PROGRAM AREA OVERVIEW--

ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

http://www.eere.energy.gov  

The mission of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is to strengthen America's energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality through public-private partnerships that enhance energy efficiency and productivity; bring clean, reliable, and affordable energy technologies to the marketplace; and make a difference in the everyday lives of Americans by enhancing their energy choices and their quality of life.

In order to accomplish this mission EERE has streamlined and integrated its program and business management by creating 11 programs to most effectively address the needs of the industry, transportation, buildings and power sectors:  Biomass; Buildings; Distributed Energy and Electricity Reliability; Federal Energy Management; FreedomCar and Vehicle Technologies; Geothermal; Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and Infrastructure Technologies; Industrial Technologies; Solar Energy Technology; Wind and Hydropower Technologies; and Weatherization and Intergovernmental.

One of EERE’s core mission priorities is to engage and partner with the small business technology sector, in so doing, “leapfrog the status quo” by facilitating the development of new technologies that will dramatically reduce or end dependence on foreign oil; increase the viability and deployment of renewable energy technologies; increase the reliability and efficiency of electricity generation, delivery, and use; increase the efficiency of buildings and appliances; and increase the efficiency/reduce the energy intensity of industry.

It is estimated that the energy technologies and practices supported by the EERE programs have saved Americans billions of dollars in energy costs over the past decade.  These savings are projected to dramatically increase as emerging and new energy technologies are developed and commercialized. These energy savings are accompanied by parallel reductions in emissions and pollutants that affect human health and in the production of greenhouse gases.  The EE program in renewable energy has advanced the state of technologies in such areas as solar, wind, and biomass to the point where renewables have been projected to supply as much as 28 percent of the nation’s energy by 2030.

 

36. NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR GENERAL ILLUMINATION APPLICATIONS

Electricity consumed for general lighting applications in commercial and industrial buildings, residences, and outdoor applications represents about 22% of total U.S. electric energy production.  As new, imaginative applications for lighting appear on the marketplace, lighting is predicted to continue to grow as an end use of electricity.  Yet, despite concentrated efforts from both government and industry, the efficiency of converting electric energy into visible light by commercial light sources has increased only incrementally over the last three decades.  Even the most efficient of today’s lighting systems convert only about 30% of electrical energy into useful visible light.  While there have been some significant recent advances in light sources, such as the compact fluorescent lamp, no truly revolutionary light sources have been developed and commercialized since the mid 1960s.  Increases in lighting system efficiency have come primarily by substituting one type of lamp for another and from the addition of sophisticated controls.  In spite of these efficiency increases, the overall installed base of general illumination in U.S. buildings is inefficient, especially in comparison to other buildings systems.   However, the potential for substantial increases in light source efficiency is significant.  Within the Office of Buildings Technologies, the Department of Energy maintains an active program to explore new methods by which high quality electric light can be produced with less energy and less environmental impact.  The technical potential exists to increase light production efficiency by a factor of two or more.  To realize this exceptionally high level of performance, with the attendant energy conservation potential, major advancements in basic light producing technologies must be made.   Grant applications are sought only in the following subtopics:

a.  Advanced High Intensity Discharge Lighting – Approximately 17% of the total energy consumed by electric lighting is by high intensity discharge (HID) sources that produce nearly all the lighting service in outdoor applications, about 30% in industrial applications, and about 10% in commercial spaces.  There are three basic types of HID lamps in service today:  mercury vapor, metal halide (MH) and high pressure sodium (HPS).  All require ballasts and each has certain performance attributes for specialized applications such as street lighting, parking lots, high bay industrial lighting, and sports complexes.  In addition, the replacement of conventional lamps, including incandescent “A-Line” lamps, with new, improved HID lamps represents an additional energy conservation opportunity.  Although technological advances, particularly premium light engines and electronic lamp ballasts, have provided significant increases in energy efficiency compared to standard HID lamps, these advances have not led to the expected increases in sales. 

The most energy efficient metal halide lamps use a premium light engine (the part of lamp enclosed by the quartz envelope containing the working gasses and electrodes under high pressure) that costs more than the standard light engine.  The premium light engine is not only more efficient than the standard design, it also produces light with more desirable color attributes and less lumen depreciation, making it more life cycle cost attractive. These premium lamps are marketed as “Energy Efficient” because they replace a standard lamp by producing the same light with less power (e.g., a 360 W “Energy Efficient” lamp replaces a standard 400 W lamp, and so on).  “Energy Efficient” lamps have been on the market for a number of years but have failed to experience significant market penetration, generally due to their higher first cost price differential compared to standard HID lamps (although compelling argument can be made in favor of “Energy Efficient” lamps on the basis of total life cycle cost). 

Lamp ballast designs also can make a significant difference in HID system efficiency.  Today, numerous manufacturers offer a line of electronic ballasts, but volume sales are almost exclusively conventional electromagnetic products.  Adding increased functionality to the lamp-ballast designs may produce even more energy reductions as well as make the lamps more marketable.  Some concepts for increasing HID lamp system functionality include:  instant on, limited dimming, uniform lumen and color temperature, and networked controls integration. 

Grant applications are sought to develop novel HID lamp designs with improved performance, in order to reduce first costs and simultaneously increase life cycle cost competitiveness (by increasing lamp lifetime, lumen maintenance, or lamp efficacy).  Approaches of interest include less costly methods of manufacture that also produce a desirable reduction in cost, novel ballast designs that increase efficiency beyond presently available designs, and energy efficient system designs that add functionality and/or can replace conventional light sources (such as incandescent lamps). 

b.  Advanced Fluorescent Lamp Technology – Fluorescent lighting consumes about 41% of the total energy consumed in lighting and is especially prominent in commercial and industrial spaces where it produces about 60% of the light.  Modern lamps, especially T-8 linear fluorescent lamps (LFLs) are good at producing very high light quality with acceptable energy efficiency over an extensive lifetime, and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are not far behind.  However, even the best of today’s T-8 LFLs convert only about 28% of consumed power into visible radiation.  Mostly, this inefficiency is attributed to electrode losses (~16%), unwanted infrared emissions (~37%) and other discharge column loses (~18%) including small amounts of ultraviolet emission. Grant applications are sought to develop technology to reduce these losses and thereby increase fluorescent lamp efficiency.  Two selected opportunities, involving (1) new phosphor technology and (2) methods to eliminate mercury, are described in the paragraphs that follow, but other approaches for improving the performance of fluorescent lamps also would be of interest.

