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At least 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Ordovician paleosols at Arisaig, Nova Scotia, and the evolution of the atmosphere

A series of Late Ordovician andesite flows are exposed along the coastline near Arisaig, Nova Scotia. Field relationships, textural and mineralogical evidence, and chemical analyses of three interflow units confirm that they are paleosols. The chemical variations observed in these paleosols are quite similar to those of modern soils developed on mafic volcanic rocks. Virtually all of the iron in the paleosols was oxidized and retained during weathering; however, in two of the three paleosols a small fraction of the ferrous iron escaped oxidation and was precipitated near the base of the paleosols. This redistribution of ferrous iron may reflect the presence of nonvascular land plants. The variations in the concentration of the major oxides produced by weathering of the andesites at Arisaig are consistent with the probable lower limit of 0.04 atm for the partial pressure of O2 in the atmosphere during the Late Ordovician. The current data base for Paleozoic and Precambrian paleosols indicates that a significant increase in the PO2/PCO2 ratio in the atmosphere took place about 2.0 x 10(9) years ago; since then the ratio of PO2/PCO2 in the atmosphere has been high enough to oxidize all of the iron in soils developed on igneous rocks.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS1989

A Sm-Nd and Pb isotope study of Archaean greenstone belts in the southern Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa

An Sm-Nd and Pb study on a wide variety of lithologies in Archaean greenstone belt fragments in the southern Kaapvaal Craton reveals a complex petrogenetic history. The fragments are important because they represent a 350 km transect through the craton south of Barberton to its southern margin. The Commondale greenstone belt yields a precise Sm-Nd age of 3334 + or - 18 Ma on an exceptionally well preserved peridotite suite of komatiitic affinity. The wide range of Sm/Nd from 0.6 to 1.0 is attributed to the unusual occurrence of orthopyroxene in the spinifex-bearing rocks. A considerably younger age of about 3.2 Ga is suggested for the Nondweni greenstone belt close to the southern margin of the craton on the basis of separate Sm-Nd isochrons on individual lithologies ranging from komatiite, through komatiitic basalt and basalt to felsic volcanic rocks. On the basis of the present study the greenstone belts appear to have been emplaced at progressively younger ages toward the southern margin of the craton.

Wilson, A. H.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Poorly Crystalline, Iron-Bearing Aluminosilicates and Their Importance on Mars

Martian rocks and sediments contain weathering products including evaporite salts and clay minerals that only form as a result of interaction between rocks and water [1-6]. These weathering products are key to studying the history of water on Mars because their type, abundance and location provide clues to past conditions on the surface of the planet, as well as to the possible location of present-day reservoirs of water. Weathering of terrestrial volcanic rocks similar to those on Mars produces nano-sized, variably hydrated aluminosilicate and iron oxide minerals [7-10] including allophane, imogolite, halloysite, hisingerite, and ferrihydrite. The nanoaluminosilicates can contain isomorphically substituted Fe, which affects their spectral and physical properties. Detection and quantification of such minerals in natural environments on earth is difficult due to their variable chemical composition and lack of long-range crystalline order [9, 11, 12]. Despite the difficulty in characterizing these materials, they are common on Earth, and data from orbital remote sensing and rover-based instruments suggest that they are also present on Mars [9, 10, 13-17]. Their accurate detection and quantification require a better understanding of how composition affects their spectral properties. We present here the results of XAFS spectroscopy; these results will be corroborated with planned Mossbauer and reflectance spectroscopy.

