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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
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DOE OSTI2020

Competing Interests and Creating Value - Balancing Durable and Enforceable Institutional Controls with Beneficial Reuse - 20320

US DOE LM has various real property interests at the 100 sites within its current portfolio, with an anticipated total of 127 sites within the next 5 years. Each site has its own narrative with respect to the real property assets. Since the regulatory time frame for long-term surveillance and maintenance activities at some sites can be in perpetuity, durable and effective instruments and documentation are necessary to support LM's unique mission as a federal land manager and steward. More than half of the sites currently in LM's inventory do not allow unrestricted use, and institutional controls (ICs) are required to limit human and environmental exposures to residual contamination. LM's Asset Management program balances protection of human health and the environment with a goal of optimizing its land portfolio through mitigation of risk, limiting liability, and creating value, whether tangible or intangible, in these types of assets. The IC layering strategy utilizes multiple types, restrictions, and legal authorities to protect human health and the environment. This layering strategy influences the transition of these properties into LM's portfolio to assess potential beneficial reuses. The LM's beneficial reuse program aims to repurpose former contaminated sites to restore the environment, protect the public health, revitalize communities, and spur economic growth. LM strives to create value in a perceived valueless asset and reevaluates and revisits the potential opportunities for these sites as long-term surveillance and maintenance activities are performed and objectives are achieved. Beneficial reuse also promotes protectiveness by ensuring activities are compatible with long-term maintenance and protection of public health and the environment as well as ensuring activities are environmentally sound by retaining good stewardship of natural resources. LM has recently revised both the Institutional Control Program Guidance and its Beneficial Reuse Management Plan to integrate the issues of land use with ICs, creating value in these impaired assets. This paper presents the following topics: (1) a general overview of LM's IC and beneficial reuse programs; (2) the unique aspects of each of these programs as a result of the multiple regulatory requirements and programs that affect LM sites; (3) case studies of LM sites to show examples of how LM created value while complying with the ICs and layering strategies; and (4) the most common challenges to beneficial reuses at LM sites and potential options for value creation in impaired assets. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

Middlesex South FUSRAP Site: Collaboration Towards Beneficial Reuse - 20338

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management (LM) manages DoE's post-closure responsibilities and ensures the future protection of human health and the environment with respect to sites that have no continuing DOE mission after undergoing remediation. LM's beneficial reuse program promotes the LM strategic goal to sustainably manage and optimize use of public lands. The beneficial reuse program aims to repurpose former contaminated sites to restore the environment, protect the public health, revitalize communities, and spur economic growth. Benefits from the reuse of a site may increase the local tax base, facilitate job growth, utilize existing infrastructure, and enhance or protect natural resources. Beneficial reuse also promotes protectiveness by ensuring activities are compatible with long-term maintenance and protection of public health and the environment, as well as by retaining good stewardship of natural resources. LM actively participates in promoting the economic development vision of the surrounding communities by collaborating with local communities to promote regional or municipal initiatives. The Borough of Middlesex, New Jersey, has prepared the Lincoln Boulevard Redevelopment Plan, which will reinvent a once-viable downtown and enhance the quality of life for the community. The Middlesex South, New Jersey, Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) site lies within the boundaries of this redevelopment area. In support of this development plan, the Borough is interested in acquiring the site for its Department of Public Works and to increase street access in the future commercial district to be built near adjacent properties. The opportunity to put the FUSRAP site into productive use aligns with LM's mission and strategic goals. In support of beneficial reuse activities, DOE can dispose of excess real property using several mechanisms. The two disposal options applicable to the Middlesex south site include (1) utilizing the US General Services Administration (GSA) or (2) using the Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations Section 770, 'Transfer of Real Property at Defense Nuclear Facilities for Economic Development' (known as a '770 transfer') process. Using the 770 transfer requires economic development as the primary driver, and a specific redevelopment proposal must be submitted. If there is no interest in specific economic development, the GSA option becomes the default mechanism for disposal of the property. In the case of the Middlesex south site, the 770 transfer process is being utilized and the Borough has submitted its economic development proposal to LM. Although LM is encouraged by the opportunity to put the site into productive use, the Middlesex south site is currently on the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Priorities List and remediation is being performed by the US Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Consequently, any property transfer must meet the requirements under CERCLA Section 120(h), 'Property Transferred by Federal Agencies.' As the groundwater remedy will not be in place for several years, approval would be required from the US EPA administrator and the governor of the state of New Jersey to perform an early transfer of the site (before all response actions have been completed). The time frame for these approvals to occur under the normal process conflicts with the proposed redevelopment schedule; therefore, various options for expedited sale, transfer, or lease of portions of the site to the Borough were evaluated. The subsequent decision on a mutually beneficial path forward was the result of a collaborative effort between LM, USACE, the Borough and its redevelopment team, EPA, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

