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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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At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Comparison of Commercial, State-of-the-Art, Fossil-Based Hydrogen Production Technologies

This report presents an independent assessment of the cost and performance of select hydrogen production plants utilizing fossil fuel resources as the primary feedstocks – specifically, natural gas (NG), steam methane reforming (SMR), NG autothermal reforming (ATR), coal gasification, and coal/biomass co-gasification – using a systematic, transparent technical and economic approach. Study cases were selected to reflect the capabilities of current, commercial technologies within plant configurations, and at scales, representative of next commercial offerings facing no fundamental research and development (R&D) obstacles. Additionally, several areas of R&D are identified as potential pathways for performance improvements and cost reductions.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2022

Innovative Proton Conductive Membranes Based on Two-Dimensional Materials

The team of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, New Mexico State University, and General Graphene Corporation staff will develop and commercialize paradigm-shifting low-cost, high-performing, proton-conductive membranes made from abundant and durable 2D materials. Proposed membranes are expected to be an order of magnitude better in performance and cost compared with the current state-of-the-art formulation, Nafion, and thus are expected to eliminate huge roadblocks in proliferation of fuel cells and flow batteries. The major goal for this work is to develop a fundamentally new learning curve for novel proton exchange membranes needed for various applications. The new technology will overcome the shortcomings of the current state-of-the-art membranes that are based upon Nafion polymer by offering higher proton conductivities, the ability to operate at much lower external humidity levels and higher temperatures (>120°C), and negligible fuel and oxidant crossover through the membrane.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Direct Air Capture Case Studies: Solvent System

This case study provides cost and performance estimates for a solvent-based direct air capture (DAC) system at varying scales. The performance of the DAC system is largely based upon vendor performance while the costs of the system were developed as independently as possible. This study is representative of an example DAC system configuration and is not an optimized design.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Re-Designing the CSP Thermal Energy Storage System to Enable Higher-Temperature Performance at Reduced Cost (Final Technical Report)

Current commercial concentrating solar power (CSP) plants distinguish themselves from ordinary photovoltaic (PV) power plants by storing enough collected energy to enable generation for several hours after the sun goes down. CSP plants store this energy in the sensible heat of nitrate salts in large metallic storage tanks. Stainless-steel AISI 347H (SS347H) is needed for the hot tank operating at about 565 degrees C whereas carbon steel is sufficient for the cold-tank materials. Two-tank nitrate-salt thermal energy storage (TES) is presently in use in several trough-based CSP plants in Europe and in the U.S., operating up to about 390 degrees C. Three commercially operating tower-based CSP plants - Gemasolar in Spain, Crescent Dunes in Nevada, and Noor III in Morocco - use the same approach, storing nitrate salts at temperatures up to 580 degrees C. SS347H is many times more expensive than carbon steel and constitutes a significant cost element in today's CSP plants. Hence, CSP developers need to close the cost gap with PV-based solar plants by making cost reductions in every system of the plant. Redesigning the TES tanks is one opportunity for cost reduction.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Aerogel with Unparalleled Performance and Cost-Effectiveness for All Insulation Needs (CRADA Final Report)

Westwood Aerogel investigated the reproducible production of an ambiently or electromagnetic spectrum assisted drying of extremely porous aerogel materials. Traditional aerogel processing is limited by low throughput and scalability due to supercritical drying. Westwood Aerogel’s advanced manufacturing process enables commercialization and deployment at scale, making aerogel materials more accessible to a range of industries and applications. We focused on shifting from the lab scale environment to manufacturing prototypes. The initial manufacturing model is based on the float glass process, which is the industry standard for glass window production, and the paper drying process. By incorporating an ambient drying process a continuous line model can be used from start to finish. The project team worked to develop a continuous manufacturing system to scale-up and reduce costs while maintaining the lightweight and insulative properties of aerospace-grade aerogel. While aerogels are extremely insulative, lightweight, and thin materials (making them ideal insulators across application spaces), high costs and stagnant innovation have hampered their wider adoption. Traditional manufacturing of aerogel requires supercritical extraction of pore fluid to obtain highly insulating materials, which is an energy intensive batch process and limits aerogel production output. Westwood Aerogel’s proprietary ambient drying process enables the continuous production of highly insulative aerogel materials without the use of supercritical extraction.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Affordable Solid Panel "Perfect Wall" System

The SPS is an innovative interpretation of the “perfect wall” concept, in which environmental control layers are located on the exterior side of the structural components, as opposed to traditional cavity insulated, stud-framed walls. The primary objective of this study is to validate the SPS technology in terms of its constructability, cost, and performance. Specifically for this project, we partnered with two affordable housing nonprofits in Minnesota—Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and Urban Homeworks—to build five new houses using SPS walls, as well as two high-performance stud-framed comparison homes. We also reviewed cost and performance data from 13 SPS homes built prior to this project by MonoPath and Spero Environmental Builders. Reviewing the outcomes of these 20 homes total, we find promising results in terms of constructability, cost, and performance, although more structural performance data are needed before this new technology can see widespread adoption.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2023