(1)  Phosphors are essential for the energy efficient operation of low-pressure plasma discharge lighting in the form of either compact or linear fluorescent lamps.   Inside the most efficient fluorescent lamps, both CFLs and all types of LFLs, almost 100% of the invisible, ultraviolet light is absorbed by the phosphors and re-emitted as long wavelength, visible light.  Phosphor conversion efficiency is very close to one (i.e., one invisible UV photon produces one long wavelength, visible photon).  The overall efficiency of this conversion is governed by various basic chemical processes, and, while the present embodiment of the technology is good, there is ample room for improvement.  Physical effects on the macro-scale (such as particles size, lattice or host matching, crystal structure, and even methods of application) also can have a significant impact on lamp efficacy.  Grant applications are sought to advance the state-of-the-art in phosphor technology for general illumination applications by developing novel conversion schemes that increase long wavelength photonic emissions.  Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:  Quantum Splitting Phosphors, a leading candidate for increasing the performance of lamps using phosphors, which has yet failed to reach commercialization; molecular effects including nanoscale properties; novel macro-scale effects such as unusual phosphor material structures or different manufacturing methods; and numerical modeling of novel energy conversion processes.

(2)  All fluorescent lamps currently manufactured for sale in the United States contain various amounts of mercury.  This small dose of mercury provides critical performance attributes that enable practical products like CFLs and LFLs to enjoy remarkable market penetration.  Energy efficient attributes like lamp efficacy and cold starting are among the most important, but other practical attributes include color rendering, lamp to lamp consistency, output uniformity over life, and service lifetime.  Succinctly stated, mercury makes conventional fluorescent lights work; without it, these important lamps would not be nearly as useful and energy efficient.  However, some regulators worldwide have begun to phase out the mercury contained in lighting products, either directly by limiting disposal options or by requiring recycling of spent lamps.  Although considerable research has been expended towards the goal of eliminating mercury altogether from fluorescent lighting products, designs for mercury-free fluorescent lamps have failed to reach the efficiency and performance levels of existing products and a significant technical challenge remains.  Therefore, grant applications are sought for alternative lamp designs that do not depend upon mercury for efficient operation, and therefore do not contain any mercury at all.  The mercury-free solutions required under this subtopic should have a form factor compatible with conventional fluorescent lamps or A-line lamps.  Different power supplies or ballasts may be required but existing performance attributes must be maintained or exceeded.   Life cycle costs must be comparable to existing CFL and LFL lamp products and should provide performance consistent with the goals of ENERGY STAR® lighting specifications.   

c.   Novel Solid State Lighting Structures – Light emitting diodes (LEDs) based upon, traditional III-V semiconductor materials and substrates are being developed to meet expanding demands in numerous markets including general illumination.  However, for general illumination applications (those that require high color quality, broad spectrum, bright white light), the prospects for energy efficient solutions based on existing III-Nitride semiconductor technology (which uses near UV or blue monochrome light, down-converted with a yellow phosphor) appears to be constrained to less than 90 Lumens per Watt (LPW).  Therefore, grant applications are sought to develop novel materials systems and structures that are fundamentally different than currently manufactured III-Nitride semiconductor systems and that promise performance in excess of 90 LPW.  These novel solutions must be capable of eventually being commercially manufactured at a cost of $2.00 per 1000 lumens or less.  For organic devices which are inherently less complex and costly to produce, certain pathways have already been demonstrated which may provide practical solutions for efficient white light production.  However, there may be other, even more efficient materials systems solutions that, when combined with novel device architectures, may be even more attractive for general illumination.  Alternative device configurations or hybrid structures that take advantage of efficient phosphor performance are of interest as are novel combinations of organic dyes and dopants that may shift spectral outputs to more desirable regimes.  Approaches that represent incremental increases in III-Nitride semiconductor device performance are not of interest and will be declined.  

In addition, configurations of existing semiconductor light producing devices may not be optimum for general illumination applications.  External quantum efficiencies may be low and other geometric optical limitations may impose performance constraints that limit overall device efficiency.  For example, the optical efficiency of today’s white light devices can be as low as 10%.  In order to maximize energy efficiencies, solid state lighting products of the future will extract at least 90% of the visible light produced.  Therefore, grants applications are sought o develop alternative geometrical designs, matrices, or arrays of existing device designs that can overcome certain physical limitations, including heat dissipation and low optical efficiency, leading to novel device designs that promise device efficiencies in excess of 60%.  

d.   “Off-Grid” Solid State Lighting Devices – Solid state lighting (SSL) devices have evolved rapidly over the past several years to a point where certain monochrome or single color applications like traffic control lights and emergency lighting can incorporate them to reduce energy consumption while simultaneously providing superior performance over a long lifetime.  Many industry experts believe that it is unlikely that there are many more near-term markets for monochrome illumination in general lighting (i.e., replacing incandescent lamps) until high brightness, inexpensive, high color quality, SSL sources are fully developed.  Nevertheless, important energy conserving applications may exist for low power, small devices in selected small or niche markets where high spectral content white light is unnecessary.  Furthermore, if these devices were powered by sunlight using existing solar voltaic and existing battery technologies, instant energy conservation could be realized because these devices could be removed from the power grid.  Once they are off the power grid, their security would increase as they can be designed to operate for a specified period of time completely independent of the status of electricity service.  

