Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “reduce task”

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 1,099 records · Page 61
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Advancing Building Energy Modeling with Large Language Models: Exploration and Case Studies

The rapid progression in artificial intelligence has facilitated the emergence of large language models like ChatGPT, offering potential applications extending into specialized engineering modeling, especially physics-based building energy modeling. This paper investigates the innovative integration of large language models with building energy modeling software, focusing specifically on the fusion of ChatGPT with EnergyPlus. A literature review is first conducted to reveal a growing trend of incorporating large language models in engineering modeling, albeit limited research on their application in building energy modeling. We underscore the potential of large language models in addressing building energy modeling challenges and outline potential applications including simulation input generation, simulation output analysis and visualization, conducting error analysis, co-simulation, simulation knowledge extraction and training, and simulation optimization. Three case studies reveal the transformative potential of large language models in automating and optimizing building energy modeling tasks, underscoring the pivotal role of artificial intelligence in advancing sustainable building practices and energy efficiency. The case studies demonstrate that selecting the right large language model techniques is essential to enhance performance and reduce engineering efforts. The findings advocate a multidisciplinary approach in future artificial intelligence research, with implications extending beyond building energy modeling to other specialized engineering modeling.

building energy modeling↗
DOE OSTI2024

Thinking Beyond the Default User: The Impact of Gender, Stereotypes, and Modality on Interpretation of User Needs

Throughout the mechanical design process, designers, the majority of whom are men, often fail to consider the needs of women, resulting in consequences ranging from inconvenience to increased risk of serious injury or death. Although these biases are well studied in other fields of research, the mechanical design field lacks formal investigation into this phenomenon. In this study, engineering students (n = 301) took a survey in which they read a Persona describing a student makerspace user and a Walkthrough describing the user’s interaction with the makerspace while completing a project. During the Walkthrough, the user encountered various obstacles or Pain Points. Participants were asked to recall and evaluate the Pain Points that the user encountered and then evaluated their perceptions of the makerspace and user. Furthermore, the independent variables under investigation were the gender of the user Persona (woman, gender-neutral, or man), the Walkthrough room case (crafting or woodworking makerspace), and the modality of the Persona and Walkthrough (text- or audio-based). Results showed that participants from the Text-based modality were better able to recall Pain Points compared to participants from the Audio-based modality. Pain Points were assessed as more severe when they impacted women users, potentially stemming from protective paternalism. In addition to finding that the gender of a user impacted the way a task environment was perceived, results confirmed the presence of androcentrism, or “default man” assumptions, in the way designers view end users of unknown gender. Promisingly, providing user Persona information in an audio modality significantly reduced this bias compared to text-based modalities, indicating that providing richer detail in user personas has the capability to reduce gender bias in designers.

cognitive-based design↗
DOE OSTI2021

Impact Mapping for Geospatial Reasoning and Decision Making

Objective The reported study evaluated a novel approach to aiding geospatial reasoning and decision making. Background Impact mapping aims to alleviate the cognitive demands of geospatial tasks in part by externalizing data in the form of an integrated decision surface. This is achieved by aggregating data across multiple sources of information and visualizing their combined utility rather than objective measurements or individual utility. Previous research has shown that geospatial decisions improve when aided in this manner, but it remains unknown if dynamic decision making, often plagued by fatigue and anchoring bias, would benefit similarly. Method The experiment implemented a systematic manipulation of the presence of a composite impact map and the number of attributes present in a two-stage disaster relief, resource allocation task to investigate when and how impact mapping is beneficial or deleterious to decision makers. Results The presence of the composite impact map increased the utility of selected sites, increased re-planning decisions, reduced information display views, and reduced workload. Generally, the effect of the composite impact map was greater when participants were asked to evaluate more attributes. Conclusion Composite impact maps appear to improve repeated geospatial reasoning and minimize anchoring bias because they alleviate the cognitive demands otherwise necessary to interpret and maintain information from multiple attributes. Application Data visualization techniques, such as impact mapping, can improve repeated geospatial decision making in environments that include high cognitive demand.

