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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 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Synthetic Methanol/Fischer–Tropsch Fuel Production Capacity, Cost, and Carbon Intensity Utilizing CO 2 from Industrial and Power Plants in the United States

Captured CO 2 is a potential feedstock to produce fuel/chemicals using renewable electricity as the energy source. In this study, we explored resource availability and synergies by region in the United States and conducted cost and environmental analysis to identify unique opportunities in each region to inform possible regional and national actions for carbon capture and utilization development. This study estimated production cost of synthetic methanol and Fischer–Tropsch (FT) fuels by using CO 2 captured from the waste streams emitted from six industrial [ethanol, ammonia, natural gas (NG) processing, hydrogen, cement, and iron/steel production plants] and two power generation (coal and NG) processes across the United States. The results showed that a total of 1594 million metric ton per year of waste CO 2 can be captured and converted into 85 and 319 billion gallons of FT fuels and methanol, respectively. FT fuels can potentially substitute for 36% of the total petroleum fuels used in the transportation sector in 2018. Technoeconomic analysis shows that the minimum selling prices for synthetic FT fuels and methanol are 1.8–2.8 times the price of petroleum fuel/chemicals, but the total CO 2 reduction potential is 935–1777 MMT/year.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Novel Algae Technology to Utilize CO 2 for Value Added Products

The Helios-NRG technology for converting coal-based flue CO 2 into valuable products has been successfully validated through a series of rigorous test programs. The key component, the MSC (Multi Stage Continuous System), played a pivotal role in this process. The MSC's various stages were seamlessly integrated and controlled by a second-generation automated system, surpassing project goals in terms of both algal productivity and capture efficiency. Notably, the MSC's operational duration improved while maintaining healthy cultures. The integrated system was rigorously tested under real outdoor conditions with varying sunlight levels and template flue gas. The final MSC test, conducted at the NCCC, successfully met project objectives.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2021

Southeast Regional CO 2 Utilization and Storage Acceleration Partnership (SECARB-USA): Needs Assessment Framework for Storage Complexes

A team of SECARB storage experts examined 63 formations at 39 sites that were selected to represent the range of diversity of newly assessed, as well as well-advanced, storage prospects in the SECARB region. We inventoried the data needs triggered by the requirements to obtain a Class VI UIC storage permit, the data needs that results from the requirement to create geocellular fluid flow models to support that permit, and by pragmatic and best practice inputs such as public acceptance, regulatory readiness, and pore space leasing. We anchored both the needs inventory and the processes for and cost of meeting the needs with data from 9 sites in in the SECARB area that have advanced far in characterization.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Southeast Regional CO 2 Utilization and Storage Acceleration Partnership (SECARB-USA): Risk Inventory for Commercial Storage Projects

The “Southeast Regional CO2 Utilization and Storage Acceleration Partnership” (SECARB USA) project supports the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Odice of Fossil Energy's (FE) mission to help the United States meet its need for secure, adordable, and environmentally sound fossil energy supplies by utilizing the advancements made since 2003 by the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (RCSP) Initiative to continue to identify and address knowledge gaps. The SECARB-USA regional initiative encompasses the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and portions of Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and West Virginia as noted in Figure 1. The primary objective of the project is to identify and address regional onshore storage and transport challenges facing commercial deployment of carbon dioxide (CO2) capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Southeast Regional CO 2 Utilization and Storage Acceleration Partnership (SECARB-USA): Preliminary Regional Assessment of Potential Storage Complexes, Including Capacities and Costs, Based on Application of NRAP and SCO2T (Deliverable 3.3) Storage Complexes

The Recipient will assist with the field validation of one or more risk assessment toolsets through: 1) collaborative research; 2) sharing of relevant datasets, information, and technical insights from field efforts; and 3) other modeling and simulation toolsets as they are developed. Collaborative research could include, but is not limited to: 1) demonstrating use of field data for improved leakage pathway characterization, uncertainty reduction, and risk management and uncertainty workflows; 2) testing and validation of a specific National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) tool using site specific data; and 3) improved modeling or reduced-order modeling of geophysical monitoring.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Southeast Regional CO 2 Utilization and Storage Acceleration Partnership (SECARB-USA): Data Quality Methodology (4.2.1)

