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At least 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Initial Process Planning of a Hybrid Multi-Tasking Platform

Abstract Applications of hybrid technology are expanding from refurbishment and repair to low quantity, specialty part production, which are staple characteristics in medical implant, energy, and aerospace industry sectors, among others. This expansion has led to the development of the Mazak VC-500A/5X AM HWD, a wire fed laser cladding unit equipped with a standard 5 axis CNC. This unit is capable of building near net geometry of complex medium to large parts within a profitable timeframe, due to its comparatively high rate of deposition to that of a powder fed hybrid system. In this study, deposition and machining capabilities of the VC-500A/5X AM HWD are assessed through the production of three different test geometries by different process plans. Production of these test geometries is supported by an open loop sensor package primarily for monitoring machine health, data collection, and machine operator aid. The viability of extended deposition followed by machining is evaluated against a more cyclical strategy of reoccurring deposition and machining operations. Lastly, common defects in as-built geometries are evaluated and addressed through revisions to original process plans and toolpaths, indicating the need for continued innovation in hybrid manufacturing specific CAM/CAD software, as well as closed loop machine monitoring and quality control.

DeWitte, Lisa N.↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Monte-Carlo Method for Evaluating the Economic Performance of Plastics Recycling Systems Using Historical Pricing

The management of plastic waste is a considerable emerging global concern. Conventional plastics recycling rates range from 5–10% in the US, which results in considerable material being sent to landfill. New sorting technologies using artificial intelligence have the potential to dramatically increase the ability of waste management companies to sort out valuable fractions of plastic waste and create high-purity streams for secondary markets. However, several fractions of the plastics recycling stream, i.e., low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene, do not have well-developed markets. These materials may be sent to pyrolysis facilities for thermal recycling, but the economics of the pyrolysis industry are currently uncertain. This work aims to identify the breakeven price of the plastic fractions that would be sent to pyrolysis in order to determine the economic viability of the sorting facility. The work will use Monte Carlo analysis to evaluate several scenarios and understand how compositional variation, price variability, and facility attributes affect the breakeven price. Here, the presorting conditions in Materials Recovery Facilities strongly affects the profitability of the sorting facility. High residual high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) content in presorted bales are important revenue drivers for the facility, even in presorted 3-7 bales. Key variables that lead to profitability include a high sale price of polyethylene terephthalate, a high sale price of high-density polyethylene, and if polypropylene can be sold to recycling markets (as opposed to pyrolysis facilities).

Plastics↗
DOE OSTI2014

Tissue decomposition from dual energy CT data for MC based dose calculation in particle therapy

Purpose: The authors describe a novel method of predicting mass density and elemental mass fractions of tissues from dual energy CT (DECT) data for Monte Carlo (MC) based dose planning. Methods: The relative electron density ϱ{sub e} and effective atomic number Z{sub eff} are calculated for 71 tabulated tissue compositions. For MC simulations, the mass density is derived via one linear fit in the ϱ{sub e} that covers the entire range of tissue compositions (except lung tissue). Elemental mass fractions are predicted from the ϱ{sub e} and the Z{sub eff} in combination. Since particle therapy dose planning and verification is especially sensitive to accurate material assignment, differences to the ground truth are further analyzed for mass density, I-value predictions, and stopping power ratios (SPR) for ions. Dose studies with monoenergetic proton and carbon ions in 12 tissues which showed the largest differences of single energy CT (SECT) to DECT are presented with respect to range uncertainties. The standard approach (SECT) and the new DECT approach are compared to reference Bragg peak positions. Results: Mean deviations to ground truth in mass density predictions could be reduced for soft tissue from (0.5±0.6)% (SECT) to (0.2±0.2)% with the DECT method. Maximum SPR deviations could be reduced significantly for soft tissue from 3.1% (SECT) to 0.7% (DECT) and for bone tissue from 0.8% to 0.1%. MeanI-value deviations could be reduced for soft tissue from (1.1±1.4%, SECT) to (0.4±0.3%) with the presented method. Predictions of elemental composition were improved for every element. Mean and maximum deviations from ground truth of all elemental mass fractions could be reduced by at least a half with DECT compared to SECT (except soft tissue hydrogen and nitrogen where the reduction was slightly smaller). The carbon and oxygen mass fraction predictions profit especially from the DECT information. Dose studies showed that most of the 12 selected tissues would profit significantly (up to 2.2%) from DECT material decomposition with no noise present. The ϱ{sub e} associated with an absolute noise of ±0.01 and Z{sub eff} associated with an absolute noise of ±0.2 resulted in ±10% standard variation in the carbon and oxygen mass fraction prediction. Conclusions: Accurate stopping power prediction is mainly determined by the correct mass density prediction. Theoretical improvements in range predictions with DECT data in the order of 0.1%–2.1% were observed. Further work is needed to quantify the potential improvements from DECT compared to SECT in measured image data associated with artifacts and noise.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Spatial fractionation of the dose using neon and heavier ions: A Monte Carlo study

