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At least 19 records

High CO2 Capture Rate Cost and Performance for F- and H-Class Natural Gas Combined Cycles (NGCC)

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is updating its study titled “Cost and Performance Baselines for Fossil Energy Plants, Volume 1: Bituminous Coal and Natural Gas to Electricity.” Revision 4 was published in 2019. Pulverized coal (PC) and natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) cases with carbon capture in that study capture carbon dioxide (CO2) at 90% efficiency. Field-testing of post-combustion CO2 capture technology as well as vendor and industry feedback on projects currently in the planning stages (including FEED projects sponsored by DOE) indicate that capture rates as high as 95% are feasible for both coal- and natural gas-fueled electricity generating units. Technology suppliers (as reflected in vendor-supplied information provided to DOE for this study that included cost and performance estimates for both NGCC (97%) and PC (99%) study cases) as well as subject matter experts acknowledge and support that solvent-based post-combustion CO2 capture technologies are capable of achieving CO2 removal rates beyond 95% on low-purity streams representative of fossil-fueled combustion; however, the relatively limited experience with design and operation of capture systems that can routinely, reliably, and economically achieve very high removal rates (e.g., 97% for NGCC flue gas) requires further study. This presentation will address performance and cost estimates for 90%, 95%, and 97% capture for F- and H-class NGCC plants. This presentation was given at the 2022 Pittsburgh Coal Conference.

Fout, Timothy↗

Quantifying Uncertainty in High CO₂ Capture rate with MEA Solvent Systems

This presentation covers the methodology and key findings from an uncertainty quantification study of monoethanolamine (MEA) solvent-based systems operating under high CO₂ capture conditions. The goal is to identify critical operational parameters, assess their impact on system performance, and provide insights to support risk-informed design and optimization of carbon capture processes.

monoethanolamine (MEA)↗

High-Rate Data-Capture for an Airborne Lidar System

A high-rate data system was required to capture the data for an airborne lidar system. A data system was developed that achieved up to 22 million (64-bit) events per second sustained data rate (1408 million bits per second), as well as short bursts (less than 4 s) at higher rates. All hardware used for the system was off the shelf, but carefully selected to achieve these rates. The system was used to capture laser fire, single-photon detection, and GPS data for the Slope Imaging Multi-polarization Photo-counting Lidar (SIMPL). However, the system has applications for other laser altimeter systems (waveform-recording), mass spectroscopy, xray radiometry imaging, high-background- rate ranging lidar, and other similar areas where very high-speed data capture is needed. The data capture software was used for the SIMPL instrument that employs a micropulse, single-photon ranging measurement approach and has 16 data channels. The detected single photons are from two sources those reflected from the target and solar background photons. The instrument is non-gated, so background photons are acquired for a range window of 13 km and can comprise many times the number of target photons. The highest background rate occurs when the atmosphere is clear, the Sun is high, and the target is a highly reflective surface such as snow. Under these conditions, the total data rate for the 16 channels combined is expected to be approximately 22 million events per second. For each photon detection event, the data capture software reads the relative time of receipt, with respect to a one-per-second absolute time pulse from a GPS receiver, from an event timer card with 0.1-ns precision, and records that information to a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) storage device. The relative time of laser pulse firings must also be read and recorded with the same precision. Each of the four event timer cards handles the throughput from four of the channels. For each detection event, a flag is recorded that indicates the source channel. To accommodate the expected maximum count rate and also handle the other extreme of very low rates occurring during nighttime operations, the software requests a set amount of data from each of the event timer cards and buffers the data. The software notes if any of the cards did not return all the data requested and then accommodates that lower rate. The data is buffered to minimize the I/O overhead of writing the data to storage. Care was taken to optimize the reads from the cards, the speed of the I/O bus, and RAID configuration.

