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FY23 Update: Surface Sampling Activities for the Canister Deposition Field Demonstration
This report describes the results of a field demonstration of the proposed surface sampling techniques and plan for the multi-year Canister Deposition Field Demonstration (CDFD). The CDFD will evaluate salt deposition rates on three commercial 32PTH2 NUHOMS welded stainless steel storage canisters in Advanced Horizontal Storage Modules. Exposure testing is planned for up to 10 years and will incorporate periodic surface sampling campaigns. The goal of the planned dust sampling and analysis is to determine important environmental parameters that impact the potential occurrence of stress corrosion cracking on spent nuclear fuel (SNF) dry storage canisters. Specifically, measured dust deposition rates and deposited particle sizes will improve parameterization of dust deposition models employed to predict the potential occurrence and timing of stress corrosion cracks on the stainless steel SNF canisters. Previously, a preliminary sampling plan was developed, identifying possible sampling locations on the canister surfaces and sampling intervals; possible sampling methods were also described. Building from previous work, this report documents hand sampling from a spent nuclear fuel canister on a transfer skid mockup designed by Sandia National Laboratories. The sampling took place from a boom lift and salts were collected from mounted sample plates. The results of these efforts are presented in this report and compared to previous laboratory-controlled tests. The information obtained from the CDFD will be critical for ongoing efforts to develop a detailed understanding of the potential for stress corrosion cracking of SNF dry storage canisters.
Field Demonstration of the Brick Ontology to Scale up the Deployment of ASHRAE Guideline 36 Control Sequences
Many commercial buildings have a vast network of sensors as part of their building automation systems (BAS) that allows opportunities for energy consumption and cost savings by deploying advanced control sequences. However, this resource is often underutilized since BAS are typically programmed with simple control sequences with limited potential to deliver on these opportunities. The recent availability of ASHRAE Guideline 36 (G36) with advanced HVAC control sequences supports control retrofits in existing buildings to unlock much of the savings potential. However, barriers such as the lack of standard naming convention of building assets and data points, proprietary equipment and BAS, and the inherent uniqueness of buildings and their systems prevent building stakeholders from adopting any “plug-and-play” implementation of G36. Instead, control vendors must often undertake the manual and labor-intensive point mapping process to identify a data stream’s functional and spatial relationship within the HVAC system along with other relevant contexts and map it to the new control sequences. The vendor must carry out the point mapping process in each individual building since the mapping is unlikely to port over to another building. Even for the same building, the point mapping process can occur multiple times if various control vendors implement different control retrofits and/or multiple control retrofits happen over the lifecycle of the building. Then, there is the likelihood that G36 control sequences are programmed uniquely to the building, preventing the same implementation from being reused in another. Therefore, this paper presents a field demonstration of how we leveraged the Brick ontology with BACnet, OpenBuildingControl’s Control Description Language (CDL), and open-source support tools to implement scalable and portable advanced building controls. These tools provide standardized semantic descriptions and relationships of the building’s assets and data points (Brick), standardized communication protocol to read from and write to the building’s BAS (BACnet), and standardized code implementations (CDL) of standardized advanced control strategies (G36). We implemented G36’s hot water supply temperature setpoint reset in a Berkeley, CA building for this field demonstration. This field demonstration aims to show how integrating these tools may streamline the deployment of advanced control sequences such as G36 in a consistent manner regardless of differences found across buildings.
