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At least 145 records · Page 8

Flexible cryogenic air separation unit—An application for low-carbon fossil-fuel plants

In this study, the rapid integration of intermittent renewable sources into the electricity grid is driving the need for a flexible cryogenic air separation unit (ASU) coupled with a low-carbon fossil-fuel plant. However, the state-of-the-art ASU process is highly integrated and nonlinear, which can significantly restrict its ramping rate. In this work, we study the fundamental dynamics of a state-of-the-art double-column ASU, focusing on the dynamic characteristics of the highly integrated and nonlinear heat and mass transfers, and we propose basic control methods for achieving high process ramping rates. We found that the vapor–liquid countercurrent flows in the low-pressure column are critical to the cryogenic rectification of air, which governs the ramp rate of the ASU. This countercurrent flow structure is created through a complex heat integration process in the ASU. Here, this process is simplified as a countercurrent heat transfer to reduce the complexity of studying the ASU dynamics. To preserve this flow structure, the heat integration is maintained so that its heat duty follows the ASU load, using several basic controllers on the critical stream flowrates. A flow-driven dynamic ASU model is built in Aspen Plus Dynamics to capture the basic ramping dynamics. This model revealed a fundamental mismatch in the dynamics in the ASU column that causes a significant loss of O 2 product purity when ramping down the ASU and slightly increases the purity when ramping up. Based on these findings, we propose a basic control method for rapidly ramping down/up the ASU while maintaining O 2 product purity. Simulation results show the ASU basic dynamic process successfully ramps at a rate up to 10 %/min (40–100 % load) while maintaining the O 2 product purity at 95.2–95.6 mol%.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Model-based predictive control of multi-stage air-source heat pumps integrated with phase change material-embedded ceilings

This paper presents a model-based predictive control strategy to optimize the operations of phase change material (PCM) ceiling panels coupled with a multi-stage air-source heat pump. A three-stage prototype heat pump unit has been built and tested in the laboratory, with the low and medium stages designed for space heating/cooling and the high compression stage dedicated to charging of the PCM energy storage. To facilitate optimal control of the integrated heat pump system, a mixed-integer linear programming formulation is derived through linearization of the heat pump model and a mixed-integer reformulation of the PCM dynamic governing equations. A predictive control strategy is synthesized based on the resultant control formulation and implemented in a receding horizon scheme that optimizes the PCM charging and the zone temperature schedules simultaneously to leverage both the passive (associated with building construction materials) and active (PCM) storage capacities of a building. The control strategy has been tested along with three benchmarking control scenarios using a co-simulation platform for a prototypical detached house in Atlanta, GA. In this study, test results showed that application of the proposed control strategy to the PCM-integrated heat pump could provide 27.1% electricity cost savings while a fine tuned rule-based control strategy could achieve cost savings of 20.4%, compared to a baseline case without PCM storage, under a time-of-use rate tariff.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Design, Development and Testing Plan for Energy Efficiency Algorithms Related to Building-Integrated Cooling, Heating, and Power Systems

Building-integrated cooling, heating and power (CHP) systems are more efficient than conventional systems at providing local power and thermal energy, and favorable fuel prices are bound to spur their increased adoption. It is estimated that the total CHP technical potential in the commercial building sector is approximately 76 GW, but only a small fraction of it is actually deployed. Advanced control and monitoring systems that realize the full potential of these CHP systems can transform this capacity into an asset for both the owner and the grid and also accelerate the adoption of these systems in the building sector. However, to realize the full benefit of the CHP systems, we must ensure persistence of energy efficient operations. It has been demonstrated by several studies that as much as 30% of building energy use is wasted. Much of the waste results from the inability to anticipate load variations (design day vs. non-design day operations; diurnal variation of loads), identify improper operation, and efficiently operate, control and maintain building systems. Moreover, many buildings, even those with adequate control infrastructure, lack knowledgeable staff to operate and maintain energy systems. Operators of buildings with CHP systems will constantly need to make tradeoffs (economic dispatch) between onsite power generation and purchasing power, between onsite heat production from distributed generation versus heating/cooling from conventional systems, and different passive and active load management measures. Much of the inefficiency in the current building operations can be eliminated by use of automated performance monitoring (PM), real-time commissioning verification (CxV) and automated fault detection and diagnostic (AFDD) tools. Automation can help system operators make intelligent decisions. Remote and continuous monitoring of system conditions and performance will enable better management and integration of CHP with existing building systems. Continuous PM, real-time CxV and AFDD could alleviate burdens for operations staff, enhance operations and maintenance (O&M), and improve reliability of building and CHP systems. To address the O&M challenges and to provide a means to maximize the rate-of-return of building-integrated CHP systems, the Building Technologies Office (BTO) within the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) initiated a project to design, develop, and field test a VOLTTRON™-based supervisory controller and associated open-source algorithms. These algorithms will ensure real-time optimal operation of a building-integrated CHP system, support electric grid reliability, and lead to achieving the goal of a clean, efficient, reliable and affordable next-generation integrated energy systems. This report lists the components for which PM, real-time CxV and AFDD algorithms will be developed, how the algorithms will be tested, and metrics that will be used to validate the algorithms and easy of deployment. Deployment of these algorithms in the field will result in savings reduction in energy consumption of between 10% and 20%.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Using MathCad to Evaluate Exact Integral Formulations of Spacecraft Orbital Heats for Primitive Surfaces at Any Orientation