Baker, L. L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Tectonic rotations within the Rio Grande rift - Evidence from paleomagnetic studies

Paleomagnetic studies on Miocene Pliocene volcanic rocks from the Espanola basin of the Rio Grande rift, New Mexico, reveal directions discordant form the expected mean direction for North America. The Paliza Canyon Formation, Tschicoma Formation, and Lobato Basalt, all sampled in the Jemez Mountains west of the Pajarito fault zone, have mean declinations east of the expected mean. The Cerros del Rio volcanics, lying east of the Pajarito fault zone, have a westerly declination. Combined with published data on the Santa Fe Group sediments east of the fault zone, and the Valles Rhyolite, west of the fault zone, distinct rotations of the two areas are evident. The western block has rotated clockwise 12 deg, while the eastern block shows 16 deg of conter-clockwise motion. Differential rotations of 25-30 deg are calculated between the two blocks; 4 deg/m.y. is the minimum differential rotation for the past 5 m.y. Geologic explanations for these rotations include the opening of the Rio Grande rift in response to clockwise rotation of the Colorado Plateau and significant left slip along the Rio Grande rift.

Brown, L. L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Exploring the Geochemistry of Tholeiitic Basalts and Hyaloclastites Formed in Submarine Volcanoes for Comparison With Venus Lavas

Underwater basaltic lavas exhibit distinct rock textures, mineralogy and morphological differences compared to those formed on land, primarily due to rapid cooling caused by contact with cold seawater instead of air and to high pressures – similar to Venus. The geomorphological similarities between terrestrial submarine volcanoes and some morphological classes of Venusian volcanoes have been investigated, but a comprehensive comparison in geochemical terms has yet to be conducted. Only three missions to Venus (Venera-13, Venera-14, and Vega-2) were able to report bulk composition of Venusian rocks, while other four missions (Venera-8, Venera-9, Venera-10, and Vega-1) provided limited geochemical information. Using X-Ray fluorescent (XRF) analysis, we saw that rocks analyzed on the surface of Venus are tholeiitic and alkalic basalts. This study, as part of the “Analogs for VENus's GEologically Recent Surfaces” (AVENGERS) initiative, aims to examine the possibility of seamounts/submarine volcanoes lavas serving as analogues to Venus lava geochemistry and morphology/formational processes. By sampling and analyzing submarine lavas from three distinct tectonic settings on Earth - hot-spot, convergent margins, and divergent margins - we will assess in which tectonic context the analogy with Venus is most comparable. Fieldwork will be conducted in further detail for submarine volcanoes located in Sicily, Hawaiʻi, and the Southern Pacific (Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa); we will use previously collected samples where these submarine areas are not accessible. Sampling efforts will target areas likely to yield submarine tholeiitic lavas and/or hyaloclastites. Samples collected during fieldwork will undergo detailed whole-rock geochemical analysis, including XRF, X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS). Thin sections will be used to constrain differences in morphology/textures. The obtained geochemical data will then be compared with existing data on Venusian lava geochemistry, allowing for a comprehensive evaluation of potential analogies between submarine lavas from Earth and volcanic rocks on Venus. By elucidating these similarities and pinpointing specific tectonic contexts, our study has the potential to enhance our understanding of Venusian geology and the possibility of ephemeral plate tectonics on the planet.

N Mari↗
NASA NTRS1986

High precision U-PB geochronology and implications for the tectonic evolution of the Superior Province

The underlying mechanisms of Archean tectonics and the degree to which modern plate tectonic models are applicable early in Earth's history continue to be a subject of considerable debate. A precise knowledge of the timing of geological events is of the utmost importance in studying this problem. The high precision U-Pb method has been applied in recent years to rock units in many areas of the Superior Province. Most of these data have precisions of about + or - 2-3 Ma. The resulting detailed chronologies of local igneous development and the regional age relationships furnish tight constraints on any Archean tectonic model. Superior province terrains can be classified into 3 types: (1) low grade areas dominated by meta-volcanic rocks (greenstone belts); (2) high grade, largely metaplutonic areas with abundant orthogneiss and foliated to massive I-type granitoid bodies; and (3) high grade areas with abundant metasediments, paragneiss and S-type plutons. Most of the U-Pb age determinations have been done on type 1 terrains with very few having been done in type 3 terrains. A compilation of over 120 ages indicates that the major part of igneous activity took place in the period 2760-2670 Ma, known as the Kenoran event. This event was ubiquitous throughout the Superior Province.