Valett, Susan↗

The impact of climate on solvent-based direct air capture systems

Direct air capture (DAC) is increasingly seen as a critical technology to reach mid-century net-zero targets and limit climate change to well below 2 °C. While the commercialization of DAC technologies is being pursued by numerous companies, there remains remarkably little information on their performance under “real-world” conditions. In this paper, for the first time, we investigate the influence of temperature and relative humidity of air on the CO 2 capture rate at the air contactor, overall energy requirement, CO 2 capture efficiency, and levelized cost of liquid-solvent based DAC systems. We observe that the overall energy demand decreases from 11.1 to 8.3 GJ/tCO 2 as the CO 2 capture rate increases from 40 to 85 % and that high capture rates can only be achieved in hot and humid climate conditions. We observe that a CO 2 capture rate of 75 % is only possible above 17 °C and 90 % relative humidity, and this drops dramatically at lower temperatures. It is also observed that water evaporation in the air contactor is highest at dry and low relative humidity, as expected. The sensitivity analysis showed that CO 2 capture efficiency is relatively insensitive to climate conditions for the liquid-solvent based DAC plant. Lastly, the levelized cost of natural gas standalone scenario varies from $240/tCO 2 to $409/tCO 2 , and this is more sensitive to temperature than relative humidity. The levelized cost of the natural gas stand-alone case is between 7 % and 10 % lower than that of an electric grid-connected case across all climate conditions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Detection and Location of Transverse Matrix Cracks in Cross-Ply Gr/Ep Composites Using Acoustic Emission

Transverse matrix cracking in cross-ply gr/ep laminates was studied with advanced acoustic emission (AE) techniques. The primary goal of this research was to measure the load required to initiate the first transverse matrix crack in cross-ply laminates of different thicknesses. Other methods had been previously used for these measurements including penetrant enhanced radiography, optical microscopy, and audible acoustic microphone measurements. The former methods required that the mechanical test be paused for measurements at load intervals. This slowed the test procedure and did not provide the required resolution in load. With acoustic microphones, acoustic signals from cracks could not be clearly differentiated from other noise sources such as grip damage, specimen slippage, or test machine noise. A second goal for this work was to use the high resolution source location accuracy of the advanced acoustic emission techniques to determine whether the crack initiation site was at the specimen edge or in the interior of the specimen.In this research, advanced AE techniques using broad band sensors, high capture rate digital waveform acquisition, and plate wave propagation based analysis were applied to cross-ply composite coupons with different numbers of 0 and 90 degree plies. Noise signals, believed to be caused by grip damage or specimen slipping, were eliminated based on their plate wave characteristics. Such signals were always located outside the sensor gage length in the gripped region of the specimen. Cracks were confirmed post-test by microscopic analysis of a polished specimen edge, backscatter ultrasonic scans, and in limited cases, by penetrant enhanced radiography. For specimens with three or more 90 degree plies together, there was an exact 1-1 correlation between AE crack signals and observed cracks. The ultrasonic scans and some destructive sectioning analysis showed that the cracks extended across the full width of the specimen. Furthermore, the locations of the cracks from the AE data were in excellent agreement with the locations measured with the microscope. The high resolution source location capability of this technique, combined with an array of sensors, was able to determine that the cracks initiated at the specimen edges, rather than in the interior. For specimens with only one or two 90 degree plies, the crack-like signals were significantly smaller in amplitude and there was not a 1-1 correlation to observed cracks. This was similar to previous results. In this case, however, ultrasonic and destructive sectioning analysis revealed that the cracks did not extend across the specimen. They initiated at the edge, but did not propagate any appreciable distance into the specimen. This explains the much smaller AE signal amplitudes and the difficulty in correlating these signals to actual cracks in this, as well as in the previous study.

Prosser, W. H.↗

Waveform Based Acoustic Emission Detection and Location of Matrix Cracking in Composites

The operation of damage mechanisms in a material or structure under load produces transient acoustic waves. These acoustic waves are known as acoustic emission (AE). In composites they can be caused by a variety of sources including matrix cracking, fiber breakage, and delamination. AE signals can be detected and analyzed to determine the location of the acoustic source by triangulation. Attempts are also made to analyze the signals to determine the type and severity of the damage mechanism. AE monitoring has been widely used for both laboratory studies of materials, and for testing the integrity of structures in the field. In this work, an advanced, waveform based AE system was used in a study of transverse matrix cracking in cross-ply graphite/epoxy laminates. This AE system featured broad band, high fidelity sensors, and high capture rate digital acquisition and storage of acoustic signals. In addition, analysis techniques based on plate wave propagation models were employed. These features provided superior source location and noise rejection capabilities.

Prosser, W. H.↗

Updated Cost And Performance Results for Natural Gas Combined Cycles (NGCC)

Updated cost and performance results are presented by NETL for both F and H Class turbines, presented at the Clearwater Clean Energy Conference in August, 2022. Results are presented for cases with and without 90% CO2 Capture. Preliminary results for high capture rates presented as well.