Adopting occupancy-based HVAC controls in commercial building energy codes: Analysis of cost-effectiveness and decarbonization potential

Recent research has shown the energy-saving potential of occupancy-based HVAC controls (OBCs) in commercial buildings. However, building energy codes have not fully adopted this technology. This study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and decarbonization benefits of OBCs and provide guidance for integrating occupancy sensors into building energy code development. To this end, a parametric simulation using EnergyPlus and a nationwide cost-effectiveness analysis are carried out considering three building types and 40 representative cities in the U.S. Here, the findings reveal that the current cost-effectiveness performance of OBCs is limited due to the high cost of occupancy sensors. However, incorporating the societal cost of carbon factor in future energy and environmental policy could greatly enhance the actual cost-effectiveness performance. Besides, a reduction in the cost of occupancy sensors to approximately 60% of the current price level could also greatly shorten the discounted payback period of OBCs. Additionally, OBCs demonstrate significant potential in building decarbonization, with potential CO 2 emissions savings of more than 5.56 million metric tons across the three building types and 40 selected cities. Finally, policy implications are provided to guide the incorporation of occupancy-based HVAC controls in future energy codes.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

Performance Evaluation of an Advanced Distributed Energy Resource Management Algorithm

This paper presents performance evaluation of a new distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) algorithm via an advanced hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) platform. The HIL platform provides realistic testing in a laboratory environment, including the accurate modeling of sub-transmission and distribution networks, the DERMS software controller, and 84 power hardware solar photovoltaic (PV) inverters, standard communication protocols, and a capacitor bank controller. The DERMS algorithm is also called, Grid-Optimization of Solar (GO-Solar) platform which includes predictive state estimation (PSE) and online multiple objective optimization (OMOO) to dispatch the legacy devices and distributed energy resources (e.g., PV). The voltage regulation performance is evaluated under three scenarios, volt-var smart inverter (baseline), and DERMS control for 100% and 30% of PV. The results show that controlling 30% of PV systems with the GO-Solar platform may provide the best balance of control performance and implementation cost.

distributed energy resource management system (DER↗
DOE OSTI2020

Promises and Challenges of Next-Generation “Beyond Li-ion” Batteries for Electric Vehicles and Grid Decarbonization

The tremendous improvement in performance and cost of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have made them the technology of choice for electrical energy storage. While established battery chemistries and cell architectures for Li-ion batteries achieve good power and energy density, LIBs are unlikely to meet all the performance, cost, and scaling targets required for energy storage, in particular, in large-scale applications such as electrified transportation and grids. The demand to further reduce cost and/or increase energy density, as well as the growing concern related to natural resource needs for Li-ion have accelerated the investigation of so-called "beyond Li-ion" technologies. In this review, we will discuss the recent achievements, challenges, and opportunities of four important "beyond Li-ion" technologies: Na-ion batteries, K-ion batteries, all-solid-state batteries, and multivalent batteries. Here, the fundamental science behind the challenges, and potential solutions toward the goals of a low-cost and/or high-energy-density future, are discussed in detail for each technology. While it is unlikely that any given new technology will fully replace Li-ion in the near future, "beyond Li-ion" technologies should be thought of as opportunities for energy storage to grow into mid/large-scale applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Techno-Economic Analysis of Reversible and Paired Solid Oxide Cell Systems for Hydrogen Production

This is the Journal of the Electrochemical Society manuscript that details an NETL analysis on comparing the performance and cost of reversible solid oxide cell (SOC) units versus paired fuel cell (SOFC) and electrolysis cell (SOEC) units. The analysis compares tradeoffs such as capital costs versus rate of performance degradation, sensitivity to natural gas prices, sensitivity to imported power costs, and other relevant analyses. The systems include a high rate (98%) of carbon capture. The analysis shows that given a certain cost of electricity input, either approach could be viable in the market and points to the need to incorporate into a full system to understand impacts.

Noring, Alex↗
DOE OSTI2022

2022 GETEM Geothermal Drilling Cost Curve Update: Preprint

The Geothermal Electricity Technology Evaluation Model (GETEM) is an essential tool for the Department of Energy's (DOE) Geothermal Technology Office (GTO) to understand the performance and cost of technologies it is seeking to improve. This detailed model is used for supply curve analyses, assessing the current economic feasibility and Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of hydrothermal geothermal systems and EGS, and evaluating the potential impact of advanced geothermal technologies. GETEM can be used to estimate the performance and costs of currently available U.S. geothermal power systems. It is also used to estimate the costs of technologies 5 to 20 years in the future, given the direction of potential research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) projects. The model is intended to help GTO determine which proposed RD&D programs and projects might offer the most efficient improvement when using taxpayer funding. The model requires annual updates as well as revisions to reflect the current state of the art. Drilling costs are a significant portion of total geothermal development costs. The current GETEM drilling cost inputs rely on drilling data from 2009 and require an updated analysis of more recent data to ensure they remain representative of current technologies. An updated, more accurate understanding of costs could help the geothermal industry secure project development financing and investment funding and better allow the oil and gas (O&G) industry (both operators and service companies) weigh potential geothermal market participation and customization. This report details recent drilling improvements from the Utah Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) and O&G, comparing drilling performance and costs with values in GETEM, particularly the baseline drilling cost curves. Though drilling performance at FORGE has improved significantly, we did not find associated cost decreases that would justify lowering the GETEM baseline cost curves as of now.