Davis, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Rainy Lake wrench zone: An example of an Archaean subprovince boundary in northwestern Ontario

The Superior Province of the Canadian Shield comprises an alternation of subprovinces with contrasting lithological, structural and metamorphic styles. Rocks of the Rainly Lake area form a fault bounded wedge between two of these subprovinces, the Wabigoon granite-greenstone terrain to the north and the Quetico metasedimentary terrain to the south. The Quetico and Seine River-Rainy Lake Faults bound this wedge within which interpretation of the stratigraphy has been historically contentious. In the eastern part of the wedge, volcanic rocks and coeval tonalitic sills are unconformably overlain by fluviatile conglomerate and arenite of the Seine Group; in the western part of the wedge, metamorphosed wacke and mudstone of the Coutchiching Group are cut by granodioritic plutons. The Coutchiching Group has previously been correlated with the Seine Group and with the turbiditic Quetico metasediments of the Quetico Subprovince and these correlations are the cornerstone of earlier tectonic models which relate the subprovinces. The structural geology of the Rainy Lake area is characterized by attributes which compare favourably with the known characteristics of dextral wrench or 'transpressive zones based both on experimental data and natural examples. Much of this deformation involved the Seine Group, the youngest stratigraphic unit in the area, and predates the emplacement of late-to-post-tectonic granodioritic plutons for which radiometric data indicate a Late Archean age.

Poulsen, K. H.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Constraints on the Composition and Petrogenesis of the Martian Crust

Spectral interpretation that silicic rocks are widespread on Mars implies that Earth's differentiated crust is not unique. Evaluation of observations bearing on the composition of the Martian crust (Martian meteorite petrology and a possible crustal assimilant, analysis of Mars Pathfinder rocks, composition of Martian fines, interpretation of spacecraft thermal emission spectra, and inferred crustal densities) indicates that the crust can be either basalt plus andesite or basalt plus weathering products. New calculated chemical compositions for Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) global surface units indicate that surface type 1 has basaltic andesite composition and surface type 2 has the composition of andesite. If these materials represent volcanic rocks, their calc-alkaline compositions on a FeO*/MgO versus silica diagram suggest formation by hydrous melting and fractional crystallization. On Earth, this petrogenesis requires subduction, and it may suggest an early period of plate tectonics on Mars. However, anorogenic production of andesite might have been possible if the primitive Martian mantle was wet. Alternatively, chemical weathering diagrams suggest that surface type 2 materials could have formed by partial weathering of surface type 1 rocks, leading to depletion in soluble cations and mobility of silica. A weathered crust model is consistent with the occurrence of surface type 2 materials as sediments in a depocenter and with the alpha proton X-ray spectrometer (APXS) analysis of excess oxygen suggesting weathering rinds on Pathfinder rocks. If surface type 1 materials are also weathered or mixed with weathered materials, this might eliminate the need for hydrous melting, consistent with a relatively dry Martian mantle without tectonics.

McSween, Harry Y., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Iron-absorption band analysis for the discrimination of iron-rich zones

The author has identified the following significant results. Most major rock units and unaltered and altered areas in the study area can be discriminated on the basis of visible and near-infrared spectral reflectivity differences recorded from satellite altitude. These subtle spectral differences are detectable by digital ratioing of the MSS bands and subsequent stretching to increase the contrast to enhance spectral differences. Hydrothermally altered areas appear as anomalous color patches within the volcanic-rock areas. A map has been prepared which can be regarded as an excellent reconnaissance exploration map, for use in targeting areas for more detailed geological, geochemical, and geophysical studies. Mafic and felsic rock types are easily discriminated on the color stretched-ratio composite. The ratioing process minimizes albedo effects, leaving only the recorded characteristic spectral response. The spectra of unaltered rocks appear different from those of altered rocks, which are typically dominated by limonite and clay minerals. It seems clear that differences in spectral shape can provide a basis for discrimination of geologic material, although the relations between visible and near-infrared spectral reflectivity and mineralogical composition are not yet entirely understood.