Fout, Timothy↗

Selective capture and recovery of uranium oxide colloids from aqueous soil suspensions using high gradient magnetic filtration

High Gradient Magnetic Filtration (HGMF) is a promising method for the selective capture and recovery of uranium oxide from surface soils. To date, however, magnetic filtration of uranium oxide has only been demonstrated at a proof-of-principle scale using relatively small filters (<5 cm 3 ) at low flowrates (<60 mL/min). Here, to explore the efficacy of magnetic filtration of uranium oxide at a larger scale, a newly designed HGMF apparatus that is more than an order of magnitude larger than our earlier filters (106 cm 3 ) was designed, fabricated, and tested at relatively high flowrates. Filtration experiments were performed using aqueous uranium oxide particle suspensions with Arizona Road Dust (ARD) as a soil simulant. At a flowrate of 125 mL/min, the apparatus’ uranium capture rate was exceptionally high (96 %), but selectivity was poor due to the high rate of capture for diamagnetic soil constituents (e.g., 77 % for silicon). All particles were captured at a lower rate when the flowrate was increased to 250 mL/min, but uranium selectivity was significantly increased due to the more substantial reduction in diamagnetic particle capture (i.e., capture rate of 77 % and 15 % for uranium and silicon, respectively). When backwashing the apparatus at the same flowrates used during filtration experiments, the rate of uranium recovery tended to be fairly low. Nevertheless, higher flowrates (1 L/min) and sonication were both shown to be highly effective methods of increasing uranium recovery. Magnetic field simulations were also performed to investigate potential optimizations to the design of the apparatus. These simulations showed that the intensity of the applied magnetic field could be increased by increasing the thickness of the steel magnetic housing. Additionally, stochastic trajectory simulations were performed to investigate the potential mechanisms of particle capture.

HGMF↗

EDOS Initiatives to Decrease Latency of NRT Data for LANCE

NASA's EOS Data and Operations System (EDOS) is the primary supplier of NRT (near real-time) data to the NASA NRT user community known as the Land, Atmosphere NRT Capability for EOS (LANCE). EDOS provides NRT data for various instruments on the EOS missions Terra, Aqua, Aura, as well as for the NOAA missions Suomi NPP and NOAA-20. This poster describes an overview of the EDOS multi-mission system with emphasis on the NRT products distributed for LANCE elements: AIRS, MISR, MLS, MODIS, MOPITT, OMPS, OMI and VIIRS. Remote EDOS high-rate data capture systems are deployed at NASA ground stations which provide data-driven capture of high-rate science for EOS missions. The remote EDOS components transfer the science data via high-rate WANs to the centralized EDOS Level-zero processing systems located at Goddard Space Flight Center. EDOS produces session-based data sets especially for LANCE NRT use from a single ground station contact; this data is sent to dual LANCE destinations as part of the standard redundancy requirement for LANCE elements. EDOS has implemented various latency improvements with the ultimate goal to have EDOS processing of NRT data keep up with the spacecraft data downlink. EDOS enhancements have included implementation of priority-based QoS, expanded network architecture to include open networks, and use of a delay-tolerant protocol. EDOS has streamlined its systems and infrastructure to minimize latency for NRT data delivery for LANCE. EDOS begins to transfer the NRT data to the LANCE elements within minutes of the end of the contact session with an average packet latency from instrument observation to Level 0 product delivery to each LANCE element of just over one hour.

Michael, Karen↗

Use of Open Networks and Delay-Tolerant Protocol to Decrease WAN Latency of EOS near Real-Time Data

Since 1999, NASA's Earth Observing System Data Operations System (EDOS) project at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has provided high-rate data capture, level zero processing, and product distribution services for a majority of NASA's EOS (Earth Observing System) high-rate missions, including Terra, Aqua, Aura, ICESat, EO-1, SMAP, and OCO-2. EDOS high-rate science and engineering (150-300 Mbps) data-driven capture systems are deployed at 7 worldwide ground stations which are connected via both private (closed) and public (open) wide area networks (WANs) to the centralized EDOS Level Zero Processing Facility (LZPF) located at GSFC, where the data is processed and Level 0 products are distributed to users worldwide. All data transferred over the open networks to GSFC traverse an IPSec tunnel, providing the same level of security as a VPN connection. EDOS produces both time-based and near real-time products (session-based). Near real-time data products are produced from a single ground station contact; time-based products are produced from multiple ground station contacts. EDOS is the primary supplier of EOS Level 0 data to the NASA near real-time user community known as the Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE). For the past few years, EDOS has streamlined its systems to reduce WAN latency for near real-time data delivery, including implementing Quality of Service (QoS), expanding closed network bandwidth, adding open network connections with more bandwidth, and implementing a delay-tolerant protocol to mitigate long round-trip times to remote ground stations.