Phase II Field Demonstration at Lansing Smith Generating Plant, Southport, Florida (Final Report)
The Final Technical Report: Field Test Design and Pressure Management Strategies for Phase II Field Demonstration of Optimal Pressure Control, Plume Management, and Produced Water Strategies presents the culmination of multi-year efforts under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brine Extraction and Storage Test (BEST) program, led by EPRI in partnership with Gulf Power at the Plant Smith site near Panama City, Florida. The project was designed to evaluate and demonstrate the technical feasibility of managing subsurface pressures and fluid movement associated with large-scale CO₂ injection, using low-salinity water as a proxy fluid. Through a combination of field injection testing, reservoir modeling, and optimization studies, the research team developed and refined active and passive brine extraction strategies aimed at controlling injection-induced pressure buildup, mitigating risks of fault activation, and managing plume migration. The field demonstration incorporated a new injection well (TIW-2), a new monitoring/extraction well (TEMW-A), and an existing well (TIW-1) repurposed for passive pressure relief. Complementary geophysical monitoring was designed to track plume development and evaluate the effectiveness of pressure management strategies. The report details the integrated workflow encompassing wellfield development, regulatory permitting, model calibration, and survey design. It includes a comprehensive electromagnetic (EM) modeling and inversion study used to develop a cost-effective, time-lapse geophysical monitoring plan capable of imaging the evolving low-salinity plume within the highly saline Lower Tuscaloosa formation. Reservoir simulation results guided the design of the 17-month injection program and the timing of active extraction to maintain formation pressures below a hypothetical fault reactivation threshold. Supporting analyses evaluated potential injectivity risks related to clay fines migration and geochemical incompatibility, identifying practical mitigation measures such as salinity and pH control. The final design recommends a series of crosswell EM surveys—conducted before, during, and after injection—as the most effective and economical approach for plume imaging, supplemented by continuous downhole pressure and flow monitoring. Collectively, the study provides a field-ready framework for cost-effective pressure management and monitoring in support of future CO₂ storage projects.
Real-time well integrity monitoring in underground gas storage wells using distributed temperature and strain sensing: a field demonstration
Here, this article presents the first successful field demonstration of a combined distributed temperature and strain sensing (DTSS) system installed directly on newly replaced tubing in a 5400-ft-deep operational underground gas storage well. The DTSS system uses a single optical fiber to monitor temperature and strain in real-time, providing a cost-effective solution for long-term well integrity assessment. In this study, the strain–stress correlation of the tubing—representative of material behavior analysis—is investigated as a potential method for monitoring tubing integrity throughout its lifetime. Moreover, the DTSS system’s capability to support both continuous and discrete monitoring is evaluated by comparing future data with historical records, enabling the early detection of issues such as material fatigue, corrosion, or deformation. Overall, the work examines the effectiveness and scalability of the DTSS system for real-time monitoring of well operations and integrity in a newly replaced well.
Experiences and Lessons from Field Demonstration of Grid-forming Inverter in An AC Microgrid
The validation of GFM control strategies through simulation and hardware demonstration is important before their large-scale deployments in the real grid. Considering the importance of testing and validation, several works have explored the GFM inverter’s capability to blackstart a microgrid, synchronize and share loads, and interact with various types of generation sources and loads present in the grid. Herein, this paper complements the existing works by presenting the results and analysis of a field demonstration in an actual AC microgrid. The capability of a three-level neutral point clamped (NPC) GFM inverter equipped with a recursive feedback type of non-linear device level control to operate with PV source on its DC input and off-the-shelf PVGFL inverters and EV chargers of different kinds on the AC side is explored. The analysis and conclusions drawn would inform the readers to make better decisions during the field demonstration process.
Large Scale Field Demonstration Evaluation Plan
This Evaluation Plan defines practical, commissioning-oriented test protocols for in-field assessment of grid-forming (GFM) inverter-based resources (IBRs) deployed under the UNIFI Consortium Field Demonstration. The demonstration’s overarching objective is to validate multi vendor GFM technologies at impactful unit/plant scale, assess interoperability and grid-service performance, and evaluate the applicability of the UNIFI Specifications for Grid-forming Inverter-based Resources in real utility environments, including integration with operational systems and protection schemes.