Rowan, L. C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Early Precambrian crustal evolution of south India

The Early Precambrian sequence in Karnataka, South India provides evidences for a distinct trend of evolution which differs from trends exhibited in many other Early Precambrian regions of the world. The supracrustal rock associations preserved in greenstone belts and as inclusions in gneisses and granulites suggest the evolution of the terrain from a stable to a mobile regime. The stable regime is represented by (1) layered ultramafic-mafic complexes, (2) orthoquartzite-basalt-rhyodacite-iron formation, and (30 ortho-quartzite-carbonate-Mn-Fe formation. The mobile regime, which can be shown on sedimentological grounds to have succeeded the stable regime, witnessed the accumulation of a greywacke-pillow basalt-dacite-rhyolite-iron formation association. Detrital sediments of the stable zone accumulated dominantly in fluvial environment and the associated volcanics are ubaerial. The volcanics of the stable regime are tholeiites derived from a zirconium and LREE-enriched sources. The greywackes of the mobile regime are turbidities, and the volcanic rocks possess continental margin (island-arc or back-arc) affinity; they show a LREE depleted to slightly LREE-enriched pattern. The evolution from a stable to a mobile regime is in contrast to the trend seen in most other regions of the world, where an early dominantly volcanic association of a mobile regime gives way upward in the sequence to sediments characteristic of a stable regime.

Srinivasan, R.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Predicting the Sources and Formation Mechanisms of Evolved Lunar Crust by Linking K/Ca Ratios of Lunar Granites to Analogous Terrestrial Igneous Rocks

Although silicic rocks (i.e. granites and rhyolites) comprise a minor component of the sampled portion of the lunar crust, recent remote sensing studies [e.g., 1-4] indicate that several un-sampled regions of the Moon have significantly higher concentrations of silicic material (also high in [K], [U], and [Th]) than sampled regions. Within these areas are morphological features that are best explained by the existence of chemically evolved volcanic rocks. Observations of silicic domes [e.g., 1-5] suggest that sizable networks of silicic melt were present during crust formation. Isotopic data indicate that silicic melts were generated over a prolonged timespan from 4.3 to 3.9 Ga [e.g., 6-8]. The protracted age range and broad distribution of silicic rocks on the Moon indicate that their petrogenesis was an important mechanism for secondary crust formation. Understanding the origin and evolution of such silicic magmas is critical to determining the composition of the lunar crustal highlands and will help to distinguish between opposing ideas for the Moon's bulk composition and differentiation. The two main hypotheses for generating silicic melts on Earth are fractional crystallization or partial melting. On the Moon silicic melts are thought to have been generated during extreme fractional crystallization involving end-stage silicate liquid immiscibility (SLI) [e.g. 9, 10]. However, SLI cannot account for the production of significant volumes of silicic melt and its wide distribution, as reported by the remote global surveys [1, 2, 3]. In addition, experimental and natural products of SLI show that U and Th, which are abundant in the lunar granites and seen in the remote sensing data of the domes, are preferentially partitioned into the depolymerized ferrobasaltic magma and not the silicic portion [11, 12]. If SLI is not the mechanism that generated silicic magmas on the Moon then alternative processes such as fractional crystallization (only crystal-liquid separation) or partial melting should be considered as viable possibilities to be tested.

Mills, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Authigenesis/Diagenesis of the Murray Formation Mudstone in Gale Crater, Mars

The Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity has been exploring sedimentary deposits in Gale crater since August, 2012. The rover has traversed up section through approximately 150 m of sedimentary rocks deposited in fluvial, deltaic, and lacustrine environments (Bradbury group and overlying Mount Sharp group). The Murray formation lies at the base of the Mt. Sharp group and has been interpreted to be a finely laminated mudstone likely deposited in a subaqueous lacustrine environment. Four drill samples from several elevations in the Murray fm have been acquired by the rover's sampling system and delivered to the CheMin XRD instrument. The lower section of the Murray fm contains 2:1 phyllosilicate(s), hematite, jarosite, XRD amorphous materials, and primary basaltic minerals. Further up section, the Murray fm contains magnetite, cristobalite, tridymite, abundant Si-rich XRD amorphous materials along with plagioclase and K-feldspars. Murray formation materials appear to have been altered under an open hydrologic system based on the bulk chemistry of these materials measured by the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS). The 2:1 phyllosilicate only occurs in the lowermost section of the Murray fm and may be detrital or formed during authigenesis of Murray fm materials, similar to the Fe-saponite and magnetite detected in a mudstone in the Yellowknife Bay fm near Curiosity's landing site (stratigraphically at the base of the Bradbury group). The occurrence of jarosite and hematite in the lower section indicates an acidic diagenetic event. These phases may have formed via several acidic alteration mechanisms, including (1) oxidative weathering of mafic igneous rocks containing sulfides; (2) sulfuric acid weathering of Fe-bearing phases; and (3) near-neutral pH subsurface solutions rich in Fe2(+) that were rapidly oxidized to Fe3(+), which produced excess acidity. The transition from abundant hematite in the lowermost Murray fm to magnetite moving up section may indicate changes in lake chemistry, i.e., variable redox conditions, possibly during authigenesis or subsequent diagenetic events. Tridymite, a high temperature mineral, (and possibly cristobalite) is detrital, potentially deposited in a lake from a distal silicic volcanic rock source or from crustal materials present prior to the Gale Crater impact event. Abundant Si-rich XRD amorphous materials in the upper sections of the Murray fm may be detrital or an aqueous alteration product of primary igneous phases and phyllosilicates. Curiosity's science team is still deciphering the authigenesis and diagenetic events that formed the Murray fm. The mineralogy and geochemistry of the formation suggest a complicated history with several (many?) episodes of aqueous alteration under a variety of environmental conditions.

Ming, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Regional analysis of tertiary volcanic Calderas (western U.S.) using Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery

The Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery of the Basin and Range province of southern Nevada was analyzed to identify and map volcanic rock assemblages at three Tertiary calderas. It was found that the longer-wavelength visible and the NIR TM Bands 3, 5, and 7 provide more effective lithologic discrimination than the shorter-wavelength bands, due partly to deeper penetration of the longer-wavelength bands, resulting in more lithologically driven radiances. Shorter-wavelength TM Bands 1 and 2 are affected more by surficial weathering products including desert varnish which may or may not provide an indirect link to lithologic identity. Guidelines for lithologic analysis of volcanic terrains using Landsat TM imagery are outlined.

Spatz, David M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A continental rift model for the La Grande greenstone belt

Stratigraphic relationships and the geochemistry of volcanic rocks contrain the nature and timing of the tectonic and magmatic processes in the pre-deformational history of the La Grande greenstone belt in the Superior Province of north-central Quebec. The lowermost supracrustals in this belt are obscured by syntectonic granitoid intrusives. The supracrustal succession in the western part of the belt consists of a lower sequence of immature clastic sediments and mafic volcanoclastics, overlain by pillowed and massive basalts. Further east, along tectonic strike, a lower sequence of mafic volcanoclastics and immature clastic sediments is overlain by a thick sequence of pillowed and massive basalts, and resedimented coarse clastic sediments and banded iron formation. These are overlain by assive basaltic andesites, andesites and intermediate volcanoclastics intercalated with immature clastic sediments. In contrast, in the eastern part of the belt lenses of felsic volcanics and volcanoclastics occur at the base of the succession and pillowed and massive basalts are overlain by komatiites at the top. The La Grande greenstone belt can be explained as the product of continental rifting. The restricted occurence of komatiites, and eastwardly directed paleocurrents in clastic sediments in the central part of the belt are consistent with rifting commencing in the east and propagating westward with time. The increase in depth of emplacement and deposition with time of the lower three units in the central part of the belt reflects deposition in a subsiding basin. These supracrustal rocks are believed to represent the initial rift succession.

