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DOE OSTI2024

Intermittent Criticality Multi‐Scale Processes Leading to Large Slip Events on Rough Laboratory Faults

Abstract We discuss data of three laboratory stick‐slip experiments on Westerly Granite samples performed at elevated confining pressure and constant displacement rate on rough fracture surfaces. The experiments produced complex slip patterns including fast and slow ruptures with large and small fault slips, as well as failure events on the fault surface producing acoustic emission bursts without externally‐detectable stress drop. Preparatory processes leading to large slips were tracked with an ensemble of ten seismo‐mechanical and statistical parameters characterizing local and global damage and stress evolution, localization and clustering processes, as well as event interactions. We decompose complex spatio‐temporal trends in the lab‐quake characteristics and identify persistent effects of evolving fault roughness and damage at different length scales, and local stress evolution approaching large events. The observed trends highlight labquake localization processes on different spatial and temporal scales. The preparatory process of large slip events includes smaller events marked by confined bursts of acoustic emission activity that collectively prepare the fault surface for a system‐wide failure by conditioning the large‐scale stress field. Our results are consistent overall with an evolving process of intermittent criticality leading to large failure events, and may contribute to improved forecasting of large natural earthquakes.

Geochemistry & Geophysics↗

DOE OSTI2016

Comparison of CO 2 trapping in highly heterogeneous reservoirs with Brooks-Corey and van Genuchten type capillary pressure curves

Geological heterogeneities affect the dynamics of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) plumes in subsurface environments in important ways. Previously, we showed how the dynamics of CO 2 plumes are influenced by the multiscaled sedimentary architecture in deep brine fluvial-type reservoirs. The results confirm that representing small-scale features and the corresponding heterogeneity in saturation functions, along with hysteresis in saturation functions, are all critical to understanding capillary trapping processes. Here, we show that when heterogeneity and hysteresis are represented, the two conventional approaches for defining saturation functions, Brooks-Corey and van Genuchten, represent fundamentally different physical systems. The Brooks-Corey approach represents heterogeneity in entry pressures, and leads to trapping by capillary pinning. The van Genuchten approach represents a network of pores transporting the nonwetting fluid, across rock types, with negligible capillary entry pressure, and leads to capillary retardation. We conclude these differences significantly affect the large-scale characteristics of CO 2 plumes (i.e., their mass, shape, and position).

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2017

Electrochemical Upgrading of Bio-Oil

Bio-oil produced by fast pyrolysis of biomass is a potential source of low carbon, renewable hydrocarbon fuel. However, the properties such as low heating value, incomplete volatility, acidity, instability, and incompatibility with standard fuels restrict its use. The undesirable properties of pyrolysis oil result from its chemical composition that mostly consists of different classes of oxygenated organic compounds. Current process of Hydrodeoxygenation to remove oxygen involves high-temperature, high-pressure processing in the presence of hydrogen and catalyst. An alternative process of deoxygenation of bio-oil using solid-state, oxygen conductor based electrochemical cell is under investigation. The electrolysis process removes oxygen from the oxygenated organic molecule as well from steam to produce hydrogen in-situ allowing for a distributed, small scale integrated upgrading unit. Mixtures of model compounds and a slip stream of pyrolysis vapor were tested. The results show the potential for integrating a pyrolyzer and an electrochemical device for stabilizing pyrolysis oil.