Purpose: This work explores a new radiation therapy approach which might trigger a renewed use of neon and heavier ions to treat cancers. These ions were shown to be extremely efficient in radioresistant tumor killing. Unfortunately, the efficient region also extends into the normal tissue in front of the tumor. The strategy the authors propose is to profit from the well-established sparing effect of thin spatially fractionated beams, so that the impact on normal tissues might be minimized while a high tumor control is achieved. The main goal of this work is to provide a proof of concept of this new approach. With that aim, a dosimetric study was carried out as a first step to evaluate the interest of further explorations of this avenue. Methods: The GATE/GEANT4 v.6.1 Monte Carlo simulation platform was employed to simulate arrays of rectangular minibeams (700 μm × 2 cm) of four ions (Ne, Si, Ar, and Fe). The irradiations were performed with a 2 cm-long spread-out Bragg peak centered at 7 cm-depth. Dose distributions in a water phantom were scored considering two minibeams center-to-center distances: 1400 and 3500 μm. Peak and valley doses, peak-to-valley dose ratios (PVDRs), beam penumbras, and relative contribution of nuclear fragments and electromagnetic processes were assessed as figures of merit. In addition, the type and proportion of the secondary nuclear fragments were evaluated in both peak and valley regions. Results: Extremely high PVDR values (>100) and low valley doses were obtained. The higher the atomic number (Z) of the primary ion is, the lower the valleys and the narrower the penumbras. Although the yield of secondary nuclear products increases with Z, the actual dose being deposited by the secondary nuclear fragments in the valleys starts to be the dominant contribution at deeper points, helping in the sparing of proximal normal tissues. Additionally, a wider center-to-center distance leads to a minimized contribution of heavier secondary fragments in valleys. Conclusions: The computed dose distributions suggest that a spatial fractionation of the dose combined to the use of submillimetric field sizes might allow profiting from the high efficiency of neon and heavier ions for the treatment of radioresistant tumors, while preserving normal tissues. The authors’ results support the further exploration of this avenue. Next steps include the realization of biological experiment to confirm the shifting of normal tissue complication probability curves.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Optimal Financing Decision in a Contract Food Supply Chain with Capital Constraint

To solve the financing problem of the food producers, we consider a two‐echelon contract food supply chain composed of a family farm with capital constraints and a food processing enterprise. With no capital constraints as the benchmark model, we analyze optimal decisions of the family farm and the food processing enterprise in the case of bank financing with bank participation only and bank financing with “government, bank, and insurance” coparticipation. Then, we discuss how the risk of yield uncertainty influences the optimal decisions and profits of the family farm and the food processing enterprise under different financing situation. Meanwhile, the reason why the government subsidizes agriculture is explored, and the policy of minimum purchase price of the food is initiated when the market price is too low. Finally, the numerical examples and sensitivity analysis are presented. The results show that the bank financing with “government, bank, and insurance” coparticipation improves the welfare of supply chain members more obviously than the bank financing with bank participation only; when the rice price is too low, the policy of minimum purchase price of food is initiated, which increases the revenue and the growing enthusiasm of the family farm; the profits of the family farm and the food processing enterprise will decrease as the risk of yield uncertainty increases in the case of bank financing, and the risk of yield uncertainty will be reduced for the family farm when bank financing with “government, bank, and insurance” coparticipation.

Luo, Ying (ORCID:0000000158101443)↗
DOE OSTI2019

Data from Impact of Fractionation Process on the Technical and Economic Viability of Corn Dry Grind Ethanol Process

Use of corn fractionation techniques in dry grind process increases the number of coproducts, enhances their quality and value, generates feedstock for cellulosic ethanol production and potentially increases profitability of the dry grind process. The aim of this study is to develop process simulation models for eight different wet and dry corn fractionation techniques recovering germ, pericarp fiber and/or endosperm fiber, and evaluate their techno-economic feasibility at the commercial scale. Ethanol yields for plants processing 1113.11 MT corn/day were 37.2 to 40 million gal for wet fractionation and 37.3 to 31.3 million gal for dry fractionation, compared to 40.2 million gal for conventional dry grind process. Capital costs were higher for wet fractionation processes ($92.85 to $97.38 million) in comparison to conventional ($83.95 million) and dry fractionation ($83.35 to $84.91 million) processes. Due to high value of coproducts, ethanol production costs in most fractionation processes ($1.29 to $1.35/gal) were lower than conventional ($1.36/gal) process. Internal rate of return for most of the wet (6.88 to 8.58%) and dry fractionation (6.45 to 7.04%) processes was higher than the conventional (6.39%) process. Wet fractionation process designed for germ and pericarp fiber recovery was most profitable among the processes.

