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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 865 records · Page 48
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

A317_Fast and Thermal Neutron Spectrum Dosimetry Measurements in the Advanced Test Reactor large-B and small-I Positions Following the Sixth Core Internals Change-out

The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) has a wide variety of irradiation positions that have had experiments that were developed by users from around the world. Most experiment irradiations rely on thoroughly benchmarked numerical models. However, some irradiation positions in ATR are not as well- characterized and are complicated by spectral perturbations from control cylinder orientation. The “small I” and “large-B” irradiation positions are located nearby control cylinders and suffer from these flux perturbations from control cylinder orientations that change during an irradiation cycle to maintain the desired core power distribution. Models predicted that these types of position would exhibit both spectral shifts and amplitude changes in neutron flux, but few measurements have been conducted to benchmark these predictions. Recently, requalification testing was performed to confirm the operational readiness of the ATR following the completion of the Core Internals Change-out (CIC). These tests provided a unique opportunity to validate the analytical methods used to simulate the ATR because nearly all components in the reactor were in a clean as-built state, significantly reducing modelling uncertainties. One subset of the testing included characterization of the fast and thermal neutron flux in the “small-I” and “large-B” positions using silver, cobalt, and nickel neutron dosimetry. In contrast to typical irradiation cycles, the control cylinders were held in position during the post-CIC nuclear testing. The specific activity of these dosimeter wires was measured following two low-power tests with different control cylinder positions.

21 - SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLAN↗
DOE OSTI2019

Novel stochastic methods to predict short-term solar radiation and photovoltaic power

Solar forecasting has evolved towards becoming a key component of economical realization of high penetration levels of photovoltaic (PV) systems. This paper presents two novel stochastic forecasting models for solar PV by utilizing historical measurement data to outline a short-term high-resolution probabilistic behavior of solar. First, an uncertain basis functions method is used to forecast both solar radiation and PV power. Three possible distributions are considered for the uncertain basis functions - Gaussian, Laplace, and Uniform distributions. Second, stochastic state-space models are applied to characterize the behaviors of solar radiation and PV power output. A filter-based expectation-maximization and Kalman filtering mechanism is employed to recursively estimate the system parameters and state variables. This enables the system to accurately forecast small as well as large fluctuations of the solar signals. The introduced forecasting models are suitable for real-time tertiary dispatch controllers and optimal power controllers. The PV forecasting models are tested using solar radiation and PV power measurement data collected from a 13.5 kW PV panel installed on the rooftop of our laboratory. Furthermore, the results are compared with standard time series forecasting mechanisms and show a substantial improvement in the forecasting accuracy of the total energy produced.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Sensitivity Analysis of an Experimental Breeder Reactor II Fuel Assembly

The Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) was selected as a candidate for a reactor physics benchmark evaluation due to its unique features and capabilities. In connection with the benchmark evaluation, the goal of this work was to perform a sensitivity analysis. The EBR-II was a sodium cooled, pool type, metal fueled, fast spectrum reactor. EBR-II operated from 1964 through 1994. It had a maximum heat output of 62.5 MW which could produce 20 MW of electricity. The design of EBR-II consisted of 637 hexagonal shaped, removable assemblies. The assemblies were divided into three regions: the core, an inner blanket, and an outer blanket. The core region contained assemblies with 91 fuel rods in each. The fuel was enriched uranium metal and was clad within stainless steel. The core region also included two safety assemblies and eight control assemblies with the difference being that these assemblies only contained 61 fuel rods. Additional assemblies in the core region included stainless steel dummies, half worth drivers, and experimental/instrumentation assemblies. The inner blanket region initially consisted of depleted uranium for fuel breeding, but was replaced, after proving the concept of breeding, with stainless steel reflectors for the purpose of irradiation. The outer blanket region consisted of depleted uranium. Figure 1 shows a cross section view of the EBR-II core layout. Each assembly was approximately 234 cm long with the uranium fuel section being 33 cm long. Above and below the fuel were stainless steel neutron reflectors. Additionally, orifices at the bottom of the assembly allowed for sodium coolant to flow upward, with larger holes in the subassemblies at the center where the greatest heat was produced. The core of EBR-II was enclosed by a stainless steel reactor vessel which was comprised of a radial shell, a lower grid plenum structure, and an upper reactor vessel cover that served as a neutron shield. Surrounding the reactor vessel radially were layers of graphite and borated graphite shielding. The entire assembly is submerged 3 meters in a pool of sodium. The pool contained up to 337,000 liters of sodium which was forced through the core and blanket regions using two centrifugal pumps that were also submerged within the sodium pool. The design of EBR-II included many safety features. The compatibility between the sodium and stainless steel prevented corrosion and therefore the risk of a radioactive release due to corrosion. The sodium coolant was kept at near atmospheric pressure which made any leak more controllable. The metal fuel, cladding, and coolant allowed for heat to be removed easily. The large volume of sodium allowed for heat to be absorbed without problems occurring. Lastly, the reactor would expand as temperature increased which would result in greater neutron leakage. This extra leakage caused a large negative temperature reactivity feedback which automatically shut the reactor down in case of an accident. EBR-II had unique capabilities which were proven during the Integral Fast Reactor initiative. This program lasted from 1984 to 1994. The goal of this program was to solve many of the perceived problems with nuclear energy through scientific means. The safety features of EBR-II were put to the test in April 1986. The tests simulated loss of reactor coolant flow and loss of a heat sink. For both of these tests, the reactor was at 100% power and was not scrammed. During both tests, the reactor shut itself down and achieved a safe steady state temperature all due to the design of the reactor. It was because of these tests that EBR-II was chosen for a reactor physics benchmark evaluation. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Sub-Second Parallel State Estimation

