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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 OSTI2024

Sand Thermal Energy Storage Pilot Design (Final Report)

This report summarizes work done on developing a 10-MWhe pilot of the sand-based thermal energy storage (SandTES) technology at Alabama Power’s Plant Gaston Unit 5, an operating, supercritical coal power unit. The system will be integrated to the unit, obtaining steam to heat the sand through an air-blown fluidized-bed heat exchanger, then storing the water to be reused during discharging to produce steam that will then be vented. An electrical particle heater will also be included to provide part of the heat to the sand to provide data and learnings for commercial systems that will be fully electrically heated. Hot sand is contained in one bunker, while cold sand is housed in the other bunker, and standard solids handling equipment moves the sand around. This pilot would advance the SandTES technology to Technology Readiness Level 6 and position it for commercial readiness by 2030. This work was done in two phases: Phase I performed a conceptual study that provided Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering (AACE) Class 5 costs and estimated performance, and then Phase II, which also involved a design update, performed a more detailed pre-front-end engineering and design study that elicited AACE Class 4 costs. Work was also done to provide estimated costs for commercial applications of the technology, assess its gaps, create its technology maturation and commercialization plans, and finally perform an Environmental Information Volume for the pilot site as a first step in the National Environmental Policy Act process.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Impact Analysis of Utility-Scale Energy Storage on the ERCOT Grid in Reducing Renewable Generation Curtailments and Emissions

This paper explores the solutions for minimizing renewable energy (RE) curtailment in the Texas Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid. By utilizing current and future planning data from ERCOT and the System Advisor Model from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, we examine how future renewable energy (RE) initiatives, combined with utility-scale energy storage, can reduce CO2 emissions while reshaping Texas’s energy mix. The study projects the energy landscape from 2023 to 2033, considering the planned phase-out of fossil fuel plants and the integration of new wind/solar projects. By comparing emissions under different load scenarios, with and without storage, we demonstrate storage’s role in optimizing RE utilization. The findings of this paper provide actionable guidance for energy stakeholders, underscoring the need to expand wind and solar projects with strategic storage solutions to maximize Texas's RE capacity and substantially reduce CO2 emissions.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Life cycle impact assessment of artisanal sandstone mining on the environment and health of mine workers

Highlights: • Life cycle assessment (LCA) of artisanal sandstone mining in South Africa • Impact assessment of sandstone mining activities on environment and health • Fossil fuel and coal generated electricity are major non-renewable energy sources • Diesel fuel combustion during transportation phase contributed to major emissions • Silicosis and musculoskeletal problems are most common health issues - Abstract: Artisanal and small scale mining (ASM) is considered as a means to support and improve the quality of rural life, and is often the only activity that local communities have to sustain themselves. It is important to understand the nature of ASM and associated environmental effects in order to make informed decisions on the management, licensing and policy formulation of the ASM sector. Compared to other mined commodities such as, gold or diamond, the studies focusing on environmental and health impacts of sandstone mining are limited. This study used life cycle assessment (LCA) tool to evaluate the overall impact of artisanal sandstone mining (ASAM) on the environment and human health. The impact categories assessed in the study included: resource depletion, global warming, ozone layer depletion and acidification. It was observed that the impact of ASAM on the environment was minimal, however the high physical demand of the work negatively affected the health of the miners. The most common health related issues with the miners was observed to be silicosis and musculoskeletal problems. Fossil fuel used during transportation was observed to be the highest contributor for most of the impact categories.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Materials for Advanced Ultra-Supercritical (AUSC) Steam Turbines – AUSC Component Demonstration

