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At least 217 records · Page 12

Lidar Observations of Raman Scattering from S02 in a Power Plant Stack Plume

LIDAR techniques have been successfully applied to the detection of the Raman backscatter from S02 in the plume of a 200 megawatt coal-burning electrical- generating plant from a distance of 210 meters. The LIDAR system used consists of a 61-centimeter-diameter, f /4 Newtonian telescope and a 1.0-1.5-joules per pulse, 1-pulse-per-second ruby laser. Narrow band interference filters are used to select the 7546-angstrom v (sub 1) vibrational line of S02. The signal from a photomultiplier tube was sequentially applied to each 254-nanosecond-wide channel of a 15-cihannel photon counting system, resulting in a direct correlation between channel number and range increment. Photon counts were accumulated from the backscatter of a number of laser pulses (typically 50 or 100), and the accumulated counts per channel printed on paper tape. One sequence of measurements was made during a two-hour period while the plant electrical output was being reduced by approximately 50 percent. Although the Raman system had not been quantitatively calibrated, the LIDAR data correlated well with the varying plant electrical output. N2 scattering observations were also made and an approximate quantitative S02 concentration obtained by ratioing the S02 data to N2 data. This ratio compared well to the in-situ measurements made during the same period by Environmental Protection Agency sampling instruments.

Brumfield, M. L.↗

Oceanic Storm Characteristics off the Kennedy Space Center Coast

Natural cloud-to-ground lightning may behave differently depending on the characteristics of the attachment mediums, including the peak current (inferred from radiation fields) and the number of ground strike locations per flash. Existing literature has raised questions over the years on these characteristics of lightning over oceans, and the behaviors are not yet well understood. To investigate this we will obtain identical electric field observations over adjacent land and ocean regions during both clear air and thunderstorm periods. Oceanic observations will be obtained using a 3-meter NOAA buoy that has been instrumented with a Campbell Scientific electric field mill and New Mexico Techs slow antenna, to measure the electric fields aloft. We are currently obtaining measurements from this system on-shore at the Florida coast, to calibrate and better understand the behavior of the system in elevated-field environments. Sometime during winter 2013, this system will be moored 20NM off the coast of the Kennedy Space Center. Measurements from this system will be compared to the existing on-shore electric field mill suite of 31 sensors and a coastal slow antenna. Supporting observations will be provided by New Mexico Techs Lightning Mapping Array, the Eastern Range Cloud to Ground Lightning Surveillance System, and the National Lightning Detection Network. An existing network of high-speed cameras will be used to capture cloud-to-ground lightning strikes over the terrain regions to identify a valid data set for analysis. This on-going project will demonstrate the value of off-shore electric field measurements for safety-related decision making at KSC, and may improve our understanding of relative lightning risk to objects on the ground vs. ocean. This presentation will provide an overview of this new instrumentation, and a summary of our progress to date.

