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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

A New Understanding of Decarbonizing Industrial Process Heat

Analysis conducted over the last few years has improved our understanding of how industrial process heat is used in the United States. These improvements are important for characterizing the possibilities for industrial decarbonization. However, this analysis has largely been conducted from technical perspective and has remained disconnected from the social processes that underlie how industrial firms may adopt and implement technologies to decarbonize their process heating operations. This presentation introduces the concept of generic and configurational technology systems, and outlines the how the incorporation of user requirements and local contexts are essential for successful implementation of configurational systems. Insights drawn from semi-structured interviews with representatives of industrial firms are used to support the hypothesis that industrial process heat technologies are configurational. The potential implications for strategies to decarbonize process heat are then discussed.

adoption↗
DOE OSTI2024

Graduating Sustainable Industrial Decarbonization Solutions from the Laboratory to Real-World Deployments

Accelerating innovation and integration of industrial decarbonization technology solutions is crucial for achieving industry-wide net-zero greenhouse gas emissions targets. This can be accomplished in various ways through increased utilization of low-embodied carbon materials and the adoption of advanced manufacturing techniques in construction practices. At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), we facilitate dialogue and action across all sectors to uncover industry needs to inform innovation, and explore ways we can help with implementation of emerging solutions in the real world. As an applied laboratory, NREL sits between academia and industry to fully bridge the gap from foundational science research to examining the feasibility of market applications. Integration of innovative technologies and solutions that are efficient, resilient, and grid-interactive will play a pivotal role in supporting a clean energy future. However, it is imperative that these solutions prioritize equitable outcomes, addressing the challenges faced by all communities. By embracing decarbonization, the construction industry can revolutionize itself, promoting sustainability, reducing carbon emissions, conserving resources, while enhancing performance and durability - all major steps toward a greener and more sustainable future.

cement↗
DOE OSTI2024

Quantifying air quality co-benefits to industrial decarbonization: the local Air Emissions Tracking Atlas

Many decarbonization technologies have the added co-benefit of reducing short-lived climate pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NO x ), and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), creating a unique opportunity for identifying strategies that promote both climate change solutions and opportunities for air quality improvement. However, stakeholders and decision-makers may struggle to quantify how these co-benefits will impact public health for the communities most affected by industrial air pollution. To address this problem, the LOCal Air Emissions Tracking Atlas (LOCAETA) fills a data availability and analysis gap by providing estimated air quality benefits from industrial decarbonization options, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS). These co-benefits are calculated using an algorithm that connects disparate datasets that separately report greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants at U.S. industrial facilities. Version 1.0 of LOCAETA displays the estimated primary PM 2.5 emission reduction co-benefits from additional pretreatment equipment for CCS on industrial and power facilities across the state of Louisiana, as well as the potential for VOC and NH 3 generation. The emission reductions are presented in the tool alongside facility pollutant emissions information and relevant air quality, environmental, demographic, and public health datasets, such as air toxics cancer risk, satellite and in situ pollutant measurements, and population vulnerability metrics. LOCAETA enables regulators, policymakers, environmental justice communities, and industrial and commercial users to compare and contrast quantifiable public health benefits due to air quality impacts from various climate change mitigation strategies using a free and publicly-available tool. Additional pollutant reductions can be calculated using the same methodology and will be available in future versions of the tool.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Decarbonizing Industrial Heat and Electricity Applications Using Advanced Nuclear Energy

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is investigating the technical pathways to assist industrial heat and electricity users to meet their decarbonization goals through integration with advanced nuclear power plants (NPPs). This project will deliver a library of process models and accompanying documents that guide specific industries in choosing potential nuclear technologies based on their needs. Considerations in providing this guidance include specific hazards from the industrial facility, heat transport requirements and associated technologies, and feasibility with site-specific demand profiles. The library of facility process models will be based on real data from industrial facilities in the United States. The industrial processes will be identified in this project based on the following: (1) operational heat characteristics that nuclear systems can provide, (2) sufficient energy requirements to merit the capital investment for nuclear plant construction, and (3) environmental benefits of replacing existing energy production with carbon-free nuclear power. Other decarbonization opportunities considered are the addition of nuclear-powered electrolysis processes or high-temperature electric heating where the thermal requirements exceed nuclear generation conditions. In addition to assessing the technical feasibility, INL is evaluating the impact of hazards introduced by the industrial facilities on the siting requirements of advanced NPPs. Site characterization of an industrial plant is essential to determine the feasibility and suitable integration methods for each industry. The assessment of siting and technical data will reveal opportunities for a single-use nuclear integration as well as integration of multiple industrial facilities with a single NPP.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2024

