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In this project, we successfully achieved the goals we proposed: 1. optimization and development of electrochemical sensor, 2. sensor construction and package, 3. sensor testing @Longview Power Plant and data analysis, 4. lab-scale sensor optimization and corrosion database development, 5. electrochemical and corrosion monitoring validation and 6. TEA.
The overall goal of this project was to demonstrate and develop the usage of high-temperature (HT) harsh-environment (HE) wireless surface acoustic wave resonator (SAWR) sensor technology to promote reliable maintenance through condition-based maintenance (CBM) for field applications in harsh service conditions associated with power plant environments. The project aimed to advance the HT HE wireless SAWR sensor technology from TRL 5 to TRL 7. In addition to HT HE wireless temperature sensing, efforts were dedicated during this project to investigate, develop and increase the TRL from 3 to 5 for the following technologies: (a) HT HE strain sensors to address additional CBM monitoring needs, such as boiler tube mechanical / thermal stresses, which can provide early indications for boiler tube cracking and failure; and (b) HT aluminum nitride (AlN) and scandium aluminum nitride (ScAlN) based piezoelectric thin film fabrication and implementation of SAW sensors, with the goal of releasing the need to use single crystal piezoelectric materials for SAWRs and thus broaden possible technology applications to non-planar and harder to modify surfaces. To achieve the goals mentioned above, UMaine and its partner, Environetix Technologies Corporation, established partnerships with the following power plants: Longview Power (Maidsville, WV), a coal-fired power plant; Penobscot Energy Recovery Corp (PERC, Orrington, ME), a waste-to-energy power plant; and the UMaine Steam Plant (Orono, ME), an oil / natural gas power plant. To realize wireless HT HE SAWR sensor systems in these harsh service conditions, the University of Maine research team worked with Environetix and these power plants to define, design, fabricate, test and validate a mature prototype wireless temperature SAWR sensor system for boiler tube applications within the HT HE of the reheater pass damper chamber to directly and wirelessly monitor the temperature at eighteen independent boiler tube locations. The system included three levels, or “tiers”, of wireless communication to enable remote monitoring: Tier 1, the wireless link in the reheater pass damper chamber directly accessing the sensors on the boilers; Tier 2, the wireless local area network link, transmitting processed sensor information within the power plant to the Tier 3, a commercial wireless signal carrier company for secure remote data monitoring outside of the power plant. Regarding the wireless sensor system installed at Longview Power, temperature information from the boilers was continuously transmitted from the Longview boilers at Maidsville, WV, to Environetix headquarters, Orono, ME, over a 34 month period, when the system was finally decommissioned. Strain sensors and piezoelectric ScAlN thin film sensors were successfully installed on the exhaust duct at the UMaine Steam Power plant. The advances in wireless strain sensors and thin film piezoelectric film fabrication and testing were performed mostly in UMaine laboratories and field tested at the UMaine Steam Plant, due to its close proximity to UMaine/Environetix, access to the plant facility, and due to difficulties in accessing the other power plants during the COVID shut-down period. The project accomplished the TRL level increase of the targeted CBM technologies through the successful fabrication, installation, test, and validation of dedicated and commercial wireless sensor systems, utilizing the three different power plants. The outcomes of this project, including the wireless sensor data capability, are expected to yield an advance for CBM in harsh power plant environments. The reduction of maintenance costs, improved safety during plant operation, and increased power plant efficiency will lead to increased revenues (i.e., fewer forced outages) due to better process monitoring enabled by the wireless HT HE SAWR temperature sensor technology.
China’s power system is highly regulated and uses an “equal-share” dispatch approach. However, market mechanisms are being introduced to reduce generation costs and improve system reliability. Here, we quantify the climate and human health impacts brought about by this transition, modeling China’s power system operations under economic dispatch. We find that significant reductions in mortality related to air pollution (11%) and CO 2 emissions (3%) from the power sector can be attained by economic dispatch, relative to the equal-share approach, through more efficient coal-powered generation. Additional health and climate benefits can be achieved by incorporating emission externalities in electricity generation costs. However, the benefits of the transition to economic dispatch will be unevenly distributed across China and may lead to increased health damage in some regions. Our results show the potential of dispatch decision-making in electricity generation to mitigate the negative impacts of power plant emissions with existing facilities in China.
