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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 19 records

An Experimental Investigation of Supercritical Methane Injection Characteristics in a CO2 Environment

Abstract Clean energy generation is gaining significant attention from industries, academia, and governments across the globe. The Allam cycle is one such technology that has been under focus due to its efficiency, environmental friendliness, and economics. This is a direct-fired cycle operating at supercritical conditions using carbon dioxide as a working fluid. Fuel or oxidizer jet mixing with CO2 is a vital phenomenon that governs combustion efficiency, and it is not well understood for the Allam cycle conditions. This paper experimentally investigated the jet characteristics of a methane jet injected into a subcritical to supercritical carbon dioxide environment. A wide range of injection pressures and temperatures were targeted between subcritical to supercritical conditions. Unlike previous studies, the current work focused on injecting lower-density (methane) jets into higher-density (carbon dioxide) environments. Schlieren imaging and methane absorption measurements were simultaneously performed with a CMOS high-speed camera and a 3.39 μm infrared laser. Specifically, we looked at the classical injection parameter of jet spreading angle, which was classically established to be mainly a density ratio function. Here, the jet cone angle was obtained from the postprocessed schlieren imaging. The jet cone angle is a critical characteristic parameter that describes the entrainment rate in a jet; thus, it is a crucial parameter in understanding the nature of the jet. The laser measurements were only used as an additional check to confirm the entry time of methane into the chamber filled with carbon dioxide. Notably, this paper makes a detailed comparison between the jet cone angles of jets with a density ratio. The result showed that the classical correlations, such as Abramovich's theory applied to submerged turbulent gas jets developed for low-density ratio jets, were unsuitable for higher-density ratio jets. It was also observed that the divergence angles were dependent not only on density ratio but also on other parameters such as pressure ratios and reduced pressures.

Engineering↗

Determination of the Diffusion Coefficients of Binary CH4 and C2H6 in a Supercritical CO2 Environment (500–2000 K and 100–1000 atm) by Molecular Dynamics Simulations

The self-diffusion coefficients of carbonaceous fuels in a supercritical CO2 environment provide transport information that can help us understand the Allam Cycle mechanism at a high pressure of 300 atm. The diffusion coefficients of pure CO2 and binary CO2/CH4 and CO2/C2H6 at high temperatures (500 K~2000 K) and high pressures (100 atm~1000 atm) are determined by molecular dynamics simulations in this study. Increasing the temperature leads to an increase in the diffusion coefficient, and increasing the pressure leads to a decrease in the diffusion coefficients for both methane and ethane. The diffusion coefficient of methane at 300 atm is approximately 0.012 cm2/s at 1000 K and 0.032 cm2/s at 1500 K. The diffusion coefficient of ethane at 300 atm is approximately 0.016 cm2/s at 1000 K and 0.045 cm2/s at 1500 K. The understanding of diffusion coefficients potentially leads to the reduction in fuel consumption and minimization of greenhouse gas emissions in the Allam Cycle.

Energy & Fuels↗

Restoring Pre-Industrial CO2 Levels While Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Unless humanity achieves United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and restores the relatively stable climate of pre-industrial CO2 levels (as early as 2140), species extinctions, starvation, drought/floods, and violence will exacerbate mass migrations. This paper presents conceptual designs and techno-economic analyses to calculate sustainable limits for growing high-protein seafood and macroalgae-for-biofuel. We review the availability of wet solid waste and outline the mass balance of carbon and plant nutrients passing through a hydrothermal liquefaction process. The paper reviews the availability of dry solid waste and dry biomass for bioenergy with CO2 capture and storage (BECCS) while generating Allam Cycle electricity. Sufficient wet-waste biomass supports quickly building hydrothermal liquefaction facilities. Macroalgae-for-biofuel technology can be developed and straightforwardly implemented on SDG-achieving high protein seafood infrastructure. The analyses indicate a potential for (1) 0.5 billion tonnes/yr of seafood; (2) 20 million barrels/day of biofuel from solid waste; (3) more biocrude oil from macroalgae than current fossil oil; and (4) sequestration of 28 to 38 billion tonnes/yr of bio-CO2. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) costs are between 25–33% of those for BECCS with pre-2019 technology or the projected cost of air-capture CDR.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Combustion Kinetics Model Development & Fluid Property Experimental Investigation For Improved Design Of Supercritical CO 2 Power Cycle Components

Supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO 2 ) cycles are being investigated for the future of power generation and will contribute to a carbon-neutral future to combat the effects of climate change. These direct-fired closed cycles will produce power without adding significant pollutants to the atmosphere. For such cycles to be efficient, they will need to operate at significantly higher pressures (e.g., 300 atm for Allam Cycle) than existing systems (typically less than 40 atm). There is limited knowledge on combustion at these high pressures and with a high dilution of carbon dioxide. Also, various experimental and computational investigations and model developments have been performed by the University of Central Florida (UCF), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), and Stanford University (S.U.) to improve the current knowledge base and support the design and development of sCO 2 combustors. This project's technical aspects include chemical kinetics development, fundamental sCO 2 combustion, combustion model and sub-model development, supercritical fluid injection characterization, and heat transfer characterization.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

Measurements of Density and Sound Speed in Mixtures Relevant to Supercritical CO2 Cycles

Abstract The objective of this research is to validate properties of mixtures relevant to supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycles. Direct-fired sCO2 cycles are a promising technology for the future power generation systems. The working fluid of sCO2 cycles will be near and above critical point of CO2. One of the challenges is that the simulation of mixtures should consider real gas behavior. Expected operating conditions of Allam cycles reach up to 300 bar and 1000 °C. Characterizing the mixtures at the extreme conditions is an important issue in current researches and industrial applications. Thermophysical properties of mixtures may be beyond the valid range of the widely used database such as NIST REFPROP. Experimental data of mixture properties in the literature are limited which is necessary to develop high-fidelity design tools for sCO2 power cycles. We measured the density and sound speed of several multi-component mixtures. A temperature-controlled high-pressure test cell was used for the density measurements. Sound speed was measured by resonant frequency detection using an external speaker and a piezoelectric pressure sensor. Mixtures studied in this work include carbon dioxide, methane, oxygen, and water vapor. Properties of pure CO2 were measured to show the validity of our technique. Compositions were selected to be close to frozen mixtures at the inlet, mid-progress, and exhaust conditions of a model sCO2 combustor in the previous numerical simulation work. Corresponding reaction progress variables (RPV) were RPV = 0, 0.5, and 1. Temperature and pressure conditions of experiments are 310–450 K and 0–150 bar. In our study, density and sound speed from the NIST REFPROP database agree with experimental measurements within the range of our measurement uncertainties.

Energy & Fuels↗

Design and Modeling of an 80 bar Oxy-Combustor for Direct Fired Supercritical CO2 Applications

As supercritical CO2 power cycles for fossil energy power generation continue to generate interest, there are significant issues and unanswered questions regarding injector design, flame stabilization, wall heat transfer, CO emissions, combustion dynamics and other combustion phenomenon. For natural gas, direct-fired cycles with carbon capture it is believed that Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling will play an essential role in the combustor design process. To accurately model turbulent reacting flows at these unique conditions, experimental data is needed to validate CFD codes and sub-models and is currently lacking at conditions relevant for these cycles. This paper presents the conceptual design and CFD simulations of an experimental 80 bar oxy-combustion facility and test article currently under construction at NETL. The facility is targeted towards the testing of a single injector, direct-fired sCO2 combustor at the 100 kW thermal output level. While these conditions do not reflect the actual Allam cycle operating conditions (300 bar) they are viewed as a stepping stone in the model validation process at supercritical conditions. Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes as well as Large Eddy Simulation are used to model the turbulent combustion process and aid in the design of the combustor and injector. Process parameters including oxidizer preheat temperature and combustor flowrate are investigated.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Summary of Structural Alloy Compatibility in Supercritical CO2 at 450°-800°C