Summary Report of the Carbon-Negative Hydrogen Workshop

This report summarizes the outcomes of the Carbon-Negative Hydrogen Workshop held at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado on June 22-23, 2023. The workshop was co-sponsored by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the National Energy Technology Laboratory and focused on developing a shared understanding of the importance of and opportunities for generation and use of carbon-negative hydrogen in industrial decarbonization. For the purposes of this workshop, carbon-negative hydrogen was defined as hydrogen (H 2 ) produced in a manner that leads to net carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere thus giving rise to a life cycle cradle-to-grave carbon intensity that is below zero.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2024

Pathways Analysis Summary: Decarbonization Potential for Industrial Subsectors - Preliminary Modeling Results

This provides a summary of draft modeling efforts undertaken by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) as an extension and expansion of the 2022 Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap. IEDO is providing these draft modeling results to support stakeholder engagement and inform office- and department wide strategy and decision making. Section 1 provides an overview of the context for this analysis and modeling as well as information on the decarbonization pillars characterized and the models themselves. Section 2 presents modeling results of one net-zero emissions pathway each for six industrial subsectors: cement, chemicals, food and beverage, iron and steel, petroleum refining, and pulp and paper. It is important to note that these pathways are just one example and there is no single pathway for any single industrial subsector. Competition across different possible pathways will be essential to industrial decarbonization success. Section 3 provides an overview of the “rest of industry” subsectors and a high-level overview of net-zero barriers, challenges, pathways, and technologies. IEDO will continue to consider net-zero pathways and modeling for these rest of industry subsectors. Additional details will be made available in the future on the IEDO website.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Pathway to Decarbonization Through Industrial Energy Efficiency: Micro and Macro Perspectives from Compressed Air Usage

Abstract Energy audits directly provided the industrial sector with reduced energy costs and avoided emissions. Still, they also lead to far-reaching indirect and induced local, regional, and national benefits. This paper aims to present the techno-economic-environmental analysis to achieve decarbonization through implementing industrial energy efficiency at micro and macro levels. An integrated techno-economic-environmental methodology is developed. Case studies of micro-level carbon reduction efforts through industrial energy efficiency technologies are presented. The broader macroeconomic and environmental effects of technology on society are analyzed using data from 206 energy audits of industrial compressed air systems conducted over 13 years. The impacts show that energy-efficient improvements lead to direct cost savings for manufacturers, boost economic activity across sectors, and affect carbon dioxide emissions both short-term and long-term in the region. Given their extensive benefits, energy audits significantly influence policymaking. We devised a methodology to link micro-level energy audit data with macroeconomic and environmental analyses to quantify these cascading benefits. The economic scenario analysis shows that $228 M has been saved from direct industrial energy savings from implementing all compressed air recommendations in the studied periods and the region. In addition, the investment made through manufacturers would create 2,025 jobs and $383 M annually, cascading regional economic impacts. The environmental analysis shows that the regional manufacturers have directly avoided about 2.8 M metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2024

Thermal Integration of Advanced Nuclear Reactors with a Reference Refinery, Methanol Synthesis, and a Wood Pulp Plant (Rev.1)