Ocean↗

The Uniform Methods Project: Smart Thermostat Evaluation Protocol

A smart thermostat is an internet-connected device that controls home heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment and can automatically adjust temperature set points to optimize performance and achieve energy savings. Smart thermostat features often include two way communication, occupancy detection (such as geofencing and occupancy sensors), schedule learning, and seasonal optimization algorithms. Smart thermostats can control most conventional HVAC systems, including central air conditioners, heat pumps, and forced air furnaces. Several types of residential utility programs offer smart thermostats as replacements measures. Working with smart thermostat vendors, utilities can offer separate optimization programs to produce energy savings beyond those achieved by installing a smart thermostat. From an evaluation perspective, smart thermostat programs have several noteworthy features. First, the energy savings from a smart thermostat may change over the life of the device. As a smart thermostat is connected to the internet, original equipment manufacturers can update the thermostat software to improve the thermostat's energy efficiency. Likewise, users can adjust the thermostat settings and schedules over time in response to changes in weather, thermal comfort, energy prices, or preferences for energy efficiency. Additionally, many thermostat manufacturers offer seasonal optimization programs that recommend changes or make minor, automated adjustments to the thermostat settings to improve energy efficiency. These opt-in programs are now standard offerings for many smart thermostat manufacturers and provided at no additional cost to users. The potential for software updates and continuous optimization and the evolving nature of user interactions mean future energy savings may differ from first-year savings and the energy savings of smart thermostats may need to be evaluated more than once. Second, smart thermostats often have small unit energy savings relative to a home's total energy consumption, especially in comparison to whole- home retrofit programs. This can make it difficult to detect the smart thermostat savings in billing or advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) meter consumption data. For example, as cooling loads in many regions average about 20% of annual electricity consumption, smart thermostat savings of 10% of cooling energy use would equate to a 2% reduction in home electricity consumption. Evaluators should use regression analysis of whole-home billing consumption or advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) meter consumption data to evaluate smart thermostat savings because, as explained at greater length below , these data are usually available to evaluators and regression can control for the impacts of weather and other potentially confounding factors on a home's energy consumption. Finally, as with other energy efficiency programs, participation in smart thermostat programs is self-selective. As discussed at greater length below , smart thermostat participants tend to be, among other things, younger, higher-income, and more likely to adopt electric vehicles (EVs) and internet connected devices than nonparticipants. These differences are often unobservable to the evaluator and correlated with a home's energy consumption, creating the potential for bias in estimating savings. Due to the small unit savings of thermostats, errors and biases from self-selection that may not be very consequential when evaluating a whole- home retrofits (e.g., ±2% of home electricity consumption) can have a major impact when evaluating the savings and cost-effectiveness of smart thermostat programs. A percentage point change in the estimated savings could affect the cost-effectiveness of a program. This means it is important for evaluators to assess and to minimize the potential for error from selection bias in estimating smart thermostat program savings. The Uniform Methods Project provides model protocols for determining energy savings and demand reductions that result from specific energy efficiency measures implemented through state and utility programs. In most cases, the measure protocols are based on a particular option identified by the International Performance Verification and Measurement Protocol ; however, this work provides a more detailed approach to implementing that option. Each chapter is written by technical experts in collaboration with their peers, reviewed by industry experts, and subject to public review and comment. The UMP protocols can be used by utilities, program administrators, public utility commissions, evaluators, and other stakeholders for both program planning and evaluation.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Medium Voltage Testbed for Comparing Advanced Power Line Sensors vs. Transformers with Electrical Grid Events

Electrical utilities have relied upon potential transformers (PTs) and current transformers (CTs) for very accurate metering and to provide reliable signals for protective relays. These devices measure phase voltages and currents and are commissioned by electrical engineers. PTs/CTs can detect and react to various electrical anomalies that could adversely affect electrical grid operations. Less expensive alternative sensing technologies offer the possibility of wider deployment, particularly in grids that employ distributed energy resources. In this work, the performance of an advanced medium-voltage sensor is compared with that of a reference PT and a CT and experimentally evaluated for different power grid scenarios on an advanced outdoor power line sensor testbed at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The sensor is based on a capacitive divider for voltage monitoring and a Rogowski coil with an integrator for current monitoring. This study simulated a power grid model based on a utility circuit at the Riverside EPB of Chattanooga. The simulation circuit was created with MATLAB/Simulink software and was integrated into an RT-LAB project to run with the OP4510 real-time simulator at the OPLST. During the tests, the real-time simulations were run for 40 s, and the signal to record the test event with the power meter was set at 30 s for the event-trigger circuit. The advanced outdoor power line sensor testbed has a real-time simulator that is used to generate transient scenarios (e.g., electrical faults, capacitor bank operation, and service restoration), while the analog signals are recorded by the same high-resolution power meter. The behaviors of analog signals, harmonic components, total harmonic distortion, and crest factors are assessed for this power line sensor and compared with those of the reference PT/CT because of the absence of testing standards for advanced outdoor power line sensors. The results showed that this OPLS technology responded identically to the PT and CT under all conditions.