Grant applications are sought to develop novel designs for practical devices that can use commercial off-the-shelf technology for the SSL source, photovoltaic collection system, batteries, and controls.  Grant applications must describe the subject market, its size, and the likelihood of market penetration.  The subject devices should be cost competitive with the designs they replace, and life cycle cost comparisons must also be provided.  For new applications where no conventional lighting system is used, societal benefits should be described. Examples of the kinds of devices sought include but are not limited to: remote lighting and signage, architectural illumination, security lighting, landscape lighting, marine applications, and portable illumination.  

References:  

Subtopic a.  Advanced High Intensity Discharge Lighting  

1.      Lighting Handbook: Reference and Application, 9th ed., New York: Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, 2000.  (ISSN: 1088-5102)  

2.      Introduction to Light and Lighting, York, PA:  Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), 1991.  (ISBN:  087995034X)  

3.      Murdoch, Joseph P., Illumination Engineering:  From Edison 's Lamp to the Laser, 2nd ed., New York:  Visions Communications, 2003.  (ISBN: 1-885750-05-6) (To order, contact publisher via e-mail at:  bayvisions@aol.com.)  

4.      Gough, A. B., et al., Proceedings of ALITE ’95 Workshop, Rochester, NY, February 28 – March 2, 1995, Palo Alto, CA:  Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), 1995.  (Report No. EPRI-TR-106022) (Available from EPRI to members and non-members.  Telephone: 800-313-3774)  

5.      Federal Energy Management Program, U.S. DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network, http://www.eere.energy.gov/femp/

Subtopic b.  Advanced Fluorescent Lamp Technology  

6.      Gough, A. B., et al., Proceedings of ALITE ’95 Workshop, Rochester, NY, February 28 – March 2, 1995, Palo Alto, CA:  Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), 1995.  (Report No. EPRI-TR-106022) (Available from EPRI to members and non-members.  Telephone: 1-800-313-3774)  

7.      Kurokawa, M., et al., “The afterglow characteristics of xenon pulsed plasma for mercury-free fluorescent lamps,” 19th Symposium on Plasma Physics and Technology, Czechoslovak Journal of Physics, 50(suppl. S3):433-6, 2000.  (Complete proceedings with hypertext links available on the Web at:  http://aldebaran.feld.cvut.cz/sppt2000/)  

8.      Shiga, et al., “Mercury-free, high luminance and high efficacy flat discharge lamp for LCD backlightings,” Transactions of the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, .J83-C(4):326-33, (Japan), April 2000.  

9.      Roozekrans, et al., “Neon (mercury free) fluorescent lamp with amber colour,” Proceedings of 8th International Symposium on the Science and Technology of Light Sources (LS-8), Greifswald, Germany, Aug. 30–Sept. 3, 1998, pp. 138-9, Institute for Low Temperature Plasma Physics, 1998.  

10.  Saito, et al., “Mercury-free HPS lamp with high CRI and its one application on plant growth,” Proceedings of 8th International Symposium on the Science and Technology of Light Sources (LS-8), Greifswald, Germany, Aug. 30–Sept. 3, 1998, pp. 218-9, Institute for  Low Temperature Plasma Physics, 1998.  

11.  Il’mas, et al., “Mercury-free fluorescent lamps with photon multiplication,” Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Physical Series, 33(5):904-7, 1969.  (ISSN of translation: 0001-432X)  

12.  Sarroukh, R., et al., “Detailed investigation on the neon-xenon mixture as filling gas for mercury-free fluorescent lamps,” PPPS-200: Pulsed Power Plasma Science 2001: Digest of Technical Papers: [the 28th IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science, the 13th IEEE International Pulsed Power], Piscataway, NJ: IEEE, 2001.  (ISBN: 0-7803-7120-8)  

Subtopic c:  Novel Solid State Lighting Structures  

13.  Stringfellow, G. B., and Craford, M. G., eds., High Brightness Light Emitting Diodes, Vol. 48:  Semiconductors and Semimetals, San Diego: Academic Press, 1997.  (Vol. 48 ISBN: 0127521569) (ISSN: 0080-8784)  

14.  Bierman, A., “LEDs:  From Indicators to Illumination?” Lighting Futures, 3(4), Troy, NY:  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Lighting Research Center, 1998.  (Available on the Web at:  http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/Futures/LF-LEDs/index.html)  

15.  Kendall, M. and Scholand, M., Energy Savings Potential of Solid State Lighting in General Lighting Applications, Final Report, Arlington, VA:  Arthur D. Little, Inc., 2001.  (Available on the Web at:  http://www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/documents/pdfs/ssl_final_report3.pdf  

16.  Streetman, B. G. and Banerje, S., Solid State Electronic Devices, 5th ed., Prentice Hall, Inc., 1999.  (ISBN: 0-13-025538-6)  

17.  Schubert, E. F., Light Emitting Diodes, Cambridge University Press, 2003.  (ISBN: 0-521-82330-7)  

18.  Zukauskas, A., et al., Introduction to Solid State Lighting, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2002.  (ISBN: 0-471-21574-0)  

Subtopic d:  “Off-Grid” Solid State Lighting Devices  

19.  Craine, S. and Halliday, D., “White LEDs for Lighting Remote Communities in Developing Countries,” Solid State Lighting and Displays:  Proceedings of SPIE, 4445:39-48, December 2001.  (For ordering information and to view abstracts, see:  http://www.spie.org/scripts/toc.pl?volume=4445&journal=SPIE)  

 

37. ENERGY EFFICIENT MEMBRANES

Separation technologies recover, isolate, and purify products in virtually every industrial process.  Pervasive throughout industrial operations, conventional separation processes are energy intensive and costly.  Separation processes represent 40 to 70 percent of both capital and operating costs in industry.  They also account for 45 percent of all the process energy used by the chemical and petroleum refining industries every year. Industrial efforts to increase cost-competitiveness, boost energy efficiency, increase productivity, and prevent pollution, demand more efficient separation processes.  In response to these needs, the Department of Energy supports the development of high-risk, innovative separation technologies.  In particular, membrane technology offers a viable alternative to conventional energy intensive separations.