The work by the United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE)/Ohio Coal Development Office (OCDO) Advanced Ultra-Supercritical (AUSC) Steam Boiler and Turbine Materials Consortia from 2001 through September 2015 was primarily focused on lab scale and pilot scale materials testing. The field testing included air-cooled probes and steam-cooled “loops” that were installed into existing utility boilers to gain exposure of these materials to realistic conditions of high temperature and corrosion due to the constituents in the coal ash. Successful research and development resulted in identification of metallic alloy materials and fabrication processes suited for power generation applications with metal temperatures up to approximately 1472°F (800°C). These materials or alloys have shown, in extensive laboratory tests and shop fabrication studies, to have excellent applicability for high-efficiency low CO2 transformational power generation technologies. However, as valuable as these material field tests have been for obtaining information, their scale is significantly below that required to minimize the risk associated with a power company building a multi-billion-dollar AUSC power plant. To decrease the identified risk barriers to full-scale implementation of these advanced materials, the U.S. DOE/OCDO AUSC Steam Boiler and Turbine Materials Consortia identified the key areas of the technology that need to be tested at a larger scale. Based upon the recommendations and outcome of a Consortia-sponsored workshop with the U.S.’s leading utilities, a Component Test (ComTest) Program for AUSC was proposed. The AUSC ComTest program would define materials performance requirements, plan for overall advanced system integration, design critical component tests, fabricate components for testing from advanced materials, and carry out the tests. A Pre-FEED evaluation of the test facility including the evaluation of three potential sites has been completed and previously reported. This report describes the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED), Detailed Engineering and the Environmental Assessment of the ComTest project. A significant amount of work was accomplished during Phase 1 to identity the components, as well as the component size, that would be manufactured from advanced alloys such as INCONEL 740H or HAYNES 282 alloys. Pathways to supply these components for ComTest have been identified as well as any further development that would be required. Every project of this nature has challenges and this project was no exception. The greatest challenge has been the project cost. Largely due to the infrastructure and balance of plant equipment upgrades required for Youngstown Thermal, the estimated project cost for the “base case” project was greater than originally budgeted. The project team spent a significant amount of time exploring opportunities for reducing the project cost. These options included: • Youngstown Thermal was exploring building a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) unit at their facility. The Youngstown Thermal staff, supported by Thermal Engineering Group, worked with the project team to determine whether it was economically desirable to supply ComTest with steam and other utilities, which would be supplied by the CHP project. • The project team also evaluated opportunities to optimize the project scope to reduce cost, such as reducing project scope by eliminating the Superheater Outlet Header test. • Southern Company had offered two sites as possible host locations for ComTest. Both sites had infrastructure in place such as steam from an existing unit, natural gas, cooling water and ample electrical power that would be required to be added at the Youngstown Thermal site. Utilizing this existing infrastructure could reduce the project cost. An additional project challenge was the departure of Babcock and Wilcox from the project in September 2016. This project setback was overcome by GE Power’s willingness to assume the design of the ComTest superheater. Since the project could not proceed without the superheater, this was a very positive project development. The merger of the GE Power and Alstom Power steam turbine divisions created synergies leading to the conclusion that instead of building a small-scale turbine, a more practical and useful endeavor would be to validate the manufacturing technology and supplier readiness for fabricating and machining full scale steam turbine components. Consequently, in March 2017, GE Power decided that a steam turbine test would not be necessary as part of the ComTest demonstration. Removing the operational testing of the steam turbine from ComTest further reduced the total project cost. Additionally, there was an opportunity to move ComTest from Youngstown Thermal to one of the Southern Company sites and operate ComTest at supercritical steam conditions and test the steam turbine main stop/control valve at a temperature and pressure that would be representative of the conditions of a high pressure steam turbine inlet valve. The steam could also possibly be returned to the host boiler so there would be no economic penalty of using this steam for ComTest. Relocating the project could further reduce the project cost due to the infrastructure already in place, including high pressure natural gas and cooling water, and the potential for heat integration, allowing a reduction of operating costs. Due to these potential cost reductions, it was decided to move the project away from Youngstown Thermal in March 2017. As integrating ComTest at the Southern Company site was explored, an issue was raised regarding the integration of the ComTest cycle with the plant steam cycle. Steam would be supplied to ComTest at nominally ~3865 psia and 775°F. The steam would be heated with natural gas to 1400°F for the valve test and then cooled to 1000°F so that the steam would be returned to the host boiler at the same conditions as their high pressure steam turbine inlet. However, there were concerns raised that the addition of the energy (natural gas) to the steam could trigger a New Source Review on the unit. Southern Company did not want ComTest to cause this review, so condensing all of the steam exiting ComTest and returning it to the host steam cycle as condensate was explored to insure there would be no implication that ComTest was adding energy to the host plant’s steam cycle. Ultimately, Southern Company decided that they wanted to “decouple” ComTest from the operating unit, making ComTest self-supporting, similar to the Youngstown Thermal “base case.” Without the steam turbine, the project team reached a consensus that operating the ComTest Superheater and steam turbine valves at the typical pressure of a package boiler (~1000 psig) would not generate enough useful technical information to justify the cost of the test. Therefore, it was decided in the December 2017 project quarterly meeting to cancel the operational phase of ComTest. Throughout the engineering phase of ComTest, manufacturing and supply chain challenges were identified. When GE Power recommended dropping the steam turbine test from ComTest, they identified many important manufacturing issues that should be evaluated and demonstrated. Other challenges had been raised by the GE Power group designing the superheater as well as those engineering components such as pressure relief and steam turbine bypass valves. In the December 2017 meeting, the project team decided that it was more beneficial to the AUSC technology to pursue these manufacturing and supply chain issues as Phase 2 of the ComTest project. This report is organized in the following manner: • Section 2 discusses the ComTest project background and organization. • Section 3 discussed project management. • Section 4 discusses the design of the ComTest AUSC components – the Superheater, steam turbine and Superheater Outlet Header. • Section 5 discusses the implementation of ComTest at Youngstown Thermal and the Southern Company site. • Section 6 discusses the development of the AUSC Supply Chain • Section 7 discusses the recommended plan for Phase 2 of ComTest

