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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 1,135 records · Page 63
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Enhanced heavy oil recovery by low salinity polymer flood combined with microgel treatment

“Heavy oil resources account for a large portion of the total oil reserves around the world. The target heavy oil reservoir is located on Alaska’s North Slope (ANS). Advantages of low-salinity HPAM polymer (LSP) over high-salinity polymer (HSP) were demonstrated. LSP could recover more oil with 40% less polymer consumption. No additional oil was recovered by HSP after LSP flood. The first-ever polymer flood pilot on ANS showed remarkable success regarding water cut reduction, oil production increase, delayed breakthrough, and projected oil recovery improvement. Polymer alone was insufficient to achieve satisfactory recovery as the reservoirs were highly heterogeneous. Microgels could improve the effectiveness of polymer flood by reducing water cut and increasing oil recovery. Favorable working conditions were identified. Microgel transport behavior was studied using superpermeable sandpacks (27-221 darcies) with multiple pressure sensors. The particle-to-pore matching size ratio significantly impacted the effectiveness of the gels. A threshold differential pressure (ΔPth) and critical pressure gradient (∇Pcr) were required to push the gels to penetrate and propagate through the channels. The ΔPth and ∇Pcr revealed the underlying mechanisms of selective penetration/placement behavior of microgels in heterogeneous reservoirs. Diagrams were developed to estimate the maximum propagation distance of the gels in channels in conceptual field applications. Sandwich-like channel models and methodologies were developed to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of gel materials. Gel retention in the channels was quantified. Results also indicated that the retained gels were dehydrated. Fluid diversion and sweep improvement after gel treatments were evaluated by tracer tests”--Abstract, page iv.

Zhao, Yang↗
DOE OSTI2019

Softening Behavior of Electron Beam Welded 22SiMn2TiB Steel

Softening behavior occurs in heat-affected zone of many types of high strength steels causing the deterioration of mechanical properties. In this study, the softening behavior of 22SiMn2TiB joint was revealed by experimental and numerical analysis. The microstructure and hardness of the joint were tested and analyzed. The numerical simulations of the temperature field were carried out to obtain the thermal cycle. Based on the continuous cooling transformation diagram, the phase transformation was investigated. The results indicated that the microhardness in the HAZ was significantly decreased, and its minimum value was 273 HV which was 63.5% of base metal. The softening behavior occurs in intermediate critical heat-affected zone and the subcritical heat-affected zone, and its peak temperature is between 853.7 °C (Ac{sub 3}) and 450 °C. When 22SiMn2TiB steel was heated above 732.3 °C (Ac{sub 1}), martensite begins to transform into austenite. With different cooling rates, austenite may transform into martensite, bainite and ferrite, and the volume fraction of soft phases could increase resulting in the softening. When the peak temperature is between 732.3 and 450 °C, the recovery phenomenon and the decomposition of martensite caused softening with the decrease in the dislocation density and martensite.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

DESIGN AND DYNAMICS OF HYBRID WAVE AND CURRENT ENERGY CONVERTER

The ocean has been identified as one of the most promising energy sources and it can be comprehended as the “unlimited” energy source as well. Therefore, a reasonable exploitation and development on ocean energy recovery are applicable in this energy shortage era. This paper investigates the design and dynamic analysis of the Hybrid Wave and Current Energy Converter (HWCEC), which uses current and wave to recover energy from the ocean. In general, the HWCEC system contains the oscillating buoy and rotating turbine, while the ocean wave and current pass through the system. The energy harvested from the ocean flows through the Mechanical Motion Rectifier (MMR) gearbox [1], and the oscillating motion is converted to a unidirectional rotational motion, which will drive the generator and produce electricity. The dynamic of the HWCEC is developed by combing the dynamics of a heaving buoy, a horizontal axis hydro-turbine and the working status of an MMR-based Power Take-off system (PTO). A 1:10 scaled down prototype has been manufactured and assembled. Further tests will be conducted in the cooperating facilities. Simulation is conducted based on hydrodynamic coefficients obtained from WAMIT and the blade element momentum theory for the scaled-down prototype. Considering a regular wave with 0.08 meters of wave height with 1 second of wave period together with 0.3m/s constant current velocity, Results show that the HWCEC has an improvement in the energy extraction ratio compared to a traditional Wave Energy Converter (WEC) by 53%. The simulation indicates the fact that harvesting energy from both wave and current is simply more efficient than the traditional types of ocean energy harvester, which consists of only harvesting energy from a single source.

