Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “energy reductions”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 415 records · Page 23
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Driving Investment in Wind Energy: An Introduction to Incentives and the Inflation Reduction Act [Slides]

In a webinar hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy's WINDExchange initiative, experts from the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory introduce attendees to the key incentives supporting investment in wind energy deployment and manufacturing in the United States, as well as the role that the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) plays in shaping those investments. Over the past few decades, incentives like the production tax credit and investment tax credit have supported the growth of wind energy deployment, while manufacturing-related incentives have helped scale up domestic manufacturing of wind energy components. With its passage in 2022, the IRA ushered in a new wave of investment in wind energy and other renewable technologies, as well as introducing new workforce requirements and equity provisions. This presentation explores the history and impact of major incentives, unpacks some of the complex provisions of the IRA, and highlights the ways federal incentives and policies will continue to shape the wind energy industry.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Particle scale impacts on deconstruction energy of pine residues

The goal of this Case Study was to quantify the impacts of variable moisture and ash on hammer mill throughput and energy consumption and on generation of fines that are not able to be fed to conversion, as compared to a status quo Base Case system. Also considered was convertible carbon content (minimum carbon specification) and maximum ash content and the delivered feedstock cost impacts of not being able to feed residue not meeting both specifications to the conversion reactor. Laboratory data on the impacts of input particle size and moisture content on the exit particle size were received from FCIC Subtask 5.2 from their single particle impact population balance modeling study. Additional throughput and energy consumption data were obtained from FCIC Subtask 5.2 for the same grinder with a 6 mm screen in place. These data were utilized to develop the necessary response surface equations to perform throughput analysis using discrete event simulation. Because the ash contents in the separated fines had not been analyzed in the laboratory at the time of the model runs, we chose to assume that the ash distributed proportionally with total mass into the overs and unders in the disk screen following grinding. Key takeaways from this Case Study are that it is significantly more cost effective to hammer mill the residue prior to drying, even though the grinder throughput is lower and energy consumption is higher versus drying first before grinding. An effect of dry grinding versus high moisture grinding is the production of higher amounts of fines during dry grinding, leading to significantly more of the ground feedstock being rejected by conversion for being below a minimum particle size. With wet grinding the system is still able to produce more preprocessed feedstock meeting the minimum particle size specification even though the instantaneous throughput is lower than for the case of grinding dry feedstock. Additionally, even without the higher fines production from dry grinding, the status quo would still be more costly than wet grinding because the material is rejected after the drying energy has already been input for the dry grinding case. Finally, significant reductions in drying energy are obtained by drying after grinding, and those reductions are of far greater magnitude than the grinding energy increase.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Thermochemical reduction modeling in a high-temperature moving-bed reactor for energy storage: 1D model

The design of robust and efficient high-temperature thermochemical reactors and determination of operating conditions are critical steps toward enabling high-efficiency long-duration solar energy storage. This work presents a computational model for the thermal reduction of a metal oxide material (Mg-Mn-O) up to 1450 °C and the coupled complex transport phenomena in a novel tubular thermal reactor design that features the capability for a high extent-of-reduction (high energy storage density) and inherent heat recuperation. A one-dimensional model coupling counter-current gas–solid flow, two-phase heat transfer, thermochemical redox reactions, and species transport in a moving-bed reactor is developed. Simplified versions of the model are validated with published results in the literature for packed beds with both inert and reactive particles; the fully coupled model is also validated with experimental measurements of a moving-bed reactor in terms of local temperatures and oxygen release at the exit. Detailed comparisons on the effects of different boundary conditions in the reaction zone (prescribed wall temperature vs. heat flux conditions) and formulations based on a simple uniform flow assumption vs. plug flow using Ergun equation for gas flow are investigated. The results are compared with experimental measurements, and for all cases, the energy flow components in the reactor system and the thermal to chemical conversion efficiency and overall system efficiency are computed. Finally, the predicted high thermal-to-chemical efficiency ~95% and system efficiency ~30% agree with experimental measurements.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