SECARB-USA Deliverable 4.2.1 utilizes the outputs from the Needs Assessment (Subtask 2.1) to develop a data quality methodology. Many types of data are needed to evaluate a site for technical and financial viability. Several inventories of data types have been produced (for example NETL, 2010). The objective here is to organize the data types so that the needs met are specified. From this cross index (Table 1 in the Appendix), it will be possible in future tasks to (1) determine, on a site-specific basis, how much of each data type is required at each stage of a project to meet the need, and conversely (2) to further specify and define the data collection methods applied such that the data are tailored to fit that need. Derivative tables can then be developed to semi-quantitively evaluate the extent to which need is critical for early go/no decision points, or if it is more important than average, requiring faster or larger capitalization and spend to meet the need. In an additional step, the current availability of data for a site can be semi-quantitively assessed. From the table of data criticality and the table of data availability, site-specific cost for meeting the data needs can be determined, and allow a pre-permit spend estimated for a portfolio of projects. All of the data needs to evaluate a site are somewhat interconnected. We used criterion (2) above to determine if the data collection design would have to be modified to meet the need; if this was commonly true a linkage was shown. The application of this cross index to sites in the subsequent tasks will demonstrate that the demand for data types varies site-to-site and project-to-project. Examples of factors to be considered are the complexity of the geology, the injection goals such as rate and duration of the injection, and the types of risk and risk tolerance of key stakeholders. In future tasks the team will compare the demand for data with existing data availability. This will, in turn, determine when data needs to be acquired to support project development. For example, in a project area with complex structure, 3-D seismic data may be needed earlier and more urgently than in an area with simple rock body geometries. In some locations, a 3-D seismic survey has already been collected and can be purchased. In other locations the project developer will need to collect these data. For another example, a project near an urban area or near to a park may generate earlier and more substantive public concern than a site that is developed in mined lands. A calculation using the derivative from table 1 will show the different investment needs. Project cost will vary corresponding to data criticality and data availability.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Southeast Regional CO 2 Utilization and Storage Acceleration Partnership (SECARB-USA): Regional Commercialization Plan (Final): Work Products 4.4.b (Regional Commercialization Plan) & 4.3 (Socioeconomic Impacts of CCUS and Workforce Readiness)

Commercialization of carbon capture and storage (CCS) within the SECARB-USA region is scaling up and will continue as governments and private companies expand on current decarbonization efforts. The Inflation Reduction Act (2022) enhanced 45Q tax credits beyond the 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act levels by incentivizing previously uneconomic projects to develop CCS plans and infrastructure. Additionally, the continued interest and support for CCS mitigates the relative risk of commercial-scale projects that are seeking long-term viability to develop capture facilities to accommodate their emissions reduction goals. This multifaceted Commercialization Plan provides an overview of the current status and potential for CCS in the Southeast and the pathways to achieve emissions reduction goals in the region by 2050. Specifically, the study addresses: • The current status of CCS activities in the SECARB region, • Assessment of buildout pathways for CCS projects and carbon transport infrastructure development opportunities, • Estimation of CCS job creation and economic impacts, and • The social justice considerations and public benefits associated with CCS activities in the SECARB-USA region.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Southeast Regional CO 2 Utilization and Storage Acceleration Partnership (SECARB-USA): Needs Assessment Framework for Storage Complexes Contributed to EDX (Work Product 2.1.c)

On September 30, 2021, a Needs Assessment Framework for Storage Complexes was completed for the SECARB-USA region by the Southern States Energy Board (SSEB) and The University of Texas at Austin Bureau of Economic Geology (UT-BEG). The Needs Assessment Framework for Storage Complexes documented a region-wide assessment to identify data needed to advance storage projects at sites of relevance to industrial, academic, and government stakeholders. The region-wide assessment addresses the needs of CO2 source, storage, and utilization stakeholders, finance and insurance institutions, state and local government agencies, local stakeholders at prospective storage complexes, environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and others as identified by the Partners. This assessment was tested against various potential storage sites and modified to include site-specific issues, such as surface or pore space rights. The framework was provided to stakeholders for review and then used in other tasks, such as the ML initiative (Subtask 3.4) and storage complex readiness evaluation (Subtask 4.2). In accordance with the SOPO, this assessment satisfied completion of Work Product 2.1.b. The OSTI ID is 3015803, and the DOI link is https://doi.org/10.2172/3015803. On February 28, 2022, SSEB uploaded Work Product 2.1.b to NETL’s Energy Data eXchange (EDX). As such, Work Product 2.1.c is completed as documented below.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Carbon dioxide pipeline network transportation cost model: evaluating economic and geographic factors for efficient carbon capture, storage, and utilization