A 2nd Phase Front End Engineering Design study of a gasification plant concept to co-produce electric power and hydrogen with net-negative CO2 emissions is being completed under the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) 21st Century Power Plants initiative, whose goal is to advance innovative power plant concepts that are capable of flexible, net-zero carbon emission operations while producing cost-effective hydrogen to support economy-wide decarbonization goals. The proposed standalone plant would be constructed in Nebraska, USA. The specified design feedstock is a hybrid blend of Powder River Basin (PRB) subbituminous coal from Wyoming and local Nebraska biomass (corn stover), 50% each by weight (dry basis). Other potential feedstocks, including woody biomass (eastern red cedar) and waste plastic (auto shredder residue) were evaluated as alternates. The process block comprises a high-pressure, oxygen-blown fluidized bed gasifier coupled with water-gas shift, Selexol process for acid gas (H2S and CO2) removal, and pressure-swing adsorption (PSA) to yield 8,500 kg/h of high-purity hydrogen. Off-gas from the PSA unit is used in a gas turbine combined cycle plant (the power block) to supply 50 MWe net electric power to the grid. Overall thermal efficiency of the plant is 50% (HHV) with net atmospheric CO2 removal at a rate of 32 t/h. Design activities necessary to provide input to the current front-end engineering design (FEED) study, including, site selection, gasifier technology selection, investment case preparation, and the development of the Environmental Information Volume (EIV) for the host site, have been completed. These, as well as the current FEED activities, are described in this presentation.
Data, geospatial data resources, and the linked mapping tool and web services reflect data for two types of potentially qualifying energy communities: 1) Census tracts and directly adjoining tracts that have had coal mine closures since 1999 or coal-fired electric generating unit retirements since 2009. These census tracts qualify as energy communities. 2) Metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and non-metropolitan statistical areas (non-MSAs) that are energy communities for 2023 and 2024, along with their fossil fuel employment (FFE) status. Additional information on energy communities and related tax credits can be accessed on the Interagency Working Group on Coal & Power Plant Communities & Economic Revitalization Energy Communities website (https://energycommunities.gov/energy-community-tax-credit-bonus/). Use limitations: these spatial data and mapping tool may not be relied upon by taxpayers to substantiate a tax return position or for determining whether certain penalties apply and will not be used by the IRS for examination purposes. The mapping tool does not reflect the application of the law to a specific taxpayer’s situation, and the applicable Internal Revenue Code provisions ultimately control.
The BURP 2 project investigated the technical and financial viability of co firing biogas with waste coal for power generation while using carbon capture and sequestration to achieve net negative emissions. A comparative assessment integrating geospatial mapping, technoeconomic analysis, and life cycle analysis was carried out to evaluate retrofitting an existing coal fired facility in West Virginia, versus developing a new greenfield power plant in Kentucky located near a low quality coal resource. The study found that CO 2 capture rates of 90% or higher, in combination with biogas feedstocks such as animal manure, could significantly reduce global warming potential compared to plants using neither biogas nor CO 2 capture systems. Economic feasibility depended heavily on federal tax credits and proximity to fuel sources. In both greenfield and retrofit scenarios, access to biogas played a key role. Because the retrofit site was located close to existing biogas resources, it represented a feasible option, whereas the greenfield site, being far from pipelines or biogas sources, would require prohibitively expensive biogas transport infrastructure. Overall, the research showed that repurposing waste or low-quality coal with renewable biogas and CO 2 capture systems could provide a viable approach for reducing carbon emissions in power production, if biogas resources are easily accessible and available in sufficient quantities.
ION Clean Energy’s (ION) advanced solvent is one of the leading solvent systems currently under development for post-combustion carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture. ION has partnered with Nebraska Power Public District (NPPD), Sargent & Lundy, Koch Modular Process Systems, and Siemens to design a commercial-scale (700 MW) capture system utilizing ION’s advanced solvent, ICE-21, retrofitted onto NPPD’s Gerald Gentleman Station in Sutherland, Nebraska, USA. The capture system was designed to take full advantage of the solvent benefits including an efficient physical plant layout, reduced energy requirements, less solvent degradation, lower emissions, and lower capital costs relative to systems built with DOE BBS case benchmark solvents. This Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study also included an investigation of utilizing biomass co-combustion with the aim of reaching near-zero emissions for this coal-fired power generating unit. The targeted biomass was from local resources in Nebraska tied to the production of ethanol.