Key Strategies in Industry for Circular Economy: Analysis of Remanufacturing and Beneficial Reuse

Manufacturing, in the effort to be more sustainable, is increasingly focusing on energy efficiency and waste reduction. DOE's Better Buildings Better Plants Program has established Waste Reduction Network that works with 32 industrial partners to achieve higher material efficiency and reduce waste. United States generates 7.6 Billion Tons of industrial solid waste as estimated by EPA. In a linear economy as the economy grows, so does the waste – increasing strain on resources and the environment. The Circular Economy (CE) model keeps the available resources in circulation for longer period of time easing the burden on the environment.Remanufacturing and (Beneficial) reuse are widely accepted channels in 9R methodology and established pillars of CE. This chapter reviews the two key strategies and their adoption in different industrial sectors. It reviews the key barriers faced by manufacturers in implementing these methodologies and discusses the possible solutions to those barriers. The chapter also reviews impact of these CE strategies on sustainability, material efficiency and the economic and social benefits. Finally, this chapter presents two case studies from DOE's Better Plants partners – one on remanufacturing of components in heavy vehicles industry and one on beneficial reuse of spent foundry sand, a non-hazardous solid waste, and discusses the project impacts.

Chaudhari, Subodh↗
DOE OSTI2023

Key Strategies in Industry for Circular Economy : Analysis of Remanufacturing and Beneficial Reuse

Manufacturing, in the effort to be more sustainable, is increasingly focusing on energy efficiency and waste reduction. DOE’s Better Buildings Better Plants Program has a Waste Reduction Network that works with 32 industrial partners to achieve higher material efficiency and reduce waste. United States generates 7.6 Billion Tons of industrial solid waste as estimated by EPA. In a linear economy as the economy grows, so does the waste – increasing strain on resources and the environment. The Circular Economy (CE) model keeps the available resources in circulation for longer period of time easing the burden on the environment. Remanufacturing and (Beneficial) re-use are widely accepted channels in 9R methodology and established pillars of CE. This paper reviews the two key strategies and their adoption in different industrial sectors. It reviews the key barriers faced by manufacturers in implementing these methodologies and discusses the possible solutions to those barriers. The paper also reviews impact of these CE strategies on sustainability, material efficiency and the economic and social benefits. Finally, this paper presents two case studies from DOE’s Better Plants partners – one on remanufacturing of components in heavy vehicles industry and one on beneficial reuse of spent foundry sand, a non-hazardous solid waste, and discusses the project impacts.

Chaudhari, Subodh↗
DOE OSTI2020

Advanced supercritical water-based process concepts for treatment and beneficial reuse of brine in oil/gas production

Produced water generated from oil/gas reservoirs is a cost burden for oil/gas producers, with over 21 billion barrels of the waste generated in 2019. Average disposal costs range from 4.00–8.00·bbl -1 , with up to 20·bbl -1 spent on transportation alone. Dissolved solids content is a contributing factor which limits economical treatment options for this waste stream. This work proposes a novel technique that can handle high salinity waste, employing favorable properties past the critical point of water. In this study, process simulation of two supercritical water desalination (SCWD) scenarios was completed. Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) and brine concentration operating scenarios were compared, weighing the associated economics and benefits for each case. The results were shown to be economically feasible for brines with a high dissolved solids content, ranging from 3.49 to 17.28·bbl -1 in an expanded sensitivity analysis.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Innovations Driven by Advanced Characterization to Strategize Critical Mineral Production and Beneficial Reuse from Fossil Energy Waste

