NETL Magazine

8/10/2019 NETL Magazine

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netlog is a quarterly newsletter, which highlights

recent achievements and ongoing research at

NETL. Any comments or suggestions, please

contact Paula Turner at [email protected] or call

541-967-5966.

CONTENTS

NETL Director to Retire _____________________________ 2

Extreme Drilling Laboratory Announces Debut of Ultra-deep Drilling Simulator ____________________________3

Hybrid Technology Response Modeled to Changes in PowerDemand _______________________________________ 3

NETL Study Examines Convection-Radiation Heat Transfer inNonlinear Fluid ___________________________________ 3

Underground Coal Fires ____________________________ 4

Improved Multiphase Flow Solver Released ____________ 5

NETL Measures Conversion Indices for Coal Size andDensity Fractions _________________________________5

High Speed Particle Imaging Technology Extended toEnergy and Medical Applications ____________________ 6

Promising New Photocatalyst Developed for CO2 Reuse__ 7

New Option for Sequestration of CO2_________________ 7

Labs Host National Geographics JASON Argonauts _____ 8

Interactive Tool Available to Compare Plant Cost andPerformance Data_________________________________ 9

Patented Mercury Capture Method Successful in BenchTests ___________________________________________ 9

New Capability for Fuel Cell Materials Characterization _ 10

Potential Uses for Carbon Dioxide Captured from Coal-Burning Power Plants _____________________________ 10

SOFC Testing Completed at NCCC/PSDF Facility _______ 11

Article Describes Role of SOFC in Future Power Systems ___ 11

First SECA-Stack Test Performed ____________________ 11

NETL Researchers Developing Energy Storage Materials forSmart Grid _____________________________________11

ON THE COVERUltra-deep Drilling Simulator pressure vessel withstandsextreme pressures up to 30,000 psi.

NETL Director to Retire

On December 14th, the U.S. Department of Energy

(DOE) announced that Carl O. Bauer is retiring from

federal service and leaving the National Energy

Technology Laboratory (NETL) effective February 28,

2010, following a distinguished, four-year tenure as

the laboratorys director, completing an impressive

federal civilian and military career.

Bauer was appointed

NETL Director in

August 2005 after

serving as NETL

Deputy Director,Director of NETLs

Office of Coal and

Environmental

Systems, and Director

of NETLs Office of

Product Management

for Environmental

Management.

Under his leadership, the laboratory expanded

its international outreach and collaboration,

strengthened its role as the key national laboratory

addressing the challenges of producing and usingfossil energy, and extended its expertise into new

areas of investigation, such as electricity delivery

and more energy-efficient buildings, appliances, and

vehicles.

In 2007, Bauer received the prestigious Laboratory

Director of the Year award from the Federal

Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer and

was the sole recipient of the Washington Coal Clubs

Annual Achievement Award for significant leadership

and contributions in the energy arena.

Bauer will continue as NETL Director until

December 31, 2009, at which time he will be detailed

to the U.S. DOEs Office of Fossil Energy headquarters

in Washington, D.C., where he will advise on strategic

planning. Dr. Anthony Cugini, current Director of

NETLs Office of Research and Development, will serve

as Acting Director effective January 1, 2010.

A national search is being initiated to find Bauers

replacement as NETL Director.


3/12

Extreme Drilling Laboratory

Announces Debut of Ultra-deepDrilling Simulator

The Extreme Drilling Laboratory (XDL) proudly

announces the much-anticipated debut of its

prototype Ultra-deep Drilling Simulator (UDS), the

rock star of the XDL. Drilling research will begin

soon at an experimental well site with pressures

reaching 30,000 pounds of force per square inch and

temperatures exceeding 480 F at the bottom of the

well. One of the many unique features of this extreme

drilling research is that

100 percent of thedrilling will occur above

ground. In addition, the

UDS operating pressure

and temperature ranges

are three times greater

than those found in

similar drilling rigs and

are representative of

conditions found in

ultra-deep wells, or wells

with depths near 30,000

feet.

