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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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DOE OSTI2024

Development of a rate-based ENRTL-RK process model for a water-lean solvent

Advanced water-lean solvents (WLS) for post-combustion CO2 capture offer several advantages over the aqueous amine solvents . WLS have lower parasitic energy penalty, lower corrosion, lower temperature and high-pressure CO2 regeneration leading to lower cost of CO2 capture. RTI International, with funding from the US Department of Energy, has been developing its novel water-lean solvent, that has shown specific reboiler duty of 2.3 GJ/t-CO2 at the 60-kWe pilot testing unit (Tiller Plant, SINTEF, Norway) and 2.6 GJ/t-CO2 at the engineering scale testing system (12 MWe) at the Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) in Norway. All heat duties, including the one from TCM testing, were consistent with Aspen Plus modeling of the specific configuration of each test plant. This work focuses on the development of a detailed process model using in-house laboratory measurements and process data at pilot scale. The eNTRL-RK model used in this work is based on an unsymmetric activity coefficient model with the reference states chosen to be pure liquids for solvents and ideal dilute solution at unit solute molality (resulting in activity coefficient of unity at infinite dilution) for electrolytes. It uses the Redlich-Kwong equation of state for vapor phase properties and Henry’s law for solubility of supercritical gases. The model was validated using process data from the pilot-scale campaign at the Tiller plant, and the engineering scale test campaign at TCM. Data on CO2 capture rate, absorber, and regenerator temperature profiles and specific reboiler duties from two different test campaigns at Tiller and TCM, were used to further refine and validate the model and the model compares favorably to experimental data. The validation results against TCM campaign will be presented in this work.

CO2 capture↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evaluation of flame propagation of retrofit energy efficient wall assemblies

Leveraging safety science experience and industry relationships, UL Solutions and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) initiated a joint project in 2022 under an agreement with the US Department of Energy to evaluate the flame propagation of retrofit energy efficient wall assemblies. A draft of the protocol from the ASTM work was used to test and comparatively study various retrofit energy efficient designs to gain a better understanding of their fire behavior. The goals of this study were as follows: Develop an understanding of fire propagation across new, cost effective, and energy efficient exterior retrofit wall assemblies. Refine the flame propagation draft test method for exterior wall assemblies based on ASTM E2707. Identify conditions that create fire propagation hazards in exterior wall assemblies and educate the fire service on the findings.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

A structural description of the evolution of stakeholders and risk communication in the Department of Energy's defense nuclear facilities: Historical perspective, major stakeholders, and external events

Regulators and policymakers are routinely challenged with explaining complex concepts concerning risk. Part of the challenge is helping external and internal stakeholders to understand the context behind risk-related information and decisions. Here, this paper will describe the historical evolution of the safety and regulatory framework for an important category in the nuclear industry—defense nuclear facilities owned and operated by the US Department of Energy. In parallel with describing this evolution, three major events which occurred external to the complex of defense nuclear facilities will be summarized, and their impact on the maturation of the Department's safety and regulatory framework will be discussed. Finally, integrated with these two threads of discussion will be a chronicle of the changing set of involved organizations and the expanding set of external stakeholders involved in risk decisions—and therefore, the risk communications ecosystem surrounding defense nuclear facilities. It will be noted that this system was once describable as a classic “iron triangle,” but now has progressed to a complex network of federal and state organizations, numerous congressional committees, and expanding sets of external stakeholders. It is hoped that a comprehensive discussion of the context of risk assessment in the defense nuclear facilities complex—addressing historical insights, organizational evolution, and the maturing structure of regulation—will provide enhanced opportunities for building trust and understanding in this complex environment.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
DOE OSTI2026

Biorefinery siting and sizing to achieve the US Billion‐Ton Bioeconomy vision: A case study using a gasification–Fischer–Tropsch process