Skulski, T.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Sizing up the sub-Tommotian unconformity in Siberia

Sedimentary rocks in the western Anabar region, northwestern Siberia, preserve an exceptional record of evolution and biogeochemical events near the Proterozoic-Cambrian boundary. Carbon isotopic data on petrographically and geochemically screened samples collected at 1 to 2 m intervals support correlation of the lower Anabar succession (Staraya Reckha and lower Manykai Formations) with sub-Tommotian carbonates of the Ust'-Yu-doma Formation in southeastern Siberia. In contrast, the upper Manykai and most of the overlying Medvezhya Formation appear to preserve a sedimentary and paleontological record of an evolutionary important time interval represented in southeastern Siberia only by the sub-Tommotian unconformity. Correlation of the Anabar section with other northern Siberian successions that contain well-dated volcanic rocks permits the estimate that the sub-Tommotian unconformity in southeastern Siberia spans approximately 3 to 6 m.y. Diverse small shelly fossils (but not archaeocyathans) previously thought to mark the base of the Tommotian Stage evolved sequentially throughout this earlier interval.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗
DOE OSTI2023

Validation of Play Fairway Analysis of the geothermal potential of Camas Prairie, south-central Idaho, by an exploration well

Abstract Play Fairway Analysis (PFA) methodology was adapted for geothermal exploration at Camas Prairie, Idaho. Geophysical data, structural and geologic mapping, volcanic rock ages and vent locations, and the distribution of thermal springs and wells all indicated a relatively high geothermal potential along the southern margin of the Prairie. An exploration well (USU Camas-1) was drilled to a depth of 618.3 m to validate the PFA. A permeable zone was encountered at ~ 357.5 m with a maximum measured temperature of ~ 80 °C, which was suppressed following the injection of cold water. A moderate transmissivity of ~ 0.25–1 cm 2 /s estimated from an injection test as well a seasonal artesian flow at ~ 0.7 L/s corroborate the presence of a permeable zone. The existence of a lacustrine clay seal was confirmed near the bottom of the basin-fill sediment occupying the upper 314 m of the well. Geothermometers suggest the USU Camas-1 well water equilibrated at a reservoir temperature of ~ 120 °C. Based on the locations of both thermal and cold wells, geothermal fluids appear to be flowing upward along one or both of two fault systems. The presence of young basalts and elevated helium isotope ratios suggest that the heat source of Camas Prairie is magmatic. However, the faults may be acting as a conduit for geothermal fluids to rise from great depth without a shallow magmatic source being present. Camas Prairie is a promising area for geothermal development, but the relatively low reservoir temperatures indicate this resource may not be suitable for electric generation. Perhaps the best use would be for heating.

Lachmar, Thomas E. (ORCID:0000000249640119)↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Frequency-Domain-Based Algorithm for Detecting Microseismicity Using Dense Surface Seismic Arrays

We propose a new frequency-domain-based algorithm for detecting small-magnitude seismic events using dense surface seismic arrays. Our proposed method takes advantage of the high energy carried by S waves, and approximate known source locations, which are used to rotate the horizontal components to obtain the maximum amplitude. By surrounding the known source area with surface geophones, we achieve a favorable geometry for locating the detected seismic events with the backprojection method. To test our new detection method, we used a dense circular array, consisting of 151 5 Hz three-component geophones, over a 5 km aperture that was in operation at the Utah Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) in southcentral Utah. We apply the new detection method during a small-scale test injection phase at FORGE, and during an aftershock sequence of an Mw 4.1 earthquake located ~30 km north of the geophone array, within the Black Rock volcanic field. We are able to detect and locate microseismic events (Mw<0) during injections, despite the high level of anthropogenic activity, and several aftershocks that are missing from the regional catalog. By comparing our method with known algorithms that operate both in the time and frequency domain, we show that our proposed method performs better in the case of the FORGE injection monitoring, and equally well for the off-array aftershock sequence. Our new method has the potential to improve microseismic event detections even in extremely noisy environments, and the proposed location scheme serves as a direct discriminant between true and false detections.