Delay-Tolerant Protocol↗

Automated processing of environmental transmission electron microscopy images for quantification of thin film dewetting and carbon nanotube nucleation dynamics

We report scalable production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) requires catalysts and reaction conditions that provide high nucleation efficiency. In situ characterization methods such as environmental transmission electron microscopy (ETEM) can reveal fundamental mechanisms of synthesis, but to date have primarily provided qualitative observations on small sample sizes. Here, quantitative analysis is performed using high-resolution, high-rate video capture of ETEM experimentation coupled with automated image processing, involving computer vision algorithms and convolutional neural networks. By this approach, we detect distinct nanoparticle formation from an alumina-supported iron thin film and subsequent CNT nucleation from the nanoparticles. The statistical summary of particles in each video shows that, compared to a H 2 -only atmosphere, pretreatment of the catalyst with carbon added to the H 2 atmosphere results in a smaller average particle diameter, a 2-fold increase in particle density (to 5300 particles/μm 2 ), a 3-fold increase in CNT nucleation efficiency (to 92%), and more than a 5-fold increase in CNT density (to 4800/μm 2 ). Addition of carbon during exposure to H 2 is also more effective than NH 3 at dewetting the catalyst film and increasing the CNT nucleation efficiency, in spite of NH 3 being a stronger reducing agent for iron. Insights from this study are applicable to improving CNT yield and productivity in both batch-style and continuous processes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Mathematical Optimization of NGCC Solvent-based Carbon Capture Processes to Explore High Capture Designs

For point-source capture, much of the work to date has focused on achieving 90% capture – a somewhat arbitrary target above which parasitic losses to drive carbon capture and compression systems were believed to be too great to be economically justifiable. The recent push for deep decarbonization has caused this target to be revisited, and existing literature is of limited usefulness as most published studies have focused on carbon capture percentages of 90%. In this work, numerous mathematical optimizations were performed between carbon capture targets between 90%-99.8% of a Natural Gas Combined Cycle (NGCC) plant to better understand incremental cost of these systems so they may be compared to other decarbonization technologies, and to inform technical risk associated with targeting higher capture performance for these types of systems.

carbon capture↗

Comparison of Commercial, State-of-the-Art, Fossil-Based Ammonia Production

This NETL report provides a comprehensive techno-economic analysis of current, state-of-the-art, fossil-based ammonia production processes, explicitly utilizing natural gas as the feedstock. The study thoroughly investigates three distinct configurations: conventional Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) without carbon capture, SMR integrated with carbon capture and storage (CCS), and Autothermal Reforming (ATR) also with CCS. The analysis incorporates detailed equipment cost accounting as part of its methodology. The primary objective is to meticulously evaluate the cost and performance of these established and emerging technological pathways, considering factors such as capital expenditures, operational costs, and energy consumption. While the report acknowledges and quantifies environmental impacts, its central focus remains on the economic and technical feasibility of each process design employing these current technologies. The analysis provides a direct comparison of the Levelized Cost of Ammonia (LCOA) for each pathway, revealing how the integration of CCS within these state-of-the-art systems impacts the overall production cost. The ATR+CCS configuration, representing an advanced approach, emerged with a slightly more favorable LCOA compared to SMR+CCS. This benefit was attributed to its inherent process efficiencies, high carbon capture rates, and economy of scale advantages. The report details the energy consumption profiles for each case, including metrics like net energy consumption and thermal efficiency, which are critical for assessing the performance of these contemporary industrial processes. Sensitivity analyses further explore how variables such as natural gas price, capital costs, and capacity factors influence the LCOA across all scenarios, offering critical insights into the economic robustness and scalability of these current ammonia production technologies.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Design and Operability of a Pressurized Oxy Combustion System

