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At least 37 records · Page 2

NETL Direct Air Capture Center

In 2022 Congress authorized the $25M National Energy Technology Laboratory Direct Air Capture Center. The facility will be specifically targeted at accelerating the commercialization of technologies beyond the conceptual stage which have not yet reached full pilot-scale (TRL 3 to 6). The ability to operate over a wide range of conditions will help the developers to understand how their technologies respond in different climates, from summer to winter and arid to tropical. NETL recognizes that DAC technology is still early in its evolution, and a wide variety of highly varied technologies are being explored. The Center will be designed with substantial flexibility to accommodate the rapidly evolving technological landscape. Testing systems at three scales will be included: lab-scale systems designed to examine the long-term stability of DAC materials, bench-scale module testing systems capable of probing flow dynamics, and small pilot-scale skid rooms able to test prototype DAC units under a wide variety of climate conditions. The NETL DAC Center will feature dedicated engineering, technician, scientific and logistical support for experimental system design, installation, operation of experiments, and interpretation of results for projects including but not limited to kinetics of absorption/desorption, thermal duty, and post-mortem elemental characterization to understand degradation. The NETL DAC Center projects will also have access to dedicated process modeling and analysis to evaluate the technoeconomic aspects of new technologies. NETL’s Systems Engineering and Analysis (SEA) team, the Carbon Capture Simulation Initiative (CCSI), and the Institute for the Design of Advanced Energy Systems (IDAES) are all potential collaborators with NETL’s testing partners from industry, academia, and other research institutions. NETL also has world class capabilities in device scale modeling (i.e., MFIX) that will be available to help design more efficient contactors and optimize unique internal configurations that can be realized by advanced manufacturing. The talk will cover the design and capabilities of the center, the planned availability, and feedback will be solicited from the audience on DAC testing needs.

Luebke, David↗

Radiation characterization summary of the NETL beam port 1/5 free-field environment at the 128-inch core centerline adjacent location

The characterization of the neutron, prompt gamma-ray, and delayed gamma-ray radiation fields in the University of Texas at Austin Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory (NETL) TRIGA reactor for the beam port (BP) 1/5 free-field environment at the 128-inch location adjacent to the core centerline has been accomplished. NETL is being explored as an auxiliary neutron test facility for the Sandia National Laboratories radiation effects sciences research and development campaigns. The NETL reactor is a TRIGA Mark-II pulse and steady-state, above-ground pool-type reactor. NETL is intended as a university research reactor typically used to perform irradiation experiments for students and customers, radioisotope production, as well as a training reactor. Initial criticality of the NETL TRIGA reactor was achieved on March 12, 1992, making it one of the newest test reactor facilities in the US. The neutron energy spectra, uncertainties, and covariance matrices are presented as well as a neutron fluence map of the experiment area of the cavity. For an unmoderated condition, the neutron fluence at the center of BP 1/5, at the adjacent core axial centerline, is about 8.2×10 12 n/cm 2 per MJ of reactor energy. About 67% of the neutron fluence is below 1 keV and 22% above 100 keV. The 1-MeV Damage-Equivalent Silicon (DES) fluence is roughly 1.6×10 12 n/cm 2 per MJ of reactor energy.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Subtask 2.5 – Syngas Testing of NETL's Advanced Precombustion CO2 Capture Solvent

