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DOE OSTI2026

Hourly PM 2.5 Estimates across California from 2018 to 2023

This study presents a new data set of hourly PM 2.5 concentrations across California from 2018 to 2023 at a three-kilometer resolution. This data set was developed by assimilating observations from PurpleAir and the U.S. EPA Air Quality System monitors into wildfire smoke forecasts from the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh Smoke (HRRR-Smoke) model using the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) three-dimensional variational data assimilation framework. Archived forecasts of modeled wildfire smoke PM 2.5 from HRRR-Smoke create the background field for assimilation, which is then corrected using surface observations of total PM 2.5 . The resulting reanalysis from GSI provides an estimate of total PM 2.5 that minimizes error from both the observational and the model data. Validation results indicate strong performance, with monthly R 2 values ranging from 0.73 to 0.91 across the six-year data set, comparable to other PM 2.5 data sets. Case studies are presented for three major fire events, the 2018 Camp Fire, 2019 Kincade Fire, and 2020 Lightning Complex Fires to demonstrate the data set’s fidelity in resolving plume dynamics and local exposure patterns. Root-mean-squared error averaged over each month scales with average PM 2.5 concentrations, resulting in a low error under typical conditions but higher absolute errors during extreme smoke events. This is the first long-term, hourly PM 2.5 data set of its kind for California and enables the generation of subdaily exposure metrics, such as peak hourly concentrations, exceedance durations, and time-of-day exposure peaks. The novelty and strong validation of this data set make it a compelling resource for future studies on the impact and significance of subdaily PM 2.5 exposure.

PM2.5↗

DOE OSTI2024

Impact of fire on chemical properties and respiration of boreal forest soils

We collected both organic-rich and sandy soil cores from 12 sites (site_location_and_texture.csv) within Wood Buffalo National Park, Alberta, Canada. Laboratory burns were conducted by exposing intact soil cores to 60 kW m^-2 in a mass loss calorimeter to simulate boreal forest crown fires in order to measure the effects of burning (temp_data.csv) on soil properties including pH, total C, and total nitrogen (N) (metadata.csv). We used 70-day soil incubations and two-pool exponential decay models to characterize the impacts of burning and burn-induced changes in soil properties on soil respiration (soil_moisture_at_end_of_incubation.csv; soil_mass_at_end_of_incubation.csv; respiration_data.csv). Laboratory burns successfully captured a range of soil temperatures that were realistic for natural wildfire events.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2026

Comparative assessment of new oxygen carrier materials for gas switching reforming of natural gas: Techno-economics assessment, life cycle analysis, and experimental insights

The increasing demand for hydrogen and the CO 2 intensity of natural gas (NG) reforming motivate the development of low-carbon-emission hydrogen production technologies. Gas Switching Reforming (GSR) with integrated CO 2 capture, a technology based on Chemical Looping Reforming (CLR), has been experimentally proven and shows potential for scale-up. In this study, select oxygen carriers (OC) (NiO/Al 2 O 3 , Fe 2 O 3 -CeO 2 /Al 2 O 3 , and magnetite) were tested in methane steam reforming in a fixed bed reactor to determine their relative reactivities under relevant conditions for GSR (800 °C, 7 bar total pressure). Process models were then developed to perform techno-economic analysis (TEA) of GSR for hydrogen production (GSR-H 2 ) and a combined cycle (GSR-CC) in which high-purity H 2 is fired in a gas turbine to produce electricity. Operating at 10 bar and 1100 °C and with the additional recovery steps implemented increased H 2 production by ∼ 30% and improved efficiency relative to prior studies. For GSR-H 2 , the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) is 1.61–1.64 $/kg-H 2 , competitive with a reference SMR case, though operating and maintenance costs are higher due to increased electricity demand. GSR-CC has a significantly higher levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) than its reference NGCC (natural gas combined cycle) plant, suggesting it is less competitive; however, increasing production scale could make it more attractive. Life-cycle results for GSR-H 2 indicate NG consumption drives ∼ 75% of total global warming impacts (∼2.3 kg CO 2 eq/kg H 2 ). An environmental, health, and safety screening suggests iron-based carriers are comparatively safer, whereas NiO may pose greater risks. Overall, GSR-H 2 is a scalable, competitive option for hydrogen production using nickel and non-nickel OC.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Energy Improvements of Fire Station 71

