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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Improving the Economic Viability of Biological Utilization of Coal Power Plant CO 2 by Improved Algae Productivity and Integration with Wastewater Treatment

The overall goal of this project was to improve the cost-effectiveness of systems using algae to capture and beneficially utilize CO 2 from the flue gas of coal-fired power plants. Algal biomass cultivation is an attractive alternative for carbon capture and utilization because it can uptake more CO 2 per land area than any other photosynthetic crop. Also, the resulting biomass can be used to make valuable large-market commodity products, such as biofuels and animal feed. However, the use of algal carbon capture has been limited by several factors including: (1) high costs for growing algae (>$\$1,300$/ton), (2) large land requirements for algae cultivation, and (3) environmental concerns about the large amount of water and nutrient inputs needed for growing algae. This project has taken direct aim at resolving these key limitations and demonstrated several viable approaches to improve the economic and environmental feasibility of algal carbon capture. In particular, this project demonstrated a significant increase in average annual algal productivity from baseline values of 8 g/m 2 -day to above 20 g/m 2 -day. This supports a much lower projected cost of algae production (<$\$500$/ton) and reduces land requirements by more than 50%. Additionally, this project confirmed the ability to grow multiple algae species with wastewater nutrients, which facilitates the potential for substantial new revenue streams for algae cultivation based on tipping fees for nutrient laden wastewater. This study highlighted that there is more potential value in wastewater nutrient treatment credits than in the primary commodity products made from algae. The use of wastewater inputs also mitigates the concerns associated with the large amount of water needed for growing algae. The algal biomass grown for this project using wastewater and simulated flue gas inputs were characterized for potential use as an animal feed ingredient. The algae had a protein content in the range of 35-40%, which is between some common commodity animal feed products— distiller’s grains (~25-30% protein) and soybean meal (45-50% protein). In-vitro digestion tests using cattle rumen fluids, showed that this algae biomass was best suited for use as “bypass protein”, which is digested in the animal intestine. Based on the protein content and amino acid profile of the algae grown in this study, it was estimated to have market value in the range of $\$190$-$\$280$/ton. There is potential for higher value feed products if the algae content of omega-3 fatty acids or antioxidants is accounted for. This project also did small scale demonstration of forward osmosis algae dewatering and nanofiltration of hydrothermal liquefaction aqueous products, which were shown to improve the cost and energy balance for producing algal products. When all the improvements demonstrated in this study were included in techno-economic analysis, it showed there was a viable pathway to profitable algal CO 2 utilization with a payback period in the range of six to ten years.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2013

Utilization of municipal wastewater for cooling in thermoelectric power plants: Evaluation of the combined cost of makeup water treatment and increased condenser fouling

A methodology is presented to calculate the total combined cost (TCC) of water sourcing, water treatment and condenser fouling in the recirculating cooling systems of thermoelectric power plants. The methodology is employed to evaluate the economic viability of using treated municipal wastewater (MWW) to replace the use of freshwater as makeup water to power plant cooling systems. Cost analyses are presented for a reference power plant and five different tertiary treatment scenarios to reduce the scaling tendencies of MWW. Results indicate that a 550 MW sub-critical coal fired power plant with a makeup water requirement of 29.3 ML/day has a TCC of $3.0 - 3.2 million/yr associated with the use of treated MWW for cooling. (All costs USD 2009). This translates to a freshwater conservation cost of $0.29/kL, which is considerably lower than that of dry air cooling technology, $1.5/kL, as well as the 2020 conservation cost target set by the U.S. Department of Energy, $0.74/kL. Results also show that if the available price of freshwater exceeds that of secondary-treated MWW by more than $0.13-0.14/kL, it can be economically advantageous to purchase secondary MWW and treat it for utilization in the recirculating cooling system of a thermoelectric power plant.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Near and long-term perspectives on strategies to decarbonize China's heavy-duty trucks through 2050