This report describes the performance of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) sub-second parallel state estimation (PSE) tool using the utility data from the Bonneville Power Administrative (BPA) and discusses the benefits of the fast computational speed for power system applications. The test data were provided by BPA. They are two-days’ worth of hourly snapshots that include power system data and measurement sets in a commercial tool format. These data are extracted out from the commercial tool box and fed into the PSE tool. With the help of advanced solvers, the PSE tool is able to solve each BPA hourly state estimation problem within one second, which is more than 10 times faster than today’s commercial tool. This improved computational performance can help increase the reliability value of state estimation in many aspects: (1) the shorter the time required for execution of state estimation, the more time remains for operators to take appropriate actions, and/or to apply automatic or manual corrective control actions. This increases the chances of arresting or mitigating the impact of cascading failures; (2) the SE can be executed multiple times within time allowance. Therefore, the robustness of SE can be enhanced by repeating the execution of the SE with adaptive adjustments, including removing bad data and/or adjusting different initial conditions to compute a better estimate within the same time as a traditional state estimator’s single estimate. There are other benefits with the sub-second SE, such as that the PSE results can potentially be used in local and/or wide-area automatic corrective control actions that are currently dependent on raw measurements to minimize the impact of bad measurements, and provides opportunities to enhance the power grid reliability and efficiency. PSE also can enable other advanced tools that rely on SE outputs and could be used to further improve operators’ actions and automated controls to mitigate effects of severe events on the grid. The power grid continues to grow and the number of measurements is increasing at an accelerated rate due to the variety of smart grid devices being introduced. A parallel state estimation implementation will have better performance than traditional, sequential state estimation by utilizing the power of high performance computing (HPC). This increased performance positions parallel state estimators as valuable tools for operating the increasingly more complex power grid.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2017

Advanced Testing Method for Ground Thermal Conductivity

A new method is developed that can quickly and more accurately determine the effective ground thermal conductivity (GTC) based on thermal response test (TRT) results. Ground thermal conductivity is an important parameter for sizing ground heat exchangers (GHEXs) used by geothermal heat pump systems. The conventional GTC test method usually requires a TRT for 48 hours with a very stable electric power supply throughout the entire test. In contrast, the new method reduces the required test time by 40%–60% or more, and it can determine GTC even with an unstable or intermittent power supply. Consequently, it can significantly reduce the cost of GTC testing and increase its use, which will enable optimal design of geothermal heat pump systems. Further, this new method provides more information about the thermal properties of the GHEX and the ground than previous techniques. It can verify the installation quality of GHEXs and has the potential, if developed, to characterize the heterogeneous thermal properties of the ground formation surrounding the GHEXs.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2018

Highly Stable Battery Pack via Insulated, Reinforced, Buckling-Enabled Interconnect Array