The achievement of the T e,div feedback control by CD 4 seeding on EAST

A multi-function divertor feedback control system has been built on Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) to treat the divertor heat load issue. With the real-time data of the Langmuir probes and the impurity seeding, the divertor electron temperature (T e,div ) is well controlled to achieve the partial detachment phase. The first trial of the CD 4 seeding for the T e,div reduction has been achieved on EAST long-pulse discharge. In the seeding phase, the T e,div was maintained close to 5 eV, and the surface temperature of the target plate (T surface,div ) had a reduction of about 150° C. The plasma stored energy had a reduction in the control phase, so it is necessary to find a way to keep the good plasma confinement in the next step. The CD 4 injection also mitigated the low hybrid wave coupling rate in some degree. The big volume of the CD 4 injection lifted the Greenwald density fraction from ~0.4 to ~0.7, which made the SOL into high recycling state. As a result, most of the injected carbon particles were in the high ionized state, and with the lower of the T e,div , the tungsten line emission was suppressed obviously.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Cost of Floating Offshore Wind Energy in California Between 2019 and 2032

California’s energy planning is centered around meeting the emissions reduction and renewable energy requirements of Senate Bill 350 by 2030. However, state power system planning is expected to eventually address California’s requirement to achieve 100% of total retail electricity sales from renewable energy and zero-carbon resources by 2045, as mandated by Senate Bill 100. To comply with these directives, California needs to investigate the further development of energy efficiency, storage, and a diverse range of renewable energy, zero-carbon emission, and transmission resources, including offshore wind. Wind resources off the coast of California have the potential to generate a significant portion of the state’s electric energy as it moves toward a zero-carbon economy and can help diversify its energy mix. Floating offshore wind technology, which is suitable for the deep waters along the California coast, is currently in a precommercial phase, with approximately 84 megawatts (MW) installed worldwide at the end of 2019. Globally there are over 7,000 MW in planning and permitting phases of development, with the first commercial-scale projects expected to be operational in 2024. This study provides site-specific cost and performance data for floating offshore wind to inform California’s long-term energy planning. The identification of new resources to meet California’s policy goals at least cost is part of the Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) process, which is coordinated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). In 2019–2020 IRP modeling, offshore wind was included for the first time as a candidate resource in some sensitivity cases (CPUC 2019). The data and information presented in this report can be used to update offshore wind inputs in future IRP cycles. The authors conducted a geospatial cost analysis over portions of the offshore wind resource area of California. The analyzed spatial domain includes sites with a mean wind speed of at least 7 meters per second and water depths between 40 meters (m) and 1,300 m. Costs and energy production vary across this analysis domain. We calculated these parameters on a grid layout with over 750 sites, with each site representing a 1,000-MW commercial offshore wind power plant. Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) was calculated at each site over the analysis domain. The resulting variation in LCOE across the analysis domain is illustrated through heat maps in this report. Five study areas were selected within the analysis domain where more detailed cost analysis was conducted and cost parameters, such as annual energy production, capital cost expenditures (CapEx), operational cost expenditures (OpEx), and net capacity factors are reported. These five study areas include Morro Bay, Diablo Canyon, Humboldt, Cape Mendocino and Del Norte.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Supply Chain Energy and Greenhouse Gas Analysis Using the Materials Flows through Industry (MFI) Tool: Examination of Decarbonization Technology Scenarios for the U.S. Glass Manufacturing Sector

Glass manufacturing is a major part of the U.S. economy, and glass products in multiple sectors - flat glass, container glass, and fiberglass - are a part of everyday life. Despite glass manufacturing's long history, there are still many opportunities for glass production to improve in terms of both in overall energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction. Scenarios for the flat, container, and fiberglass sectors show the effect that each improvement has on primary energy demand and GHG emissions, starting from an industry baseline that reflects current manufacturing practices. Using the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Material Flows through Industry tool, multiple scenarios are examined for each glass sector by applying a combination of energy reduction, increased electrification, hydrogen cofiring, a more renewable electric grid, and increased use of cullet. Additional decarbonization options are possible for glass but are left for later analysis due to cost, feasibility, or data issues. Primary energy demand can be reduced by 75%-83% compared to baseline inputs, depending on the sector, and GHG emissions are reduced by 82%-86%. Applying the maximum level of improvements listed here has the potential to save over 300 million GJ and 25 million metric tons of GHGs by 2050.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS2018