China needs to drastically reduce carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from heavy-duty trucks (HDTs), a key emitter in the growing transport sector, in order to address energy security concerns and meet its climate targets. We address existing research gaps by modeling feasibility, applicability, and energy and emissions impacts of multiple decarbonization strategies at different points in time. China still relies heavily on coal power, so impacts of new HDT technologies depend on the timing of their introduction relative to progress toward non-fossil power. We use a bottom-up model to simulate HDT energy consumption and CO 2 emissions through 2050. Results show that beginning to deploy battery electric and fuel-cell HDTs as early as 2020 and 2035, respectively, could achieve significant and the largest CO 2 emissions reduction by 2050 with a decarbonized power sector. However, viable near-term strategies-improving efficiency and logistics, switching to liquefied natural gas-could halve HDTs' current diesel consumption and CO 2 emissions by 2050. Our results underscore the need for a mix of near- and long-term policy and technology options to decarbonize China's HDTs.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2019

Techno-Economic Analysis of an LGFCS MWe-Class SOFC System (Final Report)

The objective of this project is to perform a range of technical, cost and economic analyses of a MW-scale natural gas fired Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) distributed power generation system design. The information generated will provide evidence of the tracking of technology and manufacturing readiness supportive of Technology Readiness Level 7 (TRL7) system testing in the 2022 timeframe that meets the Department of Energy’s (DOE) targets for cost (<$6000/kW) and durability (<0.5% power degradation/1000 hours).

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2018

Integrated CCS for Kansas (ICKan) (Final Technical Report)

The goal of the Phase I activity under CarbonSAFE was to evaluate and develop a plan and strategy to address the challenges and opportunities for commercial-scale Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in Kansas, ICKan (Integrated CCS for Kansas). The objectives of this project included identifying and addressing the major technical and nontechnical challenges of implementing CO 2 capture and transport and establishing secure geologic storage for CO 2 in Kansas capable of storing 50Mt. In order to achieve these objectives, it was necessary to establish CCS Coordination Team that consisted of professionals from multiple technical and nontechnical disciplines such as geoscience, policy and law, public relations, engineering and others. The Team conducted an integrated and multi-disciplinary assessment of CCS in Kansas. The assessment included: (1) high-level technical, sub-basinal evaluations of CO 2 storage; (2) high-level technical examination of three of Kansas' largest CO 2 point sources and considered other alternatives; (3) high-level evaluation of transportation systems required, 4) evaluation of energy, environmental, regulatory, business law, and public policy; (5) public outreach and acceptance; and (6) identification of economic, commercial, and financial challenges for deployment of commercial-scale CCS in Kansas.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2013

Cost and Performance of PC and IGCC Plants for a Range of Carbon Dioxide Capture - Rev. 1

The objective of this study was to establish the cost and performance for a range of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture levels for new supercritical (SC) pulverized coal (PC) and integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants. The SC PC cases (Case 1 series) utilize Fluor’s Econamine FG Plus SM process for post-combustion CO 2 capture via temperature swing absorption with a 30 wt% monoethanolamine (MEA) solution as the chemical solvent. The IGCC cases (Case 2 series) employ a slurry-fed, entrained-flow General Electric Energy (GEE) gasifier and leverage UOP’s (formerly Universal Oil Products) two-stage Selexol™ process for bulk CO 2 capture and selective hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) removal via pressure swing absorption. The Selexol™ process uses dimethyl ether of polyethylene glycol (DEPG) as a physical solvent for pre-combustion capture.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2011

DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPUTATIONAL MULTIPHASE FLOW MODEL FOR FISCHER TROPSCH SYNTHESIS IN A SLURRY BUBBLE COLUMN REACTOR

The Hybrid Energy Systems Testing (HYTEST) Laboratory at the Idaho National Laboratory was established to develop and test hybrid energy systems with the principal objective of reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels. A central component of the HYTEST is the slurry bubble column reactor (SBCR) in which the gas-to-liquid reactions are performed to synthesize transportation fuels using the Fischer Tropsch (FT) process. These SBCRs operate in the churn-turbulent flow regime, which is characterized by complex hydrodynamics, coupled with reacting flow chemistry and heat transfer. Our team is developing a research tool to aid in understanding the physicochemical processes occurring in the SBCR. A robust methodology to couple reaction kinetics and mass transfer into a four-field model (consisting of the bulk liquid, small bubbles, large bubbles and solid catalyst particles) consisting of thirteen species, which are CO reactant, H2 reactant, hydrocarbon product, and H2O product in small bubbles, large bubbles, and the bulk fluid plus catalyst is outlined. Mechanistic submodels for interfacial momentum transfer in the churn-turbulent flow regime are incorporated, along with bubble breakup/coalescence and two-phase turbulence submodels. The absorption and kinetic models, specifically changes in species concentrations, have been incorporated into the mass continuity equation. The reaction rate is based on the macrokinetic model for a cobalt catalyst developed by Yates and Satterfield. The model includes heat generation produced by the exothermic chemical reaction, as well as heat removal from a constant temperature heat exchanger. A property method approach is employed to incorporate vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) in a robust manner. Physical and thermodynamic properties as functions of changes in both pressure and temperature are obtained from VLE calculations performed external to the CMFD solver. The novelty of this approach is in its simplicity, as well as its accuracy over a specified temperature and pressure range.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2024