 

Successful membrane applications today include producing oxygen-enriched air for combustion, recovering and recycling hot wastewater, volatile organic carbon recovery, and hydrogen purification.  Membranes also have been combined with conventional techniques such as distillation to deliver improved product purity at a reduced cost.  Membrane separations promise to yield substantial economic, energy, and environmental benefits leading to enhanced competitiveness by reducing annual energy consumption, increasing capital productivity, and reducing waste streams and pollution abatement costs.

Despite the successes and advancements, many challenges still face the adoption of membrane technology.  Technical barriers include fouling, instability, low flux, low separation factors, and poor durability.  Advancements are needed that will lead to new generations of organic, inorganic, and ceramic membranes.  These membranes require greater thermal and chemical stability, greater reliability, improved fouling and corrosion resistance, and higher selectivity.  The objective is better performance in existing industrial applications, as well as opportunities for new applications.  To advance the use of membrane separations, research is needed to develop new, more effective membrane materials and innovative ways to incorporate membranes in industrial processes.  Grant applications must address the potential public benefits that the proposed technology would provide from reduced energy consumption and from the reduction in one or more of the following:  materials consumption, water consumption, and toxic and pollutants dispersion.  Grant applications should also include a plan for introducing the new technology into the manufacturing sector, in order to access capabilities for widespread technology dissemination.  Grant applications are sought only in the following subtopics:

a.  Membrane Materials with Improved Properties—Grant applications are sought to develop lower cost inorganic, organic, composite, and ceramic membrane materials in order to improve one or more of the following properties: (1) increased surface area per unit volume, (2) higher temperature operation (e.g., by using ceramic or metal membrane materials), and (3) suitability for separating hydrophilic compounds in dilute aqueous streams.  Particular membrane materials of interest include nano-composites, mixed organic/inorganic composites, and chemically inert materials. Particular processes/systems of interest include membranes for the separation of biobased products, membranes for hydrogen separation and purification, and membranes for industrial applications.  Grant applications must be targeted toward the development of specific membrane materials for carefully defined commercial applications; efforts focused on generalized membrane material research are not of interest and will be declined.

b.  Membranes for Separations of Biobased Products – Grant applications are sought to develop membrane technology to enhance the production of large volume, value-added chemical products using biomass feedstocks.  These processes may use either enzymatic or chemical catalysis, and may be conducted in either aqueous reaction media or organic solvents.  Grant applications must demonstrate a clear connection to a crop-based feedstock and a large volume chemical product (one that would be manufactured at greater than 500 million pounds).  Of particular interest are (1) novel membrane processes that use reactive separation technology, which combines the reactive transformation with the separation; and (2) novel membrane materials with higher flux or selectivity, and with improved chemical and thermal membrane stability.

c. Hydrogen Production –Hydrogen can be produced from coal, natural gas, biomass, and biomass derivatives through the use of gasification, pyrolysis, reforming and shift technologies.  In all cases, a hydrogen rich producer gas or syngas results, from which the hydrogen must be separated and purified. The most common approach today involves the use of pressure swing adsorption (PSA) technology.  The use of membranes holds the promise of reducing cost by combining the separation and purification with the shift reaction in a reactive separation operation.  Therefore, grant applications are sought to develop improved hydrogen membrane separation and purification technology for use in the production of hydrogen; the focus of the research should be on low cost, high flux rate, durable membranes systems that can be integrated with the shift reaction.  Membranes of interest include ceramic ionic transport membranes, micro-porous membranes, and palladium based membranes.  Such membranes could be used for a wide range of production capacities, from large central production facilities (50,000-300,000 kgs/day of hydrogen) to small-distributed production units (50-1000 kgs/day of hydrogen).

d. Industrial Membrane Process Systems – Grant applications are sought to enhance the separation capabilities of membranes used in industrial process streams.  Proposed research should be aimed at developing and commercializing innovative membrane systems, using new or currently existing membranes, that can be robust when integrated within real-world processes (e.g. inert gas removal, isomer separation, aromatic/non-aromatic separations, sulfur removal, removal of trace metals).  Grant applications should seek to address one or more of the following needs: (1) techniques for overcoming scale-up problems related to contaminants in industrial streams (fouling, oil misting, etc.), (2) manufacturing technologies that would reduce the cost of membrane modules, (3) anti-fouling and anti-flux schemes to improve the long-term operability of membrane systems, and (4) methods to regenerate membrane performance and lower membrane maintenance costs. The integration of membranes with other technologies to address specific process issues would also be of interest. Grant applications should also include a process evaluation and an economic analysis along with the R&D effort.

References:

1.      Humphrey, J. L. and Keller, G. E., II, Separation Process Technology, McGraw-Hill, 1997.  (ISBN: 0-07-031173-0)  

2.      Sirkar, K. K., “Membrane Separation Technologies:  Current Developments,” Chemical Engineering Communications, 157:145-184, 1996.  (ISSN: 0098-6445)  

3.      Technology Vision 2020:  The U.S. Chemical Industry, Washington, DC:  American Chemical Society, 1996. (Available from the Council for Chemistry Research.  Web site:  http://www.ccrhq.org.  Select “Vision 2020.”)  

4.      McLaren, J., The Technology Roadmap for Plant/Crop-Based Renewable Resources 2020, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, February 22, 1999.  (Report No. NREL/BK-570-25942) (Available at:  http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/.  Using “Basic Search,” search “Identifier Numbers” for “NREL/BK-570-25942.”)  

5.      Vision 2020:  2000 Separations Roadmap, New York:  AIChE, Waste Reduction Technologies, 2000.  (ISBN 0-8169-0832-X) (Available at http://www.oit.doe.gov/chemicals/.  On menu at left, select “Vision & Roadmaps.”  Scroll down to center of page & select “Separations 2000.”)  