Fossil fuel powers more than two-thirds of the world’s electricity, a significant share of which is derived from coal power plants. Despite coal being an abundant and energy-rich fuel, the major halt to its progress is greenhouse gas emissions. Pressurized oxy-combustion cycles can achieve theoretically high thermal efficiencies along with a 90% carbon capture rate. Additionally, the high energy density allows smaller turbomachinery and save capital cost. Thus, the primary objective of this dissertation is to present the design and operability of a pressurized oxy-combustor system. The initial part of the dissertation investigates different thermodynamic cycles and presents a model that can be adapted for existing power plants. The thermodynamic model will be used in the later part to design the proposed combustor. The two cycles analyzed are ENEL and TIPS. This study focuses on qualitative analyses of the cycles using a commercially available software called Aspen Plus®. A detailed benchmark study has been performed to validate the modeling process. ENEL and TIPS cycles are designed in the software, adopting the same principles. Recirculation ratio and pressures are varied to find the efficiency range of the cycles. Power calculations are done to find overall and net efficiency for a fixed recirculation ratio. The efficiencies of the cycles are compared to select an optimum cycle. A recirculation ratio of 50% is selected for implementation. The comparison shows that ENEL is marginally efficient over TIPS, at the cost of a pressure difference of about 70bars. Technology Readiness Level analysis is performed to present the availability of the specialized equipment for the cycles. From the TRL analysis, it is seen that the cost and availability of high viii pressure equipment surmount the edge of TIPS over ENEL. Thus, ENEL is chosen as the better cycle for investigating a scaled experiment considering efficiency and viability. The later part of the dissertation focuses on developing the combustor's design for a pressurized oxy-combustion cycle. The proposed combustor is a powerhead-mounted design aimed to produce 1MW of thermal outputThe different aspects of the design of a down-fired pressurized swirl combustor are presented in this dissertation.

Chowdhury, Mehrin↗

DSN acquisition of Magellan high-rate telemetry data

The Magellan Project levied the stringent requirement of a 98 percent high-rate telemetry data capture rate on the Deep Space Network (DSN) during the Magellan Prime Mapping Mission. To meet this requirement, the DSN undertook extensive development of the DSN Telemetry System, as well as extensive DSN operation planning and test and training. In actuality, the DSN substantially exceeded the requirement by achieving a Prime Mapping Mission high-rate telemetry data capture rate of 99.14 percent. This article details the DSN telemetry system development, and DSN operations planning and test and training. In addition, the actual high-rate telemetry data outages are comprehensively presented and analyzed.

Berman, A. L.↗

Measurements of Gamow-Teller transitions from 59 Co via the 59 Co ⁢(𝑡, 3 He +𝛾) charge-exchange reaction and its application to the stellar electron-capture rates

Electron-capture reactions on iron-group nuclei play a crucial role in the late stages of massive star evolution. Since stellar evolution simulations depend on accurate electron-capture rates—which are highly sensitive to the detailed Gamow-Teller (GT) strength distributions—reliable theoretical models are essential. However, experimental data on GT strength distributions are scarce. High-resolution measurements are therefore vital for benchmarking and improving these theoretical calculations. To provide high-resolution data on Gamow-Teller strength distributions of iron-group nuclei and to compare these results with theoretical calculations within this mass region. Differential cross sections for the 59 Co ⁢(𝑡, 3 He)⁢ 59 Fe charge-exchange reaction at 115 MeV/u were measured using the S800 spectrometer. Furthermore, to resolve individual levels that are not distinguishable in the S800 particle singles data, coincident 𝛾 rays from the 59 Fe residual nucleus were detected by using the Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking In-beam Nuclear Array 𝛾-ray tracking array. Here, the Gamow-Teller transition strength distribution from the ground state of 59 Co to 59 Fe was extracted up to an excitation energy of 10 MeV. Additionally, transition strengths for several low-lying states were determined from coincident 𝛾-ray measurements. Electron-capture rates calculated using the present data indicate that these low-lying states contribute significantly to the overall rates in relevant stellar environments. The experimental results show reasonable agreement with theoretical predictions based on both shell-model and projected shell-model calculations. High-resolution data on Gamow-Teller strength distributions—particularly for individual low-lying states—are essential for accurately determining electron-capture rates in iron-group nuclei. Coincident 𝛾-ray measurements provide a powerful tool for obtaining such detailed information. While the present work demonstrates that shell-model calculations successfully reproduce the experimental results, such comparisons are scarce and more experimental data are desirable.

59 ≤ A ≤ 89↗