Illingworth, David A.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Metal Bellows Valve Reliability Testing - Copper Stem Tip Testing

SRNL was funded in Mid-Year FY20 by NNSA NA-231 to continue evaluation of alternate valves for use in tritium service to support domestic Mo-99 production. The focus of the effort was to identify valve cycle life as a function of actuator size and stem tip material. Using the minimum size actuator to reliability open and close valves can reduce glovebox size and thus support domestic companies to “come to market” faster in supplying Mo-99 to the US market. This report serves as a continuation to the FY19 report and summarizes the task activities completed in FY20 after authorization to start work was obtained on May 5 th , 2020. Copper stem tips were tested on the Swagelok 1C and 5C actuated metal bellows valves. With ambitions to cycle each set 150,000 times, both 1C and 5C valves were met with high failure rates. The smaller 1C actuated valves required additional closing pressure to form a seal with the Cu stem tips installed however, excessive stem tip deformation may be the root cause of the majority of the valves failing before 500 cycles. The larger 5C actuated valves were cycled 150,000 times but still resulted in 80% failure rate, suspected of metal fatigue in the bellows due to high cycling frequencies.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Models to Incorporate Reaction Mechanisms into DG-OSPREY: Fixed-Bed Simulations for Organic Iodides Capture Using Ag 0 Z

As one of the most potent radioisotopes released during spent nuclear fuel reprocessing, 129 I is strictly regulated and must be removed before discharge. Organic iodides (primarily alkyl iodides with different chain lengths, i.e., CH 3 I, C 4 H 9 I, and C 12 H 25 I) comprise ~2% of the total iodine in the reprocessing off-gases and are primarily present in vessel off-gas (VOG). Reduced silver mordenite (Ag 0 Z) is predominantly considered for the removal of radioiodine; however, its capture performance and underlying interaction processes with long-chain organic iodides are not fully understood. Two major tasks were accomplished in this study. First, to improve upon the previous experimental studies where Ag 0 Z was used to capture CH 3 I, C 4 H 9 I, and C 12 H 25 I at different concentrations, we comprehensively investigated the corresponding capture mechanisms by characterizing fully loaded Ag 0 Z samples. Second, computational codes were implemented to perform fixed-bed simulations that account for transport and reaction mechanisms. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were conducted on Ag 0 Z samples that are saturated with I 2 , CH 3 I, C 4 H 9 I, and C 12 H 25 I), respectively. Results indicate that AgI is the predominant adsorption product regardless of the adsorbed iodine species, yet alkyl iodides with different carbon chain lengths may have different compositions of α- and γ-AgI. Synchrotron pair distribution function (PDF) measurements and TGA coupled with a Fourier transformed infrared detector (TGA FTIR) have been performed, and experimental data are currently analyzed. Results are expected to provide further insights into the adsorption mechanisms. The fixed-bed capture performance for CH 3 I was successfully simulated by solving mathematical equations that describe the underlying transport processes and adsorption reactions. The computational framework, Catalytic After Treatment System (CATS), that was originated in our research group, was used to solve the governing equations. Kinetic parameters, including the pore diffusivity and reaction rate constant were obtained by optimization techniques using data from thin-bed experiments performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The performance of a deep bed predicted using the optimized parameters showed promising agreement with the experimental data.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS1978

Orbit Selection for Earth Observation Missions

The orbit selection process is simplified for most earth-oriented satellite missions by a restriction to circular orbits, which reduces the primary orbit characteristics to be determined to only two: altitude and inclination. A number of important mission performance characteristics depend on these choices, however, so a major part of the orbit selection task is concerned with developing the correlating relationships in clear and convenient forms to provide a basis for rational orbit selection procedures. The present approach to that task is organized around two major areas of mission performance, orbit plane precession and coverage pattern development, whose dependence on altitude and inclination is delineated graphically in design chart form. These charts provide a visual grasp of the relationships between the quantities cited above, as well as other important mission performance parameters including viewing time of day (solar), sensor swath width (and fields of view), swath sequencing, and pattern repeat condition and repeat periods.

King, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Multilevel semantic analysis and problem-solving in the flight domain

A computer based cockpit system which is capable of assisting the pilot in such important tasks as monitoring, diagnosis, and trend analysis was developed. The system is properly organized and is endowed with a knowledge base so that it enhances the pilot's control over the aircraft while simultaneously reducing his workload.

Chien, R. T.↗
NASA NTRS1983

NASA Global Tropospheric Experiment

The rationale and program design for the NASA Global Tropospheric Experiment (GTE) are described. The GTE is intended to characterize the global tropospheric chemistry and its interaction with the stratosphere, the land, and the ocean. The program emphasis is laid on the potential global impact of human activities, particularly those which release CH4, N2O, and chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere. Specific tasks defined thus far include characterizing the tropospheric gas-phase chemistry of OH, NO, and NO2, determining concentrations and distributions of CO, CH4, O3, and N2O, as well as halogens, trace metals, and reduced sulfur species. Techniques are needed for measuring the chemical fluxes between earth surface sources and sinks, the boundary layer, the free troposphere, and the stratosphere. The first phase of the GTE will be to test and develop techniques and assay the detection limits for OH, NO, and NO2 and assess the reliability of laboratory calibrations. Improvements in modelling global-scale tropospheric processes will also be pursued.