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) on-site researchers have been examining and developing a novel solvent for precombustion capture that has the potential for improved performance and lower costs compared to Selexol™ and Rectisol®. In Subtask 2.5, the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) conducted actual comparison tests on actual coal-derived syngas of a PEGDME (polyethylene glycol dimethyl ether) Selexol-type solvent and three other solvents provided by NETL. One was a new hybrid PEG–PDMS (poly[dimethylsiloxane]) solvent engineered by NETL. In addition, two commercially available chemicals that are projected to have good CO2 capture abilities were also selected for testing on actual coal-derived syngas. These tests were conducted in the EERC high-pressure fluid-bed gasifier (HPFBG) system utilizing an existing gas-sweetening absorption system (GSAS) to test the solvents. The four solvents tested were Solvent 1 – AGR II from Coastal Chemical Co., LLC, NETL Solvent 2 – XG-3229 Bis(methoxytriethyleneoxypropyl)hexamethyltrisiloxane, as manufactured by Gelast, Inc.; Solvent 3 – CASSH-1 (diethyl sebacate), procured from Sigma Aldrich; and Solvent 4 – TBP (tributyl phosphate), purchased from ThermoFisher Scientific. The solvents were all tested at a consistent syngas flow and composition at approximately 50 bar to make direct comparisons easier; two solvent flow rates which would bracket 90% CO2 capture; and, temperatures of 10°, 25°, 40°, and 55°C to determine the effects of temperature on CO2 uptake and CO2 to H2 selectivity. Figure E-1 shows the results for CO2 uptake and selectivity for the various solvents. These data show that the CO2 uptake for the Selexol-type solvent for the PEG-PDMS-3 and CASHH-1 solvents at higher operating temperatures around 40°C was better than the Selexol-type solvent was able to achieve at the lower operating temperature of 10°C. Selectivity of CO2 over H2 was at least as good as Selexol for the PEG-PDMS-3 solvent and even better than Selexol for the CASSH-1 solvent. The TBP solvent also displayed good CO2 uptake; however, CO2/H2 selectivity was worse than for the Selexol-type solvent. Operation of precombustion CO2 solvents at temperatures above ambient can provide a 2% process efficiency improvement along with a significant capital cost reduction since refrigeration and solvent dehydration equipment is not required. The excellent results from these tests warrant further longer-duration testing with one or both superior NETL-provided solvents to determine if longer-term exposure to any coal-derived syngas trace species may have an adverse impact on solvent performance. This project was funded through the EERC–DOE Joint Program on Research and Development for Fossil Energy-Related Resources Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FE0024233.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Slag Management of Carbon Feedstock Used in Gasification FY17 TCF between Eastman Chemical and NETL (Final Report)

NETL, in collaboration with Eastman Chemical Corp (Kingsport, TN), targeted the joint evaluation and refinement of a slag management program developed by NETL (NETL IP, patent applied for) to control gasifier slag properties formed from ash in individual or combinations of different coal-based carbon feedstock materials and specific slag modifiers used in gasification. Slag forms from mineral or organic-metallic impurities in the carbon feedstock that melt at the high temperatures of gasification, coalescing to form a liquid (slag) that must flow from the gasifier. Slag additives, also known as slag modifiers, are often added to the carbon feedstock to modify the ash chemistry and achieve desired slag flow properties at target temperatures used in gasification. If slag does not flow from a gasifier, its buildup within the gasification chamber will cause either gasifier shutdown to physically remove the slag (consuming time and damaging the protective refractory lining), or the gasification temperature must be increased to lower slag viscosity so it can flow from the gasifier, leading to greater refractory wear/corrosion, along with increased fouling and downstream component wear. Because of these issues, gasification is typically targeted at the lowest temperature possible where slag will flow in a controlled manner (a temperature range called T100 for the lowest temperature, with T250 being the highest temperature where the slag has achieved the desired fluidity). That temperature range also needs to yield a desired syngas composition, highlighting the importance of knowing and being able to control carbon feedstock slag viscosity and the temperature of thermal breakdown of the carbon feedstock. Slag viscosity varies with changes in the gasification chamber temperature, oxygen partial pressure, and slag chemistry. The slag model work with Eastman Chemical targeted predicting and controlling molten coal ash slag behavior at specific gasification conditions. The final goal of the refined model was to develop/refine the NETL slag model so a gasifier operator would be able to predict slag behavior prior to purchasing or using a carbon feedstock and control slag properties once a carbon feedstock is being gasified, allowing a gasifier user to determine what mineral additives or blends of different carbon materials would be needed to achieve desired slag properties at targeted gasification conditions. For a given carbon feedstock and desired gasification condition, the actual gasification cost and slag behavior would be able to be predicted using the slag management program in advance of purchasing or using the carbon feedstock – allowing accurate control of slag ash behavior in real time. As part of the TCF project work with Eastman Chemical, the viscosity of several ash compositions of interest to them would be measured and used to populate the slag model, along with a large database of historical slag temperature, chemistry, and viscosity information they possess – information that would in-crease the predictive accuracy of the slag management model with slag ash chemistry of interest to them. As part of the model evaluation and refinement, the predictive model and its database will be installed on computers at Eastman Chemical and used to manage slag properties in a gasifier during real-time operation of their gasifier. In summary, success of the slag management program at Eastman Chemical would support its use by other gasifier operators to manage slag chemistry and properties over other desired gasification temperature ranges, allowing greater process control and efficiency of their carbon feedstock conversion during gasification.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Overview of NETL’s Low Temperature CO2 Electrolysis Research