Chen, Shuo↗
DOE OSTI2018

Pathways linking residential noise and air pollution to mental ill-health in young adults

Highlights: • A model with multiple pathways was tested. • Daytime noise was related to poor mental health. • Air pollution had only an indirect effect. • Key mediators: annoyance and neighborhood restorative quality. Recent years have seen growing, but still tentative, evidence of the potential associations of environmental noise and air pollution with mental disorders. In the present study, we aimed to examine the associations between residential noise and air pollution exposures and general mental health in young adults with a focus on underlying processes.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Non-isothermal creep aging behaviors of an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy

Highlights: • A novel non-isothermal creep aging (NICA) process is proposed to improve sheet metal forming efficiency. • Appropriate heating-cooling rate is conducive to obtain desired creep deformation and material properties. • The time consumption in optimized NICA process is about half of that in conventional creep aging process. • In NICA, the precipitates formed in heating will be dissolved nearby the peak temperature and re-precipitated in cooling. - Abstract: To shorten production period and reduce manufacturing cost of high strength aluminum alloy integral panel components, a novel non-isothermal creep age forming (CAF) technology was developed. Taking an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy as the case material, the non-isothermal creep aging (NICA) behavior and the conventional isothermal creep aging (ICA) behavior were comparatively investigated. The corresponding creep deformations, material performance variations and precipitate microstructure evolutions were studied by creep aging tests, mechanical property and corrosion resistance tests, and transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) characterizations. Unlike the ICA which contains short heating and cooling stages and long holding stage, the NICA only has heating and cooling stages, viz., the alloy is heated slowly and the cooling stage begins immediately when reaching the peak temperature. In the NICA process, the precipitates nucleate and grow up in the first half of heating stage, resulting in the reduction of creep rate and enhancement of mechanical strength. The coarsening of precipitates occurs in the second half of heating stage, elevating the creep rate and significantly improving the corrosion resistance. Nearby the peak temperature, the primary precipitates partially dissolve, and the creep rate, mechanical strength and corrosion resistance decrease. Distinctive from the ICA process, a secondary precipitation phenomenon takes place in the cooling stage of NICA, leading to the recovery of high mechanical strength. The higher heating-cooling rate (1 °C/min) is not beneficial to accumulating creep deformation in the shorter creep aging period, while the lower one (0.25 °C/min) causes the loss of mechanical strength due to the excessive dissolution of precipitates. The moderate heating-cooling rate (0.5 °C/min) can lead to larger creep deformation, better mechanical properties and more satisfactory corrosion resistances in the NICA treated alloy, reaching 87.0% of creep strain, 105.7% of yield strength and 97.9% of electric conductivity in the ICA treated alloy. It is worth noting that the time consumption of the optimal NICA process is only 52.9% of the ICA process.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Hierarchical Distribution System Adaptive Restoration with Diverse Distributed Energy Resources

Distributed energy resources (DERs) can be utilized as alternative power sources for fast service recovery in cases of distribution system outages. However, the diverse characteristics and stochastic nature of DERs impose challenges on the optimal operation of di-verse resources during the restoration phase. Here, we introduce a hierarchical structure to coordinate distribution system entities and propose an adaptive restoration strategy to sustain a reliable power supply to outage loads in an unbalanced distribution system utilizing DERs. An efficient system reconfiguration model is developed to guarantee the radiality of restoration islands. The flexibility of DERs is evaluated by a novel method that focuses on the cumulative energy consumption, the superiority of which is also proven. Model predictive control (MPC) is adopted to enable the adjustment of system topology and DER operation strategies based on up-to-date data. The performance of the proposed restoration model is validated on a modified IEEE 123-bus test system. Moreover, the effectiveness of the proposed novel flexibility assessment and the MPC-based adaptive restoration strategy are verified through comparative studies.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2020