Mcneal, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Digital Autonomous Terminal Access Communication (DATAC) system

In order to accommodate the increasing number of computerized subsystems aboard today's more fuel efficient aircraft, the Boeing Co. has developed the DATAC (Digital Autonomous Terminal Access Control) bus to minimize the need for point-to-point wiring to interconnect these various systems, thereby reducing total aircraft weight and maintaining an economical flight configuration. The DATAC bus is essentially a local area network providing interconnections for any of the flight management and control systems aboard the aircraft. The task of developing a Bus Monitor Unit was broken down into four subtasks: (1) providing a hardware interface between the DATAC bus and the Z8000-based microcomputer system to be used as the bus monitor; (2) establishing a communication link between the Z8000 system and a CP/M-based computer system; (3) generation of data reduction and display software to output data to the console device; and (4) development of a DATAC Terminal Simulator to facilitate testing of the hardware and software which transfer data between the DATAC's bus and the operator's console in a near real time environment. These tasks are briefly discussed.

Novacki, Stanley M., III↗
NASA NTRS1999

Application of Reconfigurable Avionics for the Bantam Launch Vehicle

The modern market is placing increasing pressure on launch costs. This is particularly true for small university science payloads, where the cost of the experiment itself is relatively low, and the launch frequency is potentially very high. It is the stated goal of the Bantam Program to dramatically reduce the costs of launching this class of payloads. This is a goal that will require that the avionics not only be reduced in production costs, but also in maintenance and operation costs, because the Bantam vehicle is envisioned as a reusable launch system. However, the costs of avionics is a relatively small fraction of the overall cost of launching a payload, and a simple reduction in the avionics costs will not immediately realize the necessary gains. Instead, to reduce the total system launch costs, it is also necessary to improve avionics performance. Only by reducing weight, volume, and power, while enhancing computational capability can the avionics be used to address the system-level cost reduction requirements. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is currently pursuing technology development tasks, in order to support the Bantam requirements. One technology task is to develop a low-cost, high-performance reconfigurable avionics core unit. In addition to providing low cost and high performance, the use of reconfigurability will be used to explore the options of accommodating multiple launch configurations, and addressing such areas as redundancy management, single-event upset immunity, and low maintenance. This paper will address how emerging developments in reconfigurable avionics can be used to meet these challenges.

Wallace, Shawn↗
NASA NTRS2007

Imaginable Technologies for Human Missions to Mars

The thesis of the present discussion is that the simultaneous cost and inherent safety issues of human on-site exploration of Mars will require advanced-to-revolutionary technologies. The major crew safety issues as currently identified include reduced gravity, radiation, potentially extremely toxic dust and the requisite reliability for years-long missions. Additionally, this discussion examines various technological areas which could significantly impact Human-Mars cost and safety. Cost reductions for space access is a major metric, including approaches to significantly reduce the overall up-mass. Besides fuel, propulsion and power systems, the up-mass consists of the infrastructure and supplies required to keep humans healthy and the equipment for executing exploration mission tasks. Hence, the major technological areas of interest for potential cost reductions include propulsion, in-space and on-planet power, life support systems, materials and overall architecture, systems, and systems-of-systems approaches. This discussion is specifically offered in response to and as a contribution to goal 3 of the Presidential Exploration Vision: "Develop the Innovative Technologies Knowledge and Infrastructures both to explore and to support decisions about the destinations for human exploration".

Bushnell, Dennis M.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Combining Disparate Measures of Metabolic Rate During Simulated Spacewalks