The concept of the

high-tech facility

located in Morgantown,

W.Va., was conceived

in cooperation with

industry and funded by

the federal government

under Section 999

of the Energy Policy

Act of 2005. Research

conducted in the XDLis expected to have

a direct impact on

increasing our domestic

supply of oil and natural

gas by developing

affordable, efficient,

and environmentally

safe means to harvest ultra-deep oil and natural gas

resources.

Contact:William Ayers, 304-285-4125

Hybrid Technology Response

Modeled to Changes in PowerDemand

One of the most critical problems that must beaddressed in gas turbine-fuel cell hybrid technologyis temperature control. A hybrid system designedto operate efficiently for a given base load may noteasily accommodate peak loads. Using ASPEN PLUSsimulation software with special modules to calculatefuel cell performance, NETL scientists have modeleda simple hybrid system configuration consistingof a standard solid oxide fuel cell and a singlecompressor-turbine pair to determine the effects ofkey configuration parameters on system temperature.Results of scaling the configuration model over arange of fuel input and power output are discussedin an article entitled Scaling a Solid Oxide FuelCell Gas Turbine Hybrid System to Meet a Range ofPower Demand in theJournal of Fuel Cell Science andTechnology, a quarterly publication of the AmericanSociety of Mechanical Engineers (Vol. 7 (2010), No. 1,Article 015001).

Contact: John VanOsdol, 304-285-5446

NETL Study Examines Convection-Radiation Heat Transfer inNonlinear Fluid

NETL scientists have studied fully developed flowdown an inclined plane for a generalized second-grade fluid where viscosity is a function not onlyof shear rate (shear-thinning or shear-thickening)but also of temperature. NETL researchers have

formulated constitutive relations and havenumerically simulated a variety of engineeringproblems dealing with complex materials such asdrilling fluids, powders, and suspensions.

Free surface flow problems are an engineeringchallenge, and combined convection-radiation atboundaries has major applications in many industries.Results of the study appear in Mathematical Problemsin Engineering(Vol. 2009, Article 232670).

Contact: Mehrdad Massoudi, 412-386-4975

The Extreme Drilling Laboratory is

located at the NETL Morgantown

site. Initial research operations will

begin in 2010.
http://www.netl.doe.gov/newsroom/features/12-2009.htmlmailto:William.ayers%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:William.ayers%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:john.VanOsdol%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:mehrdad.massoudi%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:mehrdad.massoudi%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:john.VanOsdol%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:William.ayers%40netl.doe.gov?subject=http://www.netl.doe.gov/newsroom/features/12-2009.html


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6/12

6

High Speed Particle Imaging

Technology Extended to Energyand Medical Applications

Scientists have developed a unique high-speedparticle imaging (HSPI) system now in demand formany applications, including industrial and medicaluses. The HSPI system produces valuable data due tothe development of particle recognition and trackingsoftware.

In recent months, the HSPI system was applied tostudy several industry research units at Particulate

Solids Research, Inc., (PSRI) an industrial researchorganization in Chicago, IL., and is currently beingapplied to study hemodynamics (blood flow) in anoxygenator catheter that functions as an artificial lungat the University of Pittsburghs McGowan Institutefor Regenerative Medicine. HSPI is an excellent toolfor studying hemodynamics because blood is similarto energy flow fields in that blood flow is a mixtureof a fluid and a high concentration of particles (bloodcells).

PSRI is a research consortium of 30 major chemical

and energy companies. The studies at PSRI includedmeasurement of particle clustering phenomenaunder industrially relevant conditions. Particleclustering can dramatically change the performanceof processes based on particle dynamics. Fifty percentof all industrial chemical-processing units rely onparticle dynamics.

With NETLs HSPI system, particle clustering wasobserved for the first time in a fluidized bed.Three papers have been written and submitted tojournals and conferences on the particle clusteringstudy.