Piesciorovsky, Emilio [ORNL]↗

Floating Solar at Lima's Twin Lakes Reservoir

The City of Lima, Ohio is developing a floating photovoltaic (FPV) facility on the surface of Twin Lake Reservoir, adjacent to the City’s water treatment plant. The FPV array is designed with a capacity of 2 megawatts (MW) and will consist of approximately 3,500 solar panels spanning more than four acres of water surface. Based on regional solar conditions, the system will generate 2,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity annually. While the FPV system will interconnect to the electrical infrastructure serving the water treatment plant, power produced by the system will be net-metered through the utility grid, with energy credits applied to offset the plant’s overall electrical demand rather than directly supplying all plant loads in real time.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Welcome to the Special Issue on Grid-Edge Computing With Behind-the-Meter Resources [Guest Editorial]

The integration of distributed energy resources (DERs), such as solar photovoltaic systems, as well as other synergistic assets, including electric vehicles, energy storage, and smart appliances, in electric power systems has been dramatically increasing in the past few years. These assets have the capability to provide much-needed flexibility to electric power systems for improved grid reliability, resilience, and economic efficiency; however, most of these resources are located behind the meter (BTM) on customer premises, and their flexibility is not fully used in current grid operations. Grid-edge computing plays an important role in unlocking the great benefits and potential that BTM resources could provide to electric power systems by enhancing visibility and controllability at the grid edge.

behind-the-meter resources↗

The Impact of Behind-the-Meter Heterogeneous Distributed Energy Resources on Distribution Grids

The increasing integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) on the electric grid brings new challenges and opportunities for utility grid operations. With the rapid deployment of DERs, there is emerging interest in integrating these controllable devices with utility operations at all levels for monitoring and management. To understand the challenges with increasing behind-the-meter (BTM) DERs and to identify the needs in deploying advanced controls, a comprehensive grid impact study is indispensable. This paper presents the analysis which help visualize the DER impact on the grid, identify the challenges and provides an insight into the new distribution management and control needs to enable reliable and resilient grid operations.

behind-the-meter↗

Consumer Benefits of Clean Energy: Renewable Energy

Meeting national and state decarbonization goals requires a transition to clean energy technologies. Energy efficiency, demand flexibility, renewable energy and storage can reduce consumers’ electricity bills, lower total electricity system costs, and provide health and resilience benefits. Berkeley Lab developed a series of briefs that explore these consumer benefits of a clean energy transition. This brief discusses some of the possible consumer benefits of utility-scale and behind the meter renewable energy, with a focus on how these resources can contribute to a low-cost electricity system. It begins with a literature review of modeled impacts, primarily considering consumer benefits, of the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Next, it discusses how utility-scale renewable energy can contribute to a low-cost electricity system (e.g., in some cases, low resource costs relative to other alternatives). It concludes with a discussion of behind-the-meter renewable energy consumer benefits (e.g., reduced host electricity bill, increased property value, resilience).

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Device-level plug load disaggregation in a zero energy office building and opportunities for energy savings

Along with heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting, plug loads are one of the principal consumers of energy in commercial buildings. Managing ever-changing plug loads is a great challenge given the quantity and variety of devices in commercial buildings and the cost of monitoring equipment. To address this issue, we propose a method for developing a disaggregated model of an office building's plug loads that utilizes power data from a small portion of monitored devices and a device inventory. Using data from metering and control devices in the Research Support Facility at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, we compared our model to the building's plug load submeters. We found that the model was effective in predicting the shape of the building's average plug loads; however, it did not account for the entire magnitude of the load. With the disaggregated breakdown, we identified devices that contributed significantly to the building's unoccupied load, such as the audio visual equipment as well as devices that contributed significantly at specific times of the day, such as the microwaves at noon. This disaggregated information enables building owners to make more informed decisions with respect to plug load controls and energy efficiency upgrades. Furthermore, we highlight how the plug loads in the Research Support Facility have changed over time and offer recommendations for implementing this disaggregation method in other buildings.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Supply Chain Management in Cyber Grid Guard Framework