API↗
DOE OSTI2022

2022 GETEM Geothermal Drilling Cost Curve Update

The Geothermal Electricity Technology Evaluation Model (GETEM) is an essential tool for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) to understand the performance and cost of technologies it is seeking to improve. This detailed model is used for supply curve analyses, assessing the current economic feasibility and levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of hydrothermal geothermal systems and enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), and evaluating the potential impact of advanced geothermal technologies. GETEM can be used to estimate the performance and costs of currently available U.S. geothermal power systems. It is also used to estimate the costs of technologies 5 to 20 years in the future, given the direction of potential research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) projects. The model is intended to help GTO determine which proposed RD&D programs and projects might offer the most efficient improvement when using taxpayer funding. The model requires annual updates as well as revisions to reflect the current state of the art. Drilling costs are a significant portion of total geothermal development costs. The current GETEM drilling cost inputs rely on drilling data from 2009 and require an updated analysis of more recent data to ensure they remain representative of current technologies. An updated, more accurate understanding of costs could help the geothermal industry secure project development financing and investment funding and better allow the oil and gas (O&G) industry (both operators and service companies) to weigh potential geothermal market participation and customization. This report details recent drilling improvements from the Utah Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) and the O&G sector, comparing drilling performance and costs with values in GETEM, particularly the baseline drilling cost curves. Although drilling performance at FORGE has improved significantly, we did not find associated cost decreases that would justify lowering the GETEM baseline cost curves at this time.

API↗
DOE OSTI2026

Detailed Simulation Datasets Quantifying U.S. DOE VTO/HFTO R&D Benefits Across Light- to Heavy-Duty Vehicles

For more than 20 years, Argonne National Laboratory’s Vehicle & Mobility Systems Department has assessed how R&D investments by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Transportation Technologies Office and Alternative Fuels and Feedstocks Office affect vehicle energy use and cost. The analyses are performed using Autonomie, Argonne’s full-vehicle simulation tool for energy consumption, performance, and cost. The study covers five time frames ranging from present day through 2050, with more than 30 vehicle classes and applications (10 light duty and >20 medium and heavy duty), as well as six powertrain configurations (conventional, start-stop, hybrid electric vehicle, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, battery-electric vehicle, and fuel cell electric vehicle) and five fuels (gasoline, diesel, natural gas, hydrogen, and electricity). Low and high technology uncertainty scenarios have been considered to capture a realistic range of outcomes. The resulting datasets include the assumptions used (i.e., efficiency, $/kWh), vehicle-level data (power, energy, weight, and cost), and outputs such as energy consumption, manufacturer’s suggested retail price, and total cost of ownership. These data are critical to stakeholders working in transportation, technology assessment, and long-term R&D planning.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

Energy Storage Valuation: A Review of Use Cases and Modeling Tools

An enticing prospect that drives adoption of energy storage systems (ESS) is its ability to be used in a diverse set of use cases and the potential to take advantage of multiple unique value streams. The Energy Storage Grand Challenge (ESGC) technology development pathways for storage technologies draw from a set of use cases in the electrical power system, each with their own specific cost and performance needs. In addition to the need for cost and performance improvements for storage technologies, there a need for robust valuation methods to enable effective policy, investment, business models, and resource planning. There are numerous storage valuation tools available to the public, many of which can analyze the value of an ESS project with inputs and characteristics that reflect a specific storage use case. To effectively reach ESS stakeholders that may be interested in learning about valuation models, this report will draw from publicly available tools developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) and frame their functionalities and capabilities within the context of three distinct use case families. This report examines three of the ESGC use case families in depth and provides a methodology in which interested stakeholders can determine which DOE modeling tool is best suited to value ESS for their specific case. The high-level objectives for this report include: (1) Provide specific sub use-cases for each use case family for further characterization; (2) Provide technical parameters and relevant data for three example use cases that could be used in a valuation tool; (3) Identify a list of publicly available DOE tools that can provide energy storage valuation insights for ESS use case stakeholders; (4) Provide information on the capabilities and different options in each modeling tool; (5) Make conclusions on which are best suited for valuing certain functional/performance requirements and which tools might be applicable to other use cases; and (6) Show the methodology that informs a Model Selection Platform (MSP) framework that educates stakeholders on different DOE models and provides a streamlined way to choose the right model that most closely matches their needs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