Critical minerals (CM), such as rare earth elements (REE), cobalt, nickel, and lithium, have important uses in modern electronics and advanced manufacturing, yet are vulnerable to potential supply chain disruptions. Relatively abundant and readily available fossil energy (FE) wastes, such as coal combustion ash, acid mine drainage (AMD) and treatment solids (AMD solids), and Oil and Gas (O&G) drilling wastes (drill cuttings and produced waters) are under consideration as CM feedstocks. The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has studied CM resources for various FE wastes as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s mission of bolstering the domestic CM supply, and makes the data available to the public on EDX at sites such as the NEWTS group. Advanced characterization utilizing synchrotron x-ray techniques coupled with laboratory extractions has been performed to identify CM hosting phases in these FE wastes to inform CM recoverability mechanisms. Novel methods to selectively recover CMs while co-producing other valuable byproducts have been developed. Successful examples discussed here include: (1) The identification of REE/Co/Ni/Sc binding and hosting phases in select FE waste (coal combustion ash and AMD solids), resulting in the development of a patented CM step-extraction process, (2) coupled production of functional sorbents from these extraction wastes and for CM recovery. A pilot-scale testing to evaluate the patent’s technical feasibility for extracting REE from coal ash on a barrel scale has been successfully performed. Additionally, (3) evaluation and measurements of brine geochemistry from U.S. O&G produced waters has informed a high Li recovery potential from Marcellus Shale produced water. NETL researchers have been developing tailored pre-treatment processes, an innovative and highly durable lithium sorbent, and geochemical model guided precipitation to accelerate Li production from the Marcellus Shale produced waters. These innovations driven by characterization are integral for maximizing and advancing the potential for CM recovery while offsetting the cost and environmental footprint for FE waste management.

critical mineral processing↗
DOE OSTI2021

Oil and Gas Produced Water Reuse: Opportunities, Treatment Needs, and Challenges

Advances in water treatment technologies paired with potential restrictions on oil and gas (O&G) produced water disposal could incentivize the beneficial reuse of treated produced water in the O&G industry. However, the remote nature of O&G operations limits the applicability of many of these solutions, which may be spatially inefficient, require operator supervision, or are ill-suited for the complex nature of produced water. Furthermore, the responsible, sustainable reuse of produced water as an alternative water source requires standardized analytical techniques for characterizing and determining the toxicity of treated produced water and improving our understanding of the fate and transport of various constituents. In the past decade, we made little progress in economically treating produced water for beneficial reuse outside of oilfield operations; the sole major breakthrough has been in the development of salt-tolerant fracturing chemicals that allow for reuse of produced water for fracking operations. Guided research should assist in the development of fit-for-purpose solutions to maximize the reuse of treated produced water. This is exemplified by the case studies presented here that detail currently operating treatment facilities for reclamation and reuse of produced water.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Integrating the Design of Desalination Technologies into Produced Water Network Optimization

The oil and gas energy sector uses billions of gallons of water for hydraulic fracturing each year to extract oil and gas. The water injected into the ground for fracturing along with naturally occurring formation water from oil wells surfaces back in the form of produced water. Produced water can contain high concentrations of total dissolved solids and is unfit for reuse outside the oil and gas industry without desalination. In semi-arid shale plays, produced water desalination for beneficial reuse could play a crucial role in alleviating water shortages and addressing extreme drought conditions. In this poster we co-optimize the design and operation of desalination technologies along with operational decisions across produced water networks. A multi-period produced water network model with simplified split-fraction-based desalination nodes is developed. Rigorous steady-state desalination mathematical models based on mechanical vapor recompression are developed and embedded at the desalination sites in the network model. An optimal common design across all periods is ensured using global capacity constraints. The solution approach is demonstrated for multi-period planning problems on networks from the PARETO open-source library. Model formulation and challenges associated with scalability are discussed.

Naik, Sakshi↗
DOE OSTI2024

Integrating the Design of Desalination Technologies into Produced Water Network Optimization

The oil and gas energy sector uses billions of gallons of water for hydraulic fracturing each year to extract oil and gas. The water injected into the ground for fracturing along with naturally occur-ring formation water from the oil wells surfaces back in the form of produced water. Produced water can contain high concentrations of total dissolved solids and is unfit for reuse outside the oil and gas industry without desalination. In semi-arid shale plays, produced water desalination for beneficial reuse could play a crucial role in alleviating water shortages and addressing extreme drought conditions. In this paper we co-optimize the design and operation of desalination technologies along with operational decisions across produced water networks. A multi-period produced water network model with simplified split-fraction-based desalination nodes is developed. Rigorous steady-state desalination mathematical models based on mechanical vapor recompression are developed and embedded at the desalination sites in the network model. An optimal common design is ensured across all periods using global capacity constraints. The solution approach is demonstrated for multi-period planning problems on networks from the PARETO open-source library. Model formulation and challenges associated with scalability are discussed.