Development of Surface Sampling Techniques for the Canister Deposition Field Demonstration (FY22 Update)
This report describes the proposed surface sampling techniques and plan for the multi-year Canister Deposition Field Demonstration (CDFD). The CDFD is primarily a dust deposition test that will use three commercial 32PTH2 NUHOMS welded stainless steel storage canisters in Advanced Horizontal Storage Modules, with planned exposure testing for up to 10 years at an operating ISFSI site. One canister will be left at ambient condition, unheated; the other two will have heaters to achieve canister surface temperatures that match, to the degree possible, spent nuclear fuel (SNF) loaded canisters with heat loads of 10 kW and 40 kW. Surface sampling campaigns for dust analysis will take place on a yearly or bi-yearly basis. The goal of the planned dust sampling and analysis is to determine important environmental parameters that impact the potential occurrence of stress corrosion cracking on SNF dry storage canisters. Specifically, measured dust deposition rates and deposited particle sizes will improve parameterization of dust deposition models employed to predict the potential occurrence and timing of stress corrosion cracks on the stainless steel SNF canisters. The size, morphology, and composition of the deposited dust and salt particles will be quantified, as well as the soluble salt load per unit area and the rate of deposition, as a function of canister surface temperature, location, time, and orientation. Previously, a preliminary sampling plan was developed, identifying possible sampling locations on the canister surfaces and sampling intervals; possible sampling methods were also described. Further development of the sampling plan has commenced through three different tasks. First, canister surface roughness, a potentially important parameter for air flow and dust deposition, was characterized at several locations on one of the test canisters. Second, corrosion testing to evaluate the potential lifetime and aging of thermocouple wires, spot welds, and attachments was initiated. Third, hand sampling protocols were developed, and initial testing was carried out. The results of those efforts are presented in this report. The information obtained from the CDFD will be critical for ongoing efforts to develop a detailed understanding of the potential for stress corrosion cracking of SNF dry storage canisters.
Thermal and Deposition Modeling Update for the Canister Deposition Field Demonstration
This report provides an update on the thermal and deposition modeling being performed in support of the Canister Deposition Field Demonstration (CDFD). The goal of the CDFD testing is to collect deposition measurements on the surface of the dry shielded canister (DSC) to aid in chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC) research. Ideally, this testing will occur in a marine coastal environment, but at the time of this report, no official site has been selected. The CDFD plans to use the NUHOMS® Advanced Horizontal Storage Module – High Seismic (AHSM-HS) with a 32PTH2 canister. The spent nuclear fuel (SNF) assemblies will be mimicked with electrical heaters. Canisters are currently being outfitted with these heaters and tested at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). Thermal modeling was conducted to ensure the electrical heaters are representative of the temperature distribution found within a storage system with SNF. Deposition models were also built to evaluate particulate deposition on SNF canisters. A preliminary site model was constructed to support a planned upcoming ambient aerosol characterization campaign.
FY23 Update: Aerosol Sampling for the Canister Deposition Field Demonstration
This report describes the results of preliminary testing of aerosol monitoring equipment that will be used to continuously monitor the aerosol source term for the multi-year Canister Deposition Field Demonstration (CDFD). These data are required inputs for the development and validation of models for the deposition of dust and potentially corrosive salts on the surface of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) dry storage canisters. Surface salt loads correlate with the extent of corrosion damage on a metal surface, and potentially to the likelihood and timing of initiation of stress corrosion cracks. Aerosols will be monitored at the CDFD site using three instruments. A Dekati ® ELPI+ cascade impactor will be used for real-time monitoring of aerosol particle sizes. It will also collect dust in 14 size bins on impactor targets that can be chemically analyzed to determine the soluble salts present as a function of particle size. However, this instrument can only measure dried aerosols, with a diameter of <10 µm. The second instrument is a Topas laser particle size spectrometer, which provides real-time monitoring of aerosol particle sizes up to ~40 µm in size. It monitors both the ambient (potentially deliquesced) aerosol particle size distributions required for the dust deposition models and the distributions of the equivalent dried particles, allowing correlation with the Dekati ® data. However, it does not discriminate between inert dust particles and salt aerosols, and it does not retain samples of the different particle sizes for later analysis. The third instrument that will monitor aerosols at the CDFD site is a Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET) tower, which uses a multiple canister system to collect weekly samples for analysis to total suspended aerosol particle compositions and atmospheric gas concentrations. This status report describes work in FY23 to develop the capabilities for using these tools. In two training exercises, the cascade impactor and laser particle sizer were deployed in two different testing environments, one indoor and one outdoor. For the cascade impactor, the tests provided opportunities for the operators to familiarize themselves with impactor substrate preparation, and post-test sample removal and analysis. For the laser particle sizer, the tests were used to evaluate different instrument parameters, to determine the most appropriate settings for capturing transient events. Data and samples were collected for weeks to months for each test, and the results are presented here. In addition to the preliminary testing, contracts were developed with WSP Analytical Labs for sample preparation and analysis of the cascade impactor samples. The impactor tower from outdoor test was delivered to WSP and used to train the staff there in disassembly, sample extraction, sample analysis, and tower reassembly with new target substrates. These are tasks that WSP will be performing routinely for the CDFD project. The CASTNET system cannot be purchased or tested until an actual site has been selected for the CDFD test. Work for this FY has been restricted to preparation of contracts for purchasing the CASTNET tower, and for sample analysis, once the tower is in operation.