Life-Cycle Assessment Integration into Scalable Open-Source Numerical Models (LiAISON) for Analyzing Emerging Low-Carbon Technologies

Decarbonizing the industrial sector is a significant challenge in achieving a net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions economy by 2050 and the Paris Agreement, i.e., a global climate change mitigation target of achieving a maximum average temperature change potential of 1.5 degrees C or less by 2100 with respect to pre-industrial levels. In the United States (US), the industrial sector accounts for 23% of total GHG emissions and is home to a number of hard-to-electrify activities. The chemicals subsector has the single largest subsector emissions profile after direct emissions from fossil fuel combustion and leakage from fossil fuel distribution systems. Within the chemicals subsector, many processes depend on hydrogen or ammonia precursors. Decarbonizing these two commodities would contribute significantly to decarbonizing the industrial sector as hydrogen could also be used for low carbon steel production (e.g., hydrogen-based direct reduction of iron) and other industrial applications. Emerging technologies require the application of prospective life cycle assessment (LCA), which can account for technology (foreground) scaling and process improvements via learning-by-doing, among others. In many cases, the future system context (background) in which the technologies are assumed to operate in is equally relevant. Background scenarios generated by integrated assessment models (IAM) can coherently incorporate potential future dynamics of the energy-climate-human-land system. Further, IAM scenarios are harmonized across socioeconomic and climate change mitigation pathways, which facilitates the comparability of prospective LCAs using different IAMs. We introduce an open source prospective LCA framework, the Life-cycle Assessment Integration into Scalable Open-source Numerical models (LiAISON), to analyze the non-linear relationships between technology foreground and the future energy system background across a series of midpoint and resource use metrics The integration of LCA and IAM data is achieved using prospective environmental Impact assessment (PREMISE). We showcase it by assessing two Power-to-Hydrogen (PtH2) processes, namely Solid Oxide Electrolysis (SOE) and Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Electrolysis (PEME). We compare the technologies to a baseline of hydrogen production via natural gas-based Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) in a US context of multiple energy system and climate change mitigation futures. Besides providing an analysis that specifies the LCA results ranges with temporal and geospatial explicitness across the two technologies, metrics, and impact assessment methods, this research also aims to establish a base framework that can be expanded to use other IAM generated scenarios and US open-source life cycle inventory (LCI) databases. We find that the temporal environmental performance of either technology or their difference to SMR is directly influenced by the underlying background dynamics. Under baseline projections (i.e., no decarbonization goals), neither process reaches parity with the incumbent technology across several environmental metrics. Under the decarbonization scenarios, the underlying sectoral shifts result in declining impacts over time, compared to 2020 levels, except for metal depletion levels, which increase. The background shifts postulate a heavily decarbonized economy and energy system, which help technologies reach parity with SMR between 2040-2050 (RCP2.6) and 2030-2040 (RCP1.9) for global warming. Despite declines across several other metrics over time, neither PtH2 technology break even with SMR by 2100 besides for global warming.

decarbonizing↗
DOE OSTI2023

EVI-Pro for Bogota Columbia [Slides]

The transportation sector is one of the largest producers of greenhouse gas emissions globally, with 37% of global CO 2 emissions in 2021 according to the International Energy Agency. Transitioning from internal combustion engine vehicles powered by fossil fuels to electrified transportation is a critical component in reducing those emissions significantly over the coming decades and avoiding the worst consequences of climate change. With governments and automakers increasingly announcing electrification targets and a progression away from the production and sale of internal combustion engine vehicles, a robust network of charging infrastructure must be built to enable the widespread use of electric vehicles (EVs). Some of the greatest hurdles to EV deployment are linked to the buildout of the required charging infrastructure including where it should be built, what types and how much charging would be optimal given high costs of installation, and the impact on the electrical grid. To this end, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducts extensive research on EV deployment, including the development of the EVI-Pro model used to plan the future buildout of charging infrastructure given the travel patterns in a region. This document summarizes work done by NREL in the Bogotá, Colombia region to help Colombia plan for its EV deployment goals.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Grand Challenges: wind energy research needs for a global energy transition