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2019

Update on Evaluation of Steam Cycle Upgrades to Improve the Competitiveness of U.S. Coal Power Plants

Under an award issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DE-FE0031535), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is leading project to examine the technical and economic feasibility of a series of steam cycle upgrades to the two most prevalent types of U.S. coal power plants (including both subcritical and supercritical cycle configurations). The retrofit upgrade options are focused on evaluating increasing main steam and reheat steam temperatures from 1000°F (538°C) to hotter temperatures, ranging from ultra-supercritical (USC) (i.e., 1100°F or 593°C) to advanced USC (AUSC) conditions (≥1300° or 704°C) while maintaining steam pressures at their original values. By maintaining the original operating steam pressures as well as the original boiler and furnace enclosure envelopes, we aim to minimize the modifications required to the existing power plant, while still providing a significant improvement in heat rate. A unique aspect of this study is that the economic value of the heat rate improvement of each technically feasible option will be determined by detailed modeling of unit dispatch, over the remaining future plant life, in several regional power markets, using EPRI’s US-REGEN model. The capital cost estimates will be compared to the increased revenue estimated by the dispatch modeling to determine the overall economic attractiveness of each upgrade option. The results of this study have the potential to be applicable at up to 80% of the existing U.S. coal-fired power generation fleet. The project team, led by the Electric Power Research Institute, has completed the technical feasibility evaluation, and is currently executing the unit dispatch and capital cost evaluation portions of the work scope. This will describe the motivation for the project, explain the project’s structure and schedule, and provide details on the work scope and preliminary results of the technical feasibility evaluation.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2015

Boiler materials for ultra supercritical coal power plants

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Ohio Coal Development Office (OCDO) have undertaken a project aimed at identifying, evaluating, and qualifying the materials needed for the construction of the critical components of coal-fired boilers capable of operating at much higher efficiencies than current generation of supercritical plants. This increased efficiency is expected to be achieved principally through the use of advanced ultrasupercritical (A-USC) steam conditions up to 760°C (1400°F) and 35 MPa (5000 psi). A limiting factor to achieving these higher temperatures and pressures for future A-USC plants are the materials of construction. The goal of this project is to assess/develop materials technology to build and operate an A-USC boiler capable of delivering steam with conditions up to 760°C (1400°F)/35 MPa (5000 psi). The project has successfully met this goal through a focused long-term public-private consortium partnership. The project was based on an R&D plan developed by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and an industry consortium that supplemented the recommendations of several DOE workshops on the subject of advanced materials. In view of the variety of skills and expertise required for the successful completion of the proposed work, a consortium led by the Energy Industries of Ohio (EIO) with cost-sharing participation of all the major domestic boiler manufacturers, ALSTOM Power (Alstom), Babcock and Wilcox Power Generation Group, Inc. (B&W), Foster Wheeler (FW), and Riley Power, Inc. (Riley), technical management by EPRI and research conducted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been developed. The project has clearly identified and tested materials that can withstand 760°C (1400°F) steam conditions and can also make a 700°C (1300°F) plant more economically attractive. In this project, the maximum temperature capabilities of these and other available high-temperature alloys have been assessed to provide a basis for materials selection and application under a range of conditions prevailing in the boiler. A major effort involving eight tasks was completed in Phase 1. In a subsequent Phase 2 extension, the earlier defined tasks were extended to finish and enhance the Phase 1 activities. This extension included efforts in improved weld/weldment performance, development of longer-term material property databases, additional field (in-plant) corrosion testing, improved understanding of long-term oxidation kinetics and exfoliation, cyclic operation, and fabrication methods for waterwalls. In addition, preliminary work was undertaken to model an oxyfuel boiler to define local environments expected to occur and to study corrosion behavior of alloys under these conditions. This final technical report provides a comprehensive summary of all the work undertaken by the consortium and the research findings from all eight (8) technical tasks including A-USC boiler design and economics (Task 1), long-term materials properties (Task 2), steam- side oxidation (Task 3), Fireside Corrosion (Task 4), Welding (Task 5), Fabricability (Task 6), Coatings (Task 7), and Design Data and Rules (Task 8).

