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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 1,639 records · Page 91

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2011

Acceptance Performance Test Guideline for Utility Scale Parabolic Trough and Other CSP Solar Thermal Systems: Preprint

Prior to commercial operation, large solar systems in utility-size power plants need to pass a performance acceptance test conducted by the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor or owners. In lieu of the present absence of ASME or other international test codes developed for this purpose, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has undertaken the development of interimguidelines to provide recommendations for test procedures that can yield results of a high level of accuracy consistent with good engineering knowledge and practice. Progress on interim guidelines was presented at SolarPACES 2010. Significant additions and modifications were made to the guidelines since that time, resulting in a final report published by NREL in April 2011. This paper summarizesthose changes, which emphasize criteria for assuring thermal equilibrium and steady state conditions within the solar field.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS1978

Storage systems for solar thermal power

A major constraint to the evolution of solar thermal power systems is the need to provide continuous operation during periods of solar outage. A number of high temperature thermal energy storage technologies which have the potential to meet this need are currently under development. The development status is reviewed of some thermal energy storage technologies specifically oriented towards providing diurnal heat storage for solar central power systems and solar total energy systems. These technologies include sensible heat storage in caverns and latent heat storage using both active and passive heat exchange processes. In addition, selected thermal storage concepts which appear promising to a variety of advanced solar thermal system applications are discussed.

Calogeras, J. E.↗

DOE OSTI2022

Preparing Solar Photovoltaic Systems Against Storms. Pre-Storm Solar PV Checklist: Distributed Ground-Mounted Systems

Through funding provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has used subject matter experts to compile a set of checklists to help Puerto Rico and other communities prepare for storms. Renewable energy and distributed energy systems have the potential to provide power to neighborhoods, vulnerable residents, and certain facilities within a community, if those systems are designed to provide power during a grid disruption. The storm-hardening checklists provide storm preparation actions that can increase the chances that solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are available when communities need them most.

disaster preparedness↗

DOE OSTI2017

Precession of Mercury’s Perihelion from Ranging to the MESSENGER Spacecraft

The perihelion of Mercury’s orbit precesses due to perturbations from other solar system bodies, solar quadrupole moment (J {sub 2}), and relativistic gravitational effects that are proportional to linear combinations of the parametrized post-Newtonian parameters β and γ. The orbits and masses of the solar system bodies are quite well known, and thus the uncertainty in recovering the precession rate of Mercury’s perihelion is dominated by the uncertainties in the parameters J {sub 2}, β, and γ. Separating the effects due to these parameters is challenging since the secular precession rate has a linear dependence on each parameter. Here we use an analysis of radiometric range measurements to the MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) spacecraft in orbit about Mercury to estimate the precession of Mercury’s perihelion. We show that the MESSENGER ranging data allow us to measure not only the secular precession rate of Mercury’s perihelion with substantially improved accuracy, but also the periodic perturbation in the argument of perihelion sensitive to β and γ. When combined with the γ estimate from a Shapiro delay experiment from the Cassini mission, we can decouple the effects due to β and J {sub 2} and estimate both parameters, yielding (β−1)=(−2.7±3.9)×10{sup −5} and J {sub 2} = (2.25 ± 0.09) × 10{sup −7}. We also estimate the total precession rate of Mercury’s perihelion as 575.3100 ± 0.0015″/century and provide estimated contributions and uncertainties due to various perturbing effects.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Preparing Solar Photovoltaic Systems Against Storms. Pre-Storm Solar PV Checklist: Distributed Roof-Mounted Systems

disaster preparedness↗

NASA NTRS1982

Chemical evolution of OB associations

It is determined that the existence of Al-26 and Pd-107 in meteorites in the early solar system indicates that our solar system probably formed inside an OB association that had been contaminated by the debris of at least one supernova. In addition to these radioactive tracers, the contamination of the material out of which the solar system formed would have significantly enriched the heavy element composition of the solar system relative to that of the average interstellar medium. It is found that the solar system would be enriched in those isotopes which are produced by the more massive stars, such as O-16, C-12, Ne-20, and some other r-process material. It is proposed that specific isotopic ratios and elemental ratios reflecting these differences would include the Ne-20/Ne-22 ratio, which would be higher in the solar system than in the interstellar medium and the cosmic rays, the C-12/C-13 ratio which would be higher in the solar system than in the interstellar medium, and the oxygen-to-carbon ratio, which would also be higher in the solar system than in the typical interstellar medium.