Achieving a secure, abundant, and affordable energy future requires a robust and adaptable energy strategy, with bioenergy playing a pivotal role. Biomass-based energy presents a promising pathway to use domestic resources while fostering economic opportunities in rural areas. Despite the potential to source more than 1 billion dry short tons of biomass annually in the US, significant infrastructure and economic barriers hinder full utilization for energy production. This study used the Biofuel Infrastructure, Logistics, and Transportation (BILT) model to assess biorefinery siting and scale and determine the number and size of facilities required to maximize use of the US biomass potential. A spatially agnostic approach first assessed the effects of facility capacity and transportation constraints on biomass use. Then, a spatially explicit analysis integrated county-level biomass availability from the US Department of Energy's 2023 Billion-Ton Report and technoeconomic assessments to evaluate different biorefinery deployment scenarios. The results indicate that an optimized mix of facility sizes is essential to leverage biomass resources fully across varying regional production densities to maximize use of the US biomass potential. Larger biorefineries or co-located smaller facilities significantly enhance biomass use while reducing costs through economies of scale. These findings underscore the importance of strategically balancing facility capacity and spatial distribution to optimize the bioenergy supply chain. In conclusion, this study provides critical insights for advancing the US bioenergy economy by aligning biorefinery deployment with biomass resource availability and economic viability.

BILT Model↗
DOE OSTI2025

Application of Raman Spectroscopy to Determine Uranium Content in ADUN Solution

The work presented in this report is part of the ongoing efforts to address the nuclear material control and accounting needs for advanced reactor fuel fabrication facilities. This work was supported by the Materials Protection, Accounting, and Control Technologies (MPACT) program under the US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy‘s Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Supply Chain program. The activities and engagements under the MPACT program are designed to support a robust US civilian nuclear energy enterprise. In the work described in this report, we supported MPACT objectives by developing measurement techniques that could be used for material accounting and process monitoring and by working with industry partners to identify existing gaps and areas for improvement. Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been working with commercial tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel fabricators such as Standard Nuclear to develop technology for rapid and cost-effective uranium content assessment. This work has focused on demonstrating advanced measurement techniques (e.g., Raman spectroscopy) that can be used for rapid, reliable, and cost-effective routine measurements of uranium content in feed solutions and liquid waste streams as well as for monitoring in-line process measurements and product streams. Specifically, this report explores techniques for accurately determining uranium content in acid-deficient uranyl nitrate (ADUN) solutions and detecting low uranium concentrations in ammonia solutions. Developing such measurement techniques will benefit TRISO fuel fabrication facilities, facilities involved in other parts of the fuel cycle that require online monitoring of aqueous solutions, and potentially molten salt fuel reactors. This work supports developing Raman spectroscopy procedures to determine uranium concentrations in ADUN solutions, which are used as feedstock in the sol–gel process for creating TRISO fuel. Some additional benefits of using Raman spectroscopy for uranium quantification in fabrication facilities include enabling online monitoring of the chemical process, which would provide near real-time feedback; eliminating the need for sample transfers, preparation, or dilution; providing nondestructive measurements; and user friendliness. In this fiscal year, FY25, we determined the identity of the unknown Raman band at approximately 853 cm−1 that was discovered in ADUN Raman spectra in FY24, created calibration curves and determined uranium concentrations of two ADUN solutions, and compared the Raman results to results obtained from inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and Davies–Gray titration. Furthermore, we have identified focus areas for experimentation in future fiscal years. A key result is that the accuracy of using Raman can provide accuracy comparable to destructive analysist techniques, With a well-developed calibration curve, using standards and a large number of samples (more than five samples), uncertainty on the order of 1%–3% is achievable. Given that the uncertainties achieved by Raman spectroscopy were on the order of the uncertainties achieved using ICP-MS, we conclude that with a well-developed procedure Raman spectroscopy can be used to determine uranium concentrations in ADUN solutions for NMC&A applications. The benefits of such an approach are that the time and effort will be less than that of comparable destructive analysis techniques, with approximately the same level of technical expertise. This will be attractive to operators of fuel fabrication facilities as it will lower costs and improve efficiencies.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Lighting Technology Energy Solutions (LiTES) (Final Technical Report)

The Lighting Technologies Energy Solutions (LiTES) Program Final Technical Report is a collaborative effort between NextEnergy, Consumers Energy, DTE Energy (DTE) and the Detroit Joint Apprentice Training Center (DJATC) to evaluate customer and contractor experiences deploying advanced/networked lighting controls systems (ALC/NLC). The LiTES Program, funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE), sought to reduce energy use in small and medium commercial buildings (SMCB) by accelerating the adoption of ALC/NLC through contractor training and technology deployment. Leveraging recommendations already outlined by the Design Lights Consortium Commercial Advanced Lighting Controls (DLC CALC) project, NextEnergy led an effort to train contractors, evaluate the experience of ALC/NLC demonstration projects, identify opportunities to reduce market barriers, and accelerate the increased adoption of ALC/NLC technologies within SMCB. The LiTES Program defined SMCB as commercial buildings under 100,000 square feet. The LiTES Program efforts also included evaluating current ALC/NLC utility incentives, piloting ALC/NLC incentives specific to SMCB, and identifying opportunities to better align utility incentives with current ALC/NLC technology to support accelerating the adoption of ALC/NLC in SMCB. This report shares the survey results and M&V data findings, including energy savings, market barriers, experience of installations, impact of incentives/financing programs and provides recommendations for the increased deployment of ALC/NLC systems in small and medium commercial buildings. Utility survey results, incentive alternatives and recommendations, including a cost benefit analysis outlining energy and economic impacts of the provided ALC/NLC incentives on SMCB projects are also provided.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