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
NASA NTRS1983

Study of Systems and Technology for Liquid Hydrogen Production Independent of Fossil Fuels

Based on Kennedy Space Center siting and logistics requirements and the nonfossil energy resources at the Center, a number of applicable technologies and system candidates for hydrogen production were identified and characterized. A two stage screening of these technologies in the light of specific criteria identified two leading candidates as nonfossil system approaches. Conceptual design and costing of two solar-operated, stand alone systems, one photovoltaic based on and the other involving the power tower approach reveals their technical feasibility as sited as KSC, and the potential for product cost competitiveness with conventional supply approaches in the 1990 to 1210 time period. Conventional water hydrolysis and hydrogen liquefaction subsystems are integrated with the solar subsystems.

Sprafka, R. J.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Improvement of Coal Power Plant Dry Cooling Technology through Application of Cold Thermal Energy Storage

The U.S. power infrastructure is currently heavily reliant on water cooling. The power plants in the U.S. account for approximately 40% of freshwater withdrawals, with 90% of it used in condenser cooling. The most used cooling technology in coal-fired power plants is a once-through condenser; however, this cooling method requires high water withdrawal rates and results in thermal pollution of the water source. Wet WCTs offer an alternative to once-through condensers due to much lower water withdrawals. However, these systems suffer from water consumption through evaporation making them undesirable options in areas subject to droughts and in arid areas. The direct dry cooled condensers (ACCs) and dry cooling towers (DCT) account for 1.8%, hybrid cooling (ACC + WCT) accounts for 0.5%, while other cooling technologies represent the rest (0.7%). The ACC/DCTs represent an attractive alternative for power plants; however, this technology has not been widely adopted in the US (less than 2% of power plants) due to its negative impact on plant performance. As a rule of thumb, dry cooling results in performance penalty equivalent to approximately 2%-point efficiency loss compared to wet cooling, although the actual magnitude varies with ambient dry bulb temperature, DBT which may vary considerably during the day. As DBT increases, the plant power output decreases, reaching a minimum at the hottest period of the day, which usually coincides with the highest electricity demand for air condition load. Therefore, performance of power plants using DCT/ACC cooling technology is the lowest during the summer mid-day when ambient temperature is the highest. For example, the decrease of the inlet air temperature to the DCT/ACC by 2 Deg C could generate up to 5% additional power at peak demand. It is, therefore, important to improve dry cooling technology to maintain the viability of coal-fired power plants in a carbon constrained future. The method for reducing the cooling air temperature and keeping it constant would mitigate this problem significantly. Objectives of this project were to develop, design, evaluate, and demonstrate a cost-effective system for improving performance of a DCT or ACC for thermal (coal-fired) power plant applications using a low-cost heat storage materials, such as pervious concrete (PC) and phase change material (PCM). Thus, the study focused on development of the system(s) that could be used to alleviate the difficulties in operating DCT/ACC during the summer months by storing cold energy during the nighttime in inexpensive materials PC and PCM and using it during the hottest period(s) of the day. Since very large quantities of cold energy need to be stored to make an impact on performance of a large power plant, it is essential that the storage materials and associated cold energy storage design(s) are inexpensive and the system is simple to build, maintain and operate. To achieve the project objectives, a comprehensive approach, including material development and characterization, component and system modeling, and laboratory- and prototype-scale experiments, was employed including modeling of the system components and of the entire system, development (engineering) of the materials for the heat storage modules of the Cold Thermal Energy Storage System (CTESS) and determination of their properties, design, manufacturing and setup of the laboratory- and prototype-scale test facility and testing, design, manufacturing and setup of the prototype-scale test facility. A modular design of CTESS was employed, where representative modules were designed as the integrated direct contact heat exchanger and thermal energy storage (TES) system. CTESS modules were manufactured and tested. Two prototype-scale designs of the CTESS modules were developed and tested. The use of CTESS increases plant generation increases since it lowers air temperature entering ACC/DCT and keeps it constant during the hottest time of the day. For a PCM-based CTESS, the ambient air temperature is lowered close to the PCM phase change temperature. The duration of the cooling effect depends on the latent heat and mass of PCM in the CTESS. For this project, commercial grade CaCl2 hexahydrate (CaCl2·6H2O or CC6) PCM with phase change temperature of 25 Deg. C was used due to its low cost. For practical reasons, the CTESS was designed to maintain the cooling effect for four hours. The low phase change temperature associated with the commercial grade PCM used in CTESS results in considerably higher improvement in net generation compared to the laboratory (pure) grade. The resistance to heat transfer results in lower net generation compared to the ideal case where resistance to heat transfer is zero. The results demonstrate that CTESS is effective in improving the performance of a dry cooling system. However, its effectiveness depends on the relationship between the ambient air conditions and PCM phase change temperature. As is the case with the heat rejection system, for the best performance, the PCM used in CTESS would need to be matched to the ambient air conditions. The results obtained in this report for selected geographical locations are valid for CC6 and demonstrate that the level of performance to be achieved by the technology will be location-dependent, as is the case with the air cooled condensers. The methodology for engineering of PC-PCM-based heat storage medium is applicable to other PCMs that may need to be used for other ambient air conditions and geographical locations.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2021