Wind energy is anticipated to play a central role in enabling a rapid transition from fossil fuels to a system based largely on renewable power. For wind power to fulfill its expected role as the backbone – providing nearly half of the electrical energy – of a renewable-based, carbon-neutral energy system, critical challenges around design, manufacture, and deployment of land and offshore technologies must be addressed. During the past 3 years, the wind research community has invested significant effort toward understanding the nature and implications of these challenges and identifying associated gaps. The outcomes of these efforts are summarized in a series of 10 articles, some under review by Wind Energy Science (WES) and others planned for submission during the coming months. This letter explains the genesis, significance, and impacts of these efforts.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Description of the Process Model for the Technoeconomic Evaluation of MEA versus Mixed Amines for Carbon Dioxide Removal from Stack Gas

This model description is supplemental to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) report LLNL-TR-642494, Technoeconomic Evaluation of MEA versus Mixed Amines for CO2 Removal at Near- Commercial Scale at Duke Energy Gibson 3 Plant. We describe the assumptions and methodology used in the Laboratory’s simulation of its understanding of Huaneng’s novel amine solvent for CO2 capture with 35% mixed amine. The results of that simulation have been described in LLNL-TR-642494. The simulation was performed using ASPEN 7.0. The composition of the Huaneng’s novel amine solvent was estimated based on information gleaned from Huaneng patents. The chemistry of the process was described using nine equations, representing reactions within the absorber and stripper columns using the ELECTNRTL property method. As a rate-based ASPEN simulation model was not available to Lawrence Livermore at the time of writing, the height of a theoretical plate was estimated using open literature for similar processes. Composition of the flue gas was estimated based on information supplied by Duke Energy for Unit 3 of the Gibson plant. The simulation was scaled at one million short tons of CO2 absorbed per year. To aid stability of the model, convergence of the main solvent recycle loop was implemented manually, as described in the Blocks section below. Automatic convergence of this loop led to instability during the model iterations. Manual convergence of the loop enabled accurate representation and maintenance of model stability.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2012

Advancing Oxycombustion Technology for Bituminous Coal Power Plants: An R&D Guide

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is funding research aimed at improving the performance and reducing the cost of oxycombustion. The objective of this study is to guide oxycombustion research in areas that can provide the largest benefits in electricity cost and plant performance. The advanced oxycombustion technologies evaluated in this study are categorized into four major areas: advanced boiler design, advanced oxygen production, advanced flue gas treatment, and innovative CO 2 compression concepts.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Quality Guidelines for Energy System Studies: Capital Cost Scaling Methodology

The purpose of this section of the Quality Guidelines is to provide a standard basis for scaling costs, with specific emphasis on scaling exponents. The intention of having a standardized document is to provide guidelines for proper procedures to reduce the potential of errors and increase credibility through consistency. This document contains a listing of frequently used pieces of equipment and their corresponding scaling exponent for various plant types, along with their ranges of applicability. This document also details the equations to be used with each exponent.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Petrographic and Advanced Geologic Characterization Report on Lively Grove #1 (API# 1218924947)

Lively Grove #1 (LG1 API number 1218924947) well was drilled to a depth of 5,758 feet, from the Glen Dean Limestone to the top of the Precambrian unit. In total, 49 thin sections were taken from Rotary Sidewall Core (RSWC), and one thin section was taken from Whole Core (2,918 feet, New Albany Shale) from 1,700 to 5,872 feet for this report. This report details specifically thin section point-counting analysis that includes mineralogical and pore space analysis, including grain size analysis annotated thin section photomicrographs, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive x-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), statistics of grain size analysis on St. Peter Sandstone thin sections, and Argon-Argon (Ar-Ar) dating on Precambrian samples from LG1. Characterized units include the Salem Limestone, New Albany Shale, Trenton Group, Joachim Dolomite, St. Peter Sandstone, Everton Formation, Eminence Formation, Davis Member, Eau Claire Formation, and Precambrian Basement.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2024