bio-oil hydrotreating catalyst, Electrolysis, biom↗

DOE OSTI2016

Feasibilities of a Coal-Biomass to Liquids Plant in Southern West Virginia

This project has generated comprehensive and realistic results of feasibilities for a coal-biomass to liquids (CBTL) plant in southern West Virginia; and evaluated the sensitivity of the analyses to various anticipated scenarios and parametric uncertainties. Specifically the project has addressed economic feasibility, technical feasibility, market feasibility, and financial feasibility. In the economic feasibility study, a multi-objective siting model was developed and was then used to identify and rank the suitable facility sites. Spatial models were also developed to assess the biomass and coal feedstock availabilities and economics. Environmental impact analysis was conducted mainly to assess life cycle analysis and greenhouse gas emission. Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis were also investigated in this study. Sensitivity analyses on required selling price (RSP) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of CBTL fuels were conducted according to feedstock availability and price, biomass to coal mix ratio, conversion rate, internal rate of return (IRR), capital cost, operational and maintenance cost. The study of siting and capacity showed that feedstock mixed ratio limited the CBTL production. The price of coal had a more dominant effect on RSP than that of biomass. Different mix ratios in the feedstock and conversion rates led to RSP ranging from $104.3 - $157.9/bbl. LCA results indicated that GHG emissions ranged from 80.62 kg CO 2 eq to 101.46 kg CO2 eq/1,000 MJ of liquid fuel at various biomass to coal mix ratios and conversion rates if carbon capture and storage (CCS) was applied. Most of water and fossil energy were consumed in conversion process. Compared to petroleum-derived-liquid fuels, the reduction in GHG emissions could be between -2.7% and 16.2% with CBTL substitution. As for the technical study, three approaches of coal and biomass to liquids, direct, indirect and hybrid, were considered in the analysis. The process models including conceptual design, process modeling and process validation were developed and validated for different cases. Equipment design and capital costs were investigated on capital coast estimation and economical model validation. Material and energy balances and techno-economic analysis on base case were conducted for evaluation of projects. Also, sensitives studies of direct and indirect approaches were both used to evaluate the CBTL plant economic performance. In this study, techno-economic analysis were conducted in Aspen Process Economic Analyzer (APEA) environment for indirect, direct, and hybrid CBTL plants with CCS based on high fidelity process models developed in Aspen Plus and Excel. The process thermal efficiency ranges from 45% to 67%. The break-even oil price ranges from $86.1 to $100.6 per barrel for small scale (10000 bbl/day) CBTL plants and from $65.3 to $80.5 per barrel for large scale (50000 bbl/day) CBTL plants. Increasing biomass/coal ratio from 8/92 to 20/80 would increase the break-even oil price of indirect CBTL plant by $3/bbl and decrease the break-even oil price of direct CBTL plant by about $1/bbl. The order of carbon capture penalty is direct > indirect > hybrid. The order of capital investment is hybrid (with or without shale gas utilization) > direct (without shale gas utilization) > indirect > direct (with shale gas utilization). The order of thermal efficiency is direct > hybrid > indirect. The order of break-even oil price is hybrid (without shale gas utilization) > direct (without shale gas utilization) > hybrid (with shale gas utilization) > indirect > direct (with shale gas utilization).

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

NASA NTRS1976

The use of dispersion to eliminate multipath in planetary radio occultations

Occultation geometry is analyzed with a view toward eliminating all multipath resulting from layer effects. It is assumed that the spacecraft moves behind the planet with a constant velocity perpendicular to the direction from the spacecraft to the earth, and that for radio frequencies of 1 to 2 GHz the angle of refraction of a radio ray passing through the ionosphere is so small as to be imperceptible if drawn to scale. It is shown that if a particular amount of dispersion is inserted into the process at any stage prior to signal detection, the frequency vs time curve will be converted to a frequency vs ray asymptote height curve. Because there can be only one mode from any one ray asymptote height in a layered medium, frequency must be a single-valued function of this parameter. The introduction of an appropriate dispersion will therefore eliminate all multipath insofar as it is caused by spherically symmetric planetary layers. The degree of accuracy to be provided in flight and during postflight analysis is discussed.

Croft, T. A.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Characteristics of cometary picked-up ions in a global model of Giacobini-Zinner

Energetic ions observed during the International Cometary Explorer (ICE) spacecraft flyby of comet Giacobini-Zinner provide information about both the constitution of comets and the plasma physical processes associated with their interaction with the solar wind. In this investigation the details of ion 'pickup,' in the limit where small-scale fluctuations in the plasma and magnetic field are neglected, are modeled by following the motion of a large number of initially cold, heavy (mass 18) ions in a global magnetohydrodynamic model of the local plasma and magnetic field. The results indicate how the background or macroscopic velocity and magnetic field structure of the comet can affect the average spatial and spectral characteristics of the observed cometary ions. These effects, which occur by virtue of forces associated with the compression and the curvature of the magnetic field in the presence of the stagnating plasma flow, can explain the double maxima in the time series of the energetic ion flux observed along the ICE trajectory.