With the advent of high speed computing Monte Carlo ray tracing techniques has become the preferred method for evaluating spacecraft orbital heats. Monte Carlo has its greatest advantage where there are many interacting surfaces. However Monte Carlo programs are specialized programs that suffer from some inaccuracy, long calculation times and high purchase cost. A general orbital heating integral is presented here that is accurate, fast and runs on MathCad, a generally available engineering mathematics program. The integral is easy to read, understand and alter. The integral can be applied to unshaded primitive surfaces at any orientation. The method is limited to direct heating calculations. This integral formulation can be used for quick orbit evaluations and spot checking Monte Carlo results.

Pinckney, John↗

Heat Transfer of an Integrated Counterflow Ceramic Heat Exchanger

The ceramic-based heat exchanger is one of the leading contenders for high-efficiency concentrating solar power plants using a molten salt heat transfer fluid and a supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton power cycle operating at temperatures above 700 °C due to the excellent resistance of ceramics to corrosion, oxidation, erosion, creep, and fouling. In the present study, the thermal performance of a ceramic silicon carbide prototype heat exchanger, with semi-elliptical heat transfer channels, integrated header channels, and a counterflow configuration fabricated by using binder jetting additive manufacturing, was experimentally investigated. Experimental heat transfer tests of the prototype were conducted at high temperatures and under various test fluid flow rates and inlet temperatures. The experimental heat transfer rates compared favorably with simulation predictions.

Yu, Wenhua (ORCID:0000000219457014)↗

Thermostructural applications of heat pipes

The feasibility of integrating heat pipes in high temperature structure to reduce local hot spot temperature was evaluated for a variety of hypersonic aerospace vehicles. From an initial list of twenty-two potential applications, the single stage to orbit wing leading edge showed the greatest promise and was selected for preliminary design of an integrated heat pipe thermostructural system. The design consisted of a Hastelloy X assembly with sodium heat pipe passages aligned normal to the wing leading edge. A d-shaped heat pipe cross section was determined to be optimum from the standpoint of structural weight.

Peeples, M. E.↗

A heat & mass integration approach to reduce capital and operating costs of a distillation configuration

We propose a general method to consolidate distillation columns of a distillation configuration using heat and mass integration. The proposed method encompasses all heat and mass integrations known till date, and includes many more. Each heat and mass integration eliminates a distillation column, a condenser, a reboiler and the heat duty associated with a reboiler. Thus, heat and mass integration can potentially offer significant capital and operating cost benefits. In this talk, we will study the various possible heat and mass integrations in detail, and demonstrate their benefits using case studies. This work will lay out a framework to synthesize an entire new class of useful configurations based on heat and mass integration of distillation columns.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Low-Carbon Energy for Industry

The industrial sector is a major energy user. In the U.S., it uses 26 quadrillion Btu (quad) annually of the total U.S. energy load of 98 quad/yr. Globally, the industrial fraction of energy use is similar - 29%. Finding and developing low carbon energy sources for industrial energy is challenging because the sector is heterogenous and primarily requires heat. Heat is less fungible than electricity because it has a variety of temperature and quantity requirements and current technologies are incapable of moving heat efficiently across long distances. Heat integration is very common within facilities but cross-facility heat integration and valorization could provide new opportunities. NREL has performed work to identify opportunities for use of geothermal, nuclear, and solar integrated process heat in industry that are presented. A key challenge is matching the requirements of a heat load with the low carbon generation options.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Carbon Mitigation Potential of Heat Pump Integrated with Thermal Storage for Grid-Interactive Residential Buildings

Residential buildings’ heating and cooling loads are associated with significant carbon emissions and peak electricity demand. Phase change material (PCM) based thermal energy storage (TES) can be used for space heating and cooling by embedding into the heat pump equipment. Past work on TES integrated with heat pumps (HP) has demonstrated significant load shifting and economic benefits. However, the potential for TES to reduce carbon emissions has not been widely explored. This study evaluates carbon mitigation potential of an ice-based TES coupled to HP (HP-TES) based on a simple rule-based control strategy accounting for electric grid emissions data. A vapor compression HP model using Engineering Equation Solver (EES). The modeled HP-TES system for single-family residential building demonstrates decreased carbon emissions with reduced peak utility cost.