Enhancing Steam-Side Heat Transfer via Microdroplet Ejection using Inorganic Coatings

During condensation of water on a superhydrophobic nanostructured surfaces, droplets coalesce and jump (droplet ejection) due to the release of excess surface energy. Meticulously designed nanostructured surfaces or coatings capable of droplet ejection can enhance heat transfer performance by easy removal of droplets during condensation. In the present work, the capabilities of the Nelumbo droplet ejection coatings technology currently used in commercial heat exchangers are explored and optimized for materials and conditions relevant to steam condensers. Specifically, this includes (1) adapting and optimizing the procedures and chemistries to deposit droplet ejecting coatings on materials used in the steam condenser, (2) testing of the heat transfer, durability, and fouling of the fabricated coatings under a variety of steam condenser relevant conditions, and (3) modeling of the impact of droplet dynamics and interfacial properties on heat transfer in steam condensers. We experimentally demonstrated that at low supersaturation conditions (S~1.02), developed superhydrophobic nanostructured surface gives a 40% higher peak heat transfer flux and a 17% higher peak overall heat transfer coefficient (U) with droplet ejection mechanism compared to the dropwise condensation mechanism on the same nanostructured surface. Though the experimentally observed droplet ejection mechanism was short-lived (~3 min) due to the limitation of the chiller to maintain a constant supersaturation condition in fabricated steam condenser. And large variations in water inlet temperature (+ to - 2 degrees C) caused flooding of nanostructure (Wenzel state) at higher supersaturation (S > or = 1.12). This is an important finding because typical supersaturation levels in field operation are over 1.8 and as such, either the flooding potential for these materials should be improved or operation at lower supersaturation may be required to maximize heat transfer efficiency. If supersaturation conditions can be maintained reliably in the steam condenser in addition to droplet ejection mechanism during condensation, this could provide a potential 2% reduction in water flow rate which equates to a savings of over 3900 gallons of water per minute for a 500 MW steam turbine and over $0.3MM savings annually given a 0.02 cent marginal water withdrawal cost. It is also worth noting that these savings are based on improvement of droplet ejection coatings over coatings capable of performing consistent dropwise mechanism in in-field surface condensers. Savings due to the droplet ejections coatings when compared to bare substrates could be much higher. Additionally, the present work provides the importance of steam condenser operating conditions and insights into the challenges in modeling the condensing droplet dynamics on surfaces.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Illinois Storage Corridor, CarbonSAFE Phase III: UIC Class VI Permitting Plan

The Illinois Storage Corridor (ISC) project evaluated two distinct sites to determine the feasibility of commercial-scale CO₂ storage at each. The project leveraged the region's exceptional geological characteristics, particularly the well-characterized Cambro-Ordovician Storage Complex, to enable permanent geological storage of more than 50 million tonnes of CO₂ over 30 years. The two storage sites are located at One Earth Energy (OEE) facility in northcentral Illinois and Prairie State Generating Company (PSGC) in southcentral Illinois. Once operational, these facilities will combine to capture and store more than 6.5 million tonnes of CO₂ per year, positioning the ISC among the largest carbon storage regions globally. Preliminary homogeneous dynamic modeling based on regional and site-specific reservoir characteristics indicates promising injection capabilities at both locations. For the OEE site, modeling predicts a maximum allowable injection rate of 3.7 MTPA, with a baseline scenario of 1.7 MTPA over 30 years producing a CO₂ plume radius of 1.4 miles at end of injection. For the PSGC site, incorporating recent well data, modeling indicates a single-well maximum injection rate of 2.1 MTPA, with a plume radius of 4.2 miles at end of injection for the 60 MT over 30 years scenario. The primary objective of this CarbonSAFE Phase III project is to develop and submit Class VI Underground Injection Control (UIC) permit applications to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5. The permitting plan outlines comprehensive site characterization, Area of Review delineation, monitoring programs, well construction designs, financial responsibility provisions, and post-injection site care procedures necessary to demonstrate safe, permanent CO₂ storage protective of underground sources of drinking water. Three UIC Class VI permit applications for the OEE site were submitted to EPA in October 2022 and are progressing through technical review, with final permit decision projected by June 2026. Through five rounds of Requests for Additional Information and responses, the applications have been refined to address computational modeling, area of review delineation, well integrity, monitoring protocols, and financial assurance requirements. For the PSGC site, finalized characterization and permitting documentation was delivered directly to the facility in July 2023 due to business constraints precluding formal federal regulatory submission. This comprehensive permitting effort builds upon extensive prior subsurface evaluations and demonstration projects that have confirmed the feasibility of widespread commercial-scale carbon storage in the region.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2014