Kimmel, C. D.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Transient microwave brightenings in solar active regions: Comparison between VLA and Yohkoh observations

We report observations of transient microwave (2 cm) brightenings and their relationship with brightenings in soft X-rays. The peak flux of the microwave brightenings observed by the Very Large Array (VLA) is smaller than the previously reported fluxes by two orders of magnitude. The microwave sources were highly polarized (up to 100%) and were situated on the periphery of a sunspot umbra. Among the many transients observed in X-rays by Yohkoh, two were observed simultaneously in microwaves. The microwave sources were found to be closer to the umbra of the sunspot than were the X-ray loops. It seems that the microwave sources are located at the footpoints of the looplike X-ray transients. Using the combined VLA, Yohkoh, and Mees data set, we determine the physical parameters of the loop in which the brightenings occur. We find that an increase in emission measure accompanied by small-scale heating can account for the X-ray brightening. The microwave emission can be interpreted as thermal gyroresonance or nonthermal gyrosynchrotron processes during the X-ray brightening. The magnetic field in the microwave-source region is found to be 1200-1800 G. The observations also provide evidence for temperature gradient in the coronal loops.

Gopalswamy, N.↗

NASA NTRS1999

The Role of Velocity Redistribution in Enhancing the Intensity of the He II 304 A Line in the Quiet Sun Spectrum

We present observational evidence of the effect of small scale ("microturbulent") velocities in enhancing the intensity of the He II lambda304 line with respect to other transition region emission lines, a process we call "velocity redistribution". We first show results from the 1991 and 1993 flights of SERTS (Solar EUV Rocket Telescope and Spectrograph). The spectral resolution of the SERTS instrument was sufficient to infer that, at the spatial resolution of 5", the line profile is nearly gaussian both in the quiet Sun and in active regions. We were then able to determine, for the quiet Sun, a lower limit for the amplitude of non-thermal motions in the region of formation of the 304 A line of the order of 10 km/s. We estimated that, in the presence of the steep temperature gradients of the solar Transition Region (TR), velocities of this magnitude can significantly enhance the intensity of that line, thus at least helping to bridge the gap between calculated and observed values. We also estimated the functional dependence of such an enhancement on the relevant parameters (non-thermal velocities, temperature gradient, and pressure). We then present results from a coordinated campaign, using SOHO/CDS and H-alpha spectroheliograms from Coimbra Observatory, aimed at determining the relationship between regions of enhanced helium emission and chromospheric velocity fields and transition region emission in the quiescent atmosphere. Using these data, we examined the behavior of the He II lambda304 line in the quiet Sun supergranular network and compared it with other TR lines, in particular with O III lambda600. We also examined the association of 304 A emission with the so-called "coarse dark mottle", chromospheric structures seen in H-alpha red wing images and associated with spicules. We found that all these observations are consistent with the velocity redistribution picture.

Andretta, Vincenzo↗

NASA NTRS2000

Recent Advances and Applications in Cryogenic Propellant Densification Technology

This purpose of this paper is to review several historical cryogenic test programs that were conducted at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), Cleveland, Ohio over the past fifty years. More recently these technology programs were intended to study new and improved denser forms of liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LO2) cryogenic rocket fuels. Of particular interest are subcooled cryogenic propellants. This is due to the fact that they have a significantly higher density (eg. triple-point hydrogen, slush etc.), a lower vapor pressure and improved cooling capacity over the normal boiling point cryogen. This paper, which is intended to be a historical technology overview, will trace the past and recent development and testing of small and large-scale propellant densification production systems. Densifier units in the current GRC fuels program, were designed and are capable of processing subcooled LH2 and L02 propellant at the X33 Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) scale. One final objective of this technical briefing is to discuss some of the potential benefits and application which propellant densification technology may offer the industrial cryogenics production and end-user community. Density enhancements to cryogenic propellants (LH2, LO2, CH4) in rocket propulsion and aerospace application have provided the opportunity to either increase performance of existing launch vehicles or to reduce the overall size, mass and cost of a new vehicle system.

Tomsik, Thomas M.↗

NASA NTRS2008

Application of Fast Multipole Methods to the NASA Fast Scattering Code

The NASA Fast Scattering Code (FSC) is a versatile noise prediction program designed to conduct aeroacoustic noise reduction studies. The equivalent source method is used to solve an exterior Helmholtz boundary value problem with an impedance type boundary condition. The solution process in FSC v2.0 requires direct manipulation of a large, dense system of linear equations, limiting the applicability of the code to small scales and/or moderate excitation frequencies. Recent advances in the use of Fast Multipole Methods (FMM) for solving scattering problems, coupled with sparse linear algebra techniques, suggest that a substantial reduction in computer resource utilization over conventional solution approaches can be obtained. Implementation of the single level FMM (SLFMM) and a variant of the Conjugate Gradient Method (CGM) into the FSC is discussed in this paper. The culmination of this effort, FSC v3.0, was used to generate solutions for three configurations of interest. Benchmarking against previously obtained simulations indicate that a twenty-fold reduction in computational memory and up to a four-fold reduction in computer time have been achieved on a single processor.