Countercurrent Actinide Lanthanide Separation Process (ALSEP) Demonstration Test with a Simulated PUREX Raffinate in Centrifugal Contactors on the Laboratory Scale

An Actinide Lanthanide Separation Process (ALSEP) for the separation of trivalent actinides (An(III)) from simulated raffinate solution was successfully demonstrated using a 32-stage 1 cm annular centrifugal contactor setup. The ALSEP solvent was composed of a mixture of 2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (HEH[EHP]) and N,N,N',N'-tetra-(2-ethylhexyl)-diglycolamide (T2EHDGA) in n-dodecane. Flowsheet calculations and evaluation of the results were done using the Argonne’s Model for Universal Solvent Extraction (AMUSE) code using single-stage distribution data. The co-extraction of Zr(IV) and Pd(II) was prevented using CDTA (trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid) as a masking agent in the feed. For the scrubbing of co-extracted Mo; citrate-buffered acetohydroxamic acid was used. The separation of An(III) from the trivalent lanthanides (Ln(III)) was achieved using citrate-buffered diethylene-triamine-N,N,N',N",N"-pentaacetic acid (DTPA), and Ln(III) were efficiently back extracted using N,N,N',N'-tetraethyl-diglycolamide (TEDGA). A clean An(III) product was obtained with a recovery of 95% americium and curium. The Ln(III) were efficiently stripped; but the Ln(III) product contained 5% of the co-stripped An(III). The carryover of Am and Cm into the Ln(III) product is attributed to too few actinide stripping stages, which was constrained by the number of centrifugal contactors available. Improved separation would be achieved by increasing the number of An strip stages. The heavier lanthanides (Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, and Gd) and yttrium were mainly routed to the Ln product, whereas the lighter lanthanides (La and Ce) were mostly routed to the raffinate.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2018

Hybrid probabilistic-possibilistic approach for capacity credit evaluation of demand response considering both exogenous and endogenous uncertainties

As a featured smart-grid technology, demand response (DR) provides utility companies with unprecedented flexibility to improve the reliability of electricity service in future power systems. However, due to the uncertainties arising from the demand side, the extent to which DR can be utilized for capacity support poses a major question to the utilities. To address this issue, this paper proposes a new methodological framework to assess the potential reliability value of DR in smart grids. The framework is established on the concept of capacity credit (CC), and it accommodates different types of uncertainties (i.e., probabilistic and possibilistic) accrued from physical and anthropogenic factors in DR programs. The capability of DR during operation is considered as a synthesized result of multiple facets, i.e., users' load characteristics, participation levels, and load recoveries, and different models are developed to represent each component. To characterize the stochastic nature of demand responsiveness, the fuzzy theory is introduced, and possibilistic models are proposed to describe the human-related uncertainties under incomplete information. In addition, considering that in reality, DR operation could affect the comfort of customers, the dynamics of demand-side participation have also been incorporated in our study, in which two utility-based indices are defined to quantify the effect of such interdependency. Using a probabilistic propagation technique, the different types of uncertainties involved can be normalized and systematically addressed under the same framework. Then, the relevant models can be applied to the CC evaluation procedures, wherein two dispatching schemes (i.e., reliability-driven and coordinated management) are considered to study the effect of DR operation on its CC. The proposed methodology is tested on a modified RTS system, and the obtained results confirm its effectiveness.