CalWave - Open Water Demonstration - Field Testing Content Models (10/21 - 7/22)
Data for the CalWave - Open Water Demonstration, a submerged pressure differential Wave Energy Converter (WEC) Device. Device is moored to the seabed, and the motion of the waves causes the sea level to rise and fall above the device, inducing a pressure differential in the device. The alternating pressure pumps fluid through a system to generate electricity, which is transmitted to shore via bidirectional cables. Documentation and data here includes: Open Water Demonstration, including field testing content models for nearly 10 months of continuous ocean operation, from October 2021 through July 2022.
Digitizing Today’s Buildings in the Real World: Lessons from Field Demonstrations
Digital twins, created by generating a virtual replica of a building, enable safe evaluation of operational scenarios and applications like fault detection and diagnosis and advanced controls. However, a prerequisite is the creation of a machine-readable digital representation of a building, currently hindered by fragmented information scattered across mechanical drawings, point lists, and natural language sequences. As a result, digital twin development remains labor-intensive, error-prone, and difficult to validate. To address these challenges, two efforts from ASHRAE aim to support the digitalization of buildings. ASHRAE s223 establishes a semantic model of buildings, representing system components, configuration, and data sources. ASHRAE s231 defines a vendor-neutral programming language for expressing their control logic. As the industry evaluates implementing them in their products, understanding the challenges that vendors and implementers may face is crucial. In this paper, we present findings and lessons learned from field demonstrations in five buildings that implemented control applications using ASHRAE s223 and s231. The demonstrations highlight how semantic modeling and formalized control descriptions can significantly reduce software development time, manual point mapping, and hard-coding. Beyond time efficiency, they enable reliable automation by minimizing human interpretation and providing a means for consistency across projects. We describe the processes and best practices for model creation and model usage, from translating heterogeneous building documentation into semantic representations to implementing control logic in real-world systems. Finally, we discuss the challenges that persist, including integration with legacy software environments, gaps in interoperability, and the level of expertise still required to effectively leverage semantic models.