Decadal Evolution of the Surface Energy Budget During the Fast Warming and Global Warming Hiatus Periods in the ERA-Interim

The global-mean surface temperature has experienced a rapid warming from the 1980s to early-2000s but a muted warming since, referred to as the global warming hiatus in the literature. Decadal changes in deep ocean heat uptake are thought to primarily account for the rapid warming and subsequent slowdown. Here, we examine the role of ocean heat uptake in establishing the fast warming and warming hiatus periods in the ERA-Interim through a decomposition of the global-mean surface energy budget. We find the increase of carbon dioxide alone yields a nearly steady increase of the downward longwave radiation at the surface from the 1980s to the present, but neither accounts for the fast warming nor warming hiatus periods. During the global warming hiatus period, the transfer of latent heat energy from the ocean to atmosphere increases and the total downward radiative energy flux to the surface decreases due to a reduction of solar absorption caused primarily by an increase of clouds. The reduction of radiative energy into the ocean and the surface latent heat flux increase cause the ocean heat uptake to decrease and thus contribute to the slowdown of the global-mean surface warming. Our analysis also finds that in addition to a reduction of deep ocean heat uptake, the fast warming period is also driven by enhanced solar absorption due predominantly to a decrease of clouds and by enhanced longwave absorption mainly attributed to the air temperature feedback.

Hu, Xiaoming↗
DOE OSTI2020

Dynamic Life-Cycle Analysis of Fast Pyrolysis Biorefineries: Impacts of Feedstock Moisture Content and Particle Size

The commercialization of biorefineries has been met with significant obstacles due to the technical difficulties of handling solid biomass feedstocks, which are highly variable in physical properties and chemical compositions. An understanding of the principles of unit operations along the supply chain is key to the success of the biofuel industry. This study applies a dynamic life-cycle analysis (DLCA) methodology by developing quantitative relationships between the inputs and outputs for each unit operation based on scientific understanding of the causal effects. Using the DLCA, we assessed system sustainability of drop-in fuel production from fast pyrolysis of pine residues followed by hydro-processing. Life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were calculated for 4641 runs involving two key feedstock parameters: moisture content after field drying and particle size of the feed to pyrolyzer. Moisture contents varied between 25% and 35%, while particle sizes varied between 0.5 and 5 mm in these runs. The life-cycle GHG emissions of these cases vary from 22 to 40 g/MJ. Close examination of each unit operation's contribution to the total GHG emissions reveals that low moisture content after field drying produces savings in energy consumption during feedstock transportation and on-site drying. However, although small particle size leads to overall higher fuel yield, it also requires a significant amount of energy for feedstock size reduction and fuel production. The energy penalty outweighs the benefit of increased fuel yields, especially when fine particles (<1 mm) are used for pyrolysis; thus, small particle size leads to increased GHG emissions overall. The results highlight the trade-offs between the energy demand for preprocessing and the conversion yields, which can be addressed with DLCA.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Modeling the First Hydrogen Direct Reduction Pilot Reactor for Ironmaking in the USA Using Finite Element Analysis and Its Validation Using Pilot Plant Trial Data