capacity credit↗
DOE OSTI2025

Synchronous Machine Governor Upgrade

Conventional generation sources play a critical role in the stability and reliability of the electrical grid, particularly as we transition towards more renewable energy sources. To understand and accurately emulate their behavior for optimizing grid operations and ensuring seamless integration with renewable technologies, it is essential to better emulate the grid- and plant-level impacts of conventional generation sources, such as natural gas (NG) driven heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) and combustion turbines (CTs). Therefore, a governor model is developed in a programmable logic controller (PLC) to investigate the performance of the conventional generator under various dynamic operating conditions and to identify the impact on grid stability in a controlled environment. The governor model aims to enable the hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) based emulation of these conventional generation sources using the existing 2 MVA synchronous machine/generator that is driven by a flexible 2.5 MW variable speed drive. This setup will allow us to replicate the dynamic characteristics and response behaviors of NG-driven HRSGs and CTs. The controls for the emulated conventional plants follow the industry standard and are adjustable, ensuring they accurately reflect the operational capabilities and limitations of real-world systems. These controls include load-following capabilities, ramp rates, startup and shutdown sequences, and emissions characteristics. By incorporating these adjustable controls, we aim to capture the nuanced impacts of conventional generation, such as their ability to provide ancillary services like frequency regulation, voltage support, and spinning reserve. In this report, we simulate two types of dynamic operations: grid-connected and islanding. For each dynamic operation, representative starting sequences are tested, including turbine purge, ignition, speed ramping up, generator excitation and synchronizing, and breaker close. The HIL based tests provides insights for field deployment, specifically the high-fidelity governor model provides results to predict the potential stability and reliability risk and suggest possible integration measures (e.g., generation and load balancing, tuning of governor control parameters). Ultimately, this enhanced emulation capability will be integrated into our Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES), enabling us to conduct comprehensive studies on the interactions between conventional and renewable energy sources. By better understanding these interactions, we can develop strategies to optimize the overall performance and reliability of the grid. This will support the deployment of advanced grid management techniques, such as demand response, grid-forming inverters, and energy storage systems. The main contributions are summarized as follows: (1) This report introduces a PLC-based governor model for gas turbines. This model accurately simulates the dynamic behavior of conventional generation sources under various operational scenarios; (2) The model is integrated with an HIL testbed that includes a 2.5 MW variable speed drive and a 2 MVA synchronous machine. This setup enables realistic, real-time emulation of conventional power plants, particularly NG driven HRSGs and CTs; (3) The developed model is adaptable to various gas turbine configurations and allows for precise control over parameters such as MW ramp rates. This flexibility makes it a valuable tool for future research and industry collaboration; and (4) By incorporating the model into the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems, the report lays the groundwork for future studies on interactions between conventional and renewable energy sources, enhancing the ability to develop advanced grid management strategies.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2018

Biocomposite Fiber-Matrix Treatments that Enhance In-Service Performance Can Also Accelerate End-of-Life Fragmentation and Anaerobic Biodegradation to Methane

Biodegradable resins can enhance the environmental sustainability of wood-plastic composites (WPCs) by enabling methane (CH{sub 4}) recovery via anaerobic digestion (AD). An under appreciated step in biocomposite AD is the role of cracking and fragmentation due to moisture uptake by the wood fiber (WF) fraction. Here, we use batch microcosms to simulate AD at end-of-life and to assess the effects of fiber-matrix treatments used to retard in-service moisture uptake. The composites evaluated were injection molded poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) with WF (0, 20%) using two fiber-matrix compatibilization treatments: (1) hydrophobic silane treatment of the wood fiber and (2) grafting of hydrophilic maleic anhydride groups to the PHBV matrix. Both treatments accelerated rates of mass loss and CH{sub 4} production by a factor of 1.2–2.3 compared to neat PHBV. The fragmentation rate, as measured by mass loss, increased significantly for treated samples compared to untreated samples. A ranking of test samples from lowest to highest rates of mass loss gave the following sequence: neat PHBV ≈ maleated PHBV < PHBV plus untreated WF < maleated PHBV plus untreated WF < PHBV plus silane-treated WF. Compared to the untreated samples, maleic anhydride treatment increased the mass loss rate by 30%, and silane treatment increased the mass loss rate by 92%. Onset of cracking in silane-treated composites was observed at 2 weeks (using X-ray micro-computed tomography). At the same time, solid mass loss and CH{sub 4} production peaked, implicating cracking and physical disintegration as the rate-limiting step for accelerated anaerobic degradation. When modified to account for bioplastic matrix degradation, a previously derived moisture-induced damage model could predict the onset of composite fragmentation at end-of-life. These results are significant for design of bio-WPCs and demonstrate that treatments designed to improve in-service performance can also improve end-of-life options.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Advances and challenges in CO2 foam technologies for enhanced oil recovery in carbonate reservoirs