6.      Vision 2020:  1998 Separations Roadmap, New York:  AIChE, Waste Reduction Technologies, October 1998.  (ISBN 0816907870)  

7.      Vision 2020:  Reaction Engineering Roadmap, New York:  AIChE, Waste Reduction Technologies, 2001.  (ISBN 0-8169-0833-8) (Available at:  http://www.oit.doe.gov/chemicals/.  On menu at left, select “Vision & Roadmaps.”  Scroll down to center of page & select “Reaction Engineering.”)  

8.      Nanomaterials and the Chemical Industry R&D Roadmap Workshop:  Preliminary Results, sponsored by Vision 2020, NNI, and U.S. DOE Industrial Materials and Chemicals Program, October 2002.  (Full text available at:  http://www.energetics.com/download/chemvision2020/nanomaterialsroadmap/nano_workshop_results_report.pdf)  

9.      Biobased Industrial Products:  Research and Commercialization Priorities, National Research Council Commission on Life Sciences, 2000.  (Available at:  http://books.nap.edu/books/0309053927/html/2.html#pagetop)  

10.  Vision for Bioenergy and Biobased Products in the United States, U.S. Biomass Research and Development Advisory Committee, October 2002.  (Available at:  http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/pdfs/BioVision_03_Web.pdf)  

11.  Roadmap for Biomass Technologies in the United States, U.S. Biomass Research and Development Advisory Committee, December 2002.  (Available at:  http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/pdfs/FinalBiomassRoadmap.pdf)  

12.  Developing and Promoting Biobased Products and Bioenergy:  Report to the President of the United States in Response to Executive Order 13134, U.S. DOE and U.S. Department of Agriculture, February 14, 2000.  (Available at:  http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/news/newsletterArchive/Jan2001.as

 

38. MATERIALS FOR INDUSTRIAL ENERGY SYSTEMS

Efficiency gains in industrial processes and distributed energy systems will not only result from the development of higher temperature, more thermodynamically efficient processes, but also from the development of new materials.  Affordable metals, ceramics, or composites with improved high temperature properties are needed to improve productivity, reduce equipment size, and lower energy use per unit of production.  These new materials can enable more efficient thermal process heating systems, improved up-time, increased yield, and more stable operations.  Many economic sectors (including the aluminum, chemical, glass, forest products, metalcasting, steel, and mining industries; supporting industries; and the distributed energy industry) can benefit from new materials.  Some of the unit processes where new materials advances are required include fluid heating, melting, sintering, heat-treating, pre-heating, calcining, combustion, and distributed power generation.  Grant applications are sought only in the following subtopics:

a.  Refractories and Insulation – New refractories and high temperature insulation materials are critical to many industrial processes and can directly impact the energy efficiency of manufacturing processes.  In the steel industry, for example, refractories that can withstand higher heating rates and that have improved mechanical and thermal shock properties (e.g., for applications such as ladles, blast furnaces, and protective coverings) can lead to significant energy benefits. In the glass industry, crown and side wall refractories with improved corrosion resistance to molten glass and volatiles, as well as improved high temperature properties, can lead to higher thermal efficiencies in two ways:  first, by enabling the energy efficient oxyfuel firing process to be utilized more effectively, and, second, by improving yield due to decreased glass contamination from refractory inclusions and corrosion effects.  In the aluminum industry, refractories with improved corrosion resistance to cryolite, and with high thermal insulation, erosion resistance, and corrosion resistance would result in significant energy benefits.  Grant applications are sought to develop new refractory materials that will provide improved thermal resistance, increased corrosion resistance, high thermal shock, and high temperature strength.  Of particular interest are approaches that address the development of preformed shapes, coatings, or surface modifications.

In addition, materials with low thermal conductivity would have significant benefits. These materials include fibers and porous materials, along with low-density materials coupled with higher density refractories on exposed surfaces.   Therefore, grant applications are also sought to develop (1) low thermal conductivity, high temperature materials with increased their service life at high temperatures and under corrosive conditions, and (2) techniques for bonding fibrous or porous materials to a dense surface refractory layer.  

b.  Metallic Alloys and Composites – Metallic alloys play very significant roles throughout industrial and distributed power industries.  Grant applications are sought to develop:  (1) improved creep rupture properties, for example, by using nanophase strengthening mechanisms for bulk alloys, and developing new materials/process relationships to enable more accurate design for long term service;  (2) processing and joining techniques for wrought  alloys/composites in order to increase the upper use temperature limits of current alloys by 100 C, or to beyond 1200 C;  (3) new or improved performance materials for furnaces, boilers, and other process heating applications; (4) alloys for increased resistance to chemically aggressive environments, especially with regard to sulfidation; and (5) advanced materials for waste heat recovery systems for use in  dirty, contaminated, or corrosive waste streams in industries where equipment fouling is a serious problem.  

c.  Ceramics, Composites, and Coatings – Advances in ceramics, composites, and coatings can significantly improve the thermal efficiencies of many industrial and distributed power generation processes, including heat generation systems, heat transfer operations, heat containment, and heat recovery.  In the area of heat generation, grant applications are sought to develop new ceramics, composites, or coatings for flame stabilizers with increased oxidation resistance for longer life; nozzles with improved coking and carburization resistance and improved high temperature oxidation behavior; and improved wear and erosion resistance for many process system components.  Regarding heat transfer operations, grant applications are sought for ceramic/composite tubes that would enable new melting and process heating technologies, and for materials developments that would greatly decrease the corrosion of large metallic components.  Lastly, grant applications are sought for materials that would enable the use of new process sensing technologies (e.g., probes and sensors that can be used within a furnace or boiler).  

d.  Novel Heat Exchangers – Cooling, heating, and power (CHP) integration is an essential market for thermally activated technologies.  One important example of CHP is the heat recovery/transfer from microturbine exhaust gases (500F to 600 °F) into hot water.  Current technology uses conventional fin-tube heat exchangers and requires significant volume (e.g., 34 ft3, with floor space of 12 ft2 and weight of 820 pounds).  Grant applications are sought to design and develop novel materials and enhanced surfaces (including ceramics, polymer based materials, coatings, membranes, and fluids) for heat exchangers and accompanying systems (e.g., micro-channel, rotating systems, etc.)  The grant application must address how the technology will contribute to reductions in overall system size, weight, and cost; and improved reliability.