Direct reduction of hematite pellets with hydrogen (H 2 ) was used to produce directly reduced iron (DRI) in a pilot scale reactor at a pellet feed rate of 21.4 kg/h. At a steady state, operational parameters of the pilot plant (gas recycling rate and inlet temperature) along with key reactor output parameters, the pellet metallization, and the internal temperature profile of the reactor were reported for two scenarios with high recycle and low recycle rate of H 2 . Scenario 1, with a high recycle rate of 400 L/min H 2 along with external heating of 870 °C, gave an average metallization of 91.8%, while Scenario 2, with low recycle rate of 100 L/min H 2 and external heating of 850 °C gave a metallization of 67.8% due to the higher moles of H 2 available for reduction and the external energy required for the endothermic reduction reaction in Scenario 1 as compared with Scenario 2. Finite element analysis was used to build a model of the shaft reactor, which was validated against the metallization and internal temperature profile data. The average metallization values predicted by the model were very close to the metallization values obtained from the pilot plant samples, with 90.9% average metallization for Scenario 1 and 65.6% average metallization for Scenario 2. The internal temperature profiles in the lower region of the reactor obtained from the model were very close to these pilot plant data, with a maximum difference of 52.7 °C and 67.6 °C for Scenarios 1 and 2, respectively. The pilot plant reactor model was used extensively in the commissioning of the pilot plant and to predict the startup outcomes for a given set of operating parameters.

08 HYDROGEN↗
NASA NTRS1953

An Investigation Utilizing an Electrical Analogue of Cyclic Deicing of Hollow Steel Propellers with Internal Electric Heaters

A study has been made of the heating requirements for the cyclic de?icing of hollow steel propellers fitted with two types of internal electric heaters. Solutions to the transient?teat?flow equations depicting the cyclic de?icing of propellers were obtained by use of an electrical analogy. The study showed the impracticability of using an internal tubular heater and illustrated the advantages of employing an internal shoe?type heater, which distributes the heat more evenly to the blade surface. The importance of minimizing the thermal inertia of the system was demonstrated, and the magnitude of reductions in the total energy requirement made possible through reductions in the heating period was indicated.

Neel, Carr B., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Energy Requirements of Hydrogen-Utilizing Microbes: Boundary Condition for Subsurface Life

For planetary bodies with surface conditions that are too harsh to permit continuous occupation by life, the deep subsurface offers a potentially stable and habitable niche. For organisms occupying this niche, the spectrum of possible metabolisms must be limited to those which do not include sunlight as an energy source or oxygen as a chemical reagent - generally, low-energy anaerobic oxidation-reduction processes. The quantity of energy released in such processes is critical, because currently understood mechanisms of biological energy conservation indicate that energy is only 'useful' to an organism when it is available at a certain minimum level - the 'biological energy quantum'. The mere existence of a BEQ implies that a significant fraction of the chemical energy present in the environment cannot be exploited by life; similarly, the absolute magnitude of the BEQ must be a key variable in determining the potential viability and distribution of subsurface microbial communities. Laboratory culture studies suggest that organisms require an energy of about -20 kJ/mol to grow. However, we find that hydrogen-utilizing microorganisms in an energy-limited natural ecosystem are active with energy yields as low as -10 kJ/mol. A lower BEQ would mean a significantly expanded range of energetically viable subsurface habitat for life.

Hoehler, Tori M.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Integration of renewable energy generation and storage systems for emissions reduction in an islanded campus microgrid

Microgrid connected building communities are projected to play an integral part in the clean energy transition. These types of systems, when integrated with distributed energy resources (DERs) such as combined heat and power (CHP), district heating and cooling, renewable generation, and energy storage, can provide clean, reliable power to critical facilities and vulnerable communities. The intermittent nature of renewable generation is a challenge when integrating renewables into any grid system, but particularly in islanded microgrids. The University of Texas at Austin (UT) operates an islanded microgrid powered by a CHP plant, while also utilizing district heating and cooling systems and thermal energy storage (TES). High fidelity operating data was used to develop a validated reduced order model of UT’s integrated campus energy systems to serve as a testbed for use in a case study. Hypothetical renewable energy installations on land owned by UT in west Texas were modeled and integrated into the validated campus models along with battery energy storage (BES). Simulations showed that a combination of renewable energy from wind, and optimally controlled 24-hour thermal and battery storage systems could reduce carbon dioxide emissions on campus by 45.4%. The additional retrofit of burner systems to utilize hydrogen natural gas blends resulted in an overall annual emissions reduction of 54.7%. Carbon capture and storage eliminated the majority of the remaining emissions with increased plant energy expenditure. The presented simulations display the practical limitations of a CHP system complemented by renewable generation and short-term storage in eliminating emissions. Furthermore, results highlight the need for further research and development in long duration storage technologies and hydrogen fueled turbines to increase penetration of renewable energy and reduce emissions.

