale ELM simulations, we enhance predictive capabilities for climate interactions, facilitating improved responses to climate change impacts on energy systems, agriculture, and water resources. Our approach leverages innovative software architecture optimizations, sophisticated data handling techniques, and advanced parallel processing, achieving strong scalability on two leadership supercomputers (2400 nodes (105,600 cores) on Summit, and 1200 nodes (76,800 cores) on Frontier). Results from extensive scalability assessments on the Summit and Frontier also demonstrate outstanding I/O performance (close to 400 GB/s write throughput) and the model's ability to efficiently handle increasing computational demands. This study not only establishes uELM's capability for high-resolution simulations over vast geographical domains, but also sets a foundation for future Earth system modeling breakthroughs.

Wang, Dali [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000168065108)↗

Shared and Ownership Mobility Technologies in the US: Data Availability and Usage Trends

This report supports the vision for a more sustainable transportation future by summarizing and analyzing the latest data on new mobility technologies, including ridesharing, shared and privately owned bikes, e-bikes, and scooters that have emerged over the past two decades. Having access to accurate and current data that is representative of new mobility systems and individual usage of these systems across different parts of the country is critical for researchers, city and regional planning professionals, and current and potential industry technology developers to better understand and forecast usage trends both nationwide as well as across different existing and potential future markets across the country. Building on the previous study published in 2022, this report incorporates the latest available market and usage data on new mobility technologies and compares usage by Chicago and New York City demographic characteristics. Moreover, this report includes recent developments and insights on privately owned micromobility technologies. Our analysis found that more downtown areas in Chicago show high per capita usage for all three modes than in the previous study, likely due to the full launch of shared e-scooter systems citywide in 2022. Notably, the majority of high shared mobility usage is concentrated in high-income, densely populated downtown areas in Chicago, which also have good public transit access. In contrast, TNC and bikeshare usage hotspots in central Manhattan are more widely distributed, though also appear to be shaped by the geography of the public transit system. Analysis of privately owned micromobility shows that the greatest energy savings occurred when e-bikes replaced single-occupancy vehicle (SOV) trips (i.e., gasoline-powered cars driven alone). Based on the literature review and analysis results, we also make recommendations for supporting the development of both shared and privately owned micromobility programs.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

National Reactor Innovation Center Annual Report

The National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC), established in August 2019, is a national United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) program. NRIC’s mission is to partner with industry and national laboratories to bridge the gap between the concept, demonstration, and commercialization of advanced nuclear technology. NRIC accomplishes this through building or enhancing existing DOE infrastructure to support the testing of components and systems that are key to successfully deploying advanced nuclear technology. NRIC works to inspire stakeholders and the public, empower innovators, and deliver successful outcomes through efficient collaboration and coordination with partners. NRIC’s vision is that by 2028, NRIC will be partnered with industry and accelerating the demonstration and deployment of advanced nuclear technology using DOE national laboratory infrastructure and expertise. NRIC will establish four new experimental facilities and two large reactor test beds for integrated technology demonstrations and experimentation by 2028 and complete two advanced nuclear technology tests by 2030. Achieving this vision will enable urgently needed abundant and affordable clean energy both domestically and internationally. NRIC’s success will inspire our nation and the global community to embrace the promising contribution of innovative nuclear reactor technologies to the clean energy economy and re-establish the U.S. as the global leader in advanced nuclear energy. NRIC is tasked with expediting the development of advanced nuclear energy technologies by bringing together private-sector technology developers and the world-class capabilities of the DOE national laboratory system. Through this program, the U.S. private sector is given access to the physical infrastructure available at DOE national laboratories to test and demonstrate their reactor concepts. NRIC works closely with the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN),; which is the DOE-Nuclear Energy (NE) program that grantings access to technical, regulatory, and financial support for commercializing nuclear energy. As observed in Figure 1, NRIC builds upon these new reactor concepts and technology successes to effectively strengthen U.S. nuclear leadership.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Autonomous Energy Systems: Building Reliable, Resilient, and Secure Electrified Communities

Technological changes across energy systems are forcing utilities and operators to reconsider their methods for managing power delivery, but few operators have adopted advanced controls and operational software. Their challenge is that every system has peculiar requirements, and the available solutions are relatively new, untested, and difficult to integrate into an operational environment. Through extensive collaboration with utilities and cooperatives, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has realized the need for autonomous and optimized management of energy resources, leading to the development of Autonomous Energy Systems, a packaged set of controls that is ready to be integrated into existing control rooms.