Supercritical CO2 (sCO2) is of interest as a working fluid for several concepts including the direct- fired Allam cycle as a low-emission fossil energy power cycle. Over the past 10 years, laboratory exposures at 300 bar sCO2 have found reasonably good compatibility for Ni-based alloys at <800°C, including an assessment of the sCO2 impact on room temperature mechanical properties after 750°C exposures. However, initial screening tests at 1 and 20 bar CO2 at 900°-1100°C showed poor compatibility for Ni-based alloys. In an open cycle, the introduction of 1%O2 and 0.1- 0.25%H2O impurities at 300 bar increased the reaction rates ≥2X at 750°C. At lower temperatures, steels are susceptible to C ingress and embrittlement. Creep-strength enhanced ferritic steels may be limited to <550°C and conventional stainless steels to <600°C. Two strategies to increase those temperatures are higher Ni and Cr alloying additions and Al- or Cr-rich coatings. Alloy 709 (Fe- 20Cr-25Ni) shows some promising results at 650°C in sCO2 but reaction rates were accelerated with the addition of O2 and H2O impurities. Pack aluminized and chromized Gr.91 (Fe-9Cr-1Mo) and type 316H stainless steel show some promise at 600°-650°C but further coating optimization is needed.

Pint, Bruce↗

Influence of Real Gas Effects on Chemical Kinetics in Oxycombustion in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Oxycombustion in supercritical carbon dioxide is an integral part of the Allam Cycle, a technology that enables carbon-neutral use of fossil-fuels and carbon-negative use of biofuels. We simulate oxycombustion in a realistic combustor geometry for two sets of fuel conditions: pure methane, and a 40 percent methane/60 percent carbon dioxide blend, both at 343.15 K. The fuel jet mixes with a preheated swirler of 20 percent oxygen and 80 percent carbon dioxide at 1005.35 K, with a 100 percent carbon dioxide coflow at 783.15 K. The entire system operates at a pressure of 300 bar, putting the entire system above the critical temperature and pressure of carbon dioxide. Simulations are performed using PeleC, a compressible block-structured adaptive-mesh refinement (AMR) reacting flow code. Direct comparison of results using thermodynamically self-consistent implementations of the ideal gas equation of state and the Soave-Redlich-Kwong (SRK) equation of state allow quantification of the real gas impacts on combustion kinetics, flow temperatures, and pollutant formation.

carbon dioxide↗

CO Laser Absorption Measurements During Syngas Combustion at High Pressure

Abstract Syngas is a desirable fuel for combustion in the Allam-Fetvedt cycle, which involves combustion under supercritical-CO2 conditions. While some work has been conducted in collecting ignition delay times (IDT) at the extreme pressures required by these systems, significant model deficiencies remain. Additionally, considerable barriers in terms of nonideal gas dynamic effects have been shown for these experiments in shock tubes. Further investigation into the fundamental combustion kinetics of H2/CO/CO2 mixtures is required. Time-resolved speciation measurements for target species have been shown to better aid in improving the understanding of underlying chemical kinetics than global ignition delay time measurements. Therefore, laser absorption measurements of CO were measured behind reflected shock waves during combustion of syngas at 5 and 10 bar and temperatures between 1080 and 2100 K. The mixtures investigated utilized H2-to-CO ratios of 1:1 and 1:4, respectively, each at stoichiometric conditions, allowing for discussions of the effect of initial fuel composition. A ratio of fuel to CO2 of 1:2 was also utilized to represent commercially available syngas. The mixtures were diluted in helium and argon (20% He, 76.5% Ar) to minimize thermal effects and to expedite CO thermal relaxation during the experiment. The resulting CO time histories were then compared to modern chemical kinetics mechanisms, and disagreement is seen for this system, which is assumed to be fairly well known. This study elucidates particular chemistry that needs improvement in moving toward a better understanding of syngas combustion at elevated pressures.