Utilization of surfactants for generating foam has the potential for fluid-mobility control during CO2 flooding processes, leading to improved oil recovery. This manuscript is a review of the most important aspects for the design of CO2-foams with mobility control in carbonate reservoirs, including recent advances in novel surfactants and analytical techniques for analysis of surfactant adsorption on carbonate minerals and their thermal stability. Several key parameters and properties regarding foam transport in porous media are reviewed such as, the minimum pressure gradient required for foam generation, the effects of the partition coefficient of a CO2-soluble surfactant on foam transport in rock cores, visualization of foam flow by either microfluidic or PET/CT imaging processes in heterogeneous or fractured systems and the effect of oil on foam transport under reservoir conditions. Also are discussed the most recent advances of two major foam modeling methods, including the semi-empirical STARS foam model and the population balance model, as well as CO2 foam pilot tests and the factors governing their successes.

Jian, Guoqing↗
DOE OSTI2016

WE-AB-207A-04: Random Undersampled Cone Beam CT: Theoretical Analysis and a Novel Reconstruction Method

Purpose: Reducing x-ray exposure and speeding up data acquisition motived studies on projection data undersampling. It is an important question that for a given undersampling ratio, what the optimal undersampling approach is. In this study, we propose a new undersampling scheme: random-ray undersampling. We will mathematically analyze its projection matrix properties and demonstrate its advantages. We will also propose a new reconstruction method that simultaneously performs CT image reconstruction and projection domain data restoration. Methods: By representing projection operator under the basis of singular vectors of full projection operator, matrix representations for an undersampling case can be generated and numerical singular value decomposition can be performed. We compared properties of matrices among three undersampling approaches: regular-view undersampling, regular-ray undersampling, and the proposed random-ray undersampling. To accomplish CT reconstruction for random undersampling, we developed a novel method that iteratively performs CT reconstruction and missing projection data restoration via regularization approaches. Results: For a given undersampling ratio, random-ray undersampling preserved mathematical properties of full projection operator better than the other two approaches. This translates to advantages of reconstructing CT images at lower errors. Different types of image artifacts were observed depending on undersampling strategies, which were ascribed to the unique singular vectors of the sampling operators in the image domain. We tested the proposed reconstruction algorithm on a Forbid phantom with only 30% of the projection data randomly acquired. Reconstructed image error was reduced from 9.4% in a TV method to 7.6% in the proposed method. Conclusion: The proposed random-ray undersampling is mathematically advantageous over other typical undersampling approaches. It may permit better image reconstruction at the same undersampling ratio. The novel algorithm suitable for this random-ray undersampling was able to reconstruct high-quality images.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Preprocessing of municipal solid waste towards thermal insulating material