Schramm, D. N.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Multielectrode Array Sensors to Enable Long-Duration Corrosion Monitoring and Control of Concentrating Solar Power Systems

Molten mixtures of MgCl2-KCl-NaCl are promising heat transfer fluid (HTF) candidates for the next generation of concentrating solar power systems (Gen3 CSP), because of their low cost, high decomposition temperature, and favorable heat transfer characteristics. However, if the chemistry of the salts is not properly controlled, molten chlorides can cause corrosion of high-temperature metal alloys, such as Inconel (R), in CSP systems. Here we demonstrate a corrosion monitoring system that can be used to monitor the health of the structural alloys over long durations. The monitoring system includes a multielectrode array voltammetry sensor that measures the redox potential of molten MgCl2-KCl-NaCl mixture as well as the presence of corrosion products and impurities. The sensors have been successfully operated in static molten salt environments for long durations, and are capable of detecting corrosion products, such as Cr2+ and Fe2+, quantitatively at low concentrations (i.e., approximately 100 ppm) with less than 4% error.

Concentrated solar power↗

NASA NTRS1976

The Redox Flow System for solar photovoltaic energy storage

The interfacing of a Solar Photovoltaic System and a Redox Flow System for storage was workable. The Redox Flow System, which utilizes the oxidation-reduction capability of two redox couples, in this case iron and titanium, for its storage capacity, gave a relatively constant output regardless of solar activity so that a load could be run continually day and night utilizing the sun's energy. One portion of the system was connected to a bank of solar cells to electrochemically charge the solutions, while a separate part of the system was used to electrochemically discharge the stored energy.

Odonnell, P.↗

NASA NTRS1963

A 4-Kilowatt Steam Rankine Cycle Solar Power System

Steam rankine cycle solar power system

RANKINE CYCLE↗

DOE OSTI2022

Preparing Solar Photovoltaic Systems Against Storms. Pre-Storm Solar PV Checklist: Utility-Scale Ground-Mounted Systems

POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION,SOLAR ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS1979

Solar-heating system performance tests

Report contains results of performance tests on complete system for solar space and hot-water heating system that uses commercially available components. Results were used to determine system suitability for field installation and to generate performance data base for comparison with future tests on field installed systems.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1980

Performance characteristics of point-focusing distributed-receiver solar Brayton systems

Due to variations in solar insolation, it may be necessary or desirable to operate solar energy systems continuously in off-design conditions. Design of solar energy systems should maximize system efficiency at the design point and throughout the range of operational solar insolation. The solar power system considered in this study consists of a point-focusing concentrator, a cavity receiver, an open cycle gas turbine engine, and a heat regenerator. A computer simulation model was developed to predict off-design system performance. Results showing system efficiency and associated subsystems interface requirements are presented for various turbine inlet temperatures and engine speeds.

El Gabalawi, N.↗

DOE OSTI2018

Compensation of Axis Errors of Azimuth and Zenith Moving Concentrators in Programmable Solar-Tracking Systems

The solar-energy industry is currently concerned with improving software systems of sun-tracking concentrators. It is a feature of programmable tracking that there is no feedback from the tracked object, unlike in the case of optical tracking. In this regard, the accuracy of programmable tracking is affected by a large number of factors—in particular, axis-alignment errors. An error-checking algorithm is considered for the azimuth and zenith concentrator axes in programmable sun tracking. Effects of these errors on the accuracy of programmable tracking are assessed. It is shown that zenith axis errors have the same amount of influence as the vertical deviation of the azimuth axis, primarily affecting the azimuth angle, while its influence on the solar elevation can be neglected. The cumulative effect of axial errors is most noticeable when they have the same signs and lie in the same plane.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS1984

Solar Energy Systems

Calibrated in kilowatt hours per square meter, the solar counter produced by Dodge Products, Inc. provides a numerical count of the solar energy that has accumulated on a surface. Solar energy sensing, measuring and recording devices in corporate solar cell technology developed by Lewis Research Center. Customers for their various devices include architects, engineers and others engaged in construction and operation of solar energy facilities; manufacturers of solar systems or solar related products, such as glare reducing windows; and solar energy planners in federal and state government agencies.