Engineering↗

Simulation of Methane Oxycombustion in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

The Allam-Fetvedt Cycle (AFC) offers the potential for electricity generation with minimal or even negative carbon emissions by using oxycombustion in supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2). Because of the extreme high temperatures and pressures encountered in these systems, simulation of oxycombustion requires use of a complex equation of state such as the modified Soave-Redlich-Kwong (SRK) equation, coupled with equally complex correlations for transport properties. The current work simulates a model combustor using both an ideal gas equation of state and the SRK equation of state. The model combustor features a jet of CH4 mixing with and reacting with O2 in the sCO2 ambient. Two jet configurations are considered: one of pure CH4, and one of CH4 mixed with sCO2. Comparison of results shows that key output properties such as combustor temperature and flow distribution are impacted by the choice of equations of state. Inspection of simulation results shows that mixing and reaction rates, as well as the uniformity of the flow, are impacted by the choice of equation of state. These results show that even though use of a complex equation of state greatly increases the computational costs of these simulations, it is critical to accurately capturing the physics of these systems.

computational fluid dynamics↗

Detailed Design and Cost Estimation of a 300 MWe Oxy-Fuel sCO2 Turbine

The detailed design of a 300 MWe, utility scale oxy-fuel turbine has been completed for purposed operation in the sCO2 direct fired Allam-Fetvedt cycle, targeting near-zero emissions and a 50% LHV system efficiency. The turbine and its supporting plant aim to offer a lower levelized cost of energy than a natural gas combined cycle plant employing carbon capture. The oxy-fuel turbine conditions include an inlet temperature of 1150°C and inlet pressure of 305 bar, representing temperatures near that of a gas turbine simultaneously with pressures near an ultra-supercritical steam turbine. The combustor housing and turbine designs were completed according to the ASME BPVC; the turbine case specifically incorporates a multi-body design with inner high-pressure barrel case and low-pressure (30 bar) horizontally split outer case of low-chromium steel material. Lateral rotordynamic evaluation demonstrated acceptable vibration response for a range of imbalance conditions per API standards. The cooling flow required in the six-stage turbine flowpath for 30,000 hr. blade and stator lifetime is predicted through thermal and structural modeling of the first stage. The provided cost estimate of the turbine is formed through a combination of scaled up-costs from procured 10 MWe scale sCO2 turbomachinery hardware, and vendor provided budgetary quotes of larger components including the turbine case requiring casting, welding, and final machining processes. The performance and cost estimation of the oxy-fuel turbine predicted for the completed detailed design provides important information towards future development needs for market penetration of utility scale direct fired sCO2 power cycles.

Marshall, Michael [Southwest Research Institute, S↗

Flexible Oxy-Fuel Combustion for High-Penetration Variable Renewables

A thermodynamic model was developed for the oxy-combustion Allam-Fetvedt cycle. This information was then used to develop an optimized dispatch strategy using price strips supplied by the modeling teams. The price strips represent future possible grid configurations that include a high penetration of variable renewables and a carbon tax. Multiple optimization strategies and tools were used to maximize the net present value (NPV) of the plant on these potential future grids. The optimization varied the size of the air separation unit, the size of oxygen storage tanks, the size of carbon dioxide storage tanks and the flow rate of the carbon dioxide pipeline. The team was able to determine a dispatch strategy that resulted in a positive NPV for all price strips. This indicates that an oxy-combustion plant with oxygen storage would be economically viable on a future grid with a high degree of variable renewables.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Development of Novel Combustion Codes for Supercritical CO2 Combustion: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-20-17182

The Allam-Fetvedt Cycle, a novel supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power cycle developed by 8 Rivers Capital, LLC, generates low-cost power from fossil fuels while capturing combustion-CO2. This cycle employs high-temperature oxy-combustion using sCO2 as the working fluid, leading to a challenging environment for materials. The most critical component for reliable deployment of this technology is the combustor-turbine interface. In the proposed partnership between NREL and 8 Rivers, we will develop a simulation-based tool to provide key design inputs for defining the materials and geometries required in this critical area.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

High-Fidelity Simulations of Supercritical CO2 Based Oxy-Combustion with Non-Ideal Equation of State

The supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) Allam-Fetvedt cycle employs high-temperature oxy-combustion using sCO2 as the working fluid, leading to a unique and challenging environment for materials. In this cycle, pressurized gaseous fuel is combusted in the presence of a hot oxidant flow containing a mixture of CO2 and oxygen and a hot CO2 diluent recycle stream at approximately 300 bar under lean combustion conditions. We present high-fidelity reacting simulations of this oxy-combustor environment and compare the results when performing simulations with ideal and non-ideal equations of state. By doing so, we identify if the combustor behavior at the regime of interest is sensitive enough to the equation of state to justify the added computational cost incurred with a non-ideal equation of state.

equation of state↗

Heat Transfer Experiments of a 1st Stage Blade Cascade for Supercritical CO2 Oxy-Combustion Turbine Application

The results of internally cooled 1st stage blade (S1B) cascade testing in a supercritical CO2 environment is presented. The turbine blade design has been previously established for the end application of an oxy-combustion turbine operating in the Allam-Fetvedt cycle with turbine inlet conditions of 305 bar and 1150°C. The internally cooled blade features leading edge (LE) region impingement cooling, mid-section ribbed serpentine passages, and a pin-finned trailing edge (TE) region before cooling ejection holes. The geometry for the tested blade cascade has a cooled central blade with un-cooled blades on either side to match flowpath areas of the actual turbine. The flowpath reuses internal components previously employed for mid-section region ribbed serpentine passage experiments that established Nusselt number enhancement ratios over a range of Reynolds numbers from 100,000-400,000. New components include flow conditioning plates upstream and downstream of the blade cascade to adequately represent the flow field and blade external heat transfer coefficient profiles for the actual turbine. The cooled central blade utilizes uniform crystal temperature sensors (UCTS) with six sensors each on the blade pressure and suction surfaces distributed radially and from LE to TE. The post-processed UCTS quantified the maximum wall temperature seen at each installed sensor location. The test procedure consisted of establishing supercritical CO2 cooling flow temperature and flow rate and maintaining it throughout the test. The flow rate aims to match that for the actual in-service turbine blade design and is maintained through an orifice restriction to keep the pressure differential between internal cooling flow and external hot flow nearly constant. For the sCO2 flow path external to the blade, temperatures were ramped throughout the test via control of the test loop’s natural gas burner heater. The maximum temperature seen was 468°C and held constant for a duration of 10 minutes at which the blade metal temperature was predicted to be at its maximum before ramping down. For the turbine blade design for service inlet conditions, external flow path computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results and an internal cooling 1-D thermal and hydraulic flow network model using experimentally validated correlations served as thermal finite element (FE) boundary conditions to predict blade metal temperatures. These predicted temperatures were subsequently utilized in a structural FE model to predict blade life ratings dictated by Haynes 282 creep strength data, having a strong dependence on temperature. The boundary conditions experienced during testing are used in the same workflow and compared to the experimental results, with the goal of validating the analysis methodology and providing insight on the uncertainty in local metal temperature predictions.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

Heat Transfer Experiments of Ribbed, Serpentine Cooling Passages with Supercritical CO2