This keynote lecture will briefly overview diverse research areas of National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to advance energy and environmental sustainability along with carbon management. Our electrochemistry efforts on carbon conversion directly support the US goal of achieving carbon-free power sector by 2035 and net zero emissions by 2050. Since CO2 electroreduction is highly structure-sensitive, NETL ongoing research has been focused on the rational design and engineering of electrocatalysts to facilitate the CO2 conversion to desirable products with good selectivity, activity, and durability. Different classes and types of electrocatalytic materials will be covered in this talk, from well-defined atomic-scale model catalysts to heterogenous, scalable powder systems at nano- and micro-scale for “real world” performance evaluation. Several spectroscopic, microscopic, and electrochemical characterization techniques along with computational findings will be additionally discussed to gain more insights into the structure-activity relation. The last part of this seminar will provide more detail on how NETL has transitioned from the most common aqueous H-type reactor for lab-scale validation to more realistic full electrolyzer cell in bench-scale prototype. The knowledge, electrocatalytic materials, and device validation achieved from NETL in-house research will be translated to industrial sector for large scale deployment and the anticipated outcome will help advance the development of low temperature CO2 electrolysis technologies.

Nguyen Phan, Thuy Duong↗

Abstract for CRADA between NETL and Hope Gas, Inc.

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and Hope Gas (PARTICIPANT) will collaborate in field demonstrations of NETL-developed methane quantification and mitigation technologies, including pipeline sensors and pipeline protection materials to mitigate methane emissions. Hope Gas will also provide access to gathering pipelines and other facilities for an NETL team to perform methane emission field survey.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Quality Guidelines for Energy System Studies: Cost Estimation Methodology for NETL Techno-economic Assessments

This Quality Guidelines for Energy System Studies (QGESS) summarizes the methodology employed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in calculating plant costs in its techno-economic studies, such as the Cost and Performance Baseline for Fossil Energy Systems series of reports. It also outlines the approach used to calculate the cost of electricity (COE) or cost of product (COP) metrics by which NETL estimates the impact of technology options. These metrics and a clear understanding of the methodology used are essential in allowing different plant technologies to be compared on a similar basis. These guidelines were initially developed for power producing plants, although they can be applied to a variety of different revenue generating plants (e.g., coal to liquids, syngas generation, hydrogen) by substituting the industrial product quantity for the electrical quantity in the equations. The tables contained in this QGESS have been expanded upon relative to previous versions to include values to assume for several industries.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

NETL LCA Update: Recent Highlights

The presentation was an update on impactful work completed by the NETL LCA Team during the past year. This presentation was part of a special session where DOE national laboratories are sharing updates on their LCA work. In addition to NETL, the session included presentations from Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. This presentation from NETL includes updates on the Natural Gas Baseline, the Electricity Baseline, and Critical Mineral Collaborations/METALLIC. The figures are generally high level diagrams illustrating the scope and workflow for projects and are generally pulled from already public materials and published work.