This study presents a comprehensive pipeline network modeling framework to estimate the CO 2 delivery cost for CO 2 utilization and geologic CO 2 storage across the United States. We developed a Python-based CO 2 pipeline transportation cost model leveraging Argonne National Laboratory’s pipeline engineering expertise and detailed natural gas transmission pipeline cost data across U.S. regions. Using existing road corridors as practical routing guides, the model designs pipeline networks that aggregate CO 2 from one or multiple sources and deliver it to selected destinations. It then minimizes the total transportation cost by optimizing pipeline diameters and incorporating booster pumps. A key contribution is the incorporation of up-to-date, region-specific cost factors with itemized components for materials, labor, miscellaneous construction expenses, and right-of-way acquisition. Results emphasize that regional variation and economies of scale associated with CO 2 pipeline costs are significant and should be explicitly accounted for in screening and planning studies. By combining realistic routing constraints with regionalized cost inputs, the model provides transparent design methodology and location-specific insights into source–destination delivery costs, including the effects of routing complexity along existing road networks. We demonstrate the model with two illustrative case studies – one for CO 2 storage and one for CO 2 utilization – in which the model designs pipeline networks spanning hundreds of miles across the states, collecting CO 2 from multiple sources and delivering it to designated endpoints while minimizing levelized cost of delivery via diameter and compression optimization. The model offers a practical, scalable approach for alternative design option screening and early-stage CO 2 transportation planning.

CCS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Integrated Approach to CO 2 Capture and Conversion to Cyclic Carbonates under Solvent- and Additive-Free Conditions Utilizing the CO 2 Capture Solvent EEMPA

An integrated CO 2 capture and conversion to materials (IC 3 M) implementation utilizing a CO 2 capture solvent is an efficient approach to reduce the amount of CO 2 in the atmosphere while producing value-added chemicals. In this work, we demonstrate that the advanced water-lean CO 2 capture solvent, N-(2-Ethoxyethyl)-3-morpholinopropan-1-amine (EEMPA), can catalyze the cycloaddition reaction between CO 2 and propylene oxide to produce the value-added chemical propylene carbonate in an IC 3 M fashion. When excess propylene oxide is used relative to EEMPA, yields as high as 75% with 85% selectivity toward propylene carbonate can be achieved under solvent-free conditions without the need of additives/cocatalysts. The reaction temperature (120 °C) is comparable to that used in the thermal regeneration of the capture solvent under industrial conditions. Formation of an undesired amino alcohol side product was observed, but it may be reversible or avoidable with continued research despite the unsuccessful initial attempts. Finally, we show that this can be applied to other epoxides for the production of various cyclic carbonates.

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

Towards an Integrated Process for CO 2 Capture and Utilization: Cultivation of Scenedesmus acutus Using Gaseous CO 2 and NH 3

Integrating CO 2 scrubbing from flue gas with its utilization in algae cultivation represents a potential means of lowering the cost of CO 2 capture. Towards this goal, this study sought to assess the feasibility of using gaseous a CO 2 /NH 3 stream, derived from CO 2 capture using aqueous ammonia, as a C- and N-source for algae cultivation. Scenedesmus acutus was cultured in 800 mL photobioreactors using gaseous CO 2 /NH 3 in mole ratios varying from 7 to 18. Excellent growth of Scenedesmus acutus was observed, the average growth rate for CO 2 /NH 3 = 10 of 0.171 ± 0.015 g/L·day exceeding that obtained using 1% CO 2 /N 2 and urea as the N-source (0.099 ± 0.28 g/L·day). Under optimal growth conditions (CO 2 /NH 3 mole ratio of 10), CO 2 utilization ranged from 57% to 72%, while the NH 3 utilization was >90%. The CO 2 /NH 3 feed rate was also found to exert a significant effect on algae productivity, excessive feed rates leading to accumulation of NH 3 in the culture at concentrations that were toxic to the algae. Consequently, to avoid the toxic effects of high NH 3 concentrations (>2.0 mM), it proved necessary to balance the NH 3 supply with the algae growth rate so that excessive NH 3 accumulation was prevented. This indicates that for practical applications, a CO 2 /NH 3 feed control strategy would be required that takes into account the ammonium ion concentration in solution and the pH so as to avoid significant concentrations of free NH 3 . Furthermore, analysis of the harvested biomass revealed a high protein (≥ 47 wt%) and a low ash content (< 3.6 wt%), suggesting it would be well suited for use as animal feed or as a feedstock for the production of bioplastics.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Biomolecular Films for Direct Air Capture of CO 2