Scientists from NASA's Extravehicular Activities (EVA) Physiology Systems and Performance Project help design space suits for future missions, during which astronauts are expected to perform EVA activities on the Lunar or Martian surface. During an EVA, an astronaut's integrated metabolic rate is used to predict how much longer the activity can continue and still provide a safe margin of remaining consumables. For EVAs in the Apollo era, NASA physicians monitored live data feeds of heart rate, O 2 consumption, and liquid cooled garment (LCG) temperatures, which were subjectively combined or compared to produce an estimate of metabolic rate. But these multiple data feeds sometimes provided conflicting estimates of metabolic rate, making real-time calculations of remaining time difficult for physician/monitors. Currently, designs planned for the Constellation Program EVAs utilize an automated, but largely heuristic methodology for incorporating the above three measurements, plus an additional one - CO 2 production, ignoring data that appears in conflict; however a more rigorous model-based approach is desirable. In this study, we show how principal axis factor analysis, in combination with OLS regression and LOWESS smoothing can be used to estimate metabolic rate as a data-driven weighted average of heart rate, O 2 consumption, LCG temperature data, and CO 2 production. Preliminary results suggest less sensitivity to occasional spikes in observed data feeds, and reasonable within-subject reproducibility when applied to subsequent tasks. These methods do not require physician monitoring and as such can be automated in the electronic components of future space suits. With additional validation, our models show promise for increasing astronaut safety, while reducing the need for and potential errors associated with human monitoring of multiple systems.

Alan H Feiveson↗
NASA NTRS2011

Influence of Vibrotactile Feedback on Controlling Tilt Motion After Spaceflight

We hypothesize that adaptive changes in how inertial cues from the vestibular system are integrated with other sensory information leads to perceptual disturbances and impaired manual control following transitions between gravity environments. The primary goals of this ongoing post-flight investigation are to quantify decrements in manual control of tilt motion following short-duration spaceflight and to evaluate vibrotactile feedback of tilt as a sensorimotor countermeasure. METHODS. Data is currently being collected on 9 astronaut subjects during 3 preflight sessions and during the first 8 days after Shuttle landings. Variable radius centrifugation (216 deg/s, <20 cm radius) in a darkened room is utilized to elicit otolith reflexes in the lateral plane without concordant canal or visual cues. A Tilt-Translation Sled (TTS) is capable of synchronizing pitch tilt with fore-aft translation to align the resultant gravitoinertial vector with the longitudinal body axis, thereby eliciting canal reflexes without concordant otolith or visual cues. A simple 4 tactor system was implemented to provide feedback when tilt position exceeded predetermined levels in either device. Closed-loop nulling tasks are performed during random tilt steps or sum-of-sines (TTS only) with and without vibrotactile feedback of chair position. RESULTS. On landing day the manual control performance without vibrotactile feedback was reduced by >30% based on the gain or the amount of tilt disturbance successfully nulled. Manual control performance tended to return to baseline levels within 1-2 days following landing. Root-mean-square position error and tilt velocity were significantly reduced with vibrotactile feedback. CONCLUSIONS. These preliminary results are consistent with our hypothesis that adaptive changes in vestibular processing corresponds to reduced manual control performance following G-transitions. A simple vibrotactile prosthesis improves the ability to null out tilt motion within a limited range of motion disturbances.

Wood, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Human and Robotic Exploration Missions to Phobos Prior to Crewed Mars Surface Missions

Phobos is a scientifically significant destination that would facilitate the development and operation of the human Mars transportation infrastructure, unmanned cargo delivery systems and other Mars surface systems. In addition to developing systems relevant to Mars surface missions, Phobos offers engineering, operational, and public engagement opportunities that could enhance subsequent Mars surface operations. These opportunities include the use of low latency teleoperations to control Mars surface assets associated with exploration science, human landing‐site selection and infrastructure development which may include in situ resource utilization (ISRU) to provide liquid oxygen for the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV). A human mission to Mars' moons would be preceded by a cargo predeploy of a surface habitat and a pressurized excursion vehicle (PEV) to Mars orbit. Once in Mars orbit, the habitat and PEV would spiral to Phobos using solar electric propulsion based systems, with the habitat descending to the surface and the PEV remaining in orbit. When a crewed mission is launched to Phobos, it would include the remaining systems to support the crew during the Earth‐Mars transit and to reach Phobos after insertion in to Mars orbit. The crew would taxi from Mars orbit to Phobos to join with the predeployed systems in a spacecraft that is based on a MAV, dock with and transfer to the PEV in Phobos orbit, and descend in the PEV to the surface habitat. A static Phobos surface habitat was chosen as a baseline architecture, in combination with the PEV that was used to descend from orbit as the main exploration vehicle. The habitat would, however, have limited capability to relocate on the surface to shorten excursion distances required by the PEV during exploration and to provide rescue capability should the PEV become disabled. To supplement exploration capabilities of the PEV, the surface habitat would utilize deployable EVA support structures that allow astronauts to work from portable foot restraints or body restrain tethers in the vicinity of the habitat. Prototype structures were tested as part of NEEMO 20. PEVs would contain closed loop guidance and provide life support and consumables for two crew for 2 weeks plus reserves. The PEV has a cabin that uses the exploration atmosphere of 8.2 psi with 34% oxygen, enabling use of suit ports for rapid EVA with minimal oxygen prebreathe as well as dust control by keeping the suits outside the pressurized volume. When equipped with outriggers and control moment gyros, the PEV enables EVA tasks of up to 8 pounds of force application without the need to anchor. Tasks with higher force requirements can be performed with PEV propulsion providing the necessary thrust to react forces. Exploration of Phobos builds heavily from the developments of the cis‐lunar proving ground, and significantly reduces Mars surface risk by facilitating the development and testing of habitats, MAVs, and pressurized rover cabins that are all Mars surface forward. A robotic precursor mission to Phobos and Deimos is also under consideration and would need to launch in 2022 to support a 2031 human Phobos mission.