Dunn, Mark H.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Method and Apparatus for Spacecraft Gyroscope Scale Factor Calibration

A method and apparatus for estimating gyro scale factor during normal spacecraft operations, using small attitude motions that are compliant with mission pointing accuracy and stability requirements and a signal processing method that specifically detects the intentionally induced motions. This process increases operational availability by avoiding the need to take the spacecraft offline for large calibration maneuvers.

Reth, Alan D↗

NASA NTRS2023

M2-SCREAM: A Stratospheric Composition Reanalysis of Aura MLS Data With MERRA-2 Transport

MERRA-2 Stratospheric Composition Reanalysis of Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (M2-SCREAM) is a new reanalysis of stratospheric ozone, water vapor, hydrogen chloride (HCl), nitric acid (HNO 3 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) between 2004 and the present (with a latency of several months). The assimilated fields are provided at a 50-km horizontal resolution and at a three-hourly frequency. M2-SCREAM assimilates version 4.2 Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) profiles of the five constituents alongside total ozone column from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument. Dynamics and tropospheric water vapor are constrained by the MERRA-2 reanalysis. The assimilated species are in excellent agreement with the MLS observations, except for HNO 3 in polar night, where data are not assimilated. Comparisons against independent observations show that the reanalysis realistically captures the spatial and temporal variability of all the assimilated constituents. In particular, the standard deviations of the differences between M2-SCREAM and constituent mixing ratio data from The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer are much smaller than the standard deviations of the measured constituents. Evaluation of the reanalysis against aircraft data and balloon-borne frost point hygrometers indicates a faithful representation of small-scale structures in the assimilated water vapor, HNO 3 and ozone fields near the tropopause. Comparisons with independent observations and a process-based analysis of the consistency of the assimilated constituent fields with the MERRA-2 dynamics and with large-scale stratospheric processes demonstrate the utility of M2-SCREAM for scientific studies of chemical and transport variability on time scales ranging from hours to decades. Analysis uncertainties and guidelines for data usage are provided.

MERRA-2↗

DOE OSTI2013

Integrating Safety, Operations, Security, and Safeguards (ISOSS) into the design of small modular reactors : a handbook.

The existing regulatory environment for nuclear reactors impacts both the facility design and the cost of operations once the facility is built. Delaying the consideration of regulatory requirements until late in the facility design - or worse, until after construction has begun - can result in costly retrofitting as well as increased operational costs to fulfill safety, security, safeguards, and emergency readiness requirements. Considering the scale and scope, as well as the latest design trends in the next generation of nuclear facilities, there is an opportunity to evaluate the regulatory requirements and optimize the design process for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), as compared to current Light Water Reactors (LWRs). To this end, Sandia has embarked on an initiative to evaluate the interactions of regulations and operations as an approach to optimizing the design of SMR facilities, supporting operational efficiencies, as well as regulatory requirements. The early stages of this initiative consider two focus areas. The first focus area, reported by LaChance, et al. (2007), identifies the regulatory requirements established for the current fleet of LWR facilities regarding Safety, Security, Operations, Safeguards, and Emergency Planning, and evaluates the technical bases for these requirements. The second focus area, developed in this report, documents the foundations for an innovative approach that supports a design framework for SMR facilities that incorporates the regulatory environment, as well as the continued operation of the facility, into the early design stages, eliminating the need for costly retrofitting and additional operating personnel to fulfill regulatory requirements. The work considers a technique known as Integrated Safety, Operations, Security and Safeguards (ISOSS) (Darby, et al., 2007). In coordination with the best practices of industrial operations, the goal of this effort is to develop a design framework that outlines how ISOSS requirements can be incorporated into the pre-conceptual through early facility design stages, seeking a cost-effective design that meets both operational efficiencies and the regulatory environment. The larger scope of the project, i.e., in future stages, includes the identification of potentially conflicting requirements identified by the ISOSS framework, including an analysis of how regulatory requirements may be changed to account for the intrinsic features of SMRs.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗

DOE OSTI2014

Continuous mutual improvement of macromolecular structure models in the PDB and of X-ray crystallographic software: the dual role of deposited experimental data

Macromolecular structures deposited in the PDB can and should be continually reinterpreted and improved on the basis of their accompanying experimental X-ray data, exploiting the steady progress in methods and software that the deposition of such data into the PDB on a massive scale has made possible. Accurate crystal structures of macromolecules are of high importance in the biological and biomedical fields. Models of crystal structures in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) are in general of very high quality as deposited. However, methods for obtaining the best model of a macromolecular structure from a given set of experimental X-ray data continue to progress at a rapid pace, making it possible to improve most PDB entries after their deposition by re-analyzing the original deposited data with more recent software. This possibility represents a very significant departure from the situation that prevailed when the PDB was created, when it was envisioned as a cumulative repository of static contents. A radical paradigm shift for the PDB is therefore proposed, away from the static archive model towards a much more dynamic body of continuously improving results in symbiosis with continuously improving methods and software. These simultaneous improvements in methods and final results are made possible by the current deposition of processed crystallographic data (structure-factor amplitudes) and will be supported further by the deposition of raw data (diffraction images). It is argued that it is both desirable and feasible to carry out small-scale and large-scale efforts to make this paradigm shift a reality. Small-scale efforts would focus on optimizing structures that are of interest to specific investigators. Large-scale efforts would undertake a systematic re-optimization of all of the structures in the PDB, or alternatively the redetermination of groups of structures that are either related to or focused on specific questions. All of the resulting structures should be made generally available, along with the precursor entries, with various views of the structures being made available depending on the types of questions that users are interested in answering.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2013

1366 Direct Wafer™: Demolishing the Cost Barrier for Silicon Photovoltaics

The goal of 1366 Direct Wafer™ is to drastically reduce the cost of silicon-based PV by eliminating the cost barrier imposed by sawn wafers. The key characteristics of Direct Wafer are 1) kerf-free, 156-mm standard silicon wafers 2) high throughput for very low CAPEX and rapid scale up. Together, these characteristics will allow Direct Wafer™ to become the new standard for silicon PV wafers and will enable terawatt-scale PV – a prospect that may not be possible with sawn wafers. Our single, high-throughput step will replace the expensive and rate-limiting process steps of ingot casting and sawing, thereby enabling drastically lower wafer cost. This High-Impact PV Supply Chain project addressed the challenges of scaling Direct Wafer technology for cost-effective, high-throughput production of commercially viable 156 mm wafers. The Direct Wafer process is inherently simple and offers the potential for very low production cost, but to realize this, it is necessary to demonstrate production of wafers at high-throughput that meet customer specifications. At the start of the program, 1366 had demonstrated (with ARPA-E funding) increases in solar cell efficiency from 10% to 15.9% on small area (20cm2), scaling wafer size up to the industry standard 156mm, and demonstrated initial cell efficiency on larger wafers of 13.5%. During this program, the throughput of the Direct Wafer furnace was increased by more than 10X, simultaneous with quality improvements to meet early customer specifications. Dedicated equipment for laser trimming of wafers and measurement methods were developed to feedback key quality metrics to improve the process and equipment. Subsequent operations served both to determine key operating metrics affecting cost, as well as generating sample product that was used for developing downstream processing including texture and interaction with standard cell processing. Dramatic price drops for silicon wafers raised the bar significantly, but the developments made under this program have increased 1366 confidence that Direct Wafers can be produced for ~$\$$0.10/W, still nearly 50% lower than current industry best practice. Wafer quality also steadily improved throughout the program, both in electrical performance and geometry. The improvements to electrical performance were achieved through a combination of optimized heat transfer during growth, reduction of metallic impurities to below 10 ppbw total metals, and lowering oxygen content to below 2e17 atoms/cc. Wafer average thickness has been reduced below 200µm with standard deviation less than 20µm. Measurement of spatially varying thickness shortly after wafer growth is being used to continually improve uniformity by adjusting thermal conditions. At the conclusion of the program, 1366 has developed strong relationships with four leading Tier1 cell manufactures and several have demonstrated 17% cell efficiency on Direct Wafer. Sample volumes were limited, with the largest trial consisting of 300 Direct Wafers, and there remains strong pull for larger quantities necessary for qualification before sales contracts can be signed. This will be the focus of our pilot manufacturing scale up in 2014.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2013