The present report is intended to provide process flow diagrams (PFDs) and energy and mass balance data sheets for a U.S. industrial sector subset with which nuclear heat and power could be integrated—a subset that includes the oil refining, methanol and pulp and paper industries. Coupling options for integrating nuclear energy into these industries are quantitatively outlined for reference systems, and future work will extend this analysis in greater detail. Opportunities for integrating small modular nuclear reactors (SMNRs) were investigated for each of the industrial process configurations. Aspen HYSYS and Cycle-Tempo models for a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor were developed to evaluate the proposed integration. This introductory evaluation provides a general description and assessment of the operating principles, reactor coolant core outlet temperature, and reactor size to be integrated with industry. The industrial processes of oil refining and the production of methanol, pulp and paper were simulated by using Aspen HYSYS, Aspen Plus, and the PRELIM (Petroleum Refinery Life Cycle Inventory Model) tool to develop process details. Cycle-Tempo models then extend the process modeling results to obtain net energy demands (e.g., heat, steam, and electricity) when accounting for process steam and waste heat recovery. This information is intended to foster the analysis of integrating an SMNR to decarbonize industrial facilities. The SMNR would provide reliable, competitive, and sustainable clean energy while reducing carbon emissions and other environmental impacts, such as water withdrawals, consumption, and contamination. The refining industry, exhibited in Figure ES1, is a leading consumer of fossil -fuel-based heat, power, and hydrogen in the U.S. industrial sector, generating over 164 million metric tons (MMT) of CO 2 emissions in 2023. The overall mass and energy pertaining to a generalized complex refinery in the United States is reflected in Figure ES1, along with energy metrics regarding integration with a nuclear power plant (NPP). Data sheets were developed to indicate the energy requirements for the overall refinery and each refinery process. The data sheet for the overall refinery is shown in Table ES2.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Potential Availability of Alternative Fuel to Supply Maritime Activities in Pacific Northwest Ports

The international shipping sector represented 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 (Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy 2024). International shipping has been classified as a difficult-to-decarbonize industry (IRENA 2024). In an effort to drive decarbonization, the U.S. Department of Energy has partnered with Mission Innovation to co-lead the Zero-Emission Shipping Mission, which launched in 2021(Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy 2021). In addition, the U.S. Department of State partnered with Norway to launch the Green Shipping Challenge in 2022 (Office of the Spokesperson 2022b). As part of the ZESM and Green Shipping Challenge, the United States is collaborating with the Republic of Korea (ROK) to develop a green shipping corridor (U.S. Mission Korea 2023). The United States and ROK have conducted a pre-feasibility study as the first step in developing a green shipping corridor between the countries. The ports included in the study are Seattle, Tacoma, and Everette in the U.S. Pacific Northwest (PNW) and Busan, Ulsan, and Masan in ROK. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's role in the study was to analyze the availability and technical potential of alternative marine fuels in proximity to U.S. PNW ports. The findings show most of the existing alternative fuel capacity within the region is from renewable diesel, biodiesel, and sustainable aviation fuel facilities. The largest growth in fuel capacity in the region by 2030 is projected to be in renewable diesel and hydrogen. The overall technical readiness of non-drop-in alternative fuel production and conversion technologies is more developed than alternative-fueled ships and associated fueling infrastructure. However, much of the fuel capacity in the region is comprised of drop-in fuels, making it technically possible to use existing infrastructure for transporting and bunkering to the existing fleet. Data to inform regional alternative fuel quantity estimations were collected from an extensive review of databases, reports, announcements, and other publicly available resources. A maturity index and sector competition factor were applied to announced fuel projects to determine the quantity of alternative fuel available to the marine sector in the region by 2030. Demand data were collected from fuel bunkering logs covering the PNW seaports (State of Washington 2021). Both supply and demand data were converted to very-low sulfur fuel oil gallon equivalents (VLSFO-GE) for better comparison. Qualitative data were gathered through interviews with stakeholders, project developers, and industry experts. Total alternative fuel capacity available to the marine sector in the region is estimated to be 824 million VLSFO-GE per year by 2030. This is sufficient to cover the requirements of a green shipping corridor between the United States and ROK. The findings from this report are being used to inform detailed feasibility studies for several U.S. PNW -ROK green shipping corridors. Updates from the U.S. PNW - ROK feasibility studies will continue to be published on Mission Innovation's green corridor tracking website (Zero Emission Shipping Mission, n.d.). In addition, this report has helped to inform further work on shipping decarbonization in the U.S. PNW, including the Pacific Northwest to Alaska Green Corridor focused on cruise vessels.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2025

Decarbonization of the Iron and Steel Sector: Challenges and Opportunities

The iron and steel industry is one of the largest contributors to industrial emissions in the United States (U.S.). As this industry represents an impactful opportunity for industrial decarbonization, this paper presents the techno-economics of retrofitting iron/steel plants in the U.S. with post-combustion carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technology. For a representative base plant, this analysis considers an integrated steel mill, including a blast furnace (BF) and basic oxygen furnace (BOF), and evaluates CO2 capture as applied to the three largest and highest concentration emission sources of these facilities. A levelized cost of CO2 captured (LCOC) of $80.3/tonne CO2 and $80.7/tonne CO2 was estimated for a retrofit site with 99 and 90 percent capture, respectively.