The HSPI system is also being applied to studynumerous experiments at NETL. In NETLs ColdFlow Circulating Fluidized Bed unit, more than 10

Roy Hayes, senior research engineer at Particulate SolidsResearch, Inc., applies NETLs high- speed particle imagingsystem to study cluster phenomena at one of PSRIsresearch units in Chicago.

conditions that simulate various gasifier phenomena

were studied with the HSPI system during the pastfew months. The HSPI system is producing new viewsof particle phenomena in simulated gasifier flowfields.

Other projects ongoing at NETL using the HSPI systeminclude a novel table feeder for biofuels, a chemicallooping demonstration unit, and an experiment tostudy particle-wall interactions in combustors.

Plans are underway to apply the HSPI system tovisualize drill tip behavior inside NETLs 30,000 psiultra-deep drilling experiment (see article this issue

page 3).

Contact: Frank Shaffer, 412-386-5964
mailto:franklin.shaffer%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:franklin.shaffer%40netl.doe.gov?subject=


7/12

Promising New PhotocatalystDeveloped for CO

2Reuse

A new photocatalyst has been developed that iscapable of using the low-energy, visible light por-tion of the electromagnetic spectrum for convertingcarbon dioxide (CO

2) and water (H

2O) into methane,

methanol, and other value-added chemicals.The catalyst is believed to be the first of its kindfor this process. A manuscript detailing this newphotocatalyst was published in theJournal of PhysicalChemistry Letters(C. Wang, R. Thompson, J. Baltrus,C. Matranga,J. Phys. Chem. Letters, Vol 1, pgs 48-53),

and a provisional patent application also has beenfiled on the technology.

The catalyst combines a cadmium selenide (CdSe)nanocrystal photosensitizer with titania (TiO

2) to

create a heterostructured catalyst capable of utilizingthe visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrumfor CO

2reuse applications.

In this system, the CdSe nanocrystals absorb visiblelight photons creating excited electrons, which areinjected into the TiO

2to reduce CO

2. The photoactivity

of this system can be systematically tuned to utilizedifferent regions of the electromagnetic spectrumjust by changing the size of the nanocrystalphotosensitizer.

Previous uses of unsensitized TiO2for this application

have had limited utility because the large band gapof TiO

2requires high-energy, ultraviolet excitation

to initiate photocatalytic processes. Since ultravioletlight makes up only approximately 1 to 5 percent ofthe total sunlight reaching the earths surface, theseunsensitized TiO

2catalysts do not fully utilize the solar

spectrum.

New Option for Sequestrationof CO

2

Researchers from NETL have developed a novelconcept to neutralize caustic industrial waste

material through reaction with acidic oil and gas fieldwastewater brines. The process results in carbonation,with CO

2dissolved in mixtures of by-product and saline

waste water.

NETL is studying the long-term storage of CO2

underground in various geological formations. Theseformations offer high storage capacities. Other optionsfor CO

2sequestration could be considered, including

the use of caustic industrial waste by-products withhigh calcium and magnesium contents.

NETL conducted exploratory studies to determine

the CO2-bearing capacity of reactive mixtures of brinewith three caustic industrial by-products: flue gasdesulfurization spray dryer ash, Class C fly ash sub-bituminous coal combustion by-product, and bauxiteresidue slurry from the alumina-production process.

Preliminary results indicate that the use of causticindustrial by-products/brine mixtures to capture andstore CO

2can serve not only to help mitigate the

impact of anthropogenic CO2on global warming, but

also to achieve neutralization of the caustic industrialwaste for safe storage.

This study was published in Environmental EngineeringScience, vol. 26, No. 8. pp. 1325-1333, 2009.

Contact:Yee Soong, 412-386-4925

The visible light activity of the catalysts developedat NETL represents a significant advance in the

development of new technologies for CO2captureand reuse.