Grid modernization has impeded innovative power grid applications and energy resources that are increasingly distributed. Blockchain/distributed ledger technology (DLT) has the potential to enhance the resilience of the electric infrastructure, particularly in a decentralized and distributed environment. The benefits of blockchain are to ensure asset information and lifecycle events are secure and traceable and identify potential malicious modification of data. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has developed a framework, Cyber Grid Guard (CGG), incorporating blockchain. The system implements a low-energy, fast, and robust enhancement to system trustworthiness within and across electric grid systems, including substations, control centers, and metering infrastructures. Currently, one of the major concerns is supply chain attacks. There have been several recent attacks that have significantly impacted critical infrastructures and organizations around the world. This document focuses on how CGG can be used to address the supply chain issue.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Hydrogen plasma tests of some insulating coating systems for the nuclear rocket thrust chamber

Several plasma-sprayed and slurry-coated insulating coating systems were evaluated for structural stability in a low-pressure hot hydrogen environment at a maximum heat flux of 19.6 million watts/sq meter. The heat was provided by an electric-arc plasma generator. The coating systems consisted of a number of thin layers of metal oxides and/or metals. The materials included molybdenum, nichrome, tungsten, alumina, zirconia, and chromia. The study indicates potential usefulness in this environment for some coatings, and points up the need for improved coating application techniques.

Current, A. N.↗

Design considerations for high-power VHF radar transceivers: Phase matching long coaxial cables using a cable radar

The Poker Flat 49.92-MHz MST radar uses 64 phase-controlled transmitters in individual shelters distributed throughout the antenna array. Phase control is accomplished by sampling the transmitted pulse at the directional coupler of each transmitter and sending the sample pulse back to a phase-control unit. This method requires phase matching 64 long (256 meter) coaxial cables (RG-213) to within several electrical degrees. Tests with a time domain reflectometer showed that attenuation of high frequency components in the long RG-213 cable rounded the leading edge of the reflected pulse so that the cables could only be measured to within 50 cm (about 45 deg at 49.92 MHz). Another measurement technique using a vector voltmeter to compare forward and reflected phase required a directional coupler with unattainable directivity. Several other techniques were also found lacking, primarily because of loss in the long RG-213 cables. At this point it was realized that what was needed was a simple version of the phase-coherent clear-air radar, i.e., a cable radar. The design and operation of this cable are described.

Johnson, P. E.↗

Rocket observations in the equatorial electrojet - Current status and critical problems

The current status of in situ investigations in the equatorial electrojet is reviewed. Emphasis is placed on: (1) the relation of the vertical polarization field to the electrojet current and the electron number density; (2) the puzzling square shapes of the large amplitude kilometer-scale horizontal electric field structures; (3) the intense vertical, meter-scale waves observed on the topside of the electrojet associated with horizontal laminar-like primary two-stream waves; (4) measurements of upgoing and downgoing secondary two-stream and gradient drift wave packets driven by delta E x B drifts; (5) the nonlinear meter-scale 'turbulence' with small mean phase velocities observed by radars at altitudes outside the regions of high Cowling conductivity, and wave-particle heating by the plasma instabilities.

Pfaff, R. F., Jr.↗

Enhanced Fair-Weather Electric Fields Soon After Sunrise

The typical fair weather electric field at the ground is between -100 and -300 V/m. At the NASA Kennedy Space Center and US Air Force Cape Canaveral Air Station (KSC) the electric field at the ground sometimes reaches -400 to -1200 V/m within an hour or two after sunrise on days that otherwise seem to be fair weather. We refer to the enhanced negative electric fields as the "sunrise enhancement." To investigate the sunrise enhancement at KSC we measured the electric field (E) in the first few hundred meters above the ground before and during several sunrise enhancements. From these E soundings we can infer the presence of charge layers and determine their thickness and charge density.