critical minerals↗

Data Report for Monitoring at Six West Virginia Marcellus Shale Development Sites using NETL’s Mobile Air Monitoring Laboratory (July–November 2012)

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Oil and Gas was directed according to the Natural Gas Horizontal Well Control Act of December 14, 2011 (West Virginia Code §22-6A) to conduct studies of horizontal well drilling activities related to air quality. The planned study, “Noise, Light, Dust, Volatile Organic Compounds Related to Well Location Restrictions,” required determination of the effectiveness of a 625 ft minimum set-back from the center of the pad of a horizontal well drilling site to the nearest occupied dwelling. An investigation was conducted at seven drilling sites by West Virginia University (WVU) and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to collect data on dust, hydrocarbon compounds and on noise, radiation, and light levels. NETL’s role in this study was to collect measurements of ambient pollutant concentrations at six of the seven selected sites using NETL’s Mobile Air Monitoring Laboratory. The trailer-based laboratory was situated a distance of 492–1,312 ft from each well pad, on which activities included well pad construction, vertical drilling, horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and flaring, with the objective of evaluating the air quality impact of each activity for 1–4 weeks per site. Measured pollutants included volatile organic compounds (VOCs), coarse and fine particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5 , respectively), ozone, methane (CH 4 ), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), carbon isotopes of CH 4 and CO 2 , organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ).

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Operation of the NETL Chemical Looping Reactor with Natural Gas and a Novel Copper-Iron Material

The proposed Clean Power Plan requires CO 2 emission reductions of 30% by 2030 and further reductions are targeted by 2050. The current strategies to achieve the 30% reduction targets do not include options for coal. However, the 2016 Annual Energy Outlook suggests that coal will continue to provide more electricity than renewable sources for many regions of the country in 2035. Therefore, cost effective options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel power plants are vital in order to achieve greenhouse gas reduction targets beyond 2030. As part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Combustion Program, the National Energy Technology Laboratory’s Research and Innovation Center (NETL R&IC) is investigating the feasibility of a novel combustion concept in which the GHG emissions can be significantly reduced. This concept involves burning fuel and air without mixing these two reactants. If this concept is technically feasible, then CO 2 emissions can be significantly reduced at a much lower cost than more conventional approaches. This indirect combustion concept has been called Chemical Looping Combustion (CLC) because an intermediate material (i.e., a metal-oxide) is continuously cycled to oxidize the fuel. This CLC concept is the focus of this research and will be described in more detail in the following sections. The solid material that is used to transport oxygen is called an oxygen carrier material. The cost, durability, and performance of this material is a key issue for the CLC technology. Researchers at the NETL R&IC have developed an oxygen carrier material that consists of copper, iron, and alumina. This material has been tested extensively using lab scale instruments such as thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mechanical attrition (ASTM D5757), and small fluidized bed reactor tests. This report will describe the results from a realistic, circulating, proof-of-concept test that was completed using NETL’s 50kW th circulating Chemical Looping Reactor (CLR) test facility.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Abstract for CRADA between Birla Carbon USA, Inc. and NETL (AGMT-0903)

NETL researchers will be collaborating with Birla Carbon USA to leverage NETL's patented catalyst work on methane decomposition to commercialize an efficient and cost-effective process for production of hydrogen and carbon from natural gas. This catalytic methane decomposition is a promising technology but finding an appropriate catalyst to perform all the functions has been a challenge. NETL has developed a suitable catalyst for the process which has shown promising results. The heat required for this endothermic catalytic decomposition process is provided by either combustion of hydrogen or chemical looping process. This process is cost effective, energy efficient, and environmentally friendly, with minimal CO 2 mitigation costs. The objective of the project is to obtain data necessary for economic evaluation of the process to produce carbon suitable for applications at Birla Carbon USA.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Abstract for CRADA between NETL and Praxair, Inc. (AGMT-0879)