Since 2018, the City of Shawnee, Kansas has completed two phases of the State of Kansas Facility Conservation Improvement Program (FCIP), an initiative that guarantees operational cost and energy savings through targeted construction improvements on City facilities and infrastructure. The City is currently in the third phase of this FCIP, where one of the projects included an investment in energy improvements for Fire Station 71 (FS 71). The City partnered with Navitas, an Energy Service Company (ESCO), to implement a Photovoltaic Solar Array on FS71. The purpose of this project was to invest in sustainable building improvements with Energy Conservation Measures (ECM) to bring cost savings to the City and to provide sustainable benefits to the residents of Shawnee. In the first task of the project, Navitas collaborated with the City of Shawnee and the Community Development Department to determine the optimal layout and schedule for the installation of the solar array on FS 71. In the second task of the project, Navitas installed the 99.8 kW DC Photovoltaic solar array system. This system installation comprised of racking, inverters, optimizers, load center, and disconnect, which were all installed at a total ECM price of $\$$247,948. The third task focused on start-up and commissioning of the array. Navitas installed a real-time data analytics information management system integrated with utility meters, which evaluates the operations of the utility system and verifies operation of equipment and ensures optimum operation for energy efficiency. In the final task of this project, this analytics system was used for monitoring and verification, which will continue to be used to evaluate the success of the project for the coming years. The primary goal of the project was to install the 99.8 kW DC PV solar array at FS 71 to demonstrate the viability of solar energy systems in essential municipal facilities. Fire stations are energy demanding structures, as they require a constant intake of power and have a high baseline energy usage. The success of solar arrays on a fire station exemplifies their energy efficiency and effectiveness and displays their potential for application on other city facilities. By installing a solar array at such a facility, the City sought not only to offset electricity usage but also to serve as a model for ECMs in other municipal facilities and infrastructure projects. From an economic standpoint, this project demonstrates the feasibility of renewable energy at the municipal level. The total project cost of $\$$247,948 was split evenly between city funds and award funding, minimizing financial risk while ensuring guaranteed long-term savings. Any excess savings that are beyond the guaranteed minimums remain with the city, which enables future investment in sustainable energy initiatives. This project provides many benefits to the public. In addition to reducing the environmental footprint of city operations, it lowers taxpayer-funded utility spending and improves the energy security of a critical facility. The knowledge gained from this implementation motivates the City to focus on similar efforts across other public facilities in future FCIP phases and other City projects.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Updated Filter Leak Frequencies for Use in Risk Assessments

Quantitative risk assessment (QRA) is highly dependent on data, leading to more robust models as new and updated data is acquired. The Hydrogen Plus Other Alternative Fuels Risk Assessment (HyRAM+) QRA capabilities include calculations of individual risk from leaks in a gaseous hydrogen facility due to the potential effects of jet fires and explosions. Leak frequencies are acquired through statistical analysis of published data from a variety of sources and industries. The filter leak frequencies in previous versions of the HyRAM+ software are substantially greater than the leak frequencies of other components, leading to QRA results for gaseous hydrogen in which filters consistently dominate the overall risk. Data that were previously used to derive the filter leak frequencies were reevaluated for applicability and additional data points were added to update the filter leak frequencies. The new frequencies are more comparable to leak frequencies for other components.