Conversion↗
DOE OSTI2010

National Bio-fuel Energy Laboratory

The National Biofuel Energy Laboratory or NBEL was a consortia consisting of non-profits, universities, industry, and OEM’s. NextEnergy Center (NEC) in Detroit, Michigan was the prime with Wayne State University as the primary subcontractor. Other partners included: Art Van Furniture; Biodiesel Industries Inc. (BDI); Bosch; Clean Emission Fluids (CEF); Delphi; Oakland University; U.S. TARDEC (The Army); and later Cummins Bridgeway. The program was awarded to NextEnergy by U.S. DOE-NREL on July 1, 2005. The period of performance was about five (5) years, ending June 30, 2010. This program was executed in two phases: 1.Phase I focused on bench-scale R&D and performance-property-relationships. 2.Phase II expanded those efforts into further engine testing, emissions testing, and on-road fleet testing of biodiesel using additional types of feedstock (i.e., corn, and choice white grease based). NextEnergy – a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Detroit was originally awarded a $1.9 million grant from the U.S. Dept. of Energy for Phase I of the NBEL program. A few years later, NextEnergy and its partners received an additional $1.9MM in DOE funding to complete Phase II. The NBEL funding was completely exhausted by the program end date of June 30, 2010 and the cost share commitment of 20% minimum has been exceeded nearly two times over. As a result of the work performed by the NBEL consortia, the following successes were realized: 1.Over one hundred publications and presentations have been delivered by the NBEL consortia, including but not limited to: R&D efforts on algae-based biodiesel, novel heterogeneous catalysis, biodiesel properties from a vast array of feedstock blends, cold flow properties, engine testing results (several Society of Automotive Engineers [SAE] papers have been published on this research), emissions testing results, and market quality survey results. 2.One new spinoff company (NextCAT) was formed by two WSU Chemical Engineering professors and another co-founder, based on a novel heterogeneous catalyst that may be retrofitted into idled biodiesel manufacturing facilities to restart production at a greatly reduced cost. 3.Three patents have been filed by WSU and granted based on the NextCAT focus. 4.The next-generation advanced biodiesel dispensing unit (CEF F.A.S.T. unit version 2) was developed by Clean Emission Fluids (CEF). 5.NBEL aided in the preparing a sound technical basis for setting an ASTM B20 standard: ASTM Standard D7467-08 was passed in June of 2008 and officially published on October of 2008. 6.NBEL has helped to understand composition-property-performance relationships, from not only a laboratory and field testing scale, for biodiesel blends from a spectrum of feedstocks. 7.NBEL helped propel the development of biodiesel with improved performance, cetane numbers, cold flow properties, and oxidative stability. 8.Data for over 30,000 miles has been logged for the fleet testing that select members of the consortia participated in. There were five vehicles that participated in the fleet testing. Art Van provided two vehicles, one that remained idle for most of the time and one that was used often for commercial furniture deliveries, Oakland University provided one vehicle, NEC provided one vehicle, and The Night Move provided one vehicle. These vehicles were light to medium duty (2.0 to 6.6 L displacement), used B5 or B20 blends from multiple sources of feedstock (corn-, choice white grease-, and soybean-based blends) and sources (NextDiesel, BDI, or Wacker Oil), experienced a broad range in ambient temperatures (from -9 °F in Michigan winters to 93 °F in the summertime), and both city and highway driving conditions.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Economic and Environmental Assessment of Switchgrass Production on High-Fertility Soil and an Assessment of Anaerobic Digests as an Intermediate Market for Switchgrass

This project had two parts. Part 1 was an economic and environmental assessment of switchgrass production on high-fertility soil, and included an assessment of the effects of field irrigation with treated municipal wastewater (Studies A,C, and E in Final Agreement). Part 2 was an assessment of methods to enhance anaerobic digestion of switchgrass, and included evaluation of several other potential biomass feedstocks (Studies B and D in Final Agreement). Results from Part 1 demonstrated that switchgrass does not compete economically against a corn and soybean rotation on highly productive soils. All four varieties of switchgrass lost money while corn and soybeans were profitable in all four years of this study. Breakeven prices for the four switchgrass varieties were calculated using production costs. The installation of a center pivot irrigation system had minimal impact on crop production and corn and soybean production remained profitable in the year the irrigator was installed. Because of drought and delays in installing the wastewater treatment plant, the irrigation system was not used until year 4 of this study. Therefore, longer term studies evaluating multiple year studies on the impact of irrigation on switchgrass are warranted. Results from irrigating with treated municipal wastewater showed no negative impact on soil quality. Results from Part 2 demonstrated that anaerobic digestion (AD) of switchgrass could be significantly enhanced using low heat (100oC) and mild caustic pretreatment without fine-grinding. Heat for pretreatment could be available from biogas-based combined heat and power (CHP) systems. In bench-top digesters simulating municipal wastewater treatment AD, methane production of coarse-ground switchgrass increased over 20-fold with pretreatment compared to untreated switchgrass. Bench-top studies simulating dairy-based AD also found high specific methane yield, but even untreated switchgrass digested reasonably well, indicating the value of AD micro-organisms acclimated to lignocellulosic feedstock. Similar results were found for corn stover. However, oak and maple leaves – representing common urban yard waste – were more resistant to digestion even with pretreatment. More pretreatment research is required before yard waste could become a significant feedstock for the low/medium-solids digesters common to municipal wastewater or livestock operations.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Saint Joseph's University Institute for Environmental Stewardship