Marshall, T. C.↗

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Pilot Demonstration of an Attestation and Anomaly Detection Framework using Distributed Ledger Technology for Power Grid Infrastructure

This report summarizes the design and pilot demonstration of a framework called Grid Guard that was created to provide increased data and device trustworthiness to electric grid devices by leveraging distributed ledger technology (DLT), specifically blockchain. Grid Guard contains a combination of core cryptographic methods such as the secure hash algorithm (SHA), and asymmetric cryptography, private permissioned blockchain, baselining configuration data, consensus algorithm (Raft) and the Hyperledger Fabric (HLF) framework. The system implements a low energy, fast, and robust enhancement to system trustworthiness within and across electric grid systems such as substations, control centers and metering infrastructures. Blockchain is a distributed database structured that provides a practically unalterable (immutable) timeline of stored transactions. By relying on hashing and the Raft consensus algorithm, if an entity tries to illegitimately alter a record at one instance of the database the other ledger nodes are not altered. They work to cross-reference each other and easily locate any incorrectly added data and remove it. The bulk raw data is stored in an off-chain storage (outside of the blockchain ledger) and a hash of this baseline data is stored in the Blockchain ledger via hashing windows of time-series and configuration data, after aggregation and filtering. The bulk off-chain data repository is then considered to be trust-anchored using the hashes stored in the blockchain. To secure the electric grid testbed devices and data, device configuration baselines were compared to those baselines that had been previously stored in the ledger. Statistical baselines for device configurations, network communication patterns, and high-speed sensor data are calculated and then stored off-chain and hashes stored in the ledger. Measurements such as three-phase voltage and current, frequency, breaker status, protection scheme settings, network configuration settings (and other device configuration artifacts) and network traffic features (packet interarrival times) are compared every minute or other selected time windows. During phase 1 of the Grid Guard DLT project different DLT technologies were studies, and an assessment was performed on DLT technology vulnerabilities, uses, and key characteristics. DLT consensus protocols were studies (e.g., RAFT, named after Reliable, Replicated, Redundant, And Fault-Tolerant). Also, cryptography, public, private and permissioned or permissionless systems were assessed. Grid Guard implements a permissioned private DLT. Consensus algorithm selection and choice of DLT implementation depended heavily on the use-case. For this use-case, parameters were selected to measure performance and existing tools for assessment. Benchmarking was performed theoretically and practically. During phase 2 hashed transactions/blocks were inserted into the ledger every second. During phase 2 of the Grid Guard DLT project, a prototype framework was developed and demonstrated for attestation of critical substation devices and data using precision timing systems that use PTP and IRIG-B protocols) on a testbed of operational devices that emulated a distribution substation, control center, and power metering infrastructure using real Operational Technology (OT). The testbed includes OT devices such as protective relays, human machine interfaces (HMI), and power meters. To determine when to collect and compare system and network baselines, an initial examination of an anomaly detection capability to identify malicious manipulation of data streams was conducted. The resulting anomaly detection was demonstrated in a set of experiments and leveraged to trigger device artifact attestation checks. Attestation checks occur against device configuration baselines when compared with the immutable blockchain-stored baselines, which provided a cryptographically supported means by which to store baselines. The electrical substation-grid testbed was created to test the Grid Guard framework. The testbed emulates the operations of a portion of a power grid and SCADA systems as closely as possible. The testbed integrates real protocols, mainly IEC 61850 standard protocols, such as the Sampled Value (SV) and the GOOSE protocols. The testbed also supports DNP3 and other layer 2 and layer 3 protocols such as Telnet, SSH, SFTP/FTP and other proprietary protocols needed to connect to industrial control system equipment. The testbed emulates real power conditions using the OpalRT hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) device which can create fault situations that cannot be easily tested on real systems. The electrical substation-grid testbed was created using real measurement, communication, and protection devices that electrical utilities commonly use.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Wind Turbine Sound Setbacks and Supply Curves: Ordinances and Extrapolated Trends, 110 Hub Height, 130 Rotor Diameter