Investigators from the University of Utah, University of Wyoming and Marshall University pursued a program to study the conversion of raw coal to high-value products of carbon fiber and silicon carbide. Team members also developed an initial framework for a data portal that can incorporate laboratory data on coal processing and product quality, and also work with tools for machine learning for data analysis, data visualization and economic assessment. Experimental R&D efforts focused on the conversion of raw coal to coal tar and other byproducts, and the resulting tar intermediates were upgraded to form anisotropic and isotropic pitch materials. These pitch materials were produced from coal using both thermal (pyrolysis) and chemical (mild solvolysis liquefaction) decomposition of raw coal. Four different coals were studied: Utah bituminous coal (Sufco), Wyoming PRB coal (Black Thunder), Illinois bituminous coal (Illinois #6), and West Virginia bituminous coal (Flying Eagle). Both metallurgical-grade coking coals and lower-grade steam coals were investigated, and controlled secondary gas-phase reactions were used during a two-stage pyrolysis process to induce cracking and condensation reactions among the pyrolytic tar species. This approach successfully improved the performance of the lower grade coals for yielding pitch materials, with properties more consistent with a commercial-grade pitch that had previously demonstrated success for quality carbon fiber production. The use of waste plastic materials was also studied, to help improve physical and chemical characteristics of the intermediate tars and final pitch product; in particular, for lowering the pitch softening point to an acceptable level for melt spinning carbon fiber. Mild solvolysis liquefaction was also used as a method for producing pitch for carbon fiber production. As expected, significantly higher pitch yields were obtained using this approach, and waste plastic materials were also successfully used to reduce pitch softening point to an acceptable level. The plastic materials were also utilized to create a solvent for the mild solvolysis process, and this plastic-derived solvent was shown to provide results consistent with more expensive commercial chemical solvents, and could thus avoid the need for costly recovery and recycle of a liquefaction solvent. Additional experimental R&D focused on the production of silicon carbide (β-SiC) from the residual char byproduct from pitch production, and also on the production of carbon fiber from the anisotropic pitch. SiC was successfully synthesized using a mixture of residual char and sandstone at a ratio of 1:1. Reaction temperature and residence time were optimized and yielded a product purity of 81%. For carbon fiber production, the most successful pitch samples were obtained from the mild solvolysis liquefaction approach, combined with the use of a plastic (HDPE)-derived solvent. Fiber properties improved over time as laboratory fiber production methodologies improved, and final yields of carbon fiber were obtained with a diameter of 12.14 ± 1.10 um, Modulus of 173.73 ± 15.25 GPa, and Tensile Strength of 1.04 ± 0.10 GPa. A proof-of-concept Modern Community Research Data Portal (MCRDP) was developed and deployed for coal and coal-derived pitch characterization, with the full support of (i) remote web-based access, (ii) distributed analysis, (iii) interactive visualization and exploration, (iv) shared and long-term data access, (v) advanced query capabilities and (vi) real-time collaboration. The Coal to Products Data Portal “coaltoproducts.org” provides researchers with space to store and share data within a project, tools for analyzing and understanding data for scientific investigation, and the ability to publish data to the broader community for reproducibility. The portal leverages the Material Commons 2.0 (MC) platform developed by the Center for PRedictive Integrated Structural Materials Science (PRISMS) of the University of Michigan, to achieve long-term longevity of data collections and, more importantly, collaborative science. A number of data visualization tools were also assessed and implemented for interrogating the experimental and modeling data. The machine learning portion of this project analyzed datasets from two different coal conversion processes performed on a diverse set of coal samples from both the coal pyrolysis experiments and the solvent liquefaction experiments. The work was initiated by exploring standard regression models on the pyrolysis data, aiming to understand the impact of sample characteristics and processing conditions on key product metrics. Over the course of the project, the focus expanded to include a variety of machine learning tools, delving into both supervised and unsupervised learning methods. Models tested on the pyrolysis data included linear, ridge, lasso, elastic-net, Gaussian process, random forest regression, and AutoSklearn, and the approach was continually refined to enhance predictive accuracy and model interpretability. Similar techniques were applied to the liquefaction data with an additional focus on feature engineering. Along with mesophase content, additional outputs of interest were the pitch yield, softening point, and QI content. Insights derived from these analyses are crucial in determining the factors influencing the quality and yield of coal-derived products. As the work progressed, the research evolved from foundational model comparisons to analyses of random forests, decision paths, and feature importance scores. A thorough market analysis was performed to examine the prospects of coal-based carbon fibers. The best opportunities for coal come from its lower and more stable price relative to petroleum, particularly for subbituminous coals, which is the primary advantage that a coal refinery may have over a petroleum refinery. Before a commercial CTP production facility can be modeled, however, several things need to be understood regarding the nature of the would-be coal refinery. These include the technology to be deployed, the size of facility, the volume(s) of co-product(s), and the waste and emissions profile of the plant. The volume of co-products and waste may be substantial and will require separate market analysis to ensure viability. In the near-term, the importance of coal tar pitch, in the form of carbon pitch, to the aluminum and steel industries is likely to overshadow the alternative use of this material as an input for carbon fiber. The importance of steel and aluminum in building materials, and the need for carbon materials in their manufacturing, will ensure that demand for these products remains for the long run. In addition, carbon fiber may also be the best substitute for steel and aluminum well into the future. While society will eventually be able to shift production of much of its electricity needs to renewables, it will not be able to shift away from fossil fuels for production of high-strength construction and vehicular materials. Demand for carbon fiber is expected to increase quickly, but the volume of carbon fiber and the amount of coal that would be needed to produce even a sizeable share of this market may still be relatively small compared to current coal production. Thus, other coal-based products like graphene, graphite, carbon foams, resins, and carbon-based building products will play important roles in sustaining coal production as coal-fired power generation continues to decline.