Task A: Examination of the physiological, morphological, and reproductive responses of Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) cultivars identified as potential biofuel producing cultivars as well as naturally-occurring varieties of switchgrass to projected changes in climate for the central portion of the United States. This project was a multi-year project set in a field site located at the Konza Prairie Biological Station near Manhattan, KS USA. The major objective of the study was to understand the physiological and growth responses of the important biofuel grass species, Panicum virgatum (switch grass) to simulated changes in precipitation expected for the Central Plains region of the United States. Population level adaptation to broad-scale regional climates or within-population variation in genome size of this genetically and phenotypically diverse C4 grass species may influence the responses to future precipitation variability associated with climate change. Therefore, we investigated switchgrass responses to water variability between natural populations collected across latitudinal gradient and populations. P. virgatum plants from natural populations originating from Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas received frequent, small precipitation events (“ambient’) or infrequent, large precipitation events (‘altered”) to simulate contrasting rainfall variability expected from this region. We measured leaf-level physiology, aboveground biomass varied significantly by population origin but did not differ by genome size. Our results suggest that trait variation in P. virgatum is primarily attributed to population-level adaptation across latitudinal gradient, not genome size, and that neither population-level adaptation nor genome size may be important predictors of P. virgatum responses to future climatic conditions. Based solely on the data presented here, the most important consideration when deciding what varieties of switchgrass to cultivate for biofuel feedstocks under future climate scenarios is local adaptation and not necessarily genome size as has been hypothesized in the literature. Task B: Installation of an extensive green roof system on the Science Center at Saint Joseph's University for research, research-training and educational outreach activities. An experimental green roof system was designed and installed by an outside contractor (Roofmeadows) on the roof of the Science Center at Saint Joseph's University. The roof system includes four test plots, each with a different drainage system, instrumentation to monitor storm water retention, roof deck temperature, heat flux into and out of the building, rain fall, wind speed and direction, relative humidity and heat emission from the roof system. The vegetative roof was planted with 26 species of plants, distributed throughout the roof area, to assess species/variety growth and coverage characteristics, both in terms of the different drain layer systems, and in terms of the different exposures along the north to south axis of the building. Analysis of the drain layer performance, in terms of storm water retention, shows that the aggregate (stone) drainage layer system performed the best, with the moisture management mat system second, and the geotextile drain layer and reservoir sheet layer systems coming in last. This information is of value in the planning and design of vegetative roof systems since the different types of drainage layer systems have different installation costs and different weights. The different drainage layer systems also seem to be having an impact on plant growth and spread with the test plot with the reservoir sheet layer actually having the poorest plant coverage and plant spread of all areas of the roof studied. Plant growth performance analysis is ongoing, but significant differences have been observed in the third growing season ('13) along the north to south axis, with most species doing better towards the northern end of the roof (in terms of percent ground coverage and plant spread and reproduction). Interestingly, plant growth in all four of the test plots was reduced relative to the lower areas of the roof (the lower area was ca. 2 inches lower than the test plots, due to the space needed for sensors under the plots. The lower roof area uses an aggregate drain layer comparable to that in the third test plot), even when accounting for the north to south differences. The reasons for these differences are not clear and studies are underway to examine the impact of wind scour, drainage rates, temperature, and other factors. This information will be of value to planners of extensive vegetative roof systems in the Philadelphia (and broader) region, since plant growth and roof system overall performance is influenced by local climate, making broad generalizations of performance difficult. Task C: Education and community outreach efforts by the IES involving conferences at SJU, presentations by faculty and students off campus, and educational signage. The Institute for Environmental Stewardship hosted three storm water management workshops on the SJU campus in Philadelphia, in collaboration with the Lower Merion Conservancy, a not-for-profit organization located in Montgomery County, PA. These workshops were free and open to the public. The three workshops (held each year in March) drew more than 200 participants total. The presenters included local and state government agencies, not for profit organizations involved in storm water and open space preservation, designers, engineers, planners and others. Feedback was uniformly positive and we plan to continue the workshops for the foreseeable future. Educational signage has been installed at four locations on campus to explain campus infrastructure related to storm water (rain gardens, vegetative roof and green facades), as well as detailed signage installed on the Science Center roof for the vegetative roof system. More than 100 people (from in and outside of SJU) have thus far participated in tours of the roof system. A digital signage system has been installed in the adjacent library and this system provides information about the vegetative roof project and other efforts. A web camera system for the roof has also been installed and the video will be simulcast to the digital signage and with web site (www.sju.edu/ies) in the near future.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Better Buildings NW Ohio