Henry, Samuel [NETL Site Support Contractor, Natio↗
DOE OSTI2024

Technology Feasibility of High-Temperature Heat Pumps for Industrial Drying Process in the US

High-temperature heat pumps are a prospective technology for electrifying and decarbonizing industrial drying processes. This study investigates the technological potential of HTHPs in replacing fossil-fuel burners or steam boilers in industrial spray dryers. The performance of HTHPs with three configurations was investigated, including high high-temperature heat pump boosted with an electric air heater, a steam-generating high-temperature heat pump with multi-stage mechanical vapor compressions, and transcritical high-temperature heat pumps. R1336mzz(Z) is used as the refrigerant in both subcritical and transcritical high-temperature heat pumps, and R717 is used as the working fluid in the mechanical vapor recompression and the heat transfer fluids. Thermodynamic models are built to evaluate the energy efficiency of HTHPs. A case study was carried out on an industrial spray dryer integrated with a waste heat recuperator, where the HTHPs are used to recover precooled air with a dew point of 40℃ and supply heat for drying air at 200℃. For a high-temperature heat pump boosted with an electric air heater, a higher system-level COP is achieved with a high supply temperature from high-temperature heat pump. For a high-temperature heat pump with mechanical vapor recompressions, larger temperature drops in the flashing tank provide higher heat capacities but almost constant values of the coefficient of performance. For a transcritical high-temperature heat pump, an optimum discharge pressure exists for the temperature profiles within the gas cooler and the coefficient of performance. The transcritical high-temperature heat pump provides the best energy efficiency among the three configurations. The theoretical results prove the technical feasibility of high-temperature heat pumps in industrial air-drying applications. .

Wang, Pengtao↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Tool to Incorporate Non-Energy Impacts in Energy Efficiency Investment Decision Making for Firms

Energy efficiency is a key demand-side strategy for sustainability, recently identified by the United States Department of Energy as a pillar of industrial decarbonization. The increased focus on decarbonization and the requirement for efficiency to enable electrification, another decarbonization pillar, due to the spark spread between natural gas and electricity prices, make energy efficiency increasingly relevant. Still, industries face challenges in adopting energy efficiency measures. Researchers have long found a gap in adoption of even those measures with a profitable net present value, attributed to lack of strategic value among other barriers (see for rigorous exploration and taxonomy). One solution to facilitate energy efficiency projects is the inclusion of non-energy impacts, as this has been shown to double potential deployment of such projects at system level. Energy efficiency can provide valuable benefits outside of simple operating cost reductions, from decreased pollution to enhanced productivity. The inclusion of these benefits in decision making assessments faces hurdles due to inconsistency of ancillary benefits across projects, difficulties in quantifying impacts and the need for additional measurement to quantify them. The decision-making tools to support this have been designed primarily for the European context. We begin with a stakeholder engagement process to better characterize the U.S. decision making process surrounding adoption of energy efficiency investments. Characterization of non-energy impacts has developed substantially over recent decades. Cagno et al. provided a framework for studying the applicability of these impacts to energy efficiency projects, listing 120 key performance indicators focused mainly on reductions of costs/harms. Other researchers have included impacts on the strategic and revenue side that can be merged into this framework as well. We seek a tractable set of impacts that can be included in a decision-making tool in the US, and as such are well suited to US industry, management and decision making processes. We also seek to understand how to best quantify or characterize these impacts. This work will demonstrate the results of a survey conducted among US manufacturing industry decision makers to assess the decision making landscape of stakeholders as well as the most relevant performance indicators for energy efficiency projects.

ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION,↗