CHP↗
DOE OSTI2025

Many-body expansion based machine learning models for octahedral transition metal complexes

Abstract Graph-based machine learning (ML) models for material properties show great potential to accelerate virtual high-throughput screening of large chemical spaces. However, in their simplest forms, graph-based models do not include any 3D information and are unable to distinguish stereoisomers such as those arising from different orderings of ligands around a metal center in coordination complexes. In this work we present a modification to revised autocorrelation descriptors, a molecular graph featurization method, for predicting spin state dependent properties of octahedral transition metal complexes (TMCs). Inspired by analytical semi-empirical models for TMCs, the new modeling strategy is based on the many-body expansion (MBE) and allows one to tune the captured stereoisomer information by changing the truncation order of the MBE. We present the necessary modifications to include this approach in two commonly used ML methods, kernel ridge regression and feed-forward neural networks. On a test set composed of all possible isomers of binary TMCs, the best MBE models achieve mean absolute errors (MAEs) of 2.75 kcal mol −1 on spin-splitting energies and 0.26 eV on frontier orbital energy gaps, a 30%–40% reduction in error compared to models based on our previous approach. We also observe improved generalization to previously unseen ligands where the best-performing models exhibit MAEs of 4.00 kcal mol −1 (i.e. a 0.73 kcal mol −1 reduction) on the spin-splitting energies and 0.53 eV (i.e. a 0.10 eV reduction) on the frontier orbital energy gaps. Because the new approach incorporates insights from electronic structure theory, such as ligand additivity relationships, these models exhibit systematic generalization from homoleptic to heteroleptic complexes, allowing for efficient screening of TMC search spaces.

Meyer, Ralf (ORCID:0000000322360261)↗
DOE OSTI2020

FY 2021 Idaho National Laboratory Site Sustainability Plan

The mission of the Department of Energy (DOE) is to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. This FY 2021 Idaho National Laboratory Site Sustainability Plan (SSP) was developed to enable and sustain Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL’s) mission to discover, demonstrate, and secure innovative nuclear solutions, clean energy options, and critical infrastructure. The SSP was developed according to the narrative requirements from the “FY 2021 DOE Site Sustainability Plan Guidance” document issued in August 2020. The SSP contains strategies and activities that will lead to continual energy, water, and waste reductions that move INL toward meeting DOE sustainability goals and requirements. The SSP summarizes energy and available fuel use reporting requirements and references criteria for instituting sustainable design. SSP requirements are integrated into each INL contractor’s Integrated Safety Management System and Environmental Management System (EMS). Finally, the Sustainability Program directives, based on this SSP, are integrated into the INL Annual Laboratory Plan Fiscal Year 2020 (INL/LTD-20-59747), and operations and acquisition systems.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2025

De-Risking High-Recovery Brackish Water Desalination via Flow Reversal and Feed Flushing Using Techno-Economic Assessment