When the Toledo Lucas County Port Authority (TLCPA) filed for the Department of Energy EECBG grant in late 2009, it was part of a strategic and Board backed objective to expand the organization’s economic development and financing programs into alternative energy and energy efficiency. This plan was filed with the knowledge and support of the areas key economic development agencies. The City of Toledo was also a key partner with the Mayor designating a committee to develop a Strategic Energy Policy for the City. This would later give rise to a Community Sustainability Strategic Plan for Toledo, Lucas County and the surrounding region with energy efficiency as a key pillar. When the TLCPA signed the grant documents with the DOE in June of 2010, the geographic area was severely distressed economically, in the early stages of a recovery from over a 30% drop in business activity and high unemployment. The TLCPA and its partners began identifying potential project areas well before the filing of the application, continuing to work diligently before the formal award and signing of the grant documents. Strong implementation and actions plans and business and financing models were developed and revised throughout the 3 year grant period with the long term goal of creating a sustainable program. The TLCPA and the City of Toledo demonstrated early leadership by forming the energy improvement district and evaluating buildings under their control including transportation infrastructure and logistics, government services buildings and buildings which housed several for profit and not for profit tenants while completing significant energy efficiency projects that created public awareness and confidence and solid examples of various technologies and energy savings. As was stated in the DOE Award Summary, the undertaking was focused as a commercial program delving into Alternative Energy Utility Districts; what are referred to in Ohio Statute as Energy Special Improvement Districts or ESIDs and what is nationally known as Property Assessed Clean Energy or PACE districts and PACE financing. The project methodology followed the identify, develop, implement, monitor and measure format. These districts began in Toledo and adjoining areas and are expanding to TLCPA’s 28 county financing agency geographic footprint. What began as the Toledo Ohio Advanced Energy Improvement Corporation is now doing business as the Northwest Ohio Advanced Energy Improvement District recognizing it expansion into creating and financing other districts in NW Ohio. The program has been sought out as an advisor by major communities and states in the process of developing similar legislation and programs and has become one of the largest most successful PACE energy improvement and financing districts in the US. The program and the energy district focused on transforming energy use, delivery, conservation and renewable energy as “options of first choice”. The significant energy savings paid for many of the improvements and created a financially viable program well beyond the grant period. The program has become a model within the State of Ohio and Nationally on how to implement and finance projects in broad energy districts including how to evolve and integrate several financing methodologies. It is a unique utilization of revolving loan funds and energy bond pooling with revenue backing primarily from energy improvement special assessments on commercial properties along with some power purchase agreement (PPA) and loan agreement revenue. The program has also incorporated Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds, State of Ohio Energy Loans (SEP), utility rebates, solar and renewable energy certificates, renewable tax incentives and grants, and owner funded equity as additional program leverage and funding. Other keys to this success have been a continual simplification and refinement of the application and documentation process to make funding available easily and quickly to building owners when they are prepared to commit to the project as well as act as a trusted facilitator and advisor to both building owners and other stakeholders. Taking a flexible and pragmatic approach to project evaluation and implementation that matches time and expense to the complexity of the project has been another key learning. To date the program has closed 3 energy bond issues through the TLCPA sponsored and managed NW Ohio Bond Fund totaling $16.54 million (of which $3.34 million were QECB qualified). The program has turned over its $3.0 million revolving loan fund twice as construction financing in advance of bond issuance and currently has issued $1.25 million in revolving term loans. The program has $1.66 million of remaining capacity for QECB qualified bonds. The program can issue an additional $13.46 million in energy bonds continuing to utilize its DOE EECBG loan loss reserves. In addition, the program has available $3.6 million of loan loss reserves from the State of Ohio, as an eligible Port Authority, that can back the issuance of an additional $7.2 to $14.4 million of energy bonds. This does not include additional bond capacity is available from the NW Ohio Bond Fund. The program is the master escrow agent for $18 million of loan loss reserves from the State of Ohio for eligible Port Authorities that can be utilized to assist the formation of energy districts and financing programs in major metropolitan areas and regions around the State of Ohio. Other leveraged funds now total $10 million; placing the total project value completed and financed at over $30 million. In addition that program has generated an active pipeline of projects in various stages that total $25 – $30 million.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2016

Utilizing geothermal heat for hydrothermal liquefaction of algae

The distribution of utilizable geothermal reservoirs in the US is concentrated in areas of low population density. In order to increase the scale of geothermal operations, we proposed to develop a modular biofuel production facility that directly uses geothermal heat. By transforming geothermal heat to chemical potential energy (rather than electricity), the scale of existing or new geothermal operations can be increased and distributed to areas of higher population density. Simultaneously, the economics of producing biocrude oil is improved significantly where geothermal heat is used, instead of natural gas-fired systems for providing heat and power. In the Phase I project, we demonstrated that it was economically feasible to sustainably produce a biofuel by integrating geothermal heat. It was found that, for the best case scenario at a scale of 10T(biomass)/hr, it was possible to produce a biofuel for $0.26/L, as compared to crude oil at $0.3/L (current selling price). Ultimately this demonstrates that this technology can be economically sustainable when integrated with geothermal heat. We also demonstrated that the addition of modular biofuel-production technologies can be more profitable for a geothermal plant operator. For 1000kg/day scale, it was found that it could be 2.5 times more profitable for a geothermal plant operator to sell bio-oil rather than electricity (with a waste source within 20 miles of the processing facility). Furthermore, as the design of the proposed technology recycles significant heat, requiring between 5% and 20% of the total heat load of the biofuel process to be supplied by the geothermal plant, it is feasible for an operator to initially implement the technology at small scale (i.e. less than 100gal/day) with the plans of scaling up operations in the future. Implementing the technology incrementally may minimize initial the investment and financial risk for the operator. Finally, in the Phase I project, we built and tested a hydrothermal system developed at ARI. We tested three different feedstock types, pure algae feed, algae mixed with manure, and algae with in-situ catalysts (molybdenum trioxide), over a range of temperatures and residence times. In terms of oil products, our results (yield, process times and elemental balance) were similar to what was obtained at PNNL. As such our experiments matched well with the techno-economic design (mass throughput specifications), and will thus well inform the Phase II process design. The experimental data obtained on the hydrothermal treatment of algae indicated that the highest recovery of oil occurred at 250°C. This shows that HTL can be carried out 100°C lower than what is currently considered ‘state of the art’, and thus save significant energy savings. Further, it was found that oil-recovered fractions had lower amounts of nitrogen at lower temperatures, indicating that oil produced at 250°C is of higher quality than if we were to produce fuel at 350°C.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Continuation and Enhancement of the MPOWIR Program