Geochemistry & Geophysics↗
DOE OSTI2022

Combined Cycle Integrated Thermal Energy Storage “CiTES” (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

The Phase I of this project confirmed the technical feasibility of a Combined Cycle integrated Thermal Energy Storage “CiTES” system, calculated the key performance parameters like power efficiency and costs, and proved its commercial value with full-year simulations for several US electricity markets with high degree of variable renewable generation and volatile hourly electricity prices. The core element of this project is the Electro Thermal Energy Storage (ETES) technology from Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy GmbH, using thermally stable and inexpensive volcanic rocks as storage material and air as heat transfer medium. This technology is backed by more than 10 years of experience and a 440MMBTU (130MWh-th) pilot plant in Hamburg, Germany, which is in operation since 2019. The integration of this thermal storage in an existing combined cycle power plant (CCPP) is typical power plant technology without any major technology risks. It allows the storage of inexpensive renewable energy during times of surplus renewable generation and the discharge of this energy in times of high energy demand when the fossil plant is in operation. This supplements the fossil power generation with CO2-emission-free energy. The secondary effect of the CiTES system is that a small part of the stored thermal energy is used to keep the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and steam turbine (ST) of the combined cycle power plant in hot and ready-to-start condition. This enables the plant to start rapidly when fossil generation is required to satisfy demand as soon variable generation drops off in the evenings or during cloud cover and calm wind periods. Without pre-warming of the HRSG and ST, the CCPP would need several hours for a cold or warm start, burn a lot of gas and release high NOx emissions during start and wouldn’t be able to use the short times of high energy prices in an efficient or economical manner. The economic parameters of CiTES were determined by a full year “8760” simulation using a data set calculation for each of the hours of the year, and historical electricity and gas prices. For consistency, the simulations were focused on the pre-COVID year 2019. The financially most attractive markets were in the Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) region, which allowed substantial value generation with arbitrage (charge with cheap energy during renewable surplus times and discharge when energy is needed and expensive). The improvement of flexibility with the CiTES system by pre-heating and warm-keeping of the CCPP allowed for additional power generation during short time periods when demand is high but renewable generation is down; when the hourly energy prices are highest in these markets. The simulations are based on 2019 data, when ERCOT had 27GW of installed photovoltaic (PV) and wind generation. They showed that the created revenue with the prototypically sized CiTES system of 1,000MMBTU (300MWh-th) falls a little bit short of what is expected from a commercially viable investment. The system has optimization opportunities for cost reduction and increased effectiveness which will be realized during a potential Phase II Pre-FEED study following this project. Furthermore, it is safe to assume that a lot of renewable generation capacity will be added all over the US in the coming years. As an example, ERCOT is predicting to more than double its renewable generation from 27GW in 2019 to a forecasted 63GW in 2023. This will increase the amount of renewable overproduction exponentially. This rapid increase of local overproduction and the need to curtail renewable generation is well documented by the California ISO (www.CAISO.com / managing oversupply). However, the simulations also revealed a weakness in the structure of the electricity markets in the US. More specifically, when electricity prices are very low and approaching negative levels, the owners of Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) will curtail a part of their facility to stabilize the price by reducing supply. This results in a situation in which storage facilities, which are integrated in existing fossil assets and don’t have the behind-the-meter benefit of a VRE, won’t be able to purchase low cost – otherwise curtailed – renewable energy off the grid. A special tariff, which motivates VRE owners to sell otherwise curtailed renewable energy to storage facilities (Hydrogen, thermal, pumped hydro, etc.) can solve this issue. The implementation of such a regulating tariff by Independent System Operators, thus avoiding renewable curtailment, is a pre condition for successful commercialization for renewable energy storage technologies. With this advancement of design and technology and improvements in the market environment, it can be expected that the Combined Cycle integrated Thermal Energy Storage proves itself as an important innovation to keep highly efficient, natural gas-based power generation economically successful and relevant for the power industry in the United States of America.

Wolf, Thorsten↗