Gernhardt, Michael L.↗
NASA NTRS2023

Orion Cabin Lighting System: Filter Workaround for Maintaining Crew Circadian Entrainment

Introduction: Suboptimal crew circadian entrainment (CCE) is common and results in cumulative fatigue and reduced cognitive function. This may promote use of psychostimulants and hypnotics. The Orion Cabin Lighting System (OCLS) consists of 15 dimmable lamps circuited to several zones. The OCLS monochromatic white lamp design is insufficient for maintaining CCE. While blue light (480-nm) elicits peak wake-cycle response, it is a powerful disruptor of CCE. We propose OCLS lamp filters (OLFs) as a workaround for maintaining CCE. Methods: Preliminary OLFs testing utilized a tunable-white LED to serve as a baseline lamp in the NASA Lighting Lab’s controlled environment (prototype OCLS lamps were unavailable). Illuminance and spectral irradiances were measured with the NASA Lighting Lab’s spectroradiometer. ConOps is proposed for OLFs. Results: OLFs markedly attenuated 480-nm light and illumination with minimal mass/volume requirements. ConOps includes in-flight deployment of OLFs and reducing OCLS lamp intensity prior to bedtime. Pros: minimal mass/volume, no added power, and a simplistic design. Cons: manual twice-daily articulation of OLFs, undetermined frangibility/flammability/off-gassing and effects on thermal regulation, and untested task illumination or color fidelity in the Orion cabin. Discussion: While OLFs aptly attenuate 480-nm light from our tunable LED lamp in the Lighting Lab’s controlled environment, they remain untested within the Orion cabin on OCLS lamps. Future tests include Orion cabin illumination optimization for appropriate Lux delivery and ensuring task/color fidelity with OLFs deployed. Adequate OCLS cooling should be similarly assessed. Other safety testing includes OLF frangibility/flammability/off-gassing in an enriched-O 2 /hypobaric environment. Together, these data will demonstrate OLFs provide a viable workaround for maintaining CCE further ensuring mission safety and success.

Carlos Rene Dostal↗
DOE OSTI2017

Streamlining and Transparently Automating Complex Waste Determinations at Los Alamos National Laboratory - 17286