Procedure for the Computational Models created for the DOE/NRC Collaboration for Criticality Safety Support for Commercial-Scale HALEU Fuel Cycles Project (DNCSH)

This procedure outlines the application models developed as part of the US Department of Energy (DOE) and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) collaboration for criticality safety support for commercial scale HALEU fuel cycle and transportation (DNCSH) project, an effort authorized by the US Congress. The project is a joint effort among the DOE, NRC, numerous national laboratories, and private enterprises with project management from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

FAIR Framework for Physics-Inspired Artificial Intelligence in High Energy Physics (Final Report)

The FAIR4HEP project was a collaboration between Argonne National Laboratory, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Minnesota, and University of California San Diego funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Advanced Scientific Research (ASCR) from 2020 to 2024. The primary focus of the FAIR4HEP project was to advance our understanding of the relationship between data and artificial intelligence (AI) models by exploring relationships among them through the development of findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) frameworks. Using high-energy physics (HEP) as the science driver, this project developed a FAIR framework to advance our understanding of AI, provide new insights to apply AI techniques, and provide an environment where novel approaches to AI can be explored. This final report summarizes the accomplishments of the University of Illinois group.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Performance Criteria for Capture and/or Immobilization Technologies (Revision 1)

The capture and subsequent immobilization of regulated volatile radionuclides from the off-gas streams of a used nuclear fuel (UNF) reprocessing facility has been a topic of substantial research interest for the US Department of Energy and its international counterparts. Removal of specific radionuclides from the plant effluent streams before discharge to the environment is required to meet regulations set forth by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Upon removal, the radionuclides, as well as associated sorbents that cannot be regenerated in a cost-effective manner, are destined for conversion to a waste form. Research in separation and capture methodologies has included a wide range of technology types, and studies of waste forms are correspondingly diverse. In considering the future development and implementation of both sorbents and waste forms, it is necessary to identify benchmark measures of performance to objectively evaluate each sorbent system or waste form. Sets of performance criteria and associated metrics have been developed for sorbent and waste form evaluation. These criteria address physical, radiological, and chemical characteristics, technical practicality, technical maturity, cost, and, for sorbents, system performance. The criteria and metrics appear to be robust and should be applicable despite the eventual waste classification (as either high- or low-level waste). They are flexible enough to address both aqueous reprocessing and electrochemical reprocessing of UNF. These criteria sets can serve as tools to evaluate performance at multiple stages within the development process, and in this revision (Revision 1) they have been used to assess technologies relating to krypton/xenon separations and iodine capture from off-gas streams arising from UNF reprocessing. Assessment of krypton/xenon separations using engineered forms of two zeolite minerals (silver mordenite and hydrogen mordenite in a polyacrylonitrile-based binder [AgZ-PAN/HZ-PAN]) found that the zeolite-based separation is relatively advanced in its development, but several key issues require resolution. First, desorption processes for both krypton and xenon require refinement to provide an understanding of the product purity that can be achieved. Second, adsorption rate data is needed in order to calculate the bed depth required for effective separation. Finally, it is strongly recommended that a technical review of krypton/xenon separation by AgZ-PAN/HZ-PAN be performed to synergize available data and assess the cost savings and operational benefits that may be realized from implementation of this technology. Assessment of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) for their use in the separation of krypton/xenon found that the ideal separation would be performed using a single-column system with a MOF selective for krypton over xenon. A robust research effort should work to identify a krypton-selective MOF designed to operate at temperatures of approximately 0°C or higher, which could be preferred over cryogenic krypton/xenon capture for used fuel reprocessing off-gas streams. In the case of the CaSDB-MOF (the most well-understood xenon sorbent to date), two issues are judged of high importance. First, xenon breakthrough capacity for the CaSDB-MOF in prototypical conditions should be determined. Preliminary research indicates that breakthrough may be near immediate, presenting a substantial obstacle in separative system design. Second, development of desorption methodology should be performed to determine regeneration time, energy requirements, and the product stream composition. Silver-based sorbents (AgZ and AgAero) for use in iodine capture from the dissolver off-gas were evaluated against the established criteria. These sorbents are significantly better understood for this application as a result of research efforts over the past decade. The potential implementation of AgAero at a large scale is hindered by its physical degradation by components of the dissolver off-gas stream. Less is known about the adsorption of iodine by these sorbents from other off-gas streams in the plant. Initial experimental efforts have been closely coordinated in an effort to understand organic iodine (such as would be found in the vessel off-gas) adsorption by AgZ and AgAero. Future work should expand this experimental program, and analysis of other reprocessing facility off-gas streams such as the vitrification off-gas stream should be conducted to better understand other potential applications for iodine sorbents. A review of iodine waste form development shows that this area is diverse and that multiple promising waste forms have been identified for the immobilization of radioactive iodine. Efforts related to the direct conversion of iodine sorbents (including AgZ and AgAero) should be continued because of the advantages of direct conversion in a waste management strategy and other sorbents should continue to be advanced as merited.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