References:

1.      Carniglia, S. C. and Barna, G. L., Handbook of Industrial Refractories Technology, New York:  Noyes Publications, 1992.  (ISBN: 0-8155-1304-6)  

2.      Office of Industrial Technology, U.S. DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network, http://www.oit.doe.gov\  

3.      Industrial Materials for the Future, U.S. DOE Office of Industrial Technology, http://www.oit.doe.gov\imf\  

4.      Distributed Energy and Electric Reliability Program, U.S. DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network, http://www.eere.energy.gov/deer.html  

5.      Freitag, D. W. and Richerson, D. W., Opportunities for Advanced Ceramics to Meet the Needs of the Industries of the Future, U.S. Advanced Ceramics Society/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, December 1998.  (Available at:  http://www.ms.ornl.gov/programs/energyeff/cfcc/iof/frontma.pdf  

6.      Thermally-Activated Technologies:  Technology Roadmap—Developing New Ways to Use Thermal Energy to Meet the Needs of Homes, Offices, Factories, and Communities, U.S. DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, May 2003.  (See:  http://www.eere.energy.gov/der/thermally_activated/pdfs/tat_roadmap.pdf)  

7.      Foley, G., et al., “The Future of Absorption Technology in America:  A Critical Look at the Impact of BCHP [Buildings: Cooling, Heating, and Power] and Innovation,” presented at ABST [Advanced Buildings System Technology]-2000 Conference, Washington, DC, June 6-8, 2000, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, June 2000.  (Available at:  http://www.eere.energy.gov/der/thermally_activated/docs_resources.html)  

8.      Hite, R., et al., Thermally-Activated Technology Characterizations:  Absorption Cooling, Arlington, VA:  Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc., June 2003.  (Available from Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc.  Contact:  Erika Krause, ekrause@eea-inc.com.  Web site:  http://www.eea-inc.com/)  

9.      Darrow, K., et al., Thermally-Activated Technology Characterizations:  Desiccant Dehumidification, Arlington, VA:  Energy and Environmental Analysis, June 2003.  (Available from Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc.  Contact:  Erika Krause, ekrause@eea-inc.com.  Web site:  http://www.eea-inc.com/)  

10.  Bautista, P., et al., Market Potential for Advanced Thermally-Activated BCHP in Five National Account Sectors, Arlington, VA:  Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc., May 2003.  (Available from Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc.  Contact:  Erika Krause, ekrause@eea-inc.com.  Web site:  http://www.eea-inc.com/)  

 

39. NEW ENERGY SOURCES

To meet national energy needs, diversify energy supplies, reduce security and reliability risks, and reduce environmental impacts, there is a need to develop new, clean, domestic energy supplies.  Important options include new sources of electricity, clean sources of hydrogen, and low cost sources of thermal energy for loads such as residential water heating.  This topic addresses important facets of each of these new energy sources.  Grant applications are sought only in the following subtopics:

a.  Materials and Components for Solar Energy Systems –   Silicon accounts for most photovoltaic (PV) modules manufactured in the world, despite the promise of alternative technologies, such as thin-film solar cells, that use other materials.  As the popularity of PV grows and markets expand, larger, lower-cost sources of silicon will be required to satisfy future PV production.  Historically, off-spec electronics grade polycrystalline silicon, in the form of chunks and beads, has been the source of growth feedstock for crystalline silicon solar cells.  This off-spec material, sometimes referred to as “solar grade” silicon, has a sufficiently low concentration of mobile ions, making it suitable for commercial solar cells with efficiencies of at least 13%.  Grant applications are sought to develop novel, low-cost processes, amenable to large-scale production environments, for the production of “solar grade” crystalline silicon feedstock material.  Such processes must be able to deliver low-mobile-ion material at costs of $10 to $20 per kilogram with production rates as low as several thousand metric tons per year.  Of particular interest is the ability to deliver material with low boron and phosphorus concentrations, important attributes for inexpensive manufacturing of efficient solar cells. 

 

The high initial cost of solar water heating systems could be reduced by using polymer materials instead of traditional aluminum, copper, and glass.  Also, the simplification of components and subsystems, as well as their design for multiple uses, offers the prospect of reduced cost in manufacturing, fabrication, and installation.  Two industry teams are currently developing prototype polymer solar water systems based on the integral collector storage (ICS) design (passive, with storage in the collector and no tank), focusing primarily on collectors and heat exchangers.  Because ICS systems are suitable only in non-freezing climates, development activities also include polymer solar water heaters based on active, freeze-protected system designs.  Grant applications are sought for the conceptualization and design of innovative approaches, materials, and components for low-cost solar water heaters.  Approaches of interest could involve the entire water heating systems or be confined to components and sub-systems that would be used in complete solar systems.  Approaches need not be restricted to polymers, metals, or any single type of material, but could employ any combination thereof.  Of particular interest are approaches that include the downsizing of components or subsystems without any degradation in performance.  