MPOWIR is a community-based program that provides mentoring to physical oceanographers from late graduate school through early careers. The overall goal of MPOWIR is to make mentoring opportunities for junior physical oceanographers universally available and of higher quality by expanding the reach of mentoring opportunities beyond individual home institutions. The aim is to reduce the barriers to career development for all junior scientists in the field, with a particular focus on improving the retention of junior women. Over the past five years MPOWIR has expanded significantly. This funding cycle saw the development and enhancement of MPOWIR’s programs and outreach opportunities. MPOWIR’s main programmatic offerings are: mentor groups, a biannual conference, a website and blog, and town hall meetings at national events. Since 2009, MPOWIR has hosted 15 mentor groups, three Pattullo conferences, and created a website that has attracted over 50,000 visitors. MPOWIR’s mentoring groups and Pattullo conferences have reached more than 130 unique participants. Mentor Groups Mentor groups were established in the fall of 2008, and continue to gain momentum after 5 years. Since 2009, 11 groups have formed, with participants mainly, but not exclusively, drawn from Pattullo attendees. To gauge the impact of mentor groups, participants are surveyed approximately annually. Based on an extensive 2011 survey, 100% of mentoring group participants reported that they made progress on their stated scientific, professional, and personal goals. As part of these surveys, participants are asked what they value about their mentoring group, what the benefit of the mentoring group is to their current position, and they are asked questions about the logistics and setup of the groups. Based on the survey conducted in 2012, all participants rated participation in these groups a valuable experience, with particular value placed on feedback on professional development (100% Excellent to Good) and feedback on personal matters (92% Excellent to Good). Pattullo Conferences The centerpiece of the MPOWIR program is the Pattullo Conference, named for June Pattullo, the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in physical oceanography. At each event, the agenda includes research talks, professional development sessions, small group activities, and a question-and-answer session about early-career and retention issues posed by junior scientists to senior researchers. Pattullo Conference participants are surveyed after each conference about their experience. This survey asks participants to rate their opinion on specific topics and invites comments. Combining results from three conferences, 99% of junior participants would recommend the conference to another junior scientist. Of the junior participants, 92% rated the conference as “extremely valuable” overall, with a particular value placed on networking and professional development opportunities. Overall Impact To gain a better perspective on the success of MPOWIR to date, early participants were surveyed in 2013 about their current position, and the impact of MPOWIR on their career path. Individuals were asked to rank the extent to which MPOWIR had impacted various aspects of their professional growth. These aspects included efforts to obtain their current position; exposure to professional development skills; broadening of their professional network; mentoring on work and family balance; performance in current position; and raising awareness of mentoring in career development. Participants overwhelming indicated that MPOWIR had positively impacted all of these aspects. In particular, 95% of respondents expressed that MPOWIR exposed them to useful professional development skills “to a great extent” and 89% consider MPOWIR to have positively impacted their professional network “to a great extent”. Of those surveyed, the majority of participants were 2 years from their Ph.D. at the time of initial involvement. Their current job positions are well distributed over all post-Ph.D. categories: the greatest percentages of positions held are at research institutions (non-academic) or government agencies (29.3%), followed closely by non-faculty research positions at universities (27.6%) and faculty at research universities (22.4%). The remaining positions held (4-year college faculty, profit or not-for-profit company, policy, and graduate students) collectively total 19%. These initial indications point toward mentoring, as offered by MPOWIR, as an effective means for improving retention of women in physical oceanography.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

SMART Scale An Innovative Program Accelerating the Energy Efficiency Market

Small business is a major component of the American economy. More than half of all private sector workers in this country are employed by small businesses and nearly two-thirds of the new jobs generated in the last ten years were created in this sector. Studies have shown that buildings of less than 50,000 square feet represent 94% of the commercial sector and half of all non-residential floor space in the United States. The future of the American economy relies on a vibrant, robust, and profitable small business community. Small and mid-sized businesses (SMB) can increase their profitability by reducing their operating costs through energy efficiency. The SMART Scale program delivers deep retrofits that maximize energy and cost savings for the SMB market and can be adapted throughout the country in markets of all sizes. For the past 14 years, Ecology Action has been perfecting a Direct Install (DI) program for the SMB market that offers this sector the type of sophisticated, comprehensive energy saving opportunities that were previously available only to large commercial and industrial customers. The DI 2.0 model that Ecology Action has administered for several public and investor-owned California utilities, and most recently for the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District (SMUD), provides the template for a successful retrofit program that can address the unique barriers faced by the SMB sector and achieve a greater impact than traditional DI programs. The impressive results produced by the DI 2.0 program prompted the US Department of Energy to award Ecology Action a $2 million grant in 2013 to create, demonstrate and roll out a replicable model for delivering deep retrofits to small commercial buildings. The grant enabled Ecology Action to build on the success of DI 2.0 by incorporating improvements into the model, market-testing it and designing a costeffective method of achieving significant energy savings for small businesses across the country.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2017

FINAL REPORT - Development of High Pressure Hydrogen Storage Tank for Storage and Gaseous Truck Delivery