AIR Framework for Physics-Inspired Artificial Intelligence in High Energy Physics (Final Report)

The FAIR4HEP project was a collaboration between Argonne National Laboratory, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Minnesota, and the University of California San Diego funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Advanced Scientific Research (ASCR) from 2020 to 2023. The primary focus of the FAIR4HEP project was to advance our understanding of the relationship between data and artificial intelligence (AI) models by exploring relationships among them through the development of findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) frameworks. Using high-energy physics (HEP) as the science driver, this project developed a FAIR framework to advance our understanding of AI, provide new insights to apply AI techniques and provide an environment where novel approaches to AI can be explored. This final report summarizes the accomplishments of the MIT group.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

FY25 Electric Grid Security Annual Report

Sandia’s Electric Grid Security program advances a national vision of energy dominance and accessibility, while applying our national security -emphasis on ensuring of a secure, resilient, and affordable electric system for all users. Our achievements reflect a strategic approach combining technology development; modeling, simulation, and data analytics; and partnered demonstrations and outreach to further the adoption of advanced grid and storage technologies. Our FY25 efforts leverage the strengths of our partnerships—spanning Sandia’s core science and technology competencies as well as external technology leaders—to develop the solutions today which enable the grid of tomorrow. Key accomplishments in this report that support our strategy span our technical program areas and include: • New open-source analytical tools for systems -level planning and optimization, including significant advances to the QuESt analytical environment; • Further advancement of artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhanced grid operations and planning as we rise to the challenge of new large loads; • Development of solid-state power conversion technologies and a new medium-voltage research lab; • New technologies to assess wildfire vulnerabilities and mitigate potential impacts; • Advanced applications of new cybersecurity technologies with industry partners; • Contributions to understanding the impacts of electromagnetic pulses and geomagnetic disturbances on grid components; and • Digital twin development for hybrid microgrids with multiple generators, storage, and loads. This report indicates key areas of research and engagement and summarizes the impact of Sandia’s contributions through notable accomplishments, journal publications, patents, and technical conferences and presentations. It is provided with the hope that readers discover ways we can further team to create our modern grid and apply the outcomes of our efforts. The bulk of work described herein is funded by several offices within the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE), including the Office of Electricity (OE); Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER); former offices such as the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the Grid Deployment Office (GDO), the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), and other key programs at USDOE. As we continue to state in these annual reports, the contributors to our successes are too numerous to name here, though our team wishes to express our deep gratitude to the numerous program and project sponsors at the US Department of Energy, who often function equally as technical collaborators; our many partners in industry, academia, utilities, and other national labs; and fellow researchers and business partners at Sandia whose leadership and creativity have enabled the accomplishments described herein.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2023