 

b.  Low Head Hydropower Systems – Current ongoing studies indicate that, in the continental United States, there is enough low head hydropower resources to provide 15,000 to 20,000 MW of electrical capacity.  However, conventional hydropower technology is focused on large hydropower sites and does not apply well to the low head hydropower resource.  Grant applications are sought for the development and implementation of innovative, cost effective, and environmentally acceptable concepts for low head hydropower energy systems for the production of electricity.  The overall project must pursue a working demonstration as proof of concept.  It is anticipated that a number of design approaches may meet these objectives, leading to worldwide marketability and application for the technology.

c.   Power Converters for Diverse Applications – Power converters that convert variable voltage and frequency, AC and DC power to AC power (50/60 Hz) are needed for a variety of applications (e.g. wind, fuel cells, photovoltaic systems, etc.).  Because much of the same “core” inverter technology can be utilized in different applications, a modular design approach would allow the multiple applications to benefit from economies of scale, reducing costs for all users.  In this approach, the core inverter would include a power conversion section, a digital signal processor (DSP) based controller, minimal output filtering, and packaging; additional modules, (e.g., isolation, grid-tie, and additional filtering for lower total harmonic distortion) could be connected to the system on an “as needed” basis, facilitating plug-n-play implementation.  Grant applications are sought for the development of the core power converter as described above.  Because of the diverse applications, size, weight, and compatibility are very important criteria for consideration.  An effective and practical power range/capability should be proposed, consistent with the intended application.  For example, a small wind turbine should have a power range on the order of 100 watts to 30 kilowatts.  A need also exists for a micro-inverter that could be integrated into a PV panel (AC PV building block concept) for roof-top mounting or into small PV-powered systems mounted on buildings (windows, walls, frames, etc.); this micro-inverter should have a power capacity in the range of watts.

d.  Hydrogen Production via Electrolysis in Photovoltaic and Wind Systems – A great deal of research into clean energy, especially for the replacement of fossil fuels in automobiles, has taken place on an international scale.  One of the leading technologies that has emerged is hydrogen, both for direct utilization with a modified carburetor and, more recently, in non-combustion fuel cells that will generate electricity.  One of the common ways to produce hydrogen is by electrolysis of water (H2O).  A relatively low voltage applied to water causes water molecules to separate into hydrogen and oxygen, which can then be gathered and stored.  By using solar or wind energy to power the electrolysis generators, we can, in effect, store the energy from these intermittent resources for use whenever it is desired.  To date, only very small experimental projects have been assembled using solar power for electrolysis generators.                     

Grant applications are sought to develop effective, distributed (small for residential and large for central-station collection), low-cost, hydrogen production systems using electrolysis with electricity supplied from solar photovoltaics (PV) or wind energy systems.  Approaches should emphasize electrolysis units made from very low cost materials, and ranging in size from 1-50 kW for smaller applications up to 200 kW and above for larger or scaled-up systems.  Capital costs should not exceed $300/kW and a 60% electricity-to-hydrogen efficiency should be provided.  Electrochemical compression technologies to reach pressures from 200-5000 psi are encouraged.  In order to further improve efficiency and lower capital costs, the electrolysis unit should be amenable to integration with other system components, such as power conditioning and storage.  

References:  

1.      Khattak, C. P., et al., “A Simple Process to Remove Boron from Metallurgical Grade Silicon,” 12th Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, Jeju, Korea, June 2001.  (Available at:  http://www.nrel.gov/ncpv_prm/pdfs/papers/57.pdf)

2.      Conner, A. M., et al., U.S. Hydropower Resource Assessment, Final Report, U.S. DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 1998.  (Report No. DOE/ID-10430.2) (Full text available at: http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/search.easy.jsp.  Using “Basic Search,” search “Identifier Numbers” for “DOE/ID-10430.2”)

3.      Hall, D. G., et al., Low Head/Low Power Hydropower Resource Assessment of the North Atlantic and Middle Atlantic Hydrologic Regions, U.S. DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, April 2003. (Report No. DOE/ID-11077) (Full text available at:  http://hydropower.inel.gov/resourceassessment/pdfs/doeid-11077.pdf)

4.      Mann, M. K., et al., “Techno Economic Analysis of Different Options for the Production of Hydrogen from Sunlight, Wind, and Biomass,” Proceedings of the 1998, U.S. DOE Hydrogen Program Review Meeting, Alexandria, VA, April 28-30, 1998, Golden, CO:  National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1998. (Report No. NREL/CP-570-25315) (NREL Report No. 25666) (Full text available at: http://www.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/hydrogen/annual_review1998.html)

5.      Mann, M. K., et al., “Exploring the Technical and Economic Feasibility of Producing Hydrogen from Sunlight and Wind,” Hydrogen Energy Progress XII:  Proceedings of the 12th World Hydrogen Energy Conference, Buenos Aires, Argentina, June 21-26, 1998, 1:337-346, Argentina:  Asociacion Argentina del Hidrogeno, 1998.  (NREL Report No. 29042) (Summary of paper available at:  http://www.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/pdfs/29964.pdf.  Scroll down Bookmark menu and select #50.) (Proceedings ISBN: 9879707532)

6.      Lof, G., ed., Active Solar Systems, Solar Heat Technologies:  Fundamentals and Applications, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press, June 24, 1993 .  (ISBN: 0262121670)

7.      Summary Report on the Systems Driven Approach for Inverter Research and Development Workshop, Baltimore, MD, June 2003, Technical Report, Albuquerque, NM:  Sandia National Laboratories, 2003.

8.      Bower, W., “The AC PV Building Block Ultimate Plug-n-Play That Brings Photovoltaics Directly to the Customer,” Proceedings of the NCPV Program Review, Denver, CO, May 24-26, 2003.

 

 

40. SENSORS AND CONTROLS

Robust, integrated measurement devices linked to intelligent control systems will enable the U.S. to use resources more efficiently and improve product quality. Through constant process monitoring and adjustment of parameters, these systems can reduce energy use and labor, minimize waste and pollution, and boost productivity.  Grant applications are sought only in the following subtopics:

a.  Real-time Measurement of Biomass Yield and Moisture Content - The ability to measure instantaneous yield and moisture content contributes significantly to efficient harvesting and down-stream processing of biomass.  Instantaneous biomass yield, defined as the rate of dry matter throughput in a harvesting operation, is a function of the size and speed of harvesting equipment and the amount of biomass available for harvest – instruments for yield monitoring have been integrated in modern precision grain harvesting systems.  Moisture content is defined as the ratio of the mass of water removed from biomass to the mass of dry matter (based on the oven method reference for moisture content, where moisture is completely removed from biomass using heat) – on-line moisture controllers have been perfected for grain storage and merchandising.