This work describes a flexible and stretchable battery pack configuration that exhibits highly stable performance under large deformation up to 100% biaxial stretching. Using stress-enduring printable inks and serpentine interconnects, the new screen-printing route offers an attractive solution for converting rigid battery units into a flexible, stretchable energy storage device. Coin-cell lithium ion batteries are thus assembled onto the island regions of a screen-printed, buckling-enabled, polymer-reinforced interconnect “island-bridge” array. Most of the strain on the new energy-storage device is thus accommodated by the stress-enduring serpentine structures, and the array is further reinforced by mechanically strong “backbone” layers. Battery pack arrays are assembled and tested under different deformation levels, demonstrating a highly stable performance (<2.5% change) under all test conditions. Additionally, a light emitting diode band powered by the battery pack is tested on-body, showing uninterrupted illumination regardless of any degrees of deformation. Moreover, battery-powered devices that are ultrastable under large deformation can be easily fabricated by incorporating different electronics parts such as sensors or integrated circuits on the same platform. Such ability to apply traditionally rigid, bulky lithium ion batteries onto flexible and stretchable printed surfaces holds considerable promise for diverse wearable applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Performance Evaluation and Loss Modeling of WBG Devices based on a Novel Double-Pulse Test Method for Current Source Inverter

Careful measurements of the power device characteristics are necessary to accurately estimate a power converter's losses and efficiency. The conventional double-pulse test (DPT) circuit is a well-known method to implement this laboratory characterization of power devices and power modules. However, the switching characteristics of a power device depend on the power electronics circuit in which it is connected as well as the power circuit's physical layout, in addition to the device's internal structure. Hence, the conventional DPT circuit configuration, which is tailored for a standard voltage-source inverter (VSI), is not well-suited for a current-source inverter (CSI). This paper demonstrates a previously-proposed CSI-based DPT measurement technique that is appropriate for normal CSI operation. The characteristics of SiC MOSFETs and series-connected SiC Schottky diodes used in a CSI are measured using this improved technique while taking temperature effects into account to yield more accurate loss predictions. The CSI losses, including the switching and conduction losses of SiC MOSFETs and SiC Schottky diodes, have been modeled using this approach. The total CSI losses and efficiency have been estimated based on the CSI DPT results and loss models.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Pilot Unit Testing at NCCC of Sorbent based CO2 Capture

TDA Research, Inc. is developing a new CO2 sorbent (alkalized alumina) technology for post-combustion CO2 capture. In this DOE sponsored project (DE-FE0012870), TDA constructed a pilot-scale skid, which was installed and tested at National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC). It was designed to process coal derived flue gas equivalent to 0.5 MWe of power generation. The pilot test data shows that TDA’s process can achieve 90% capture rate and 95% CO2 purity (the performance target) for both coal and natural gas (NG) flue gases. The techno-economic analysis (TEA) for a 550-MWe supercritical coal fired power plant with CO2 capture shows that the capture cost for TDA’s process is $34.9/tonne CO2 captured, which meets DOE’s goal of $40/tonne and is 17.1% less than the DOE baseline Case 12 (an amine solvent technology).

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Development of an All-Aqueous Thermally Regenerative Redox Flow Battery to Support Fossil Fuel Assets