FY22 Grid Modernization & Energy Storage Program: Accomplishments & Impacts

Sandia’s Grid Modernization and Energy Storage program works to advance a national vision of a secure, resilient, and sustainable electric system for all users. Our achievements reflect a strategic approach combining technology development; modeling, simulation, and data analytics; and partnered demonstrations and outreach to further the adoption of advanced grid and storage technologies. Our FY22 efforts leverage the strengths of our partnerships—spanning Sandia’s core science and technology competencies as well as external technology leaders—to develop the solutions today which enable the grid of tomorrow. Much of the material in this report comes from the separate 2022 Accomplishments Report compiled by our Energy Storage subprogram team, a cornerstone of our grid research and achievements. The Grid Energy Storage Program at Sandia is focused on making energy storage cost-effective through research and development (R&D) in new battery technologies, advanced power electronics and power conversion systems, improved safety and reliability for energy storage systems, analytical tools for the valuation of energy storage, and the validation of new energy storage technologies through demonstration projects. During the 2022 fiscal year, Sandia executed R&D work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Electricity – Energy Storage Program under the leadership of Dr. Imre Gyuk. This report indicates key areas of research and engagement and summarizes the impact of Sandia’s contributions through notable accomplishments, journal publications, patents, and technical conferences and presentations. It is provided with the hope that readers discover ways we can further team to create our modern grid and apply the outcomes of our efforts. The bulk of work described herein is funded by the DOE Office of Electricity and key programs within the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. As we indicated in our report from last year, the contributors to our successes are too numerous to name here, though our team wishes to express our deep gratitude to the numerous program and project sponsors at the US Department of Energy, who often function equally as technical collaborators; our many partners in industry, academia, utilities, and other national labs; and fellow researchers and business partners at Sandia whose leadership and creativity have enabled the accomplishments described herein.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Computer Vision-Enabled Smart Traffic Monitoring for Sustainable Transportation Management

Transportation accounts for a significant portion of total global energy consumption. Excessive energy consumption usually occurs in urban traffic environments with congestion and travel delays. With the advancement of remote sensing and computer vision technologies, real-time traffic conditions can be monitored. Therefore, sustainable transportation management strategies can be developed to optimize the overall energy and environment performance and reduce congestion and emissions. This work presents a smart traffic monitoring system based on remote camera sensors. Real-time and historical traffic conditions at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) were monitored and analyzed to develop optimal transportation management strategies for sustainability. Computer vision algorithms were developed and applied to process the real-time camera data to obtain complete traffic information across the ORNL campus. Weeks of historical data were collected and processed to analyze the traffic and identify bottlenecks. The proposed traffic monitoring and management approach can be applied and extended to benefit other campuses or urban areas.

Shao, Yunli↗
DOE OSTI2022

Innovative Separations Research and Development Needs for Advanced Fuel Cycles

Deployment of advanced nuclear reactors will inevitably introduce new challenges for devising and implementing an efficient, safe, and economical nuclear fuel cycle that meets society’s need for clean energy and expectations for environmental stewardship. The growing urgency for decarbonizing the US and global economies makes such technological challenges all the more compelling. The Office of Materials and Chemical Technologies within US Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy stewards the capabilities and knowledge relied upon by government policy makers to make informed decisions regarding nuclear fuel cycle options. Such decisions in turn rely on the development of efficient and economical separation methods that can accept the used nuclear fuel containing actinides and fission products (FPs) to recycle selected actinides, recover valuable by-products, and deliver waste streams that are suitable for disposal. To help guide the future direction of fuel cycle separations research, taking into account emerging technologies, the Office of Materials and Chemical Technologies sponsored the Innovative Separations R&D Needs for Advanced Fuel Cycles workshop, held virtually August 30–September 1, 2021. Based upon 60 contributed white papers, 6 plenary lectures, and 3 days of discussions, the outcome of the workshop and subsequent deliberations was the generation of this report identifying seven future research directions (FRDs) plus three crosscutting areas of research.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Preheating of Cold, High Moisture Particulate Biomaterials to Reduce Drying Time

Forest Concepts led a two-year project to reduce fossil fuel consumption and improve the energy efficiency of dryers through the application of radio frequency (RF) energy impartation to preheat cold-wet bulk particulate biomass materials. A comprehensive biomass heating and drying mathematical model was developed that enables simulation of drying systems for biomass as well as most other bulk porous particulate materials. Experimental and modeling results conclude that energy consumption for both RF preheating and hot-air preheating are essentially equal for cold, high-moisture feedstocks that are above fiber saturation and therefore not economically beneficial for those conditions. Further results suggest that RF heating may have a direct energy consumption benefit in the late stages of drying and in case of preheating biomass that has a moisture content below fiber saturation. This work was funded in part by the US Department of Energy under contact DE-EE0009130.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Methods for the Enhancement of Security Probabilistic Risk Assessments