Sultan, Sara↗

PCM Selection for Heat Pump Integrated with Thermal Energy Storage for Demand Response in Residential Buildings

Phase Change Materials (PCM) based Thermal energy storage (TES) is a widespread solution to shift buildings’ peak energy demand and add stability to the grid. PCMs can be used for space heating and cooling applications in residential buildings by integrating into the heat pump equipment or building envelope via several possible configurations. The heat pump integrated active PCM storage can provide significant energy savings and reduce peak demand, but the benefits vary substantially depending on the system configuration, storage capacity, and the temperature range of the PCM used. It is critical to provide a review of the materials and their suitability in heat pump integrated PCM systems. This paper will present an analysis of the PCM material selection for heat pump integrated TES in various configurations. The comprehensive review will compare the phase change materials with different melting temperatures, and configurations, corresponding to the energy savings and demand impact reported in the literature. This work is significant to guide the design of high-performance heat pump integrated PCM systems.

Sultan, Sara↗

Numerical Investigation of High Delta T Sensible Storage Integrated CO2 Heat Pump: Preprint

To assist building heating electrification, this paper numerically investigates a load flexible heat pump system for commercial buildings. The system consists of a CO2 vapor compression cycle, a sensible thermal storage tank, and an air handling unit. The thermal storage medium is inexpensive, non-toxic and stable anti-freeze solution (30% potassium acetate). The air handing unit has an indoor coil and a ventilation coil. The system can be used to manage building electric load. During peak hours, the heat pump is off and the hot solution water is discharged from the tank to heat up the indoor air and ventilation air. During the hour of charge, the heat pump delivers hot solution water to the tank and to the air. The tank can also stand by while the heat pump provides space heating directly. We selected a medium sized office building located in Minnesota as the representative building and used EnergyPlus to obtain its 24 hour load data. We designed three storage tank volumes assuming 50 degrees C, 65 degrees C and 80 degrees C tank temperatures to independently provide the building load for 4 hours in the morning. The higher the tank temperature, the smaller the required volume, and thus higher energy density. The effective energy density is 78 with an 80 degrees C tank, and 40 kWhth/m3 with 50 degrees C. We simulated the tank integrated heat pump performance subjected to the 24-hour building load profile and ambient data. The baseline is the same system without storage tank. There was a trade-off between the storage energy density and the charging COP. The charge hour COP was 2.77 to charge the tank to 80 degrees C, and 3.01 to 50 degrees C. The proposed system could shift building load from the peak hours (8:00 - 12:00) to off-business hour (23:00 - 7:00+1). It eliminated 100% compressor electricity use during the peak hours, and avoided a peak electric power of 34 kW. The 65 degrees C tank saved 9.5 kWhe (4%) considering all day operation, which was the best balance between energy density and the system operation efficiency among the three options.

CO2 heat pump↗

Open-source simulation platform for air source heat pump integrated with thermal energy storage

Here, this article introduces a modular simulation platform for assessing thermal energy storage (TES) integrated with air source heat pumps (ASHP). The Python platform is an open-source library that includes classes for modeling air-air and air-water heat pumps, TES devices, and the heating load of residential buildings. To validate the ASHP model, the study utilized experimental data obtained from a commercial heat pump evaluated at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The results indicate a mean deviation of 0.7% for COP across the operating range, with a maximum relative deviation of 12.6%. In terms of system heating capacity, the model had an average deviation of 4.3% compared to experimental results, with a maximum deviation of 8.2%. Three classes were implemented for modeling distinct types of TES devices: a generic TES based on energy balances, a sensible isothermal water tank, and a stratified water tank. Details of the mathematical models are provided, along with their respective strengths and limitations. An example is provided showcasing the integration of a residential 10 kWh thermal storage unit with an ASHP operating in Denver, CO. The comparison of two different discharge criteria for the TES unit highlights the importance of control strategies in the system performance.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Status of not-in-kind refrigeration technologies for household space conditioning, water heating and food refrigeration