Low-temperature thermal energy, a largely untapped resource, holds significant promise for large-scale electrical power generation globally. Various stationary sources, including industrial entities and thermal power plants, emit considerable low-temperature heat that currently remains unutilized. This energy is often overlooked because its low temperature renders it unsuitable for efficient power generation using conventional methods. However, current research is exploring diverse technologies capable of converting low-temperature heat into grid-scale power, aiming to enhance grid efficiency, further decarbonization initiatives, and facilitate a shift toward more decentralized power systems. One such innovative technology is the thermally regenerative battery (TRB), noted for its high power and energy densities compared to similar technologies, positioning it as a potential game-changer in power generation. TRBs integrate two scalable and well-established unit operations: a redox flow battery and a distillation column. This integration suggests that once an effective TRB chemistry is established, the pathway to commercialization could be expedited. The copper-based thermally regenerative ammonia battery (Cu aq -TRAB) stands out as the first TRB that circumvents electrodeposition/dissolution reactions, stabilizing Cu(I) and Cu(II) within the electrolyte and maintaining stability of all electroactive species in an aqueous phase. This stabilization has led to improvements in coulombic efficiency, open circuit potential, and copper solubility, thereby enhancing power density, energy density, and overall energy efficiency. Preliminary tests were conducted to determine the effects of various electrolyte species on the performance metrics of the battery, both theoretically and experimentally. These tests revealed that the solubility of copper in the Cu aq -TRAB electrolyte was constrained by the Cu(I)-NH 3 complex. Adjusting the background electrolyte to 5 M NH4Br and the ligand concentration to 4 M NH 3 enabled the copper concentration to reach a maximum of 0.6 M. This modification led to an estimated theoretical maximum energy density of 9.5 Wh L -1 for the Cu aq -TRAB. Additionally, full cell testing indicated a tradeoff between peak power and energy density with varying copper and ammonia concentrations. Increasing the applied current density during discharge linearly raised the average power output, with a minimal reduction in energy density due to a balance between higher ohmic overpotential and reduced time for undesirable ammonia crossover. Furthermore, a comprehensive numerical sensitivity analysis of the complete Cu aq -TRAB system was performed. This analysis aimed to assess how the battery and the distillation column responded to changes in system input parameters, providing insights into optimal research directions for enhancing system performance. The analysis revealed that at room temperature, battery power was significantly more sensitive to ohmic losses than to mass transfer, with reaction rates having minimal impact. This trend continued even at higher temperatures. Also, the thermal energy required for ammonia separation was studied, showing that increased temperatures generally reduced energy requirements, except in low-pressure scenarios above 65 °C. An investigation into membrane performance in the Cu aq -TRAB was undertaken, given the significant impact of ammonia transport control and ohmic losses on system performance. Various membranes were evaluated to identify key performance metrics. Among the tested membranes, Selemion CMVN exhibited the highest performance, with a peak power density of 84 mW cm -2 and average values of 26 ± 6.8 mW cm -2 for power density and 2.9 Wh L -1 for energy density at an applied current density of 50 mA cm -2 . An economic assessment indicated a levelized cost of storage at $410 per MWh under optimal conditions, highlighting the commercial potential of the Cu aq -TRAB when utilizing cost-effective, readily available materials.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

NPP Simulators for Coupled Thermal and Electric Power Dispatch

The Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) program within the United States Department of Energy supports extending the operation of the U.S. commercial nuclear power plant (NPP) fleet. Within the LWRS program, the Flexible Plant Operation and Generation (FPOG) Pathway works to diversify the revenue streams of light water reactors (LWRs) by opening opportunities for the co-generation of non-electric products in addition to supplying electrical power to the grid. Recent events have added greater motivation to these efforts. For example, the recent Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed by the U.S. federal government offers substantial tax incentives for producing clean hydrogen, the technology readiness level of dispatchable and high-efficiency hydrogen production has dramatically increased in a short time, and societal response to world climate change is driving a transition away from fossil fuels. Producing hydrogen with maximum efficiency using nuclear power requires dispatching both electrical and thermal power from the nuclear plant to the hydrogen plant, so testing concepts of operations for combined electrical and thermal power dispatch (TPD) from an NNP to a hydrogen plant is of interest. This report documents achievement of the Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) program milestone “Install and demonstrate a vendor-developed simulator on the Human Systems Simulation Laboratory (HSS) for dispatch of LWR electrical power to a close-coupled electrolysis plant” with a due date of Dec. 22, 2022. Several factors provide motivation for this effort. Coupling the power generation deck of a nuclear power plant to a hydrogen production facility introduces new possibilities for operational transients that must be addressed. In particular, the performance of the integrated system during startup and shutdown of the hydrogen production facility, as well as offnormal conditions, need to be evaluated to ensure there are no adverse effects on the operation of the existing NPP. The concept of operations involving the NPP, the hydrogen plant, and the electric power grid must be tested using NPP simulators and operating procedures that have been modified for TPD operations. These tests must also include dynamic simulations of the coupled tertiary thermal and electric loads as well as coordinated activities with NPP operators, tertiary load operators and grid power coordinators. The report summarizes progress in developing and testing full-scope NPP simulators at the HSSL, including a generic BWR simulator from GSE Systems, Inc. and generic PWR simulator from Westinghouse. In the case of the TPD-GBWR Simulator from GSE Systems, Inc., a BWR is thermally coupled to a high temperature electrolysis (HTE) plant that produces hydrogen and oxygen from de-ionized water. The hydrogen plant is not explicitly simulated but only included as a transient heat sink. A thermal power dispatch (TPD) system transfers heat between the steam systems at the BWR and the hydrogen plant. Operational results from two versions of the modified simulator are presented. The first version uses synthetic oil as a heat transfer fluid in a closed delivery heat loop (DHL) that generates steam at the hydrogen plant. The second version uses steam as the heat transfer fluid in a delivery steam line (DSL) to provide steam to the hydrogen plant. For both versions, the estimated thermal power delivery distance is approximately one kilometer. The amount of thermal power dispatched in the simulators is 15% of the total reactor thermal power such that the simulators provide a tool to study the feasibility of coupling a BWR to industrial processes that benefit from a combination electrical and thermal power dispatch. Ongoing work within a CRADA is also developing a full-scope PWR simulator provided by Westinghouse for both thermal and electric power coupling. This simulator is based on a PWR plant with two three-loop Westinghouse reactors. Westinghouse PWRs are sufficiently similar that a simulator of a three-loop reactor is an appropriate representation for two-loop and four-loop PWR reactors. The three-loop simulator will initially be modified for close-coupling to a 100 MW HTE hydrogen production plant that will require approximately 25 MW of thermal power while operating at its maximum rated capacity. The simulator testing will include full coupling to dynamic simulations of a hydrogen production plant and a representative bulk electric grid. The simulator provided by Westinghouse is similar to the GPWR simulator that INL has already obtained from GSE Systems but has a few important added benefits. First, the Westinghouse simulator is based on digital controls and has additional screens that can be called up to show parameter trends to assist operators in decision-making. The Westinghouse simulator also has upgrades to the controls and hardware representations, such as valve actuators, that make it more realistic and flexible in terms of accurately sim