The “Development of High Pressure Hydrogen Storage Tanks for Storage and Gaseous Truck Delivery” project [DE-FG36-08GO18062] was initiated on 01 July 2008. Hexagon Lincoln (then Lincoln Composites) received grant funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to support the design and development of an improved bulk hauling and storage solution for hydrogen in terms of cost, safety, weight and volumetric efficiency. The development of this capability required parallel development and qualification of large all-composites pressure vessels, a custom ISO container to transport and store said tanks, and performance of trade studies to identify optimal operating pressure for the system. Qualification of the 250 bar TITAN® module was completed in 2009 with supervision from the American Bureau of Shipping [ABS], and the equipment has been used internationally for bulk transportation of fuel gases since 2010. Phase 1 of the project was successfully completed in 2012 with the issuance of USDOT SP 14951, the special permit authorizing the manufacture, marking, sale and use of TITAN® Mobile Pipeline® equipment in the United States. The introduction of tube trailers with light weight composite tankage has meant that 2 to 3 times as much gaseous fuel can be transported with each trip. This increased hauling efficiency offers dramatically reduced operating costs and has enabled a profitable business model for over-the-road compressed natural gas delivery. The economic drivers of this business opportunity vary from country to country and region to region, but in many places gas distribution companies have realized profitable operations. Additional testing was performed in 2015 to characterize hydrogen-specific operating protocols for use of TITAN® systems in CHG service at 250 bar. This program demonstrated that existing compression and decompression methodologies can efficiently and safely fill and unload lightweight bulk hauling systems. Hexagon Lincoln and U.S. DOE agreed to continue into Phase 2 of the project without pursuing the development of higher pressure capabilities as originally planned. At 250 bar, development of equipment for hydrogen transport is supported by strong activity in the adjacent natural gas transportation sector. Trade studies performed since 2011 indicate optimization of hauling efficiency and system cost for hydrogen transport at about 350 bar (5076 psi). However, due to reduced efficiency of compression of natural gas above 250 bar, 350 bar operation is not an attractive option for natural gas transportation. The CHG market is not developed at this time, and it is difficult to forecast the arrival of significant revenues. On the investment side, the cost to fully qualify a large tank module at 350 bar is estimated at $3MM to $5MM. There is insufficient CHG market definition to support a stand-alone business case for this investment without near term revenue in the adjacent CNG transportation market. Therefore development of a 350 bar TITAN® system was deferred and not pursued under this project. Hexagon Lincoln continues to support the development of tankage and equipment for operation at 350 bar and above; with 700 bar vehicle tanks and 950 bar tanks for ground storage applications. Phase 2 activities were focused on reducing system cost, increasing system capacity, increasing system safety and characterization of polymer material performance specific to hydrogen pressure vessel usage. With the successful launch of TITAN® modules and trailers in natural gas transportation, over 600 units have been produced through the end of 2016, resulting in improved purchasing power for raw materials and manufactured components. This has allowed Hexagon Lincoln to approach the current project goals for system cost. At $590/kg of compressed hydrogen delivered, the system cost of the baseline TITAN® module is below the project’s 2015 target of $730/kg H2 delivered, and very close to the project’s 2020 target of $575/kg H2 delivered. [Based on product pricing in 1Q2017.] Emphasis was placed on configuration of larger capacity systems within the vehicle weights and dimensions allowed on federal and state highways in the United States and other countries. These activities resulted in the design and development of integrated tube trailer systems that have increased delivery capacities by 45%. The hydrogen delivery capacity of our largest system is 845 kg, exceeding the project’s 2015 target of 700 kg H2 delivered. Emerging technologies offering improvement of the safety systems used on the equipment were investigated, with particular focus on improving the reliability and cost of the emergency venting system for fire protection. Finally, investment in our materials laboratory improved detection and characterization of hydrogen-induced damage in polymer materials, supporting the development of operational protocols to avoid damage to pressure vessel liners and valve components.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2017

Testing of Strategies for the Acceleration of the Cost Optimization

The general problem addressed in the Nuclear-Renewable Hybrid Energy System (N-R HES) project is finding the optimum economical dispatch (ED) and capacity planning solutions for the hybrid energy systems. In the present test-problem configuration, the N-R HES unit is composed of three electrical power-generating components, i.e. the Balance of Plant (BOP), the Secondary Energy Source (SES), and the Energy Storage (ES). In addition, there is an Industrial Process (IP), which is devoted to hydrogen generation. At this preliminary stage, the goal is to find the power outputs of each one of the N-R HES unit components (BOP, SES, ES) and the IP hydrogen production level that maximizes the unit profit by simultaneously satisfying individual component operational constraints. The optimization problem is meant to be solved in the Risk Analysis Virtual Environment (RAVEN) framework. The dynamic response of the N-R HES unit components is simulated by using dedicated object-oriented models written in the Modelica modeling language. Though this code coupling provides for very accurate predictions, the ensuing optimization problem is characterized by a very large number of solution variables. To ease the computational burden and to improve the path to a converged solution, a method to better estimate the initial guess for the optimization problem solution was developed. The proposed approach led to the definition of a suitable Monte Carlo-based optimization algorithm (called the preconditioner), which provides an initial guess for the optimal N-R HES power dispatch and the optimal installed capacity for each one of the unit components. The preconditioner samples a set of stochastic power scenarios for each one of the N-R HES unit components, and then for each of them the corresponding value of a suitably defined cost function is evaluated. After having simulated a sufficient number of power histories, the configuration which ensures the highest profit is selected as the optimal one. The component physical dynamics are represented through suitable ramp constraints, which considerably simplify the numerical solving. In order to test the capabilities of the proposed approach, in the present report, the dispatch problem only is tackled, i.e. a reference unit configuration is assumed, and each one of the N-R HES unit components is assumed to have a fixed installed capacity. As for the next steps, the main improvement will concern the operation strategy of the ES facility. In particular, in order to describe a more realistic battery commitment strategy, the ES operation will be regulated according to the electricity price forecasts.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Risk and Cost Analysis of Utilizing FLEX Equipment for O&M Cost Reduction in Nuclear Power Plants