automation↗

Data-Driven Prediction and Optimization of Energy Use for Transit Fleets of Electric and ICE Vehicles

Due to the high upfront cost of electric vehicles, many public transit agencies can afford only mixed fleets of internal combustion and electric vehicles. Optimizing the operation of such mixed fleets is challenging because it requires accurate trip-level predictions of electricity and fuel use as well as efficient algorithms for assigning vehicles to transit routes. We present a novel framework for the data-driven prediction of trip-level energy use for mixed-vehicle transit fleets and for the optimization of vehicle assignments, which we evaluate using data collected from the bus fleet of CARTA, the public transit agency of Chattanooga, TN. We first introduce a data collection, storage, and processing framework for system-level and high-frequency vehicle-level transit data, including domain-specific data cleansing methods. We train and evaluate machine learning models for energy prediction, demonstrating that deep neural networks attain the highest accuracy. Based on these predictions, we formulate the problem of minimizing energy use through assigning vehicles to fixed-route transit trips. We propose an optimal integer program as well as efficient heuristic and meta-heuristic algorithms, demonstrating the scalability and performance of these algorithms numerically using the transit network of CARTA.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Analysis Program Annual Progress Report (FY2020)

During fiscal year 2020 (FY 2020), the U.S. Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) funded analysis projects supportive of VTO’s goals to pursue early stage research in vehicle and mobility system technologies to reduce petroleum dependence, increase energy reliability and security, improve transportation affordability, and promote economic growth. VTO analysis projects result in a foundation of data, analytical models, and applied analyses that provide insights into critical transportation energy problems and assist in research investment prioritization and portfolio planning. This document presents a brief overview of VTO analysis efforts and progress for projects funded in FY 2020. Each of the progress reports includes project objectives, approach, and highlights of the technical results that were accomplished during the fiscal year.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Vehicle Technologies Program: Energy Storage R&D (2008 Annual Progress Report)

One of the primary objectives of the Energy Storage effort is the development of durable and affordable advanced batteries (and ultracapacitors) for use in a full range of vehicle applications, from start/stop to full-power HEVs, EVs, and PHEVs. The battery technology development activity spans three areas: system development of full battery systems; benchmark testing of emerging technologies in order to remain abreast of the latest industry developments; and Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) to fund early-stage R&D for small businesses/entrepreneurs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Highly Resolved Projections of Passenger Electric Vehicle Charging Loads for the Contiguous United States: Results From and Methods Behind Bottom-Up Simulations of County-Specific Household Electric Vehicle Charging Load (Hourly 8760) Profiles Projected Through 2050 for Differentiated Household and Vehicle Types

This report documents enhancements made to the TEMPO (Transportation Energy & Mobility Pathway Options TM ) model to project spatially, demographically, and temporally resolved national-scale EV charging load profiles and describes three scenarios and corresponding datasets created for the NREL demand-side grid (dsgrid) project in support of bulk power systems modeling. In brief, TEMPO was enhanced to disaggregate national and annual energy demand projections into household and county-level projections of passenger electric vehicle (EV) hourly charging load profiles (8760 profiles), accounting for consumer, travel, and temperature variations that impact EV energy demand. In alignment with NREL's forward-looking grid modeling, three scenarios for EV adoption covering 2020-2050 were created-- Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) Reference Case, Electrification Futures Study (EFS) High Electrification, and All EV Sales by 2035 --and associated datasets have been included in the dsgrid platform for public use.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Policy Framework to Improve Mobility Efficiency and Electrify Transportation in Tonga

The Kingdom of Tonga, like many small island developing states, is heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels to meet its current energy needs, especially for transportation. The Kingdom has requested a policy framework that benefits its land transportation sector by saving cost and time, increasing resilience, and reducing petroleum and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This framework was developed by building on past work, namely the Tonga Energy Efficiency Master Plan 2020-2030 (TEEMP), the Tonga Energy Road Map 2021-2035 (TERMPLUS), and the Regional Electric Mobility Policy for Pacific Island Countries and Territories developed by the Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (PCREEE). The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to Tonga's land transportation system were identified at stakeholder working group meetings in Tonga in June 2023. A set of appropriate policies that have been effective in relevant jurisdictions were then discussed and refined by the working group. The resulting 27 policies are defined according to intended outcomes, relationship to other proposed policies, applications in other relevant jurisdictions, hurdles to implementation, resilience impact, equity impact, and government revenue impact. Some of the policies are also accompanied by implementation recommendations.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