Novel desalination technologies have demonstrated enhanced performance and improved financial metrics over existing processes adopted by industry. Establishing quantitative performance targets is essential for achieving financial benefits over the current state of the art. Herein, we demonstrate how WaterTAP, a techno-economic assessment (TEA) tool, can be used to identify minimum performance metrics necessary to achieve financial benefit over using existing processes. This study evaluates the feasibility of increasing water recovery at the Chino Desalter I above 90 % through the addition of a third variable configuration reverse osmosis (VCRO) stage. Sensitivity analyses revealed flow reversal frequency, feed flushing volume (used as a cleaning step), and membrane lifespan are key factors influencing the financial viability of the VCRO process. The TEA analysis demonstrated that the system must achieve a recovery of 84 % and a 1-year membrane lifespan to have a breakeven LCOW, while achieving 90 % recovery can ultimately reduce the LCOW by 16 %. Notably, a trade-off between decreasing frictional losses and increased osmotic pressure across the recovery range, resulted in a stable specific energy consumption across the recovery range, enabling meaningful LCOW reductions without an energy penalty, a key finding that contrasts with conventional RO. This work demonstrates how TEA can guide system design by identifying key performance targets and exploring trade-offs, enabling data-driven decisions to de-risk innovative processes. These findings underscore the importance of leveraging TEA to evaluate scaling mitigation strategies and optimize inland desalination systems for sustainable and cost-effective operation.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2021

Hydrogen Plasma Reduction

Hydrogen plasma increases efficiency by strategically using energy to break bonds within the regolith to liberate oxygen instead of heating the entire bed of regolith. The energy used by the plasma system would be imparted into the H2 gas, forming highly energetic ions, electrons, and neutrals that would interact with the regolith surface. The energized atomic and ionic H2 provide the energy needed to make reduction of SiO2 (Silicon Dioxide) and other regolith mineral oxides favorable. What’s more, the high-energy plasma interaction occurs in a small, localized volume, and thus requires relatively little energy. The lunar regolith is well-suited for the process as the fine particles naturally available provide a high surface area for the plasma to interact with. The process would require a system to collect the regolith composed of metal oxides (MxOy) and load it into a reactor. An H2 plasma would pass over the surface (potentially at a low pressure, reducing complexity of the system as it would not require large increases in pressure from the lunar vacuum), then the gases from the plasma reaction would be collected and processed, and the spent regolith would be carried away. The gross reaction temperature would be near ambient (due to the localized nature of the plasma), eliminating the necessity of a regolith heating mechanism or handling of molten regolith. Also, the H2 used in the plasma could be subsequently recovered from the water produced by the plasma reaction. Thus, this approach would not require significant amounts of added commodities.

Elspeth Petersen↗
DOE OSTI2026

Reduction of baseplate distortion during directed energy deposition using compliant features

Distortion in additive manufacturing (AM) remains a barrier to its adoption in precision industries. Baseplate warpage is one such issue which compromises the feasibility of post-process precision machining. The restriction to thermal contraction of the deposited part, imposed by the baseplate, generates bending moments, that in turn causes warpage. A novel distortion mitigation strategy using baseplates with integrated compliant features, which enables thermal contraction of the build is presented. Six unique design concepts are evaluated, including a solid reference, using two deposition geometries. A laser, hot-wire, directed energy deposition (DED) process is used to deposit a symmetric cylindrical part (C-part) and a T-shaped asymmetric part (T-part). Flatness deviation of baseplates is measured using structured light 3D scanning. Measurements reveal a reduction in net flatness deviation of 58.8% for the C-part and 40.9% for the T-part, compared to the solid reference. While most designs yielded reductions exceeding 30% and 20% for the C- and T-parts, respectively, one configuration resulted in increased deviation. Finite element (FE) simulations are performed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms affecting distortion of compliant baseplates during DED. Despite variations between predictions and measurements, agreement in the general trend is observed. It also revealed that initial flatness errors in baseplates significantly affect its deviation during deposition. Predictions indicate that compliant features significantly affect the thermal distribution as well as the evolution of flatness deviation in the baseplate during deposition. Notably, one design exhibited a reduction in distortion during cooling, following its initial increase during deposition. FE predictions show a maximum reduction of 60.9% and 38.8% in net flatness deviation for the C- and T-parts, respectively. The performance of compliant baseplates is found to be governed by both its the thermal and mechanical characteristics, which are crucial factors to be considered during design.

Mathews, Ritin [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000301440828)↗