Environmental programs at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) generate a large amount of sampling activities that can result in waste that needs to be characterized and properly disposed. Since 2011, sampling results are managed in the cloud-based Environmental Information Management (EIM) database, which contains over 16 million current and historical data records. In many cases, the database's analytical records are used to characterize and dispose waste from environmental operations. Three factors contribute to streamlining of the waste disposition operations: (1) if possible, use of the existing analytical data for waste characterization to avoid additional laboratory analysis; (2) reduction in time spent on data evaluation for various waste acceptance criteria; and (3) choice of the proper and least expensive disposal alternative. Use of the existing analytical data, when allowed by law, creates some paradoxical problems: when chemical analysis is requested with the purpose of characterizing waste, it creates only 100 to 400 analytical records. However, use of exiting analytical data at LANL may lead to evaluation of tens of thousands of analytical records, with many records for each single analyte. This occurs because data were collected for environmental characterization and not waste characterization. To streamline data analysis for waste disposition using existing data, LANL has created a Waste Data Summary (WDS) module in the site's EIM database. Recognizing that waste determination is performed by groups outside the environmental program at LANL, the WDS allows for logically guided data selection for a specific waste determination (solids, liquids, radiological, etc.) and reduces potentially thousands of rows of data into simple formatted data reports that are easy to comprehend and process. This allows the waste evaluators to review data using multiple approaches to make their own determination on the most appropriate disposal method. There are four basic principles of WDS operation: (1) The highest detected analytical result is evaluated for the selected samples (or the lowest undetected result if there are no detected results); (2) All approved disposal pathways are evaluated; (3) Any failures of the Waste Acceptance Criteria are visibly highlighted to focus the attention of the evaluator; and (4) The decision of the disposal path is left to the trained waste evaluator (WDS does not choose or suggest any disposal paths). The summary results are presented as the set of short data reports. These reports can be divided into two groups: general comparison reports and disposal pathway specific forms. The general comparison forms show all Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) analytes with pass/fail evaluation and with preference for toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) results (or 20x rule) for solid samples, the potential RCRA hazard codes assignment for detected analytes, and all rad results. The detected chemical and radioactivity results are compared to the background values and to Soil Screening and Soil Action limits (SSL/SAL limits). Disposal pathway specific forms follow Waste Acceptance Criteria requirements for all disposal pathways available at LANL. The programming of the WDS tries to maximize existing data by analyte substitutions (like using gross alpha for necessary alpha emitting isotopes) or by making calculations when analytical results do not agree with legal requirements (like total chlordane in the RCRA regulations, which is most often analyzed and reported as individual isomers). All forms may be annotated by the waste evaluator to provide additional information to support decision making. Upon final decision of a disposal path, the complete dataset used in the evaluation and the WDS forms with annotations is 'frozen' as an un-editable PDF export to document the data used in the waste disposal determination. The streamlined process results in less work for waste evaluators and reduces overall labor and analytical costs. By comparison, a full review of a 10,000 record parent dataset may take a waste evaluator over a week to review, whereas with the WDS module, the task can be accomplished in less than one hour with clear, reproducible results. These results can be reviewed and checked at any time by quality assurance personnel, thus ensuring transparency in the decision making process. LANL believes this approach has broad applicability to other sites where waste determination is based on review of existing data collected for more generalized environmental purposes. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

Geothermal Reservoir Simulation Analysis in Support of Electricity Co-Production Feasibility Study at the Blackburn Oil Field, Nevada: Preprint

Geothermal electricity co-production is a viable option for oil reservoirs producing large water cuts with elevated wellhead-observed temperatures. Repurposing existing oil wells significantly reduces initial investment costs historically associated with geothermal resource utilization. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), partnering with Gradient Geothermal, Inc. (formerly known as Transitional Energy) and Grant Canyon Oil and Gas, has been tasked to evaluate the feasibility of geothermal electricity co-production at the Blackburn Oil Field with Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) generators. The Devonian steady-state reservoir has historically been producing high water cuts of 240 degrees F (115.6 degrees C) observed at the wellhead without documented pressure drawdown or thermal breakthrough. An estimated initial reservoir temperature of approx. 260degreesF (126.7 degrees C) has been observed in the field and history-matched in a wellbore production analysis and reservoir simulation. Our objective was to develop a conceptual geological model of the subsurface, simulate a natural-state reservoir, model production scenarios, and complete a technical feasibility analysis to accomplish this task. Through extensive modeling and the use of available proprietary and public data, it was possible simulate three scenarios that indicated minimal thermal decline over the duration of a simulated ten-year production and re-injection scheme.

Blackburn Nevada↗
DOE OSTI2025

Geothermal Reservoir Simulation Analysis in Support of Electricity Co-Production Feasibility Study at the Blackburn Oil Field, Nevada

Geothermal electricity co-production is a viable option for oil reservoirs producing large water cuts with elevated wellhead temperatures. Repurposing existing oil wells significantly reduces initial investment costs historically associated with geothermal resource utilization. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), partnering with Gradient Geothermal, Inc. (formerly known as Transitional Energy) and Grant Canyon Oil and Gas, has been tasked to evaluate the feasibility of geothermal electricity co-production at the Blackburn Oil Field with Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) generators. The Devonian steady-state reservoir has historically been producing high water cuts of 240 degrees F (115.6 degrees C) observed at the wellhead without documented pressure drawdown or thermal breakthrough. An estimated initial reservoir temperature of approx. 260 degrees F (126.7 degrees C) has been observed in the field and history-matched in a wellbore production analysis and reservoir simulation. Our objective was to develop a conceptual geological model of the subsurface, simulate a natural-state reservoir, model production scenarios, and complete a technical feasibility analysis to accomplish this task. Through extensive modeling and the use of available proprietary and public data, it was possible simulate three scenarios that indicated minimal thermal decline over the duration of a simulated ten-year production and re-injection scheme.

Blackburn Nevada↗