Efficient utilization of CO 2 is amongst the most critical cost drivers in algal biomass production in open pond systems. CO 2 delivery costs represent approximately 20% of the final biomass selling price in algal mass cultivation systems. Technologies that enable direct air capture (DAC) of atmospheric CO 2 to decouple algae cultivation from CO 2 point sources thus present an opportunity to improve the economics and resource potential of algal biomass. Current DAC technologies typically employ amine- or caustic-based absorption, demanding significant water and/or energy inputs and incurring substantial capital expenditures. Conversely, bio-based approaches to DAC offer a means to bypass conventional technoeconomic and sustainability hurdles. We integrate recent advances in computational metabolic modeling, algal genetic engineering, algal cultivation, and algal biomass upgrading to enable directed localization and self-assembly of carbonic anhydrase molecular films to gas-liquid interfaces for enhanced CO 2 capture and conversion.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Two-stage membrane-based process utilizing highly CO 2 -selective membranes for cost and energy efficient carbon capture from coal flue gas: A process simulation study

Membrane technology for CO 2 capture has become an attractive strategy due to its cost and energy efficiency and low materials costs. In the past decade, membrane-based process designs for post-combustion power plant CO 2 capture have been developed, utilizing existing highly CO 2 -permeable membranes with relatively low CO 2 /N 2 selectivity (<50), and have obtained reasonably economic carbon capture. However, few membrane-based process designs were proposed for moderate to highly CO 2 -selective membranes (CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of 50–300, and >300, respectively), which have vastly emerged in recent years, such as various facilitated transport membranes (FTMs). Herein, we proposed a two-stage membrane-base process design targeting economic carbon capture from coal-fired flue gas. This process design features the utilization of highly CO 2 -selective membranes for one-stage CO 2 enrichment to 95% dry-base purity in the first stage and recycle of the remaining CO 2 by a highly CO 2 -permeable membrane in the second stage, in order to achieve economic CO 2 capture with 90% capture rate and >95% CO 2 product purity. Through an integration-iteration membrane model and the Aspen Plus process simulation, a sensitivity study of operating pressures (feed and permeate pressures) and membrane properties (CO 2 permeance and CO 2 /N 2 selectivity) was conducted. Critical CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of 300–400 was found for the highly CO 2 -selctive membranes to meet the demand for cost and energy efficient results. The lowest possible membrane area of 4.8 × 10 5 m 2 and fractional energy of 19.3% were obtained, which is comparable to or even more attractive than reported membrane-based process designs. Here, this work provides a new membrane process design option for highly CO 2 -selective membranes and gives insights on the influence of membrane performance and operation condition.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Scalable Process for Upcycling Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) and Coal Combustion Residues into Construction Products

Anthropogenic sources of carbon dioxide are generated from a number of sources, but the key among these are ordinary Portland cement (OPC) production and combustion of fossil fuels. Cement production is the largest global CO 2 source from the mineral decomposition of carbonates. Combination of the limestone decomposition and thermal requirements of the clinkering process causes cement production to contribute 8-9% of annual global CO 2 emissions. Combustion of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) was shown to contribute a much larger portion of global CO 2 emissions. As of 2018, combustion of fossil fuels accounted for 65% of global CO 2 , where 41% was derived from stationary sources for electricity and heat generation and the other 24% was related to transport. To reduce these contributions, key steps forward in CO 2 utilization technologies are required. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the feasibility of the Reversa process evolving from a TRL-3 technology at the bench-scale up to TRL-6 technology at the pilot-scale. The reliability of the Reversa technology was tested to prove the effective production of concrete masonry units (CMUs) at bench scale, where the units exceeded the required 13.8 MPa compressive strength requirements. The overall goal of this project was to accelerate the development of a CO 2 mineralization process that synergistically utilizes CO 2 in flue gas and coal combustion residues (CCRs) to synthesize carbonated concrete, a functional replacement for traditional concrete. The culmination of this work resulted in 12 successful production runs at the Integrated Test Center (ITC), Gillette, WY using coal flue gas as a CO 2 source. This was followed by 6 production runs which were completed at the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC), Wilsonville, AL, using coal-fired and natural gas (NG) flue gas as the CO 2 source. Over the course of the production runs at NCCC and ITC, the CO 2 utilization as a function of time, 24-h CO 2 uptake, electricity usage, and 28-d net area compressive strength recorded for each run. The ITC and NCCC demonstrations achieved an average of 0.19 and 0.1 g CO 2 /g reactant, respectively. Both demonstrations exceeded the project’s target goals of uptake > 0.05 g CO 2 /g reactant. Average compressive strength of the ITC blocks was 18.24 MPa at 28-days. This exceeded the target strength of 13.8 MPa specified by ASTM C90. ITC and NCCC produced an average CO 2 utilization efficiency of 74.9 and 57.9%, respectively. Both demonstration averages were within the target range of 50 to 90% utilization efficiency. For some production runs the NCCC demo did exceeded the a CO 2 utilization efficiency of 75%. An LCA of the Reversa process compared to an industry standard product revealed a net CO 2 reduction of 39% to 42%. This exceeded the target requirement of >25% net CO 2 reduction. Collection of this data was used to determine that the project was successful as the demonstration goals were achieved: (1) achieving in excess of 75% CO 2 utilization efficiency, (2) utilizing greater than 250 kg of CO 2 per production batch/run, and (3) ensuring compliance of carbonated blocks with industry standard specifications (ASTM C90).