Sustainable Aviation Fuels from 30,000 feet – Scoping Report

A literature review, first principles analysis, and mapping of the airline-fuel infrastructure were performed to reassess the potential for various means of realizing a sustainable aviation sector. The literature review found a plethora of technical methods to make the airline industry net-zero CO 2 but limited work on the emergent barriers to sustainable aviation implementation such as land use, repurposing of fuel refining assets, and airline cost structures. First principles analyses of the energy, land, and costs of three broad net-zero strategies were performed to determine if sustainable aviation is feasible even in the most optimistic scenarios. Those methods were biomass-derived sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), fuel produced from CO 2 captured from the air and H 2 produced from water electrolysis (air-to-fuel: ATF), and offsetting fossil-derived Jet Fuel with carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere (direct air capture and storage: DACS). Offsetting CO 2 emissions from using fossil Jet Fuel with DACS was found to consume the least energy, require the smallest quantity of land, and be the cheapest option. Replacing Jet Fuel with SAF was found to be only slightly more expensive than DACS but require substantially more land. ATF was found to be the most expensive and energy intensive option, though it did spare land relative to SAF. We found that calls to utilize waste biomass are well-founded, but wastes alone cannot cover the needs of the global airline industry. This means additional land will need to be allocated for biomass cultivation if SAF becomes the primary pathway to sustainable aviation. While differences were found in the performance of different types of biomass, those differences were small relative to differences with ATF and DACS. An analysis of the pricing structure of the airline industry suggests that some of the cost advantage of DACS may be erased by consumer sentiment which could explain why, to-date, the airline industry is focused primarily on SAF and to a lesser extent ATF. Further work is required to estimate the transportation, capital cost, and financing cost implications of greenfield and brownfield sites for SAF, DACS, and ATF. In the final report, we will analyze the potential to retrofit corn ethanol facilities to operate the ethanol-to-jet fuel process in response to decreasing gasoline demand as the electrification of road transport progresses. We will also construct a prioritization of land use to determine whether each net-zero CO 2 aviation pathway can make claim to the land required by their technology.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Process Heat for Chemical Industry

Process heating with nuclear energy can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing combustion of fossil fuels in fired heaters as steam boilers. Light water reactors can replace the majority of steam duties used by industry; however, high temperature processes such as steam methane reforming require advanced high temperature reactors. Here, guidance on matching the scale of nuclear reactors with specific industries is provided. Principles of heat transport, temperature boosting, and substitution for hot combustion gases are also discussed in this section.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Dry cooling retrofits at existing fossil fuel-fired power plants in a water-stressed region: Tradeoffs in water savings, cost, and capacity shortfalls

This study (completed by US Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory) investigates the performance, cost, and generating capacity impacts of switching from wet cooling towers to dry cooling systems to reduce consumptive water use at existing fossil fuel-fired power plants in a water-stressed region. Here, retrofit analysis of dry cooling is conducted on a unit-by-unit basis for both coal-fired and gas-fired power plants in several western U.S. states. Based on regional averages, retrofitting dry cooling systems in lieu of wet cooling towers decreases total annual plant water consumption at existing coal- and gas-fired power plants by 93% and 100%, respectively, while increasing the levelized cost of electricity generation by approximately 12% and 18%, respectively. Over the year, the change in monthly net regional generating capacity from dry cooling retrofits exhibits a seasonal pattern, with the largest shortfalls occurring in July. Dry cooling retrofits thus lead to tradeoffs in water savings, cost, and capacity shortfalls, which vary with power plant characteristics. The tradeoffs identified here can inform electric power industry water management plans and decision-making for alternative cooling options in water-stressed regions.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

Low-Environmental-Impact Monitoring of CO 2 Using Seismic Methods in North Dakota

Conference poster presented at American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) Conference, Houston, Texas, March 28–30, 2022. In 2021, the Energy & Environmental Research Center initiated a multiyear research project associated with Red Trail Energy’s Carbon Capture and Storage Project. The research is based on the scalable automated sparse seismic array (SASSA), a lower-cost, less invasive seismic method that could replace the large-scale 3D seismic surveys by using four stationary seismic sources called surface orbital vibrators (SOVs) and a small number of seismic sensors deployed sparsely within the same 8-square-mile area investigated with a 3D seismic survey conducted in 2019.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