08 HYDROGEN↗

DOE OSTI2025

The composition of gases from a diffusion flame above longleaf pine needle fuel beds

The gas and tar composition of a diffusion flame from longleaf pine needles is currently poorly understood and more data are needed to fill in the gap between pyrolysis data and smoke plume data, thus improving physical and chemical modeling of wildland smoke formation. A pilot experiment to measure light gas and tar composition of such a flame is described for three flame regions: persistent flame (flame base), intermittent flame, and smoke plume. Flame gases from 24 experimental fires were collected in canisters and analyzed using EPA method TO-14A for CO 2 , CO, H 2 , CH 4 , and C 2 to C 7 hydrocarbon gases. Condensed gas (tar) samples were collected and analyzed using GC/MS. Other light gases were measured using FTIR spectroscopy. Results from compositional data analysis suggest significant differences in (relative) concentration of compounds detected in the three regions of the flame. Statistical tests for differences in flame zones were performed using the canister data: Concentration of hydrocarbons relative to CO and CO 2 decreased from the persistent flame zone above the pyrolyzing needles through the intermittent flame region into the flame-free plume. This was likely due to both chemical reactions (oxidation) occurring in the flame as well as the introduction of air into the flame/plume by entrainment.

Biomass↗

DOE OSTI2025

Summertime Carbonaceous Aerosol in Interior Versus Coastal Northern Alaska

Abstract Rapid warming is likely increasing primary production and wildfire occurrence in the Arctic. Projected changes in carbonaceous aerosols during the summer will impact atmospheric chemistry and climate, but our understanding of these processes is limited by sparse observations. Here, we characterize carbonaceous aerosol in Alaska, USA: Toolik Field Station in the Interior and the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement facility at Utqiaġvik on the Arctic coast, during the summers of 2022 and 2023. We estimated PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations using laser light scattering (PurpleAir sensors) and examined total carbon (TC) and its organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) fractions in total suspended particles (TSP). We investigated the dominant sources of carbonaceous aerosol using air mass backward‐trajectories from the NOAA HYSPLIT model and radiocarbon source apportionment of TC. TC concentrations were about twice as high in the Interior compared to the coast, with contemporary sources dominating at both Toolik (95%–99%) and Utqiaġvik (86%–89%) over minor contributions from fossil sources. Elevated PM, TC, OC, and EC concentrations coincided with major boreal forest fire activity in North America that brought smoke to the region. The radiocarbon signature of EC measured at Toolik during these wildfire events indicated that over 90% of the EC came from contemporary sources. Our measurements demonstrate the potential for Arctic aerosol concentrations to respond significantly to climate warming‐induced changes to the landscape and emphasize the need for continuous atmospheric monitoring to advance our understanding of this rapidly changing environment.

Welch, Allison M. [Department of Earth System Scie↗

DOE OSTI2026

Lessons Learned from Open-Source Software Training Toward Expanding the Fusion Workforce

Within the United States (U.S.), the Fusion Innovation Research Engine (FIRE) Collaboratives seek to accelerate fusion technology development through wide-ranging community-driven research activities that bring together industry, laboratories, research institutes, and academia. Increasing the maturity of key components and systems for future fusion power plants (FPPs) toward commercialization, will, by necessity, increase the need for knowledgeable engineers, designers, and researchers in industry capable of integrating and further improving these technologies within industry FPP concepts. Further, various modeling and simulation packages support these programs and are under-development within them to drive design iteration and the development of FPP digital twins. To derive the greatest benefit from model output and capabilities, training these same specialists will be vital. Thus, the development of effective and accessible software onboarding and professional development opportunities focused on fusion will be key to keeping the pace of growth high in the coming decade and beyond. A similar need exists within the advanced fission reactor community, driven by an ever-growing need for carbon-free baseload power for industrial and data center applications. Within the U.S. and around the world, several open-source packages and frameworks exist to support this endeavor, and two we will highlight here are the Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) framework and OpenMC. These packages, notably, are also being utilized in the FIRE Collaboratives program. In this presentation, we will highlight the lessons learned from over 30 years of combined software development and training experience, focused on developing strong technical software foundations within the nuclear workforce, from students to professional engineers & scientists. We will connect this experience to present and emerging needs in the fusion energy community, and, finally, will outline possible paths forward to develop a large, robust, global fusion workforce.