Optimizing Distributed Energy Resources and building retrofits with the strategic DER-CAModel

The pressuring need to reduce the import of fossil fuels as well as the need to dramatically reduce CO 2 emissions in Europe motivated the European Commission (EC) to implement several regulations directed to building owners. Most of these regulations focus on increasing the number of energy efficient buildings, both new and retrofitted, since retrofits play an important role in energy efficiency. Overall, this initiative results from the realization that buildings will have a significant impact in fulfilling the 20/20/20-goals of reducing the greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, increasing energy efficiency by 20%, and increasing the share of renewables to 20%, all by 2020. The Distributed Energy Resources Customer Adoption Model (DER-CAM) is an optimization tool used to support DER investment decisions, typically by minimizing total annual costs or CO 2 emissions while providing energy services to a given building or microgrid site. This document shows enhancements made to DER-CAM to consider building retrofit measures along with DER investment options. Specifically, building shell improvement options have been added to DER-CAM as alternative or complementary options to investments in other DER such as PV, solar thermal, combined heat and power, or energy storage. The extension of the mathematical formulation required by the new features introduced in DER-CAM is presented and the resulting model is demonstrated at an Austrian Campus building by comparing DER-CAM results with and without building shell improvement options. Strategic investment results are presented and compared to the observed investment decision at the test site. Results obtained considering building shell improvement options suggest an optimal weighted average U value of about 0.53 W/(m 2 K) for the test site. This result is approximately 25% higher than what is currently observed in the building, suggesting that the retrofits made in 2002 were not optimal. Furthermore, the results obtained with DER-CAM illustrate the complexity of interactions between DER and passive measure options, showcasing the need for a holistic optimization approach to effectively optimize energy costs and CO 2 emissions. Lastly, the simultaneous optimization of building shell improvements and DER investments enables building owners to take one step further towards nearly zero energy buildings (nZEB) or nearly zero carbon emission buildings (nZCEB), and therefore support the 20/20/20 goals.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Co-Firing Switchgrass and Waste Coal in A Power Plant: A Techno-Economic and Life Cycle Evaluation for The Ohio River Valley (SWITCH) (Final Technical Report for Ohio State/FE0032204)

Abandoned coal mine lands (AMLs) represent one of the most persistent environmental challenges in the United States. Prior to the enactment of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) in 1977, coal mining operations were not legally required to reclaim disturbed lands, leaving behind approximately 500,000 AML sites nationwide. These sites pose severe environmental and health risks, including acid mine drainage, soil and water contamination, and spontaneous combustion of waste coal piles. Millions of Americans live within one mile of these AMLs, underscoring the urgency of remediation. Traditional reclamation practices, such as planting cool-season grasses, often fail to fully restore ecological function or leverage the economic potential of these lands. This project addressed these challenges by developing integrated strategies for resource recovery, land reclamation, and sustainable energy production. This project evaluated an integrated strategy to convert this liability into an opportunity by recovering waste coal and co-firing it with switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) cultivated on reclaimed or marginal AML areas in existing coal-fired power plants. Switchgrass not only provides a renewable feedstock but also aids in land reclamation and carbon sequestration. 1) Remote Sensing and Machine Learning for Waste Coal Identification Using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and supervised classification, we applied four machine learning models to detect historical waste coal piles. Random Forest achieved the highest accuracy (precision: 86%, recall: 77%). Time-series analysis revealed gradual vegetation recovery since 1986, indicating natural reclamation processes in historical sites, while active mining areas showed ongoing disturbance. This workflow enables scalable monitoring and prioritization of reclamation efforts. 2) UAS-Based Stockpile Volume Estimation To quantify recoverable waste coal, we evaluated Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) equipped with Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and multispectral sensors. Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry combined with interpolated Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) achieved strong agreement with LiDAR reference volumes (Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) ≈147 m 3 , Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) ≈2%). Sensitivity analysis confirmed that spatial resolution significantly influences accuracy, emphasizing the need for high-resolution data for precise volume estimation. This approach offers a scalable, cost-effective, and accurate alternative to conventional ground-based surveys. 3) Switchgrass Cultivation for Bioenergy and Water Quality Improvement We assessed the hydrological and water quality impacts of converting AMLs to switchgrass production areas using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Results showed that converting 10% of the watershed area into the switchgrass production zone reduced streamflow by 3.1%, total suspended solids by 18.1%, total nitrogen by 7.6%, and total phosphorus by 6.2%, while achieving biomass yields of 8.6–9.2 metric tons per hectare. These findings highlight switchgrass as a dual-benefit strategy for land reclamation and bioenergy feedstock production. 4) Integrated Co-Firing and CCS for Carbon-Negative Power Generation We modeled co-firing scenarios using the Power Plant Flexible Model (PPFM) to evaluate plant efficiency, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Without carbon capture and storage (CCS), increasing switchgrass co-firing ratios reduced LCOE from $\$$150/MWh at 0% biomass to $\$$110/MWh at full substitution. Under CCS, costs remained higher (~$\$$250/MWh at 0% biomass) but decreased to $\$$200/MWh at 100% biomass, while enabling net-zero or carbon-negative electricity due to switchgrass sequestration benefits. Although CCS introduced efficiency penalties, pairing it with biomass co-firing offset these impacts and maximized climate benefits. Overall, optimizing co-firing ratios between 60-100%, supported by reliable logistics and storage strategies, emerged as a practical pathway to balance affordability, sustainability, and net-zero or negative GHG emissions while promoting productive reuse of AMLs.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2026