The objective of this project was to design, seek necessary approvals, build and operate a large-scale pilot sorbent-based post combustion carbon capture system (CCS) at a coal fired power generation facility. TDA’s CCS uses a highly stable, low-cost, high-capacity physical adsorbent to effectively remove CO 2 via a combination vacuum and concentration swing adsorption (VCSA) process. The CCS is integrated with the power plant flue gas exhaust, which is rich in CO 2 (~13% vol. CO 2 ) and removes more than 90% of the plant’s overall carbon emissions.
The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will assist Rivalia Chemical Co (Participant) with system analyses to aid the Participant with setting priorities and securing funding. The Participant is an early-stage startup pioneering new chemical extraction technology to solve two important problems: critical mineral scarcity and coal ash waste management. The U.S. generates coal fly ash from coal combustion for power generation and has amassed over two billion metric tons of ash, which contains valuable rare earth elements. The ash is often stored in unlined ponds and frequently contaminates the local environment. The Participant’s patent-pending process harvests rare earths from ash, then transforms the residual ash for use in green concrete, providing an economic pathway for utilities to empty and remediate the ash ponds. Founder Laura Stoy created the company in July 2022 after developing the core intellectual property during her Ph.D. at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Stoy is currently participating in the Chain Reactions Innovations (CRI) program at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) where she will be optimizing the core technology and scaling from bench scale to demonstration scale. The technology has been validated at bench scale (TRL3); the goal is to approach TRL5 by the conclusion of the CRI program and prepare to raise capital investment for a pilot facility. NETL and the Participant will develop an updated technoeconomic analysis (TEA) and identify key sustainability performance parameters to inform ’s research and development priorities and de-risk the technology. NETL will also provide the Participant with guidance to prepare a more detailed life cycle assessment (LCA), and a narrative on the Participant’s product markets. These tools will aid the Participant with the next steps of commercialization.
In this article, the basics of performing a life cycle analysis of thermoelectric power generation are discussed, with three examples of life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) balances for thermoelectric power generation forms: coal, natural gas, and nuclear. The final section compares multiple electricity generation methods in the United States. Results are presented on the basis of 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity delivered to the end user. Environmental life cycle results for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are presented as carbon dioxide equivalents, based on 100-year global warming potentials (GWPs) established by the 6th Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2021, commonly referred to as AR6 GWP values (IPCC, 2021). Additional details on other environmental life cycle impacts from non-GHG emissions to air, emissions to water, solid waste generation, and land use are available on the Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory’s Life Cycle Analysis website: www.netl.doe.gov/LCA.
This paper describes the development of a coal and biomass-fed plant concept to co-produce electric power and hydrogen with net-negative CO2 emissions under the aegis of the 21st Century Power Plant initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), whose goal is to advance innovative power plant concepts that are capable of flexible, net-zero carbon emission operations while producing cost-effective “blue” hydrogen to support economy-wide decarbonization goals. The proposed standalone plant will be in Nebraska, USA. The specified design feedstock is a hybrid blend of Powder River Basin (PRB) subbituminous coal from Wyoming and local Nebraska biomass (corn stover), 50 wt.% each (dry basis). Other potential feedstocks, including woody biomass (eastern red cedar) and waste plastic (auto shredder residue) were evaluated or reviewed as alternates. The proposed process block comprises a high-pressure, oxygen-blown fluidized bed gasifier (GTI Energy U-GAS® process) coupled with water gas shift, the Selexol process for acid gas (H2S and CO2) removal, and pressure-swing adsorption (PSA) to yield 8,500 kg/h of high-purity hydrogen. The off gas from the PSA unit is used in the power block (gas turbine combined cycle) to generate electric power to support the gasification process, hydrogen production, and 50 MWe net electric power to the grid. All major plant equipment including the gasifier, gas cleanup system, and power generation are commercially available and proven in other applications and considered at TRL 8-9. However, gasification of corn stover biomass is considered at TRL 6. Overall thermal efficiency of the plant is 50% (net HHV) with net atmospheric CO2 removal at a rate of 250-300,000 tpa. Design activities necessary to provide input to a FEED study (Phase II of the project), including the development of the Environmental Information Volume (EIV) for the host site, and an investment case, based on a pro-forma pre-FEED level cost estimate, have been completed and are described in detail in this paper.