Contact: Christopher Matranga, 412-386-4114

(Left panel) Schematic diagram of the new photocatalytictechnology for converting CO

2into fuels. (Right panel) SEM

image of a heterostructured CdSe/Pt/TiO2photocatalyst

synthesized and tested by the NETL team(scale bar 100 nm).
mailto:yee.soong%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:yee.soong%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:Christopher.matranga%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:Christopher.matranga%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:yee.soong%40netl.doe.gov?subject=


8/12

8

Labs Host National Geographics

JASON Argonauts

National Geographics JASON Project team bringstogether Argonauts from all over the world; threestudents, a middle school teacher, and a film crewvisited NETL laboratories in Albany, OR, and Pittsburgh,PA. The National Geographic Society initiated theJASON Project to excite middle school children aboutscience by participating in inquiry-based science.

The first team visited the Albany laboratory to seeNETLs world-class rock and mineral collection. Theteam met with researchers Cathy Summers andBill OConnor, who talked with them about the

formation of rocks and minerals and geologicsequestration, including high-pressure experimentsbeing done at Albany to study whether CO

2injected

deep underground will leak back out.

Dr. George Guthrie, Focus Area Leader for Geologicaland Environmental Systems at NETL, served as hostresearcher to another team during the Pittsburgh visit.As host researcher, Guthrie took the students to anunderground coal mine to explore the stratigraphic

Cathy Summers, NETL geologist, shows the rock collection to the Argonauts.

features of the earth and the properties of coal. Guthriethen explained how core samples from deep underthe surface of the earth can be obtained and analyzed.The students then explored the flow of fluid througha porous rock (with Dr. Grant Bromhal), simulating CO

2

sequestration. The JASON team experienced a widerange of examples of how to study earth materialsfrom a large contingent of NETL researchers.

JASON immerses students in the mission theme byframing each curriculum around five core elementsdelivered via print, video, HTML, and interactive

games. The core elements are (1) meet the researchers;(2) an invitation to join the mission team - missionobjectives; (3) mission briefing; (4) mission labs - whatscience knowledge is required and why; and (5) fieldassignments. The resulting curriculum will be availablethrough print, video, games, and online resources totens of thousands of teachers and millions of studentsnot just in the United States, but worldwide.

Contact: George Guthrie, 412-386-6571
mailto:george.guthrie%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:george.guthrie%40netl.doe.gov?subject=


9/12

Schematic of particle-loaded membrane.

Interactive Tool Available

to Compare Plant Cost and Performance Data

Patented Mercury Capture Method Successfulin Bench Tests

The Bituminous Baseline Performance and Cost

InteractiveToolillustrates key data from the Cost

and Performance Baseline for Fossil Energy Plants -

Bituminous Coal and Natural Gas to Electricity report.

This tool provides an interactive summary of the full

reportand serves as an electronic desk reference

for quickly obtaining plant cost and performance

data and for comparing and contrasting several

technologies. Hereis the documentation for using the

tool.

This tool and the full report evaluate 12 cases for

electricity production from fossil fueled plants.

Performance, emissions and cost data presented include: net and gross output; heat rate; efficiency; water

use; SO2, NO

x, CO

2, PM, and Hg emissions; total plant cost; and levelized cost of electricity.

Contact: Erik Shuster, 412-386-4104

Applying a novel approach that employs sorbent particles

embedded in commercial bag house fabric material,

NETL researchers have demonstrated a capture rate

greater than 90 percent for mercury contained in a flue

gas slipstream from a 500-lb/hr pulverized coal-fired

combustion unit. The novel concept is readily adaptable

to any gas treatment system that already employs a bag

house for particulate control. In principle, pollutant-

specific sorbent materials can be incorporated into the

fabric, not only for mercury capture, but also for mercury

oxidation in situations where a downstream wet scrubber

is available. The approach avoids cross-contamination offly ash by activated carbons and mercury, which adversely

affect its suitability for use as a concrete amendment. It

also extends to the cleanup of aqueous waste streams

and syngas when sorbent and supporting membrane are

compatible with process conditions.