Qualitative Risk Assessment of Legacy Wells within the Estimated Prairie State Generating Company Area of Review

This report details the digitization of a legacy wellbore database, including data processing assumptions, parameter estimation, and risk assessment methodology. The database, comprising 6,454 documents, was provided by ISGS. It includes valuable data from the Prairie State Generating Company (PSGC) and One Earth Energy (OEE) sites of the CarbonSAFE Phase III – Illinois Storage Corridor project. The report focuses on wells within a 15-mile radius from the Lively Grove #1 (LG#1) well at PSGC site, evaluating subsurface conditions and potential risks. A total of 4,386 wellbores within 15 miles of the LG#1 well were filtered based on depth and formation codes. LG#1 is the stratigraphic well at the PSGC site drilled in 2021. Ninety-four (94) wells penetrating the Maquoketa Shale Group (the primary confining unit) within the estimated area-of-review (AoR) for the PSGC site were evaluated using a qualitative risk assessment (QRA) methodology. The QRA developed by Arbad et al. 2022 focuses on legacy wells within the AoR and categorizes them based on well construction details. The QRA identifies wells that need immediate attention by categorizing them based on penetration depth and protection. Wells within the AoR were categorized into nine groups based on penetrations and protections. These categories range from Type 1 wells, with no documentation, to Type 9 wells, which do not penetrate the primary confining unit or storage reservoir (unit). Well accessibility within the AoR varies based on well status, including Dry & Abandoned (DA), Plugged & Abandoned (PA), Injection (INJ), Oil/Gas Producing (PROD), and Observation (Obs) wells. Accessibility levels were determined by well construction, with DA wells being the least accessible and Observation wells the most accessible, impacting gas leakage detection possibilities. Remedial action priority of wells decreases from Type 1 to Type 9 wells. Type 1 to Type 6 wells with status DA and PA require immediate attention, while Type 7 and Type 8 wells are low priority. A risk matrix used to prioritize corrective actions for legacy wells is proposed to categorize wells within an AoR based on penetrations, protections, and accessibility. The methodology involves data acquisition, well categorization into nine types, and determining CO 2 leakage pathways using well schematics and geospatial mapping. This approach is particularly useful for managing the integrity of legacy wells throughout the lifecycle of a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project. A qualitative risk assessment of 94 wells within the AoR of the PSGC site identified 54 wells with high priority for corrective action due to penetration of the primary containment seal. The assessment utilizes color-coded maps to categorize well types and prioritize corrective actions, providing a comprehensive analysis. Schematics of wells penetrating the primary confining unit were drawn, and leakage pathways were identified. Details of all wells penetrating the confining zone are provided in the appendix, including information on well types, plugging, and casing status.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2022

Developing a Power Plant Suitability Model for the Energy Zones Mapping Tool

This report provides an example of designing, developing, and running a power plant suitability model in the Energy Zones Mapping Tool (EZMT), a public, web-based mapping tool with a large spatial database focused on energy infrastructure, energy resources, and related siting factors. The example focuses on natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plants, which have several unique and interesting characteristics. NGCC plants typically provide peaking power to the electrical grid. Such plants can be started or stopped relatively quickly and are often used to supplement base load plants (such as nuclear or coal) during times of peak electrical consumption or to counterbalance lulls in variable power generation (such as wind or solar). Due to these and other factors, NGCC plants have been projected to increase in number under energy planning studies such as Hadley et al. The scope of the Hadley et. al. study is the Eastern Interconnection (EI), the electrical transmission grid serving much of the United States and Canada east of the Rocky Mountains. Results in the study are organized according to 22 Multi-region National—North American Electricity and Environment Model (NEEM) regions within the EI. NGCC plants usually have lower water requirements than other thermoelectric power plants they may replace; therefore, they are expected to have an interesting role in reducing the overall water requirements of energy generation.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Nuclear Hybrid Energy Systems Initial Integrated Case Study Development and Analysis