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is one of the significant challenges in today’s world. A continuous surge in population, increasing living standards, and rapid urbanization are generating an enormous quantity of MSW. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that the total generation of MSW in the United States in 2018 was 292.4 million tons. Improper management of this MSW often leads to the release of greenhouse gases, emission of particulate matters, and formation of dioxins, which all ultimately contributes to climate change. Recycling these wastes via landfills with gas recovery and/or energy and material production via thermal and chemical conversions could be viable options to manage these challenges. Depending on the inherent chemical and structural properties of unrecycled wastes, the carbon structures can be tailored for processing and reuse in manufacturing of structural composites, building materials such as insulation, carbon dense reactant materials such as activated carbon, and so on. According to the EPA’s estimation, MSW in the United States is approximately 23% paper and paperboard, 12% plastics, 6% wood and 6% is textiles. Thus, this research focused on the feasibility of using the MSW as insulation material for the construction sector. The goal of this work was to determine the range of particle sizes, consolidation ratios, and component blends that can achieve insulation R-values within at least 70% that of traditional blown cellulose fiber. To achieve this goal, we designed the testing matrix based on five different component blends, three different particle sizes, and three different compaction level. An American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) method (C-739) was used to measure the R-value of the insulation material. Results showed that, adding more paper component in addition to smaller particle size and loose compaction made the insulation similar to the traditional blown cellulose fiber insulation as the R-value was within a range of 2.5-3.0 per inch.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Thermopile Energy Harvesting for Subsurface Wellbore Sensors (Final Report)

Robust in situ power harvesting underlies all efforts to enable downhole autonomous sensors for real-time and long-term monitoring of CO 2 plume movement and permeance, wellbore health, and induced seismicity. This project evaluated the potential use of downhole thermopile arrays, known as thermoelectric generators (TEGs), as power sources to charge sensors for in situ real-time, long-term data capture and transmission. Real-time downhole monitoring will enable “Big Data” techniques and machine learning, using massive amounts of continuous data from embedded sensors, to quantify short- and long-term stability and safety of enhanced oil recovery and/or commercial-scale geologic CO 2 storage. This project evaluated possible placement of the TEGs at two different wellbore locations: on the outside of the casing; or on the production tubing. TEGs convert heat flux to electrical power, and in the borehole environment, would convert heat flux into or out of the borehole into power for downhole sensors. Such heat flux would be driven by pumping of cold or hot fluids into the borehole—for instance, injecting supercritical CO 2 —creating a thermal pulse that could power the downhole sensors. Hence, wireless power generation could be accomplished with in situ TEG energy harvesting. This final report summarizes the project’s efforts that accomplished the creation of a fully operational thermopile field unit, including selection of materials, laboratory benchtop experiments and thermal-hydrologic modeling for design and optimization of the field-scale power generation test unit. Finally, the report describes the field unit that has been built and presents results of performance and survivability testing. The performance and survivability testing evaluated the following: 1) downhole power generation in response to a thermal gradient produced by pumping a heated fluid down a borehole and through the field unit; and 2) component survivability and operation at elevated temperature and pressure conditions representative of field conditions. The performance and survivability testing show that TEG arrays are viable for generating ample energy to power downhole sensors, although it is important to note that developing or connecting to sensors was beyond the scope of this project. This project’s accomplishments thus traversed from a low Technical Readiness Level (TRL) on fundamental concepts of the application and modeling to TRL-5 via testing of the fully integrated field unit for power generation in relevant environments. A fully issued United States Patent covers the wellbore power harvesting technology and applications developed by this project.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2017

Extracting Natural Biosurfactants from Humus Deposits for Subsurface Engineering Applications

Environmentally benign, economical, and effective surfactants and additives are needed in engineering subsurface energy recovery processes. Biosurfactants have some advantages over chemically synthesized surfactants, but the high costs of microbial-biosynthesis limit their applications in subsurface engineering. In this work, we propose to use naturally occurring biosurfactants contained within Earth's readily available and inexpensive humus deposits for subsurface engineering applications. We collected humus samples of different types from four different regions, and developed a simple method for extracting natural biosurfactant (NBS) using only four common chemicals. The average NBS extraction yields are 16 ± 3% of the raw humus. No significant differences in elemental composition and functional group chemistry were found among the NBS extracted from humus of different origins, suggesting that any humus deposit can be used for NBS extraction. Measurements of interfacial tensions between air-water and supercritical (sc) CO 2 -water interfaces indicate that the NBS is a highly effective surfactant. NBS has good foaming ability. Preliminary tests with only 0.5 mass % NBS in the aqueous phase (no other additives) yielded scCO 2 -in-water foams of 83% foam quality. The apparent viscosity of 13 cP measured at a shear rate of 2320 s -1 indicates that much higher viscosities are achievable at lower shear rates. Finally, these results suggest that NBS merits further research and development for potential applications in subsurface energy production.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2020