The US Department of Energy is exploring the methods associated with probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) and how they could be used to enhance physical security evaluations for nuclear facilities. A brief review of both international and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission physical security assessment methods is presented. From this review, and with an understanding of the technical elements associated with a traditional nuclear safety PRA, several observations are made pertaining to where physical security analysis methods could be enhanced. These observations principally support and enhance the answers within a physical security context to the risk triplet: (1) What can go wrong? (2) What is the likelihood? and (3) What are the consequences? Finally, benefits and technical challenges toward the development of a full security PRA are presented.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗
DOE OSTI2021

Cost targets to achieve commercially viable thermal storage in buildings

To mitigate the variation in demand on the electric grid, thermal energy storage (TES) is an alternative to electric batteries or installing new peaking power plants. Stakeholders and policy makers across the United States have expressed interests in promoting TES, as demonstrated by the US Department of Energy’s Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings program and the efforts of various state legislatures. However, the cost value provided by TES are unclear. If reliable cost benefits were determined, stakeholders would have a clearer picture of the financial returns that can be gained from their investment in TES. In this report, EnergyPlus was used to perform whole-building simulations for two residential buildings in Indianapolis and Atlanta. The HVAC system in both buildings were equipped with phase change material TES. The TES tank was charged in off-peak hours and discharged in peak hours to perform load shifting. First, the economic value implied by existing time-of-use (TOU) rates offered by utility companies was analyzed via whole-building simulation. Second, existing demand reduction (DR) incentives sourced from 3 different electrical grid administrators (i.e., California, Texas, and New England region) were surveyed to determine their implied value. Lastly, the economic value implied by different types of deferred peak power plants were reviewed. The full value of TES to the entire society consists of value to the utility, OEMs, facility installers, and other stakeholders. This report focuses on the value to the utility with emphasis on the deferred capital of peak power plant. The value from the deferred capital of peak power plant is manifested to the customer in the form of demand reduction program and Time-of-Use utility rate program. In this report, an initial proxy of the value of TES is made by assuming the deferred capital cost of power plant is the full value to reduce peak demand. Three levels of financial value of TES systems were assessed. Two are currently available to some residential customers: (1) the benefit from TOU pricing alone and (2) the benefit from TOU pricing in combination with DR incentive programs. The third level was computed as the full cost of deferred capital cost of peaking power plants. This represents the potential value that could be gained by the utilities or conceivably be offered to consumers.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Utilization of the LMP Methodology in Support of the VTR Conceptual Safety Design Report

The Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) is a fast spectrum test reactor currently being developed in the United States under the direction of the US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Nuclear Energy. The VTR is utilizing a risk-informed performance-based (RIPB) approach for design support and authorization by the DOE, derived from recent efforts by the US industry led Licensing Modernization Project (LMP). This document contains an overview of the implementation of the LMP approach in support of the VTR Conceptual Safety Design Report (CSDR). The work reported here is the result of studies supporting a VTR conceptual design, cost, and schedule estimate for DOE-NE to make a decision on procurement. As such, it is preliminary. The VTR RIPB authorization approach utilizes information from the probabilistic risk assessment (PRA), coupled with deterministic analyses, to aid in decision-making regarding the identification and categorization of safety basis events (SBEs), the classification of structures, systems, and components (SSCs), and the evaluation of defense-in-depth (DID) adequacy. As part of initial reactor design efforts, a VTR conceptual design PRA was developed to support the RIPB process, which focused on at-power internal events, with scoping analyses for seismic and sodium fire hazards. In addition to supporting numerous design studies, preliminary results from the RIPB approach and the VTR conceptual design PRA were utilized as the basis of the VTR CSDR. The initial identification and categorization of SBEs, SSC classification, and DID evaluation were contained within the CSDR, which was submitted to DOE in 2019 as part of the CD-1 submittal package. Following review, DOE approved the CSDR in April 2020 and the CD-1 package in late 2020. Valuable experience was gained through the implementation of the RIPB approach for design and authorization during the VTR conceptual design phase, which is summarized in this document. To the extent possible, this experience has been shared with the advanced reactor industry, through publications and participation in licensing tabletops, in addition to informing DOE:NE advanced reactor regulatory development efforts. Furthermore, the approval of the CSDR by the DOE as part of CD-1 represents a significant milestone in the use of RIPB approaches for advanced reactor licensing.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