Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Grant, Timothy

Publications and source records attributed to Grant, Timothy.

34 records · Page 2

From primordial clocks to circadian oscillators

Circadian rhythms play an essential part in many biological processes, and only three prokaryotic proteins are required to constitute a true post-translational circadian oscillator1. The evolutionary history of the three Kai proteins indicates that KaiC is the oldest member and a central component of the clock. Subsequent additions of KaiB and KaiA regulate the phosphorylation state of KaiC for time synchronization. The canonical KaiABC system in cyanobacteria is well understood but little is known about more ancient systems that only possess KaiBC. However, there are reports that they might exhibit a basic, hourglass-like timekeeping mechanism. Here we investigate the primordial circadian clock in Rhodobacter sphaeroides , which contains only KaiBC, to elucidate its inner workings despite missing KaiA. Using a combination of X-ray crystallography and cryogenic electron microscopy, we find a new dodecameric fold for KaiC, in which two hexamers are held together by a coiled-coil bundle of 12 helices. This interaction is formed by the carboxy-terminal extension of KaiC and serves as an ancient regulatory moiety that is later superseded by KaiA. A coiled-coil register shift between daytime and night-time conformations is connected to phosphorylation sites through a long-range allosteric network that spans over 140 Å. Our kinetic data identify the difference in the ATP-to-ADP ratio between day and night as the environmental cue that drives the clock. They also unravel mechanistic details that shed light on the evolution of self-sustained oscillators.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Nodavirus RNA replication crown architecture reveals proto-crown precursor and viral protein A conformational switching

Positive-strand RNA viruses replicate their genomes in virus-induced membrane vesicles, and the resulting RNA replication complexes are a major target for virus control. Nodavirus studies first revealed viral RNA replication proteins forming a 12-fold symmetric “crown” at the vesicle opening to the cytosol, an arrangement recently confirmed to extend to distantly related alphaviruses. Using cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM), we show that mature nodavirus crowns comprise two stacked 12-mer rings of multidomain viral RNA replication protein A. Each ring contains an ~19 nm circle of C-proximal polymerase domains, differentiated by strikingly diverged positions of N-proximal RNA capping/membrane binding domains. The lower ring is a “proto-crown” precursor that assembles prior to RNA template recruitment, RNA synthesis, and replication vesicle formation. In this proto-crown, the N-proximal segments interact to form a toroidal central floor, whose 3.1 Å resolution structure reveals many mechanistic details of the RNA capping/membrane binding domains. In the upper ring, cryo-EM fitting indicates that the N-proximal domains extend radially outside the polymerases, forming separated, membrane-binding “legs.” The polymerase and N-proximal domains are connected by a long linker accommodating the conformational switch between the two rings and possibly also polymerase movements associated with RNA synthesis and nonsymmetric electron density in the lower center of mature crowns. The results reveal remarkable viral protein multifunctionality, conformational flexibility, and evolutionary plasticity and insights into (+)RNA virus replication and control.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Exploratory Analysis of Offshore CO 2 Storage Pilot Project in the Gulf of Mexico: Geologic, Infrastructure, and Cost Considerations

This analysis employs a high-level exploratory analytical approach to quantify various considerations needed for a potential CCS pilot project in the GOM, most notably the cost magnitude to develop an offshore pilot project. The scope of this analysis focuses on CO 2 storage in saline formations presented in two specific scenarios: parts of GOM Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) federal waters and Texas state waters.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Evaluating the Impacts of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 45Q Tax Credit on CCS Network Costs

This study evaluates the impact of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA)-amended 45Q tax credit on integrated carbon capture and storage (CCS) networks for source types and geologic storage reservoirs common to the north-central U.S. The integrated CCS networks evaluated were chosen to closely replicate those in the forthcoming National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) central U.S. CCS cost options study’s Northwest CCS Network Regional Impact Area (Northwest Impact Area).

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Numerical Simulation of Commercial-Scale CO2 Storage in a Saline Formation Evaluating Basin-Scale Pressure Interference and CO2 Plume Commingling

Presentation at NETL Carbon Management Project Review Meeting held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, August 15–19, 2022. The presentation provides quantitative evaluation of subsurface pressure interference and emphasizes the importance of interproject coordination among stakeholders associated with multi-project geologic CO2 storage in a shared sedimentary basin.

Wijaya, Nur↗

Site Selection and Cost Estimation of Pilot-Scale CO2 Saline Storage Study in the Gulf of Mexico

Presentation at NETL Carbon Management Project Review Meeting held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, August 15–19, 2022. The presentation provides a high-level overview of initial conceptual analysis evaluating site selection, geologic assessment, infrastructure, and project cost considerations associated with the development of pilot-scale CO2 storage projects in the offshore Gulf of Mexico.

Wijaya, Nur↗

Economic Analysis of Potential for CCUS in the Gulf of Mexico

This study identifies the major capital and operating expenses in eight distinct segments across carbon capture, transportation, and injection operations within the offshore CCUS supply chain to develop a model identifying the financial challenges the market must address. The approach then defined the economic drivers and primary cost elements within the CCUS supply chain to model the total supply chain costs and returns along with plausible scenarios of projects for CCUS. This study was presented as a poster at the 2022 Carbon Management Project Review Meeting held in Pittsburgh, PA (August 15 – 19, 2022).