70 - PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2025

Energy innovation in the US buildings sector: Setting the stage and mapping the future

Jared Langevin is a staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he leads modeling of US buildings sector innovation and its implications for energy demand, consumer costs, and the power grid. Eric Wilson is a senior research engineer in the Building Technologies and Sciences Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Much of his 15-year career at NREL has revolved around modeling and analysis of the US building stock. Jared and Eric co-led the development of a National Blueprint for buildings sector innovation while serving as advisors to the US Department of Energy’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Buildings and Industry.

Langevin, Jared↗

DOE OSTI2026

From IMT Device Measurements to Network-Level Consequences: When Learning Suppresses Beyond-LIF Neuron Dynamics

Emerging neuromorphic devices such as insulator--metal transition (IMT) devices exhibit complex temporal dynamics, including slow internal state memory, hysteresis, and burst-like firing, which are poorly captured by conventional leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) neurons. However, it remains unclear when such dynamics influence learning and inference at the network level, particularly under commonly used unsupervised plasticity rules. We present a controlled, full-stack co-design study spanning experimental characterization of individual IMT devices, compact neuron model development, and large-scale spiking network simulations with identical architectures and learning rules. Rather than optimizing benchmark accuracy, our goal is to diagnose when neuron-level dynamics survive learning and competition, and when they are suppressed, to inform the co-design of devices, networks, and learning rules that can exploit beyond-LIF complexity.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2025

Towards stabilization of pressurized oxy-coal diffusion flames

Designing an effective burner is vital for the development of pressurized oxy-fuel combustion technologies. Turbulent jet diffusion burners are adopted for the pressurized oxy-combustor in this research and a bluff-body is employed to create a recirculation zone to stabilize the flame in pressurized oxy-combustor. The objective of this numerical work is to perform a systematic analysis of the characteristics of this pressurized non-premixed flame. Specifically, a 15-bar POFC combustor of power 100 kWth is modeled employing the Ansys FLUENT commercial platform, using Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) modeling. The present computational work focuses on identifying the aerothermodynamic features of the isothermal and reacting flow with a disk-shape bluff-body. Results show that fuel-oxidizer stream momentum ratio has great impacts on the temperature profile of the down-fired, co-axial, pressurized oxy-coal, diffusion flame. Parametric study of the width of the burner tip identifies an optimal range for this pressurized burner.

Li, Lei↗

DOE OSTI2025

Soil Temperature and Moisture within the Kougarok Fire Complex, Kougarok Road Mile Marker 86, Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2019-2023

Daily averages of soil temperature and moisture measured once every hour at different heights located at Intensive Monitoring Stations within the Kougarok Fire Complex, Kougarok Road Mile Marker 86 site. Data were retrieved annually from 2019-2023. Package contains 21 *.CSV data files plus a file level metadata *.CSV, data dictionary *.CSV, data file inventory *.CSV, and sensor location site map *.JPG. Data files have header rows, NaN fields indicate invalid or missing data, and negative vertical offsets are above ground.The Kougarok tundra fire complex (KFC) is located north of Nome and the Kigluaik Mountains, near Quartz Creek and the Kougarok River. The site is accessed by foot from the end of the Nome-Taylor Highway (mile marker 86; also called the Kougarok or Beam Road). The KFC burned in six major fires in the decades since 1950 (Alaska Interagency Coordination Center, unpublished data). Lightning ignited five of these fires (1971, 1997, 2015, and 2019) and one was human caused (2002). The mosaic of overlapping fire scars allows for the study of repeat fires in the tundra which, until recently, was not a common phenomenon outside the boreal forest in Alaska. Our reference unburned tundra fire site is south of the KFC located at mile marker 80 of the Nome-Taylor Highway.The two most recent fires are the Mingvk Lake (2015; 21,698 acres burned from 7/27/2015 to 9/28/2015) and Garfield Creek (2019; 422 acres burned from 7/31/2019 to 8/20/19). The Mingvk Lake fire scar includes areas that burned 1-4x (1971, 1997, 2002), while the entirety of the Garfield Creek fire scar has burned 2x previously (1971, 2002).Previous research at the KFC focused on permafrost (Liljedahl et al. 2007; Narita et al. 2015; Iwahana et al. 2016; Tsuyuzaki, Iwahana, and Saito 2017) and vegetation (Narita et al. 2015; Hollingsworth et al. 2021) response to fire. The central Seward Peninsula is characterized by continuous permafrost with a thickness of 15 to 30 m and a mean active layer thickness of 56 cm (Hinzman et al. 2003). Sloping hills with mixed shrub–tussock tundra and tussock tundra vegetation in the uplands are characteristic of the region. Three micrometeorological towers near the Kougarok field site recorded a mean annual temperature of −2.4°C, mean January temperature of −23.1°C, mean July temperature of +11°C, and mean summer rainfall (June–August) of 94 mm from 2000 to 2006 (Liljedahl et al. 2007).The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research.The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska.Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Global Simulations Suggest Biomass Burning Aerosol Emissions From Grassland Fires Could Be Important Ice Nucleating Particles