Synchrophasors-based Master State Awareness Estimator for Cybersecurity in Power Grid: Testbed Implementation & Field Demonstration
The integration of distributed energy resources(DERs) and expansion of complex network in the distribution grid requires an advanced distributed state estimator to monitor the grid health at micro-level. The distribution state estimator will improve the situational awareness and resiliency of distributed power system. This paper proposes a synchrophasors-based master state awareness (MSA) estimator to enhance the cybersecurity in distribution grid by providing a real-time estimation of system operating states to control center operators. In this paper, the proposed MSA estimator utilizes only phasor measurements, bus magnitudes and angles, from phasor measurement units (PMUs),deployed in local substations, to estimate the system states and also detects data integrity attacks, such as load tripping attack that disconnects the load. To validate the proof of concept, we implement the proposed methodology in cyber-physical testbed environment at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Electric Grid Security Testbed. Further, to address the “valley of death” and support technology commercialization, field demonstration is also performed at the Critical Infrastructure Test Range Complex(CITRC) at the INL. Our experimental results reveal a promising performance in detecting load tripping attack and providing an accurate situational awareness through an alert visualization dashboard in real-time
HP-FLEX: Field demonstration of the semantics-driven configuration of a Model Predictive Control system to make heat pumps flexible
Model Predictive Control (MPC) has demonstrated significant potential for optimizing building operations and enabling demand flexibility. However, the widespread adoption of MPC is hindered by complex manual configuration and commissioning processes that must be conducted by control experts working alongside building operators. These challenges drive up costs and reduce scalability, particularly when technical human resources and building automation systems are limited, such as in small and medium commercial buildings (SMCBs). This paper demonstrates how semantic standards, specifically ASHRAE 223P, can accelerate the adoption of MPC applications for load flexibility in SMCBs. The authors present a replicable control framework, titled “HP-FLEX” that leverages a building’s semantic model to bootstrap the required data configuration for an MPC controller developed for optimizing heat pump systems as flexible grid resources. The semantic model helps streamline the deployment workflow, particularly for site setup, data/control commissioning, and model setup. This integration enhances portability, transferability, and scalability of the HP-FLEX MPC, which has been developed to support MPC-based supervisory HVAC controllers in SMCBs. Additionally, the paper details the required building and thermostat metadata information to enable the HP-FLEX MPC based on field demonstrations. The new workflow was tested in a small commercial building located in California, U.S., and demonstrated a load shifting performance of 9% based on a dynamic pricing signal that varies by the hour. This work provides a practical pathway for transitioning sophisticated building applications from custom to standardized semantic representations, supporting the broader adoption of advanced control strategies like MPC. The framework also establishes a foundation for evolving metadata requirements as applications mature while maintaining compatibility with industry standards.
HP-FLEX: Field Demonstration of the Semantics-Driven Configuration of a Model Predictive Control System to Make Heat Pumps Flexible
Model Predictive Control (MPC) has demonstrated significant potential for optimizing building operations and enabling demand flexibility. However, the widespread adoption of MPC is hindered by complex manual configuration and commissioning processes that must be conducted by control experts working alongside building operators. These challenges drive up costs and reduce scalability, particularly when technical human resources and building automation systems are limited, such as in small and medium commercial buildings (SMCBs). This paper demonstrates how semantic standards, specifically ASHRAE 223P, can accelerate the adoption of MPC applications for load flexibility in SMCBs. The authors present a replicable control framework, titled “HP-FLEX” that leverages a building’s semantic model to bootstrap the required data configuration for an MPC controller developed for optimizing heat pump systems as flexible grid resources. The semantic model helps streamline the deployment workflow, particularly for site setup, data/control commissioning, and model setup. This integration enhances portability, transferability, and scalability of the HP-FLEX MPC, which has been developed to support MPC-based supervisory HVAC controllers in SMCBs. Additionally, the paper details the required building and thermostat metadata information to enable the HP-FLEX MPC based on field demonstrations. The new workflow was tested in a small commercial building located in California, U.S., and demonstrated a load shifting performance of 9% based on a dynamic pricing signal that varies by the hour. This work provides a practical pathway for transitioning sophisticated building applications from custom to standardized semantic representations, supporting the broader adoption of advanced control strategies like MPC. The framework also establishes a foundation for evolving metadata requirements as applications mature while maintaining compatibility with industry standards.