Source record↗

DOE OSTI2016

What Factors Affect the Prices of Low-Priced U.S. Solar PV Systems?

The price of solar PV systems has declined rapidly, yet there are some much lower-priced systems than others. This study explores the factors leading some systems to be so much lower priced than others. Using a data set of 42,611 residential-scale PV systems installed in the U.S. in 2013, we use quantile regressions to estimate the importance of factors affecting the installed prices for low-priced (LP) systems (those at the 10th percentile) in comparison to median-priced systems. We find that the value of solar to consumers–a variable that accounts for subsidies, electric rates, and PV generation levels–is associated with lower prices for LP systems but higher prices for median priced systems. Conversely, systems installed in new home construction are associated with lower prices at the median but higher prices for LP. Other variables have larger cost-reducing effects on LP than on median priced systems: systems installed in Arizona and Florida, as well as commercial and thin film systems. In contrast, the following have a smaller effect on prices for LP systems than median priced systems: tracking systems, self-installations, systems installed in Massachusetts, the system size, and installer experience. These results highlight the complex factors at play that lead to LP systems and shed light into how such LP systems can come about.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2017

What factors affect the prices of low-priced U.S. solar PV systems?

The price of solar PV systems has declined rapidly, yet there are some much lower-priced systems than others. This study explores the factors that determine prices in these low-priced (LP) systems. Using a data set of 42,611 residential-scale PV systems installed in the U.S. in 2013, we use quantile regressions to estimate the importance of factors affecting the installed prices for LP systems (those at the 10th percentile) in comparison to median-priced systems. We find that the value of solar to consumers-a variable that accounts for subsidies, electric rates, and PV generation levels-is associated with lower prices for LP systems but higher prices for median priced systems. Conversely, systems installed in new home construction are associated with lower prices at the median but higher prices for LP. Other variables have larger price-reducing effects on LP than on median priced systems: systems installed in Arizona and Florida, as well as commercial and thin film systems. In contrast, the following have a smaller effect on prices for LP systems than median priced systems: tracking systems, self-installations, systems installed in Massachusetts, the system size, and installer experience. Furthermore, these results highlight the complex factors at play that lead to LP systems and shed light into how such LP systems can come about.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2012

Multifunctional Solar Energy Systems Research Project

The solar energy available within the visible portion of the solar spectrum is about 300 W/m 2 (43%) and that available in the UV and IR portion is about 400 W/m 2 (57%). This provides opportunities for developing integrated energy systems that capture and use specific wavelengths of the solar spectrum for different purposes. For example: biofuels from photosynthetic microbes use only the visible light; solar cells use a narrow band of the solar spectrum that could be either mostly in the visible or in the IR regions of the solar spectrum, depending on the photovoltaic materials, e.g., gallium antimonide (GaSb) cells utilize predominately IR radiation; and finally, solar panels that heat water utilize a broad range of wavelengths (visible plus IR). The basic idea of this research is that sunlight has many possible end-use applications including both direct use and energy conversion schemes; it is technically feasible to develop multifunctional solar energy systems capable of addressing several end-use needs while increasing the overall solar energy utilization efficiency when compared to single-purpose solar technologies. Such a combination of technologies could lead to more cost-competitive "multifunctional" systems that add value and broaden opportunities for integrated energy systems. The goal of this research is to increase the overall energy efficacy and cost competitiveness of solar systems. The specific objectives of this research were: 1) Evaluate the efficacy of a combined photobioreactor and electric power system; 2) Improve the reliability and cost effectiveness of hybrid solar lighting systems – a technology in which sunlight is collected and distributed via optical fibers into the interior of a building; 3) Evaluate the efficacy of using filtered light to increase the production of biomass in photobioreactors and provide more solar energy for other uses; 4) Evaluates several concepts for wavelength shifting such that a greater percentage of the solar spectrum energy can be used for photosynthesis.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

NASA NTRS1978

Prototype residential solar-energy system

Complete solar-energy domestic-hot-water system for single-family residences is described in brochure. It contains data on procurement, installation, operation, and maintainance of system in residential or light commercial buildings. Appendix includes vendor brochures for major system components. Drawings, tables, and graphs complement text.

Source record↗