Contact: Edgar Klunder, 412-386-4678
http://www.netl.doe.gov/energy-analyses/pubs/Bituminous_Performance_Tool_Rev4.swfhttp://www.netl.doe.gov/energy-analyses/pubs/Bituminous%20Baseline_Final%20Report.pdfhttp://www.netl.doe.gov/energy-analyses/pubs/Bituminous%20Baseline_Final%20Report.pdfhttp://www.netl.doe.gov/energy-analyses/pubs/Bituminous_Interactive_Documentation%2810-14-2009%29rev0.pdfmailto:erik.shuster%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:edgar.klunder%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:edgar.klunder%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:erik.shuster%40netl.doe.gov?subject=http://www.netl.doe.gov/energy-analyses/pubs/Bituminous_Interactive_Documentation%2810-14-2009%29rev0.pdfhttp://www.netl.doe.gov/energy-analyses/pubs/Bituminous%20Baseline_Final%20Report.pdfhttp://www.netl.doe.gov/energy-analyses/pubs/Bituminous%20Baseline_Final%20Report.pdfhttp://www.netl.doe.gov/energy-analyses/pubs/Bituminous_Performance_Tool_Rev4.swf


10/12

0

New Capability for Fuel Cell

Materials CharacterizationA research team from NETL and West VirginiaUniversity has developed a new experimentalcapability and mathematical analysis method forelectronic conductivity relaxation (ECR) materialcharacterization.

The ECR technique will be used to obtain data on twoof the most important properties for solid oxide fuelcell cathodes, the surface oxygen exchange rate andoxygen bulk diffusion coefficients of mixed electronicand ionic conductors.

Compared with other techniques used to obtain thesame results such as the isotope exchange depthprofile method, ECR is easier to apply and offerssignificant cost advantages.

Recent validation experiments measuring theconductivity of a lanthanum strontium cobalt ferratecathode material showed good agreement withliterature reported values. At present, measurementsare being taken to investigate the effect of differentoxygen partial pressures on these two parameters.

The ECR method will next be applied to characterizeother materials of interest in NETLs infiltrationapproach to advance cathode stability and voltageperformance.

Contact: Randall Gemmen, 304-285-4536

The electronic conductivity relaxationsample holder used for materialcharacterization.

Potential Uses for Carbon Dioxide

Captured from Coal-BurningPower Plants

The talk Survey of Potential Uses for Carbon DioxideCaptured from Coal-Burning Power Plants waspresented to the 26th International Pittsburgh CoalConference. The current demand for carbon dioxideis much less than 2 billion tons per year, and the ideabehind carbon dioxide utilization is to put a smallfraction of the carbon dioxide captured from the powerplants to good use. Some of the current uses for carbondioxide include fire suppression, food preservation,

refrigeration/cooling, beverage carbonation, welding,enhanced oil recovery, coal bed methane recovery,supercritical cleaning, biomass production, andpolymer-plastic manufacture. Projected future uses forcarbon dioxide include producing fuel, i.e., methaneand methanol; manufacturing pharmaceuticalchemicals; oxy-combustion of coal; neutralizingindustrial alkaline wastes; and deploying to put outlarge underground coal fires.

Issues in the utilization of carbon dioxide capturedfrom power plants include the location of the powerplant and utilization project, the distribution and

transport of the CO2, and the purity required for theCO

2application. Potential future uses for carbon

dioxide are in the manufacture of plastics; combinedcoal mine fire suppression and gasification; catalyticsynthesis of fuels; and producing synthetic fuels fromalgae.