Ice nucleating particles (INP) capable of nucleating ice crystals via immersion freezing at temperatures above approximately −35°C may strongly influence cloud glaciation, with implications for global precipitation and climate feedback. In addition to mineral dust, soil dust, and marine organics, laboratory and field measurements suggest biomass burning aerosols (BBA) can act as immersion-mode INP between around −30°C and −15°C. However, the contribution of BBA to the global INP budget remains poorly understood due to poor knowledge of which fuels yield INPs, uncertainties in global coverage of those fuels, and unknown size distributions of the INPs in the BBA. Nonetheless, with some understanding of these uncertainties from sensitivity studies, the relative importance of ice nucleation activity of BBA compared to other INP sources can be quantified. In this work, we investigate the potential global importance of BBA as INP using a global aerosol-climate model, specifically the UK Met Office Unified Model (UM). We evaluate the model using field campaign data sets. We examine potential uncertainties in fuel types and particle sizes on BBA-based INP concentrations. Averaged over June–September between 15°S and 50°S, BBA is a more important INP than dust and marine INP about 30% of the time at altitudes with temperatures between −30°C and −20°C. Our simulations therefore suggest BBA INPs may be at least as important as mineral dust and marine INP over the atmospheric regions and seasons where grassland fires are frequent.

Gohil, Kanishk [Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsb↗

DOE OSTI2024

Aqueous Organic Matter from Kougarok Fire Complex, Alaska, 2023

Chemical analyses of aqueous organic matter extracted by filtration from a small set of organic layer samples collected from burned and unburned tussock tundra sites in the Kougarok Fire Complex, near Nome, Alaska. There are five files in *.csv format with one data file and four data description files including data dictionary, methods, terminology, and file-level metadata.The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research.The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska.Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Dead Fuel Moisture Content Reanalysis Dataset for California (2000–2020)

This study presents a novel reanalysis dataset of dead fuel moisture content (DFMC) across California from 2000 to 2020 at a 2 km resolution. Utilizing a data assimilation system that integrates a simplified time-lag fuel moisture model with 10-h fuel moisture observations from remote automated weather stations (RAWS) allowed predictions of 10-h fuel moisture content by our method with a mean absolute error of 0.03 g/g compared to the widely used Nelson model, with a mean absolute error prediction of 0.05 g/g. For context, the values of DFMC in California are commonly between 0.05 g/g and 0.30 g/g. The presented product provides gridded hourly moisture estimates for 1-h, 10-h, 100-h, and 1000-h fuels, essential for analyzing historical fire activity and understanding climatological trends. The methodology presented here demonstrates significant advancements in the accuracy and robustness of fuel moisture estimates, which are critical for fire forecasting and management.