Naik, Sakshi↗
DOE OSTI2021

Mine Water Use, Treatment, and Reuse in the United States: A Look at Current Industry Practices and Select Case Studies

Mining provides significant economic value while often impacting local water supplies and environments because of freshwater usage and waste disposal practices. In this paper we identify current practices in mine water, including how water is used in mining, influent and effluent water quality, treatment technologies, and end uses with the goal of informing future research on implementable, reliable, and cost-effective advanced water treatment in the mining sector. This study also reviews the available literature to broadly evaluate mining in the United States and performs a techno-economic assessment on water use and disposal for three detailed case studies applicable to lithium, uranium, and copper mines. These case studies highlight specific industry examples of distinct extraction methods, geographical regions, and mined commodities. Hypothetical scenarios based on case study baselines revealed potential impacts to mine water available for beneficial reuse through the use of novel water treatment technologies and alternate water management strategies. Finally, an assessment of national level impacts resulting from the reuse of treated mine source water is presented.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2022

PARETO: An open-source produced water optimization framework

PARETO is an optimization framework for onshore produced water management that is meant to empower practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to identify cost-effective and environmentally sustainable ways to manage, treat, and – when possible – beneficially reuse produced water from oil & gas operations. Given user-provided water production, demand, and transportation data, PARETO can help determine where and how to build out produced water infrastructure while simultaneously improving the coordination of water deliveries over time. As shown here, the framework is innately designed to help organizations recognize opportunities for minimizing fresh and brackish water consumption by maximizing produced water reuse in active oil & gas development areas. PARETO is Python-based and is publicly available via GitHub.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Laboratory and pilot-scale studies of membrane distillation for desalination of produced water from Permian Basin

Substantial quantities of produced water generated during the extraction of oil and gas from unconventional reservoirs present significant environmental concern and increase the operating cost for this industry. Membrane Distillation (MD) can serve as a potential solution for beneficial reuse of produced water by generating high-quality permeate and reducing the volume of produced water requiring disposal. This study investigated treatment of produced water from Permian Basin in both laboratory and pilot-scale studies. Laboratory tests revealed the potential to successfully recover 50% of produced water although some increase in permeate conductivity was observed due to the passage of ammonia from the feed side. Initial pilot-scale test with filtration of raw produced water as the only pre-treatment step led to precipitation of SrSO 4 , NaCl, and Fe in the system once the solubility limits for these salts were exceeded. However, chemical pretreatment that included pH adjustment, aeration, and barite precipitation, allowed successful steady-state operation of the AGMD pilot system for 5 days where the produced water was concentrated from 127 g/L to 255 g/L (~50% water recovery) while recovering high quality permeate. Overall, greater than 99.7 % salt rejection was achieved with the average permeate flux of 1.86 LMH. Finally, mass balance analysis suggested potential Ba and Ca precipitation in the system but there was no impact on AGMD performance and permeate quality during 5 days of continuous operation in the field.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Systematic characterization of selenium speciation in coal fly ash

Millions of tons of coal fly ashes (CFAs) are produced annually during coal combustion in the U.S., which are commonly beneficially used in the concrete industry or disposed of in ash ponds. CFAs contain trace amounts of a range of toxic heavy metals including selenium (Se). Because the toxicity of Se is dependent on its speciation, investigating Se speciation in CFAs as affected by coal source and combustion conditions can help understand the related environmental and human health impacts during disposal or beneficial reuse. In this study, a set of representative CFA samples were characterized for Se speciation using synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and micro-X-ray fluorescence spectromicroscopy (μ-XRF/XAS). Se-containing particles were highly heterogeneous, and individual particles might contain multiple oxidation states including Se(0), Se(IV), and Se(VI). Principal component analysis was performed for sample characteristics including Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , CaO, FeO, loss on ignition, average particle size, Se concentration, and Se oxidation state. Selective catalytic reduction (SCR), which is used to limit nitrogen oxide (NO x ) emissions during coal combustion, was found to be associated with the presence of reduced Se oxidation states, with up to 90% Se(0) observed in samples with SCR. Alongside SCR, FeO content may also influence Se speciation.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