Several Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) operators in USA have announced to close their plants despite there are remaining years on their operating licenses. The cause of these closures is because the plant operators suffer financial losses. Approximately 80% of USA NPPs would have undergone financial losses if they were situated in a deregulated electricity market. In a deregulated market, electricity generators are independent entities separate from the transmission companies and Independent System Operator (ISO) which manages the market. NPPs in this market are termed merchant NPPs, and their profitability is determined solely from electricity generation revenues. Meanwhile, regulated and public power nuclear units’ profitability is determined by the regulatory process in place for each unit. Due to the complexity of differentiating each regulated and public power NPP’s regulations 36 NPPs are at an immediate risk of retiring early to stop losses, while 27 units will likely to follow in the long run. Today, cost is well-recognized and important factor in NPP decision-making that cannot be ignored. Therefore, it is essential to consider risk and cost together in decision-making to strengthen the position of the nuclear industry in an economically challenging energy market. With operational and maintenance (O&M) cost at 70% of the total operating expenditure of an NPP and some plants closing prematurely despite excellent safety record, there is an urgent need to address the high O&M cost. One of the novel entities that provide additional safety resulting in reduced risk of nuclear power plants is Flex equipment. Flex strategies were postulated by the US NRC in the wake of Fukushima Dai-chi accident to address beyond design-basis accidents and improve plant flexibility. Flex strategy comprise both onsite and off-site component storage for the provision of additional materials and equipment. This work explored innovative ways of utilizing the onsite Flex equipment during regular plant operation, for purposes in addition to the intended use of beyond design basis accidents. This report describes the risk and cost analysis of using Flex equipment during regular or unplanned maintenance.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Evaluation of Agricultural Sunflower Plants as Drought Tolerant Option For New Mexico Growers

The progressive drought in New Mexico has led farmers to consider crops that use less water yet maintain potential profit margins. Sunflower, a crop traditionally grown from Kansas to North Dakota, has recently been shown to be profitable in West Texas. The majority of sunflower is grown under dryland conditions due to its drought tolerance and deep root system. Sunflower was investigated as a new crop alternative for NM growers. Two organic, non-GMO seed varieties selected for the NM climate were planted at seven different farms across the state. Results from five of the farms were evaluated for biomass yield, oil yield, and oil characteristics. Results show promise for sunflower as a viable alternative for NM farmers to rotate into their crops.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Fort Yukon wood Energy Program Wood Boiler Deployment (Final Report)

The Fort Yukon Gwitchyaa Zhee Corporation (GZ) worked with partners on the development of an Integrated Biomass Energy Program for Fort Yukon. This integrated approach linked sustainable forest management with an in- village for -profit wood harvest and delivery business to displace diesel energy with wood energy for heat and power. The program was based on the concept of ecological, economic and social sustainability with a goal of displacing as much diesel and fuel oil as is technically feasible and sustainable; essentially systematically converting a village to significant amounts of wood use. Additionally, GZ worked with the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) on the development of a rural power system upgrade (RPSU) project that replaced GZ’s existing antiquated diesel power plant and provided upgrades to the existing electrical distribution system. Due to the synergy of the two projects, the Biomass and RPSU projects were combined to provide improved operating efficiency, economy of scale and increased benefits to GZ, the Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments (CATG) and the community of Fort Yukon. The combined project is referred to as the Fort Yukon Combined heat and power (CHP) project. The purpose of the DOE Tribal Energy Program award was to support the preconstruction tasks and installation of wood boilers at the CATG clinic, and at the new GZ diesel power plant as part of an overall program to create a for- profit wood energy utility in Native Village of Fort Yukon. The CHP project provides biomass and diesel generation recovered heat via a new district heating system to the major commercial buildings in Fort Yukon. The CATG clinic will receive heat from a separate biomass boiler to their heating needs. The award from the Department of Energy (DOE) Tribal Energy Program was divided into two phases: Design/Permitting (phase 1) and Construction (phase 2). Phase 1 (Design & Permitting) is cost shared using State of Alaska Renewable Energy Funding (REF) funds through the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA). Phase 2 (Construction) was funded by DOE, AEA and US Department of Agriculture Rural Utility Service (USDA-RUS). Phase 1 of this grant, along with a separate grant from the Denali Commission provided funding for development of the wood delivery infrastructure necessary to support the CHP project. Under phase 2, This DOE grant supported final design of the boiler, bidding, purchase and transport of boilers, installation, technical support and engineering. The AEA and RUS grants supported permitting, final design, material and equipment purchase, and construction and installation of the new diesel power plant and district heating distribution system.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