Yield and moisture content measuring instruments would be equally valuable to biomass handling operations if the measurements could be made in real time.  In this case, the critical data on yield and moisture content could be used to maximize the performance of equipment in the field, for moisture adjustment (wet or dry processing), and for storage management.  However, the low commercial value of biomass and the apparent non-uniformity in physical properties are among the barriers that have prevented the development of real-time moisture and yield monitors for biomass.  Grant applications are sought for methods and instruments to measure moisture content and/or yield of biomass in real-time.  Proposed systems may operate at one or several points along the supply chain: collection, baling, storing, preprocessing, and delivery point.  Priority will be given to measurement techniques that are low cost, robust, and provide traceable performance.

b.  Boiler and Furnace Sensors and Controls – In boilers and furnaces, sensors are used to measure the chemical and physical properties of both the material being processed and the combustion process itself.  This information is then fed into control systems that make appropriate adjustments to optimize the combustion process.  Grant applications are sought to develop innovative sensor and control technologies that provide new insights into controlling furnace and boiler systems and improving their efficiency.  Approaches of interest include developing: (1) non-intrusive sensors based on optical methods; (2) self-learning and self-teaching smart control systems; (3) real-time sensors for measuring combustion phenomena; (4) sensors and control systems capable of measuring and controlling multiple emissions; and (5)  low cost systems for measuring combustion  energy efficiency performance including instantaneous  energy consumption/efficiency and energy/fuel use and efficiency per unit of production. 

c.  Harvesting Power for Ubiquitous Wireless Sensing - In the near future, low cost, wireless sensor systems are expected to be everywhere:  in buildings, in cars and on the production lines that build them, on other industrial production lines, and on power generation systems of all types.  Their use will enable better measurement, better control, better operation, and lower energy consumption in numerous systems that we encounter every day.  However, these wireless sensors and their transmitters will need power sources that last as long as the sensing application itself.  While some batteries have long lives, the most obvious approach for powering these wireless sensors is to scavenge or harvest power from the sensor’s operating environment.  Therefore, grant applications are sought to develop this power harvesting technology, so that wireless sensors can be self-powered throughout their productive lives.  The advent of ultra-low-power microelectronic designs should decrease the power requirements for these wireless sensors, rendering them completely autonomous if used with the type of creative power harvesting technologies sought here.  Possible sources of power include thermal gradients, vibration, airflow, water flow, and solar energy, to name a few.  Of course, there may be times (such as during start-up when the source of scavenged power may not even exist) when back-up power from a long lasting power source such as a battery may be required. 

d.  Integrated Sensor and Data Analysis Tools for Complex Mixtures - There is a widespread need for robust, low-cost integrated sensing and control technology for complex mixtures of chemicals.  Chemical mixtures are found virtually everywhere, occurring routinely in biomass, building materials, reformer fuels, polymers used in wind turbines, and in the chemical and petrochemical industries.  Improving the control of processes containing chemical mixtures would reduce raw material consumption and waste generation, decrease energy use and environmental emissions, and increase America’s competitiveness.  Improved chemical sensors also could be used to monitor specific components for indoor air quality and emissions from alternatively fueled vehicles.  There have been significant advances in the development of small, relatively inexpensive chemical measurement devices (e.g., spectroscopy and chromatography) and in the development of data analysis tools (e.g., neural networks, multivariate techniques) capable of very rapidly analyzing large, complex data sets.  Although these technologies have been used to characterize complex mixtures in the laboratory, development for the “real world” environment has progressed slowly.  Therefore, grant applications are sought to develop systems that integrate new chemical analysis tools with advanced data analysis for the characterization of complex mixtures in real world settings.

References:

Subtopic a:  Real-Time Measurement of Biomass Yield and Moisture Content

1.      Savoie, P., et al., “Evaluation of Five Sensors to Estimate Mass-Flow Rate and Moisture of Grass in Forage Harvester,” Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 18(4):389-397, 2002.  (ISSN: 0883-8542)

2.      Shinners, K. J., et al., (Inventors) “Yield Monitor for Forage Crops,” U.S. Patent No. 6,431,981 of 8/13/2002 .  (To view, see USPTO Patent Full-Text and Full-Page Image Databases:  http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html)

3.      Snell, H. G., et al., “Fast Determination of the Moisture Content of Grass Using Electromagnetic Fields,” St. Joseph, MI:  American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE), 2001.  (ASAE paper No. 011086) (Available from ASAE.  Contact:  Ellen Stewart.  E-mail: stewart@asae.org  Telephone: 1-800-695-2723)

4.      Stowell, D. E., (Inventor) “Baler Mounted Continuous Moisture Monitoring System,” Patent No. 4,812,741 of 5/14/1989 .  (To view, see USPTO Patent Full-Text and Full-Page Image Databases:  http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html)

Subtopic b:  Boiler and Furnace Sensors and Controls  

5.      Roadmap for Process Heating Technology, sponsored by Industrial Heating Equipment Association/U.S. DOE Office of Industrial Technologies, March 2001.  (Full text at:  http://www.ihea.org/images/PH3-16-01.pdf)  

6.      Industrial Combustion Technology Roadmap, U.S. DOE Office of Industrial Technologies, October 2002.  (Full text available at:  http://www.oit.doe.gov/combustion/vision_roadmap.shtml.  Scroll down to “Download Roadmap,”and click on “PDF 1.0 MB.”  

7.      Little, Arthur D., Overview of Energy Flow for Industries in Standard Industrial Classifications 20-39, U.S. DOE Office of Industrial Technologies, December 2000.  (Full text at:  http://www.ase.org/steamingahead/library/adlittle.pdf)