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Exploring CO 2 reduction and crossover in membrane electrode assemblies

Electrochemical CO 2 reduction (CO 2 R) using renewable electricity is a key pathway toward synthesizing fuels and chemicals. In this study, multi-physics modeling is used to interpret experimental data obtained for CO 2 R to CO using Ag catalysts in a membrane electrode assembly. The one-dimensional model is validated using measured CO 2 crossover and product formation rates. The kinetics of CO formation are described by Marcus–Hush–Chidsey kinetics, which enables accurate prediction of the experimental data by accounting for the reorganization of the solvent during CO 2 R. Further, the results show how the performance is dictated by competing phenomena including ion formation and transport, CO 2 solubility, and water management. The model shows that increasing the ion-exchange capacity of the membrane and surface area of the catalyst increases CO formation rates by >100 mA cm –2 without negatively impacting CO 2 utilization. Here we provide insights into how to manage the trade-off between productivity and CO 2 utilization in CO 2 electrolyzers.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Assessing Impacts on Pressure Stabilization and Leasing Acreage for CO 2 Storage Utilizing Oil Migration Concepts

Favorable geological storage for CO 2 has long been pictured as large anticlines with thick sandstones, similar to oil reservoirs in the petroleum system. Unlike oil, however, stored CO 2 does not need to be recoverable, which raises the possibility of using dissolution and residual trapping to augment the capacity of buoyant traps and tap more of the bulk rock volume. The work presented builds on that idea, asking the following question: If we inject CO 2 down to a syncline – analogous to the carrier bed in the petroleum system – how would this injection mechanism impact storage capacity and plume shape, migration, and stabilization? To address this question, we built a reservoir model, based on seismic interpretation of Middle Miocene strata, offshore Galveston, Texas. 3-D seismic and well logs were used to characterize key intervals. Reservoirs chosen for modeling are progradational-aggradational sands with mud intercalation. They have a higher degree of heterogeneity than the more conventional reservoirs commonly targeted for CO 2 storage. Modeling investigated how far the CO 2 plume would migrate under two scenarios: (1) injecting CO 2 at the base of the salt withdrawal basin (syncline scenario) and (2) injecting CO 2 at the base of the structural closure, similar to a common injection well location for EOR purposes (base scenario). For each scenario, we separately simulated injection of 30 MT of CO 2 and 60 MT of CO 2 continuously for 30 years and observe the plume and pressure evolution for 100 years after the injection stops. The simulation shows that injecting the CO 2 into a syncline limits the vertical migration of CO 2 , thus making synclinal injection more secure. In the syncline scenario, the geological layer around the injection point is more heterogeneous than the layer in the base scenario; thus, the CO 2 tends to migrate laterally. Additionally, in the syncline scenario, the plume does not even reach the upper part of the anticline, allowing us to safely store an additional amount of CO 2 into the reservoir. Furthermore, the simulation also shows that in the syncline scenario, the times needed for the reservoir to reach its stabilized pressure after the end of injections are faster. To summarize, CO 2 injection at the base of a syncline could provide additional storage, increase the safety of the project from the limited vertical plume migration, and expedite plume stabilization, which could result in the decrease of monitoring frequency as the project runs, thus lowering the operating cost of the project in the long run.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