Farguell, Angel (ORCID:000000032395220X)↗

DOE OSTI2026

Rate constants and third-body collision efficiencies for recombination of Na with OH and O2: Implications for flame inhibition by alkali salts

Flame inhibition by alkali metals has implications for solid fuel combustion, fire safety, and a number of industrial processes. While the mechanism of inhibition is fairly well understood, details related to thermodynamic properties and rate constants are still in question. In the present work, the recombination of Na with OH (R5) and O2 (R7), respectively, was characterized theoretically, and the implications for modeling laminar premixed hydrogen flames doped with sodium species were examined. Third-body collision efficiencies and low-pressure-limit rate constants were obtained using newly fitted ab initio-based potential energy surfaces, classical trajectories, and one-dimensional master equation calculations. The results are consistent with available experimental results and aid in the present modeling study by providing rate information for bath gases and conditions that remain unexplored experimentally. Chemical kinetic modeling of relative Na and absolute H and OH profiles in H2-fueled laminar, premixed flames doped with a sodium salt shows that the most important radical removal cycle is the sequence Na + OH (+M) → NaOH (+M) (R5), NaOH + H → Na + H2O (R12), even under oxidizing conditions. A secondary cycle, Na + O2 (+M) ⇄ NaO2 (+M) (R7), NaO2 + OH → NaOH + O2 (R14), is less important due to the low thermal stability of NaO2. In most flames, reaction R7 is partially equilibrated, and reaction R14 becomes rate-limiting for the second cycle. The flame analysis supports a lower value of k14 than indicated by recent work on KO2 + OH, but more work is required to confirm this.

Jasper, Ahren W.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Decarbonization Potential of Global Fired Clay Brick Production

Fired clay bricks (FCBs) are a dominant building material globally due to their low cost and simplicity of production, especially in low- and middle-income countries. With a projected rising housing demand, commensurate growth in brick demand is anticipated, the production of which could result in significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Robust models are needed to estimate brick demand and emissions to systematically address decarbonization pathways. Few sources report production values; hence, we present two novel proxy models: (i) a consumption prediction model, relying on country-specific clay extraction data, dynamic building stock modeling, and average material intensity use allowing for projections to 2050; and (ii) a GHG emissions model, using literature-based data and production technology-specific inputs. Based on these models, the current global FCB consumption is estimated as 2.18 Gt annually, resulting in approximately 500 million tCO2e (1% of current global GHG emissions). If unaddressed, this fraction could increase to 3.5-5% in 2050 considering a moderate SSP 2-4.5 climate change mitigation scenario. Consequently, we explored three potential decarbonization pathways: (i) improving energy efficiency; (ii) shifting production to best practices; and (iii) replacing half of FCB demand with hollow concrete blocks, resulting in 27%, 49%, and 51% reduction in GHG emissions, respectively.

Olsson, Josefine A↗

DOE OSTI2025

Detailed Design and Cost Estimation of a 300 MWe Oxy-Fuel sCO2 Turbine

The detailed design of a 300 MWe, utility scale oxy-fuel turbine has been completed for purposed operation in the sCO2 direct fired Allam-Fetvedt cycle, targeting near-zero emissions and a 50% LHV system efficiency. The turbine and its supporting plant aim to offer a lower levelized cost of energy than a natural gas combined cycle plant employing carbon capture. The oxy-fuel turbine conditions include an inlet temperature of 1150°C and inlet pressure of 305 bar, representing temperatures near that of a gas turbine simultaneously with pressures near an ultra-supercritical steam turbine. The combustor housing and turbine designs were completed according to the ASME BPVC; the turbine case specifically incorporates a multi-body design with inner high-pressure barrel case and low-pressure (30 bar) horizontally split outer case of low-chromium steel material. Lateral rotordynamic evaluation demonstrated acceptable vibration response for a range of imbalance conditions per API standards. The cooling flow required in the six-stage turbine flowpath for 30,000 hr. blade and stator lifetime is predicted through thermal and structural modeling of the first stage. The provided cost estimate of the turbine is formed through a combination of scaled up-costs from procured 10 MWe scale sCO2 turbomachinery hardware, and vendor provided budgetary quotes of larger components including the turbine case requiring casting, welding, and final machining processes. The performance and cost estimation of the oxy-fuel turbine predicted for the completed detailed design provides important information towards future development needs for market penetration of utility scale direct fired sCO2 power cycles.

Marshall, Michael [Southwest Research Institute, S↗