Contact: Evan Granite, 412-386-4607
mailto:randall.gemmen%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:evan.granite%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:evan.granite%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:randall.gemmen%40netl.doe.gov?subject=


11/12

SOFC Testing Completed at NCCC/

PSDF FacilityThe NETL mobile solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) teststand the Multi-Cell Array was recently operatedat the Wilsonville, Alabamas National Carbon CaptureCenter/Power Systems Development Facility toevaluate the effects of trace contaminants from coalsyngas on the SOFC anode performance. Twelve cellswere initially operated on coal syngas at staggeredload conditions with three cells demonstrating powerdensities as high as 250 mW/cm2. The 450-hourcontinuous test was terminated at the conclusionof gasifier operation with eight cells completing the

entire test, some with power densities remaining ashigh as 230 mW/cm2. In total, the system generatedover 4500 cell-hours of test data and over 1 kW of totalpower. Post-operational microscopy will be performedto investigate mechanisms of degradation includingformation of secondary anode phases and depositionof trace material. Complete results will be reported in apublished research paper.

Contact: Kirk Gerdes, 304-285-4342

Article Describes Role of SOFC inFuture Power Systems

NETL researchers published an article on the roleof solid oxide fuel cells in advanced hybrid powersystems of the future in the fall issue of Interface, apreeminent publication of the Electrochemical Society.The article was one of only four contributions thatwere selected for inclusion in the fall issue, whichfocused on the topic of solid oxide fuel cells research.The authors reported NETL research regarding thehigh efficiency of fuel cell-based hybrids and describedthe unique flexibility of hybrid systems demonstratedin tests conducted last summer using the HybridPerformance (Hyper) project facility. Interface reachesover 10,000 targeted readers worldwide in thefields of electrochemical and solid state science andtechnology.

Contact: David Tucker, 304-285-4182

First SECA-Stack Test Performed

NETL has established a new capability to test solidoxide fuel cell stacks. This new capability will allowthe evaluation of stack-related technology solutionsfor such things as gas seals, electrical contact pastes,interconnects, and flow passage designs. The first testof the system began in September 2009. The systemcontinued to operate very well (2 amps at 0.8 volts)after about 400 hours of steady operation. In thenext phase of testing using the same stack fixture, abio-based diesel fuel will be reformed and the syngaswill be passed to the stack fixture. The long-termoutcome of having this capability will be to allow

NETL researchers to install and operate research stacksinto our hybrid research facility being used to identifyviable control methods that allow DOE to achieve itshigh efficiency coal-based power generation target of60 percent without CO

2capture.

Contact: Randall Gemmen, 304-285-4536

NETL Researchers DevelopingEnergy Storage Materials for

Smart GridNETL researchers are developing novel, safe,environmentally benign, solid-state cathode energystorage materials that are based on sodium ionchemistry. Sodium is abundant and can be used tostore large amounts of electricity cheaply, which isessential for development of the modern grid as wellas for enhancing distributed power from renewableenergy sources. The ion batteries work by conductingsodium ions between the cathode and the anodeduring charge and discharge cycles; an electrolyteserves as the migration pathway to move those ions.

For larger utility scale batteries, sodium represents asignificantly cheaper alternative to energy storage thanlithium. This research will address the developmentalgaps that exist in low cost energy storage materialtechnology at the utility scale.

Contact:Todd Gardner, 304-285-4226
mailto:kirk.gerdes%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:david.tucker%40netl.doe.gov?subject=http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2009/3084/mailto:todd.gardner%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:todd.gardner%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:todd.gardner%40netl.doe.gov?subject=http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2009/3084/mailto:david.tucker%40netl.doe.gov?subject=mailto:kirk.gerdes%40netl.doe.gov?subject=


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National Energy Technology Laboratory1450 Queen Avenue SWAlbany, OR 97321-2198541-967-58922175 University Avenue SouthSuite 201Fairbanks, AK 99709907-452-2559

3610 Collins Ferry RoadP.O. Box 880Morgantown, WV 26507-0880304-285-4764626 Cochrans Mill RoadP.O. Box 10940Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0940412-386-4687Granite Tower, Suite 22513131 Dairy AshfordSugar Land, TX 77478

281-494-2516

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