Large-Scale Spray Releases: Additional Aerosol Test Results

One of the events postulated in the hazard analysis for the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) and other U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear facilities is a breach in process piping that produces aerosols with droplet sizes in the respirable range. The current approach for predicting the size and concentration of aerosols produced in a spray leak event involves extrapolating from correlations reported in the literature. These correlations are based on results obtained from small engineered spray nozzles using pure liquids that behave as a Newtonian fluid. The narrow ranges of physical properties on which the correlations are based do not cover the wide range of slurries and viscous materials that will be processed in the WTP and in processing facilities across the DOE complex. To expand the data set upon which the WTP accident and safety analyses were based, an aerosol spray leak testing program was conducted by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). PNNL’s test program addressed two key technical areas to improve the WTP methodology (Larson and Allen 2010). The first technical area was to quantify the role of slurry particles in small breaches where slurry particles may plug the hole and prevent high-pressure sprays. The results from an effort to address this first technical area can be found in Mahoney et al. (2012a). The second technical area was to determine aerosol droplet size distribution and total droplet volume from prototypic breaches and fluids, including sprays from larger breaches and sprays of slurries for which literature data are mostly absent. To address the second technical area, the testing program collected aerosol generation data at two scales, commonly referred to as small-scale and large-scale testing. The small-scale testing and resultant data are described in Mahoney et al. (2012b), and the large-scale testing and resultant data are presented in Schonewill et al. (2012). In tests at both scales, simulants were used to mimic the relevant physical properties projected for actual WTP process streams.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2016

Multiscale metrologies for process optimization of carbon nanotube polymer composites

Carbon nanotube (CNT) polymer nanocomposites are attractive multifunctional materials with a growing range of commercial applications. With the increasing demand for these materials, it is imperative to develop and validate methods for on-line quality control and process monitoring during production. In this work, a novel combination of characterization techniques is utilized, that facilitates the non-invasive assessment of CNT dispersion in epoxy produced by the scalable process of calendering. First, the structural parameters of these nanocomposites are evaluated across multiple length scales (10 -10 m to 10 -3 m) using scanning gallium-ion microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and small-angle neutron scattering. Then, a non-contact resonant microwave cavity perturbation (RCP) technique is employed to accurately measure the AC electrical conductivity of the nanocomposites. Quantitative correlations between the conductivity and structural parameters find the RCP measurements to be sensitive to CNT mass fraction, spatial organization and, therefore, the processing parameters. These results, and the non-contact nature and speed of RCP measurements identify this technique as being ideally suited for quality control of CNT nanocomposites in a nanomanufacturing environment. In conclusion, when validated by the multiscale characterization suite, RCP may be broadly applicable in the production of hybrid functional materials, such as graphene, gold nanorod, and carbon black nanocomposites.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2021

BETO 2021 Peer Review - Bench Scale Integration WBS 2.4.1.100

Bench Scale Integration develops and optimizes fermentation processes to produce bio-based fuels and chemicals from biomass sugars. The project uses fermentation science to achieve high titers and production rates by, for example, manipulating how the microorganisms are fed biomass sugars and nutrients, modifying fermentation conditions (pH, temperature, aeration) or developing online control strategies that increase production rates. For this period of performance, we conducted small scale fermentation research using strategies mentioned to produce 2,3-butanediol (BDO) from biomass utilizing NREL's proprietary Zymomonas mobilis microorganism. BDO is a versatile chemical which can be catalytically upgraded to a variety of hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals. The 3-yr project goal was to increase BDO titers from 50 g/L (FY17 level) to 125 g/L on biomass sugars by 2020. This is a 150% increase in titer showing the commercial potential of Z. mobilis while reducing the cost to downstream processing. We successfully achieved this target. The project also showed yearly progress improvements to the process design case by using a whole biomass slurry. Future work will focus on procedures for scaling to produce large quantities of BDO broth for separations and upgrading R&D and improve the titer and rates from biomass whole slurry. Our goal is to produce 100 g/L BDO titer from whole slurry at >1000L by 2023 which will meet the technical targets set by our techno-economic analysis.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