The US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy established the Nuclear Hybrid Energy System (NHES) project to develop a systematic, rigorous, technically accurate set of methods to model, analyze, and optimize the integration of dispatchable nuclear, fossil, and electric storage with an industrial customer. Ideally, the optimized integration of these systems will provide economic and operational benefits to the overall system compared to independent operation, and it will enhance the stability and responsiveness of the grid as intermittent, nondispatchable, renewable resources provide a greater share of grid power.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Minimizing Cr-Evaporation from Balance Of Plant Components By Utilizing Cost-Effective Alumina-Forming Austenitic Steels

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a clean and efficient energy conversion device. The development of intermediate-temperature SOFCs has made it preferable to use metallic interconnects (MICs) to greatly reduce the cost and significantly increase the efficiency compared to ceramic interconnect materials. However, gaseous chromium species will evaporate from the chromium-containing layer formed on the surface of commonly used MICs and balance of plant (BoP) components. Volatile chromium species have been shown to form solid deposits which poison the cathodes of SOFCs, causing drastic cell performance degradation and thereby limiting commercialization. In order to alleviate the Cr poisoning and achieve long-term high performance of SOFC stacks, various Al 2 O 3 -forming austenitic (AFA) stainless steels applied at different temperatures are evaluated in this project. Based on our Phase I results (500 h operation), it is shown that on the AFAs, an alumina-based protective layer forms under high temperature that is invulnerable to water vapor effects and suppresses the diffusion of chromium and manganese which can prevent the generation of spinels on the alloy surface. Therefore, 310S, OC4 and OC5 at 800 °C and 625, OC11 and OC11LZ at 900 °C are selected to be tested in the Phase II long-term operation. From the results, we find that besides the lower Cr evaporation rates and better oxidation resistance of AFAs than benchmark alloys after short-term (500 h) operation, AFAs also possess the sturdy and compact alumina layer after a long-term operation (5000 h). A protective oxide layer is of great importance for the long-term high-temperature operation of structural materials. The high-temperature oxidation behavior of AFAs and commercial 310S and 625 alloys in Air + 10% H 2 O at 800 °C and 900 °C is systematically investigated. Severe breakaway oxidation and minor spallation are observed for the 310S and 625 after the long-term operation, while the AFAs show high oxidation resistance. It is found that the formation of a continuous alumina layer could greatly prevent the volatilization of chromium vapors. In addition, the corresponding evolving models are discussed. Chromium evaporation from BoP components in high-temperature environment could severely deteriorate the electrochemical performance of SOFC. Several methods were applied to evaluate the Cr evaporation rates of BoP after 500 h exposure at 800 °C to 900 °C in air with 10% H 2 O. An optimal method was designed to exclude the effect of silicon (Si) deposits from quartz tube and sodium (Na) deposits from the sodium carbonate on the oxidation process and the chemical interaction between Cr gaseous species and alumina tube which could provide further quantitative correlation of the evaporated Cr species quantities and degradation rates of SOFC. Based on the great performance of AFAs after long-term operation, AFAs are assembled with Anode-supported cells (ASC) to investigate the the Cr deposition of anode-supported cell under a constant current density of 0.5 A cm -2 at 800 °C with AFA alloys compared with commercial alloys. In addition, the anodic and cathodic processes are deconvoluted by distribution of relaxation times (DRT) method which are comprehensively discussed. It is found out that the voltage exhibited a slight decrease of 5.09 % and 1.54 % in the presence of OC11 and OC11LZA alloy, respectively. However, a considerable decrease of 22.14 % and 12.06 % was determined in the presence of 310S and 625 alloy, respectively. AFAs possessing the low-cost, low Cr evaporation rates and the high oxidation resistance will make it of great potential to replace the existing BoP components.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2015

Resource demand growth and sustainability due to increased world consumption

The paper aims at continuing the discussion on sustainability and attempts to forecast the impossibility of the expanding consumption worldwide due to the planet’s limited resources. As the population of China, India and other developing countries continue to increase, they would also require more natural and financial resources to sustain their growth. We coarsely estimate the volumes of these resources (energy, food, freshwater) and the gross domestic product (GDP) that would need to be achieved to bring the population of India and China to the current levels of consumption in the United States. We also provide estimations for potentially needed immediate growth of the world resource consumption to meet this equality requirement. Given the tight historical correlation between GDP and energy consumption, the needed increase of GDP per capita in the developing world to the levels of the U.S. would deplete explored fossil fuel reserves in less than two decades. These estimates predict that the world economy would need to find a development model where growth would be achieved without heavy dependence on fossil fuels.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