Praxair is interested in evaluating chemical looping technology for industrial gas production. Recent advances in oxygen carrier materials have sparked Praxair’s interest in this technology. Praxair has defined process schemes that leverage recent advances in chemical looping technology. NETL has developed expertise/capabilities in several aspects of chemical looping technology including oxygen carrier materials suitable for different chemical looping reactions, moving/fluidized bed reactors to carry out chemical looping reactions, bench and pilot scale testing, attrition measurement, and reactor modeling. Praxair and NETL will evaluate the potential of chemical looping technology based on oxygen carrier materials recommended by NETL in two phases. Phase 1 will focus on a preliminary technoeconomic feasibility assessment by making assumptions for performance of chemical looping reactors, and Phase 2 will focus on experimental tests as well as detailed modeling to update the assumptions and technoeconomic assessment.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Abstract for CRADA between NETL and Westinghouse Electric Company

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and Westinghouse will collaborate in testing a new NETL invention known as the single-crystal optical fiber Raman Distributed Temperature Sensor (DTS). Westinghouse will use the NETL Raman DTS to test performance of their new e-Vinci heat-pipe reactor systems.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Abstract for CRADA between NETL and the AZ Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University

Arizona State University (ASU) and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will collaborate on the development and scale up of sorbent composites that efficiently capture carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) directly from air under an awarded project from the Department of Energy’s Direct Air Capture (DAC) Pre-Commercialization Technology Prize. For DAC to be considered a viable technology for decarbonization, the cost of carbon removal needs to decrease below the proposed carbon tax incentive outlined in the recent Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) (Section 45 Q), which is set at $\$$180 per ton of CO 2 . Achieving this goal requires the development of a cost-effective, environmentally friendly sorbent with high CO 2 sorption capacity and efficient kinetics under DAC conditions as the overall cost of CO 2 captured is highly sensitive to factors such as sorbent cost and sorbent lifetime. ASU has developed a sorbent technology that can potentially reduce CO 2 removal costs by DAC. NETL has expertise in DAC TEA and LCA development and DAC sorbent testing. The collaboration between ASU and NETL aims to accelerate development and deployment of ASU’s technology by quantifying the performance, cost and lifecycle impacts of ASU’s technology and validating sorbent performance.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Abstract for CRADA between NETL and Rivalia Chemical Co

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will assist Rivalia Chemical Co (Participant) with system analyses to aid the Participant with setting priorities and securing funding. The Participant is an early-stage startup pioneering new chemical extraction technology to solve two important problems: critical mineral scarcity and coal ash waste management. The U.S. generates coal fly ash from coal combustion for power generation and has amassed over two billion metric tons of ash, which contains valuable rare earth elements. The ash is often stored in unlined ponds and frequently contaminates the local environment. The Participant’s patent-pending process harvests rare earths from ash, then transforms the residual ash for use in green concrete, providing an economic pathway for utilities to empty and remediate the ash ponds. Founder Laura Stoy created the company in July 2022 after developing the core intellectual property during her Ph.D. at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Stoy is currently participating in the Chain Reactions Innovations (CRI) program at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) where she will be optimizing the core technology and scaling from bench scale to demonstration scale. The technology has been validated at bench scale (TRL3); the goal is to approach TRL5 by the conclusion of the CRI program and prepare to raise capital investment for a pilot facility. NETL and the Participant will develop an updated technoeconomic analysis (TEA) and identify key sustainability performance parameters to inform ’s research and development priorities and de-risk the technology. NETL will also provide the Participant with guidance to prepare a more detailed life cycle assessment (LCA), and a narrative on the Participant’s product markets. These tools will aid the Participant with the next steps of commercialization.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

NETL UPGrants LCA Report Template

The NETL UPGrants LCA Report Template is part of the NETL CO2U LCA Guidance Toolkit for Carbon Utilization that has been modified to support Utilization Procurement Grants applications. The NETL UPGrants LCA Report Template is required to be completed by all vendors to consistently document the boundaries and results of their LCA.

Krynock, Michelle↗