Grant, Timothy↗

CO 2 Intermediate Storage (CIS) Concept Overview

The objective of this overview is to provide a comprehensive set of qualitative considerations to inform future quantitative technical and economic CIS analyses. This overview focuses on CO 2 EOR as the end-user for CCUS supply chains that might implement CIS.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Benefit Analysis of CO 2 Delivery Options for Offshore Storage or Enhanced Oil Recovery

The analysis presented in this report evaluates the benefits of CO₂ offshore transport via pipeline or ship within the GOM. It takes a top-down framework to estimate the costs. First, this analysis designed a reduced-order model (ROM) based on the cash flows in the FECM/NETL CO₂ Transport Cost Model (also known as CO2_T_COM). The ROM takes capital expenses (CAPEX) and operating expenses (OPEX) to calculate the CO₂ breakeven price based on the cash flows. Second, this analysis developed regression models utilizing published data from other analyses to estimate CAPEX and OPEX. Since the ROM is a simplified cash flow calculation, it is easy to exchange the core regression models to estimate various costs. The ROM and regression models provided a framework that can be easily used by other researchers, decision-makers, operators, and regulators. The objective of this analysis is to assess the CO₂ breakeven cost range for pipeline and ship transport of captured CO₂ given the CO₂ source and storage reservoir located in the GOM.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Basin Management of Geologic CO2 Storage: Effect of Well Spacing on CO2 Plume and Pressure Interference

This is the conference paper accompanying an oral presentation made at the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Western Regional Meeting (WRM) held in Bakersfield, California, April 26–28, 2022. The paper provides the results of a basin-scale CO2 storage modeling project investigating subsurface pressure interference among CO2 injection wells located in proximity to each other.

Wijaya, Nur↗

Cost Impacts of Risk-Based Methods for Defining AoR and PISC Duration of a CO 2 Storage Project Using NRAP Tools and FE/NETL CO 2 Saline Storage Cost Model

The purpose of this analysis is to assess the fiscal impact of using risk-based methods to define the area of review (AoR) and post-injection site care (PISC) duration for a geologic carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) storage project. The Office of Fossil Energy (FE)/National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) CO 2 Saline Storage Cost Model (“cost model”) was utilized to evaluate CO 2 storage economics in this study. The cost model is a widely used tool for evaluating CO 2 storage costs in geologic settings. It estimates costs for storage operations conducted under compliance to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class VI regulations. This analysis evaluates and compares the costs of storage (on a first-year break-even dollar per tonne [2018$] basis) at the proposed FutureGen 2.0 site as a case study storage location by implementing different approaches to determine AoR and PISC given the prevailing geologic conditions and injection volume and duration considerations. The approaches include the use of 1) risk-based methods to define AoR and PISC duration, 2) an EPA-approved AoR and PISC documented in the FutureGen 2.0 UIC Class VI permit applications, and 3) cost model default settings that utilize uncertainty multipliers to estimate CO 2 plume and pressure front extent as part of AoR determination, as well as a 50-year PISC default. From all three sources, the AoR and PISC specified in the Class VI permit applications for FutureGen 2.0 were the largest and longest relative to the other two sources.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

A Multi-criteria CCUS Screening Evaluation of the Gulf of Mexico, USA - Supplementary Data

The Wendt et al. study aims to incorporate multiple and disparate carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) decision-making criteria into a systematic, quantitative analytical approach to help identify areas with potentially high suitability to serve as offshore CO2 storage or EOR regions. Spatially-distributed data from publicly-available sources within the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) study area (limited to federal waters; state waters were not evaluated) was compiled using the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Cumulative Spatial Impact Layers™ (CSIL) tool to easily aggregate data based on evenly-distributed grids across the study region set at a resolution of approximately 25 square miles (65 square kilometers). The data included in this Microsoft Excel™ workbook provide the aggregated scores for each grid point across the study domain as well the weighting for each criterion under the four scenarios evaluated.

CCUS↗

Water Management Cost Assessment of CO2 Storage Operations

A three panel poster providing an analysis of treatment of produced waters from potential CO2 storage reservoirs. Selected water treatment technologies are modeled for several formations in five sedimentary basins in the lower 48 states assessing storage costs across a range of water quality present in these potential CO2 storage reservoirs.

Wendt, Anna↗

Screening and Identifying High-Suitability Offshore CCUS Storage Areas in the Gulf of Mexico Using a Multi-Criteria Evaluation Approach

Poster presented at a virtual meeting for the AAPG Annual Conference and Exhibition held in Houston, Texas, September 29 to October 1, 2020. The poster describes a method to analyze multiple criteria defining potentially suitable CO2 saline storage sites or CO2-EOR sites with associated storage of CO2 in the Gulf of Mexico. These sites would require further analysis and characterization.

Wendt, Anna↗