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Rugged Ceramic Window for RF Applications – Phase 1

High-current RF cavities that are needed for many accelerator applications are often limited by the power transmission capability of the pressure barriers (windows) that separate the cavity from the power source. Most efforts to improve RF window design have focused on alumina ceramic, the most popular historical choice, and have not taken advantage of new materials. Alternative window materials have been investigated using a novel Merit Factor comparison and likely candidates have been tested for the material properties which will enable construction in the self-matched window configuration. Window assemblies have also been modeled and fabricated using compressed window techniques which have proven to increase the power handling capability of waveguide windows. Candidate materials have been chosen to be used in fabricating a window for high power testing at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Controllable Grid Interface for Testing Ancillary Service Controls and Fault Performance of Utility-Scale Wind Power Generation: Preprint

The rapid expansion of wind power has led many transmission system operators to demand modern wind power plants to comply with strict interconnection requirements. Such requirements involve various aspects of wind power plant operation, including fault ride-through and power quality performance as well as the provision of ancillary services to enhance grid reliability. During recent years, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of the U.S. Department of Energy has developed a new, groundbreaking testing apparatus and methodology to test and demonstrate many existing and future advanced controls for wind generation (and other renewable generation technologies) on the multimegawatt scale and medium-voltage levels. This paper describes the capabilities and control features of NREL's 7-MVA power electronic grid simulator (also called a controllable grid interface, or CGI) that enables testing many active and reactive power control features of modern wind turbine generators -- including inertial response, primary and secondary frequency responses, and voltage regulation -- under a controlled, medium-voltage grid environment. In particular, this paper focuses on the specifics of testing the balanced and unbalanced fault ride-through characteristics of wind turbine generators under simulated strong and weak medium-voltage grid conditions. In addition, this paper provides insights on the power hardware-in-the-loop feature implemented in the CGI to emulate (in real time) the conditions that might exist in various types of electric power systems under normal operations and/or contingency scenarios. Using actual test examples and simulation results, this paper describes the value of CGI as an ultimate modeling validation tool for all types of 'grid-friendly' controls by wind generation.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Neutronics Analysis Supporting Baseline Fuel-Rodlet Irradiation Design in TREAT Multi-SERTTA Vehicle

The Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) Facility is a thermal-spectrum test reactor designed to evaluate reactor fuels and structural material under simulated nuclear excursion and transient power/cooling mismatch situations in nuclear reactors. TREAT was historically operated from 1959 through 1994. There are ongoing activities to resume its transient testing capabilities to support advanced reactor designs and validate computational predictions of fuel and core behavior. Such validation will be an important factor for review and approval of next generation power reactor design and safety evaluations. Historic methods used in TREAT were very approximate and served to estimate a predicted transient power shape. A number of calibration test experiments were then required prior to the actual transient test to better estimate the power that would have been deposited in the experiment during a transient pulse. Much of the experience in the use of these legacy methods has also been lost over the past two decades. Monte Carlo criticality codes are being utilized for calculation of the initial critical state, control rod reactivity worth, and power coupling between core and experiments. Current efforts primarily support neutronics characterization with safety and design analyses for the Multi-SERTTA (Static Environment Rodlet Transient Test Apparatuses) experiment test vehicle, which can accommodate up to four concurrent rodlets under separate environmental conditions. Ongoing efforts are necessary in preparation of transient testing support for Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) characterization and other future fuels testing requirements. The power coupling factor (PCF) is one of two key parameters utilized in designing and characterizing the performance of a TREAT fuel irradiation experiment. The second key parameter is the Transient Correction Factor (TCF) which accounts for time-dependent effects. The PCF is the effective quantity of fission-generated energy per mass of fuel specimen per total core energy. The quantity of energy deposited into a fuel rodlet under various test environments can be used to evaluate overall fuel performance, including failure mechanisms and thresholds. Baseline fuel rodlet calculations have been performed to estimate the effectiveness of the Multi-SERTTA test vehicle and optimization of PCF for various test conditions. The baseline serves as reference fuel pin conditions against which calibration and baseline experiments can be performed prior to actual ATF transient testing. Baseline experiments further serve to validate computational analyses and experimental test methods prior to design planning, experimentation, and evaluation of the ATF candidates. This paper serves to document activities performed to evaluate a reference Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) rodlet design in the TREAT Multi-SERTTA test vehicle. (authors)

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

MODELING, IMPLEMENTATION AND CONTROL OF A CVT BASED PTO FOR A SMALL SCALE MHK-TURBINE IN LOW FLOW SPEED OPERATION

Modeling, implementation, field testing and control of a power takeoff (PTO) device equipped with a ball-type continuously variable transmission (B-CVT) for a small marine hydrokinetic (MHK) turbine deployed from a floating unmanned autonomous mobile catamaran platform is described. The turbine is a partially submerged multi-blade undershot waterwheel (USWW). A validated numerical torque model for the MHK turbine has been derived and a speed controller has been developed, implemented and tested in the field. The dependance of the power generated as a function of number and submergence level of turbine blades has been investigated and the number of blades that maximizes power production is determined. Bench and field testing in support of characterizing the power conversion capabilities of MHK turbine and PTO are described. Detailed results of the final torque and power coefficient models, the controls architecture, and the MHK turbine performance with varying numbers of blades are provided.

Pimentel, Hugo↗
DOE OSTI2014

Recovery Act: Advanced Load Identification and Management for Buildings

In response to the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE)’s goal of achieving market ready, net-zero energy residential and commercial buildings by 2020 and 2025, Eaton partnered with the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Georgia Institute of Technology to develop an intelligent load identification and management technology enabled by a novel “smart power strip” to provide critical intelligence and information to improve the capability and functionality of building load analysis and building power management systems. Buildings account for 41% of the energy consumption in the United States, significantly more than either transportation or industrial. Within the building sector, plug loads account for a significant portion of energy consumption. Plug load consumes 15-20% of building energy on average. As building managers implement aggressive energy conservation measures, the proportion of plug load energy can increase to as much as 50% of building energy leaving plug loads as the largest remaining single source of energy consumption. This project focused on addressing plug-in load control and management to further improve building energy efficiency accomplished through effective load identification. The execution of the project falls into the following three major aspects; An intelligent load modeling, identification and prediction technology was developed to automatically determine the type, energy consumption, power quality, operation status and performance status of plug-in loads, using electric waveforms at a power outlet level. This project demonstrated the effectiveness of the developed technology through a large set of plug-in loads measurements and testing; A novel “Smart Power Strip (SPS) / Receptacle” prototype was developed to act as a vehicle to demonstrate the feasibility of load identification technology as a low-cost, embedded solution; and Market environment for plug-in load control and management solutions, in particular, advanced power strips (APSs) was studied. The project evaluated the market potential for Smart Power Strips (SPSs) with load identification and the likely impact of a load identification feature on APS adoption and effectiveness. The project also identified other success factors required for widespread APS adoption and market acceptance. Even though the developed technology is applicable for both residential and commercial buildings, this project is focused on effective plug-in load control and management for commercial buildings, accomplished through effective load identification. The project has completed Smart Receptacle (SR) prototype development with integration of Load ID, Control/Management, WiFi communication, and Web Service. Twenty SR units were built, tested, and demonstrated in the Eaton lab; eight SR units were tested in the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) for one-month of field testing. Load ID algorithm testing for extended load sets was conducted within the Eaton facility and at local university campuses. This report is to summarize the major achievements, activities, and outcomes under the execution of the project.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