First Ever Polymer Flood Field Pilot to Enhance the Recovery of Heavy Oils on Alaska North Slope – Producer Responses and Operational Lessons Learned

The US Department of Energy and Hilcorp Alaska, LLC are jointly cosponsoring a field pilot project entitled “First Ever Field Pilot on Alaska’s North Slope to Validate the Use of Polymer Floods for Heavy Oil Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR).” The objective of this pilot is to perform a field experiment to validate the use of an advanced polymer flooding technology to unlock the vast heavy oil resources on Alaska North Slope (ANS). Two pairs of horizontal injection and production wells have been deployed in an isolated fault block of the Schrader Bluff heavy oil reservoir at the Milne Point Field to conduct a polymer flood pilot which was designed to acquire field performance data to optimize polymer flood design in the Schrader Bluff heavy oil reservoirs on ANS. Hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) polymer injection started on August 28, 2018 using a custom made polymer mixing and pumping unit. Polymer solution properties such as concentration, viscosity, and filter ratio, have been closely monitored and adjusted as necessary. Operational procedures have been improved to ensure adequate injectivity and polymer propagation through the formation. Oil and water production is tested frequently to monitor water cut performance, and produced water is sampled and analyzed for polymer content. Tracers were pumped pre and post polymer injection startup to compare polymer flood breakthrough timing and sweep efficiency. Polymer injectivity of the horizontal wells drilled in the Schrader Bluff NB sand is found to be sufficient to replace the reservoir production voidage although there were some declines as high viscosity polymer swept the near wellbore region. Production data show significant reduction in water cut and the oil production rate has stabilized. No polymer production has been confirmed from the two horizontal producers after 22 months of polymer injection into the two supporting horizontal injectors. Tracer data show very low sweep efficiencies with waterflood alone, whereas significant improvement has been achieved with polymer flood. Many operational lessons have been learned and improvements have been made regarding polymer mixing, pumping, and onsite quality control, particularly in a challenging Arctic environment. Adequate polymer injection rate can be achieved with diligent monitoring and quality assurance of the properties of the injected polymer solution.

Ning, Samson↗
DOE OSTI2017

An Advanced Catalytic Solvent for Lower Cost Post-Combustion CO 2 Capture in a Coal-Fired Power Plant