Update on results at the end of BP1 on Conceptual Design Study on Gasification of Coal and Biomass to Generate Carbon-Free Electric Power and Hydrogen.
In this article, we will look at a technology that can generate hydrogen and power from gasification of a blend of biomass and coal with a “net negative” CO 2 footprint. Let us, however, first take a look at an earlier attempt to gasify coal and generate electric power with pre-combustion CO 2 capture. While the attempt was not exactly a stellar success, at least based on what can be gleaned from superficial press articles, the reality is quite different. This is why it deserves a closer look because its demise was a significant factor (by no means the only one, though) in putting an end to the efforts to maintain coal as a viable option for electricity generation (see the 2007 GTW article on that subject.
An important need for coal fired power plants is the ability to monitor multiple systems with ease and accuracy. Common implementations of these monitoring systems come with drawbacks due to the nature of coal fired power plants. Harsh environments, High Temperatures, and lots of RF (Radio Frequency) noise can create issues for accurately recording and transmitting data across wireless signals. In addition, as renewable energy sources come online, existing fossil fueled plants will need to operate more flexibly with their maintenance schedules outside of standard conditions. Therefore, additional sensing and control mechanisms need placed in existing plants to provide operators with more information such that maintenance decisions can be made well in advance of failures. A solution to this problem is the Next Generation of Smart Sensors, which leverages the power of 5G cellular signals and machine learning to overcome the myriad of problems with current implementations
Ohio University (OHIO), West Virginia University (WVU), and American Electric Power (AEP) proposed to study and report on the benefits of 5G wireless cellular technologies for coal-fired power plants. The significant advantages, cost savings, and potential of 5G wireless data communications based sensors promised to usher in a new era of reliable, inexpensive, and powerful embedded systems that had not previously been available for coal-fired power plants. The team built upon existing experience with cellular-based systems, power plant water quality sensing, and high temperature sensors developed during past projects. Principal Investigator Wilhelm had been developing cellular-based sensor data systems with a commercial partner for 10 years, pioneering innovative solar-powered devices that began with 2G technology. The lessons and knowledge gained served as a foundation to demonstrate innovations and potential impacts specific to coal fired power plants enabled by 5G technology, along with integration with existing sensors and systems.
Coal is the most abundant energy and hydrocarbon resource in the United States which has been primarily used for power generation. With the increasing retirement of coal power plants and transition to a low-carbon emission economy, the future use of coal will likely shift to a feedstock source for production of valuable materials for different applications. In this review, the latest research reported on production of graphene-like materials in a powder form from coal is compiled and discussed. Here, this review includes: 1) brief background information on graphene and related materials (GRM); 2) relevant material, resource, economic, and socioeconomic information regarding suitability of coal as a potential feedstock for production of GRM; 3) a summary of common approaches for coal upgrading for preparation of more suitable precursors for production of GRM; 4) a compilation and analysis of the reported routes and methods for preparation of GRM from coal and coal derivatives; and 5) reported potential applications of coal-based GRM.
Most existing coal-fired power plants were designed for sustained operation at full load to maximize efficiency, reliability, and revenues. Depending on plant type and design, these plants can adjust output within a fixed range in response to plant or market conditions. The need for flexibility driven by increased penetration of variable and non-dispatchable power generation such as wind and solar is shifting traditional mission profile of thermoelectric power plants in three ways: more frequent shutdowns when market or grid conditions warrant, more aggressive load ramp rates (rate of output change), and lower minimum sustainable load, which provides a wider operating range and helps avoid costly plant shutdowns. The recent studies have shown that flexibility of a coal-fired power plant can be improved by the energy storage. The objective of this project was to analyze a set of energy storage options (technologies) and determine their impact on flexibility and economics of a representative coal-fired power plant. The effect of five Energy Storage Systems (ESSs) integrated with a coal power plant on plant flexibility and economics was investigated in this study. The results obtained in this project and presented in this report showed that ESS integrated with a thermal power plant improves plant flexibility and participation in the Energy and Ancillary Services markets and also improves plant financial performance.