The results of heat transfer experiments with supercritical CO2 (sCO2) to capture the performance of ribbed, serpentine cooling passages for Reynolds numbers in the range of 100,000 - 400,000 are presented. The oxy-combustion turbine operating in an Allam-Fetvedt cycle has a turbine inlet temperature exceeding 1100°C, necessitating internally cooled turbine blades due to material creep strength limits. Reynolds numbers for sCO2, with its combination of high fluid density and low viscosity, can be up to an order of magnitude higher than comparable internal cooling conditions for an air-breathing engine where the majority of experimental data exists. To improve the prediction of cooling performance through turbulated passages, a test rig was designed and constructed with interchangeable insert capability for operation in sCO2 with heat transfer from a heater outlet flow stream to a lower temperature recuperator outlet flow stream. The inserts included serpentine passage geometry with five passes, one of the inserts including chevron ribs and the other a plain wall. The multi-pass serpentine geometry allowed for the evaluation of the effects 180 deg. tip turns have on the return passage flow characteristics, as they can depart significantly from fully-developed flow characteristics. The test procedure included the use of a modified Wilson plot method, with hot flow stream conditions kept effectively constant so that monitored changes in the overall thermal resistance could be attributed to manipulations in cooling flow stream conditions. Conditions during testing consisted of test section pressures of approximately 180 bar, cooling flow stream temperature of 175°C and hot flow stream temperature of 410°C. Test points at discrete cool flow Reynolds numbers up to 400,000 demonstrated an expected trend of decreased fluid thermal resistance with increasing Reynolds number, while at comparable Reynolds number there was an exhibited lower thermal resistance and higher passage pressure drop for the ribbed insert compared to the plain-walled insert. Processing of test data included establishment of Nusselt number enhancement ratios, so that for different internal cooling passage dimensions in the actual turbine blade at comparable Reynolds number the ratio could be applied to predict cooling performance.

Marshall, Michael↗

Oxygen Storage Incorporated Into Net Power and the Allam–Fetvedt Oxy-Fuel sCO2 Power Cycle—Techno-Economic Analysis

Abstract With the planned future reliance on variable renewable energy, the ability to store energy for prolonged time periods will be required to reduce the disruption of market fluctuations. This paper presents a method to analyze a hybrid liquid-oxygen (LOx) storage/direct-fired supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycle and optimize the economic performance over a diverse range of scenarios. The system utilizes a modified version of the NET Power process to produce energy when energy demand exceeds the supply while displacing much of the cost of the air separation unit (ASU) energy requirements through cryogenic storage of oxygen. The model uses marginal cost of energy data to determine the optimal times to charge and discharge the system over a given scenario. The model then applies ramp rates and other time-dependent factors to generate an economic model for the system without storage considerations. The size of the storage system is then applied to create a realistic model of the plant operation. From the real plant operation model, the amount of energy charged and discharged, the capital expenditures (CAPEX) of each system, energy costs and revenue and other parameters can be calculated. The economic parameters are then combined to calculate the net present value (NPV) of the system for the given scenario. The model was then run through the SMPSO genetic algorithm in Python for a variety of geographic regions and large-scale scenarios (high solar penetration) to maximize the NPV based on multiple parameters for each subsystem. The LOx storage requirements will also be discussed.

Engineering↗

Candidate Periodically Variable Quasars from the Dark Energy Survey and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

Periodically variable quasars have been suggested as close binary supermassive black holes. We present a systematic search for periodic light curves in 625 spectroscopically confirmed quasars with a median redshift of 1.8 in a 4.6 deg 2 overlapping region of the Dark Energy Survey Supernova (DES-SN) fields and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Stripe 82 (SDSS-S82). Our sample has a unique 20-year long multi-color ( griz ) light curve enabled by combining DES-SN Y6 observations with archival SDSS-S82 data. The deep imaging allows us to search for periodic light curves in less luminous quasars (down to r ~23.5 mag) powered by less massive black holes (with masses ≳ 10 8.5 M ⊙ ) at high redshift for the first time. We find five candidates with significant (at >99.74% single-frequency significance in at least two bands with a global p-value of ~7 × 10 -4 –3× 10 -3 accounting for the look-elsewhere effect) periodicity with observed periods of ~3–5 years (i.e., 1–2 years in rest frame) having ~4–6 cycles spanned by the observations. If all five candidates are periodically variable quasars, this translates into a detection rate of |${\sim }0.8^{+0.5}_{-0.3}$| % or |${\sim }1.1^{+0.7}_{-0.5}$| quasar per deg 2 . Our detection rate is 4–80 times larger than those found by previous searches using shallower surveys over larger areas. This discrepancy is likely caused by differences in the quasar populations probed and the survey data qualities. Furthermore, we discuss implications on the future direct detection of low-frequency gravitational waves. Additionally, continued photometric monitoring will further assess the robustness and characteristics of these candidate periodic quasars to determine their physical origins.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