In this report, CAER addresses DOE’s objectives for improvements on post-combustion CO 2 capture through a three-fold approach including 1) advanced solvent, 2) homogeneous catalyst and 3) membrane carbon enrichment system. CAER-B3 solvent was formulated to improve the overall thermodynamics with the addition of a proton receiver while maintaining faster kinetics with the addition of thermally robust primary amine. The EH&S study indicates that CAER-B3 solvent poses little human toxicological or ecological risk in its raw material form. Generation of significant quantities of nitrosamines was deemed unlikely when using B3 solvent for CO 2 capture from coal-derived flue gas. The catalytic solvent caused a 21% reduction in energy demand, achievable via decreasing the liquid flowrate. Cyclic capacity nearly doubled due to the slower flowrate, and therefore, reduced the sensible heat required to remove CO 2 in the stripper. The increased rich loadings achieved by either pre-concentrating membrane or dewatering membrane prior to stripper, in addition to improved cyclic capacity, will lower downstream compression costs, while reducing the energy consumption per unit of CO 2 produced. Moreover, the CAER-B3 solvent demonstrated a greater thermal stability, lessening the rate of amine loss, caused by solvent degradation and emissions, by 50-70%. The CAER developed catalysts with a second order rate constant of 7.5 x 10 4 – 10 5 M -1 s -1 , far beyond those reported to date. The catalyst was designed to be a mimic of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase and increase the rate of CO 2 hydration to produce bicarbonate. As such, a 10-25% improvement in absorption rate was observed over the MEA base case. Enhancements can be imparted to the full scale system to reduce packing height of the absorber column, resulting in significant capital cost savings. Furthermore, the family of CAER catalysts showed less than 10% decomposition over 100 hours at 100 °C, suggesting that these catalysts will be stable in the harsh oxidative and thermal process conditions of an industrial carbon capture unit. Flue gas contaminants, such as NO x and SO x , also did not impact catalytic activity. A method for synthetic production of 500 g/batch was designed, verified, and well-documented, with scaling capabilities up to 500 kg. Two types of membranes were designed and tested for the purpose of increasing the solvent carbon loading prior to entering the stripper column. 500 hour and 100 hour verification studies were completed for the pre-concentrating membrane and zeolite dewatering membrane, respectively. Results demonstrated that a membrane-based CO 2 enrichment step using a commercial CO 2 membrane, or a zeolite dewatering membrane, or both, should be implemented in the carbon capture process to increase the CO 2 partial pressure by 16%, resulting in a stripping energy reduction of 35% relative to DOE Case 12 MEA solvent. Experimental data showed a carbon loading enrichment of 18-40% in comparison to the configuration without the pre-concentrating gas membrane. During the timespan of this project, challenges were identified and addressed so that enhanced performance may be realized long-term. Mitigation implementations included re-configuration of the bench unit with a solvent recovery column and a knock-out drum, as well as an increase in stripper pressure set point. Both changes resulted in a considerable reduction in the rate of solvent loss. Additionally, the membrane synthesis procedure was modified and validated to address zeolite dissolution concerns along with a new separation module. The techno-economic analysis conducted by WorleyParsons indicated the CAER-adCCS hybrid approach may outperform NETL Case 12 with regards to net plant HHV efficiency and cost of electricity.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2026

Filtration Performance of Simulated 200 West Area Waste Feeds

This report describes the scaled experimental system and approach used to examine dead-end filtration performance of representative 200W waste feeds. The scaled system, which was originally designed and assembled to test Tank Side Cesium Removal (TSCR) system performance with higher-than-expected solid loadings in 2021 (Schonewill et al. 2021), was repurposed to conduct the current experiments at ~1/145 of full scale (based on throughput). Six experimental runs were conducted with five different 200W waste feed simulants: three using a DEF module scaled for TSCR and three using a DEF module scaled for the 200W process modules (based on the current design for the Advanced Modular Pretreatment System). Each experiment was run continuously for multiple days with an operating approach prototypic of the full-scale system. Staff performing the experimental runs monitored performance, obtained data from calibrated process instruments, and collected samples for observation and analysis. The measured data are presented with a focus on assessing DEF performance – specifically, the filters’ differential pressure response to the five waste simulants, frequency and efficacy of backwashing, and baseline recovery between experimental runs; data related to ion exchange column performance are also discussed in cases where the opportunity arose. The experimental campaign demonstrated that the DEFs satisfied their primary function of protecting the ion exchange column from solid intrusion for all the representative simulants used. The filters readily handled solids loadings of =500 ppm (and even greater), especially the modules scaled to the 200W process modules. Adjustments to the processing flow rate and reductions in feed temperature were observed to affect the rate of differential pressure increase on the filters, but neither adversely affected the ability of the DEFs to perform their primary function. Backflushing reliably recovered filter performance in all runs, although it did not prevent irreversible fouling for one simulant. The run that exhibited irreversible fouling established that both the quantity and the nature of the solids being filtered need to be considered when projecting filter performance.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