This dataset provides a comprehensive set of wind turbine sound setbacks from every residential structure in the contiguous United States (CONUS). A sound setback is defined as the minimum required distance between a residential structure and a hypothetical turbine installation site to ensure that modeled sound levels received at the residence do not exceed local sound ordinances, which are commonly expressed in A-weighted decibels (dBA). Therefore, sound setbacks are a local spatial assessment combining multiple factors, including the sound pressure curve as a function of the observer location (distance and direction) relative to the turbine, local sound regulations, and the geographical distribution of residential structures. The dataset is organized into multiple scenario-based products, detailed as follows: 1. Existing and extrapolated sound setbacks. An existing scenario characterizes sound setbacks only in states or counties that have implemented sound regulations as of 2022. The extrapolated scenarios extend a constant sound threshold to counties that lack explicit sound regulations, with thresholds ranging from 35 to 60 dBA, in 5-dBA increments reflecting the variation observed in current sound ordinances. 2. Sound setbacks in directional and worst scenarios. The directional scenario accounts for the distance and orientation of residential structures relative to a hypothetical turbine location, utilizing the turbine's sound emissions in that specific direction. In contrast, the worst scenario takes loudest sound level at each distance step from the turbine, irrespective of directional considerations, which aligns with current industry practice. 3. Supply curves for Open and Reference Access scenarios. This dataset includes supply curves generated by the reV model, which integrates each of the above sound setbacks into both Open and Reference siting scenarios. In addition, two Open and Reference baselines scenarios were included which do not consider sound setbacks for comparative analysis. All sound setback data are stored in TIF files, with partial maps of the data provided in PNG format. The values in the sound setback raster range from 0 to 1, representing the fraction of developable land within a 90 meter by 90 meter pixel due to sound ordinances. A value of 0 indicates areas where wind energy development is prohibited, while a value of 1 signifies areas fully permissible. The wind turbine parameters used in the sound modeling are based on the land-based turbine from International Energy Agency (IEA), featuring a rated electrical power of 3.4 MW, a rotor diameter of 130 meters, and a hub height of 110 meters. The atmospheric conditions, including wind speed/direction, turbulence, air temperature, relative humidity, and air pressure, that drive the sound generation are obtained from the WIND Toolkit dataset.

Array↗

Grid Edge Visibility: Gaps and a Road Map

Behind-The-Meter (BTM) resources at the grid edge are rapidly becoming an important component of the electric grid, requiring a substantial reconfiguration of traditional grid practices, such as policy changes, market redesign, and infrastructure upgrades. This adjustment is challenged by the fact that, by definition, grid edge elements are not easily observable by grid control entities. Increasing the visibility of these resources is therefore an important goal, one that is experiencing much research and discussion by various power system stakeholders. For example, policy makers are analyzing the tradeoffs of using grid edge meters to impose charges on grid edge electricity generation. System operators, such as the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) in the United States, can identify visibility information on the electrical location and the size of the grid edge resources as a critical consideration across the transmission-and-distribution (T&D) spectrum. This article summarizes the challenges and needs of grid entities resulting from the introduction of grid edge resources as well the gaps in the extant grid edge visibility frameworks.

behind-the-meter↗

Electrical measurements in the atmosphere and the ionosphere over an active thunderstorm. I - Campaign overview and initial ionospheric results

The first simultaneous electric field observations performed in the ionosphere and atmosphere over an active nighttime thunderstorm are reported here. In the stratosphere, typical storm-related dc electric fields were detected from a horizontal distance of about 100 km, and transient electric fields due to lightning were measured at several different altitudes. In the ionosphere and mesosphere, lightning-induced transient electric fields in the range of tens of millivolts per meter were detected with rise times at least as fast as 0.2 ms and typical duration of 10-20 ms. The transients had significant components parallel to the magnetic field at 150 km altitude. This implies that either considerable Joule heating occurs or a collective instability is present because of the high drift velocities induced by the transient electric fields. Copious numbers of whistlers were generated by the storm and were detected above but not below the base of the ionosphere. The outline of a new model for direct whistler wave generation over an active thunderstorm is presented based on these observations. The intensity of the observed two-hop whistlers implies that they were amplified along their propagation path and suggests that particles were precipitated in both hemispheres.

Kelley, M. C.↗