Predeployment progress of the Canister Deposition Field Demonstration
This report updates the high-level test plan for evaluating surface deposition on three commercial 32PTH2 spent nuclear fuel (SNF) canisters inside NUTECH Horizontal Modular Storage (NUHOMS) Advanced Horizontal Storage Modules (AHSMs) from Orano (formerly Transnuclear Inc.) and provides a summary of the surface sampling activities that have been conducted to date. The details contained in this report represent the best designs and approaches explored for testing as of this publication. Given the rapidly developing nature of this test program, some of these plans may change to accommodate new objectives or requirements. One goal of this testing is to collect defensible and detailed dust deposition measurements from the surface of dry storage canisters in a marine coastal environment to guide chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC) research. Another goal is to provide data for the validation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based deposition modeling. To facilitate surface sampling, the otherwise highly prototypic dry storage systems will not contain SNF but rather will be electrically heated to mimic the decay heat and thermal hydraulic environment. Test and heater design is supported by detailed CFD modeling. Instrumentation throughout the canister, storage module, and environment will provide extensive information about the thermal-hydraulic behavior of horizontal dry cask storage systems. Manual sampling over a comprehensive portion of the canister surface at regular time intervals will offer detailed quantification and composition of the deposited particulates from a realistic storage environment. Discussions of a potential host site for the Canister Deposition Field Demonstration (CDFD) are ongoing. Until a host site is chosen, testing of key CDFD hardware components including the heater assemblies, power skid, and remote data acquisition system will continue. Functional testing of the finalized heater assemblies and test apparatus started this fiscal year. These initial heater tests have shown the assemblies are performing within design specifications. Staged surface sampling of a mockup of a canister outside the AHSM on a transfer skid was also performed. Refinements to the sampling procedures and techniques were captured from observation of these activities and lessons-learned debriefs. These updated sampling procedures and techniques are planned to be tested again in the field using the mockup in order to assure personnel are using the most accurate and repeatable methods possible prior to deployment for actual CDFD testing.
Field Demonstration and Adoption Impacts of an Affordable Thermoelectric Heat Pump
This study presents the design, field validation, and utility impacts of an air source heat pump that uses thermoelectric (TE) technology to provide supplemental heating at outside air temperatures below 17°F. Conventional heat pumps experience reduced heating capacity and COP at low outdoor temperatures due to the temperature difference between the source and demand sides of the vapor compression cycle. Consequently, during colder months, supplemental heating such as electric resistance or natural gas furnace is often needed to provide additional warmth, which increases the overall equipment and energy costs. To address this challenge, a TE subcooler (an array of solid-state, thermoelectric modules that provides heat pumping using non-vapor compression technique) is fabricated and integrated with the vapor compression cycle of a conventional air-source heat pump. In colder ambient conditions, TE subcooler exchanges heat with the refrigerant to provide additional subcooling, thereby enhancing the capacity of the heat pump. The operation of thermoelectric-integrated heat pump was demonstrated in an occupied single-family home in Nashville, TN. The TE subcooler increased the system’s heating capacity at 15°F outdoor temperature by 25–30% and reduced electricity demand by 10%. It also met the heating load in the house without supplemental electric resistance down to 5°F outdoors, delivering the additional heat at nearly 80% greater efficiency compared to electric resistance heating. With a modest first cost increment of 10–15% over conventional single-speed heat pumps, this approach offers a promising, energy-efficient solution to accelerate residential heat pump adoption in the U.S.
High‑performance cold‑climate heat pump using tandem compressors with and without vapor injection: Laboratory investigation and field demonstration
Cold‑climate air‑source heat pumps must maintain heating capacity and stable operation at low ambient temperatures for residential applications. This study adapts tandem single-speed compressors—proven in commercial systems —for residential CCHPs, integrating VI and validating performance across laboratory and extreme field conditions to achieve cold-climate targets. That is to achieve ≥75% of the rated heating capacity at −25.0 °C relative to 8.3 °C and heating coefficient of performance (COP) greater than 4.0 at 8.3 °C. Laboratory testing confirmed that both configurations met these targets while operating within acceptable discharge‑temperature limits. Relative to the non‑VI configuration, the VI system provided up to 15% higher heating capacity and up to 9% higher heating COP under identical conditions, yielding a 5.6–9.1% increase in heating seasonal performance factor (HSPF). Field tests in Ohio and Alaska, with minimum outdoor temperatures of −25.0 °C and −34.0 °C, respectively, showed stable operation, minimal supplemental heating (<3.2%), low defrost penalties, and consistent output. Tandem‑compressor architectures proves promising for cold-climate residential heating.