This paper presents a review of the next generation not-in-kind technologies to replace conventional vapor compression refrigeration technology for household applications. Such technologies are sought to provide energy savings or other environmental benefits for space conditioning, water heating and refrigeration for domestic use. These alternative technologies include: thermoacoustic refrigeration, thermoelectric refrigeration, thermotunneling, magnetic refrigeration, Stirling cycle refrigeration, pulse tube refrigeration, Malone cycle refrigeration, absorption refrigeration, adsorption refrigeration, and compressor driven metal hydride heat pumps. Furthermore, heat pump water heating and integrated heat pump systems are also discussed due to their significant energy saving potential for water heating and space conditioning in households. The paper provides a snapshot of the future R&D needs for each of the technologies along with the associated barriers. Both thermoelectric and magnetic technologies look relatively attractive due to recent developments in the materials and prototypes being manufactured.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

The Next-Generation Goddard Convective-Stratiform Heating Algorithm: New Tropical and Warm-Season Retrievals for GPM

The Goddard convective-stratiform heating (CSH) algorithm, used to estimate cloud heating in support of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), is upgraded in support of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. The algorithm's lookup tables (LUTs) are revised using new and additional cloud-resolving model (CRM) simulations from the Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model, producing smoother heating patterns that span a wider range of intensities because of the increased sampling and finer GPM product grid. Low-level stratiform cooling rates are reduced in the land LUTs for a given rain intensity because of the rain evaporation correction in the new four-class ice (4ICE) scheme. Additional criteria, namely, echo-top heights and low-level reflectivity gradients, are tested for the selection of heating profiles. Those resulting LUTs show greater and more precise variation in their depth of heating as well as a tendency for stronger cooling and heating rates when low-level dBZ values decrease toward the surface. Comparisons versus TRMM for a 3-month period show much more low-level heating in the GPM retrievals because of increased detection of shallow convection, while upper-level heating patterns remain similar. The use of echo tops and low-level reflectivity gradients greatly reduces midlevel heating from ~2 to 5 km in the mean GPM heating profile, resulting in a more top-heavy profile like TRMM versus a more bottom-heavy profile with much more midlevel heating. Integrated latent heating rates are much better balanced versus surface rainfall for the GPM retrievals using the additional selection criteria with an overall bias of +4.3%.

Lang, Stephen E.↗

Parallel heat transport in integrable and chaotic magnetic fields

The study of transport in magnetized plasmas is a problem of fundamental interest in controlled fusion, space plasmas, and astrophysics research. Three issues make this problem particularly challenging: (i) The extreme anisotropy between the parallel (i.e., along the magnetic field), {chi}{sub ||} , and the perpendicular, {chi}{sub Up-Tack }, conductivities ({chi}{sub ||} /{chi}{sub Up-Tack} may exceed 10{sup 10} in fusion plasmas); (ii) Nonlocal parallel transport in the limit of small collisionality; and (iii) Magnetic field lines chaos which in general complicates (and may preclude) the construction of magnetic field line coordinates. Motivated by these issues, we present a Lagrangian Green's function method to solve the local and non-local parallel transport equation applicable to integrable and chaotic magnetic fields in arbitrary geometry. The method avoids by construction the numerical pollution issues of grid-based algorithms. The potential of the approach is demonstrated with nontrivial applications to integrable (magnetic island), weakly chaotic (Devil's staircase), and fully chaotic magnetic field configurations. For the latter, numerical solutions of the parallel heat transport equation show that the effective radial transport, with local and non-local parallel closures, is non-diffusive, thus casting doubts on the applicability of quasilinear diffusion descriptions. General conditions for the existence of non-diffusive, multivalued flux-gradient relations in the temperature evolution are derived.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

A Three-Dimensional Numerical Investigation of a Novel Shallow Bore Ground Heat Exchanger Integrated with Phase Change Material

The heat transfer performance of an innovative design of ground heat exchanger, called underground thermal battery (UTB), was investigated in this paper. The UTB is designed to be installed in a shallow subsurface of the ground (less than 20 ft or 6 m below the grade), which is much shallower than the vertical bores (deeper than 200 ft or 60 m) required for installing conventional vertical bore ground heat exchangers (VBGHE). The UTB consists of a water-filled tank that also contains a phase change material (PCM), which impart the UTB a large thermal storage capacity. A three-dimensional (3D) numerical model has been developed to evaluate the performance of the UTB and to compare it with a conventional VBGHE. The simulation results indicated that a UTB can better regulate the entering water temperature of a ground source heat pump (GSHP) for more efficient operation than a conventional VBGHE under short-term high thermal load conditions. In addition, the UTB can make more effective use of PCMs compared with using PCMs to replace the conventional grouting material in a VBGHE.

42 ENGINEERING↗