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Sensors FOA 2009: Fundamental Developments in Sensors and Controls for
Power
and Fuel Systems
This document illustrates DOE, National Energy Technology Laboratory apos;s
(NETL)
strategy for evaluating and selecting applications received in response to
FOA
Number DE-FOA-0000059 entitled, Advanced Research: Fundamental Developments
in
Sensors and Controls for Power and Fuel Systems. The scope of this
activity
will include soliciting both fundamental and applied research projects from
the
four areas of research described under one technical topic.
TECHNICAL TOPIC: FUNDAMENTAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SENSORS AND CONTROLS FOR
POWER
AND FUEL SYSTEMS
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology
Laboratory (NETL) is seeking innovative research and development of sensor
and
control systems to support the full-scale implementation and operation of
highly efficient, near zero emission power generation technologies. These
technologies include advanced combustion, gasification, turbines, fuel
cells,
gas cleaning and separation technologies, and carbon capture. Technology
development is also in place for the concurrent production of synthetic
fuels
from coal and other domestic resources. Future power generation facilities
and
plants are expected to be highly efficient and complex, requiring a high
level
of system integration for efficient operation. To manage complexity and
achieve performance goals, advances in the capability and architecture of
instrumentation, sensors, and process controls are vital in assuring highly
efficient unit operations, predictive on-line maintenance, and continuous
life
cycle monitoring, which ensure further reduction in emissions.
Innovations in these areas are being supported by NETLs Advanced Research
Program which aims at bridging the gap between the basic sciences and
applied
research as it relates to Fossil Energy applications. Long range
transitional
type research is needed to support the identification and growth of novel
concepts leading to the potential for scientific breakthrough as well as
the
early adoption of innovative concepts into applications for power
generation.
With the goals of enabling, improving, and protecting power systems through
the
application of advanced sensors and controls, the areas for long range
transitional research are outlined below. Applications are sought in these
areas with specific focus on novel and innovative concepts and the
application
to Fossil Energy Power Generation and Fuel Production Technologies.
Advanced Materials Development for High Temperature Sensing
Applications are sought for the identification and development of materials
that can be engineered for high temperature sensing applications. For
purposes
of this research area, high temperature is defined as 700oC-1600oC and
materials are expected to survive and function within a reasonable portion
of
this temperature range. Materials to facilitate sensing and quantification
of
temperature, pressure (300-700 psi), strain, or gas composition (e.g. H2,
HCl,
CO, CO2, O2, H2O, CH4, NOx, H2S, SOX, COS, etc.) are of interest. Sensor
materials of interest include non-silica optical fibers, piezoelectric
crystals, non-carbon nanotubes or nanowires, and three-dimensional ceramic
and
metal oxide nanostructures. Upon successful development, it is desirable
for
the materials to survive a minimum of 5,000 hours when placed in the high
temperature environment.
Novel Sensor Constructs for Harsh Environments
Applications are sought for the development of novel sensor constructs that
enable on line, in situ sensing of harsh environments produced during the
conversion of fossil fuels. Traditional approaches have generally included
the
design of a sensor probe with cooling capability or an extractive system.
This
topic seeks to depart from traditional approaches and to support novel
approaches that enable real time multi-dimensional mapping of key
parameters
via sensor networks, imaging techniques, and/or distributed and
heterogeneous
sensors designed for harsh environments. Non intrusive techniques are also
of
interest if approaches do not require significant investments in ancillary
equipment to maintain access or purging of non-intrusive equipment.
For the purposes of this research area, harsh environments created in
highly
efficient Fossil Energy power systems (combustion, gasification, fuel
cells,
gas turbines) includes a temperature range of 500oC-1600oC, pressure range
300-700 psi and have present constituents that result in corrosive and
erosive
conditions. Molten slag produced during coal gasification in a reducing
environment is one example of an extremely harsh environment. Systems
utilizing high levels of oxygen in turbulent flow regimes (e.g. oxy-fired
combustion, oxygen enriched combustion turbines) are other examples of a
harsh
environment. Commercially available sensor technology for these
environments is
extremely limited, but monitoring in these environments is important for
performance. Specific measurements of interest may include one or more of
the
following: temperature (flame, gas and/or surface temperature), dynamic gas
pressure (flow, e.g. turbine entry), fuel/exhaust gas composition (e.g. H2,
CO,
CO2, O2, H2O, CH4, NOx, H2S, SOx, etc), and component integrity (e.g.
surface
strain, refractory degradation). Approaches that include the use of
radiation
or ionizing sources are outside the scope of this research area.
Modeling the Placement and Performance of Sensors
Extensive modeling and simulation are being performed on advanced energy
systems to assist in design, scale up, performance, and control of
individual
components as well as integrated systems within a power plant. Additional
process model and simulation development is being sought for the
fundamental
understanding of the relationships involved in the sensor placement,
interaction with the process and hierarchal interactions of the sensor
intelligence being sought with a goal of identifying the type, number, and
placement of sensors for maximum effectiveness and efficiency of the
measurement technology and the process itself. It is envisioned that
optimization of the location, number, and type of sensors will contribute
to
enhanced control of a process. It is of interest to develop new fundamental
algorithms and hybrid sensor architectures capable of describing and
initiating
new sensor to sensor communication networks based on intelligent sensors
that
are unrestrictive and self-organizing. High fidelity coupling to
simulation
models of a process or vessel as well as a measurement may initially be
generic
to evaluate approaches. However, desired approached must be adaptable and
transitioned to Fossil Energy Applications such as but not limited to
gasification, advanced combustion, or turbines.
Multizonal Reduced Order Model Development for Gasification and Combustion
Reactors
The power generation and fuel production industries face the enormous
challenge
of designing next-generation plants to operate with increased efficiency
and
reduced emissions, while ensuring profitability amid changes in
environmental
regulations and fluctuations in the cost of raw materials, finished
products,
and energy. To achieve aggressive performance and economic objectives,
significant advancements in process equipment technology must be conceived,
analyzed, and optimized in the context of large-scale, complex, and
highly-integrated process systems. Fundamental to designing a new plant or
improving the performance of an existing facility is an accurate virtual
representation of the basic processes. Advanced modeling and simulation
solutions are needed to foster rapid technology development, reduce pilot
and
demonstration-scale facility design time and operating campaigns, and lower
the
cost and technical risk in realizing high-efficiency, near-zero emission
plants
of the future. Process simulation and computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
software tools provide the solutions to meet this need, solving the
critical
engineering and operating problems that arise throughout the lifecycle of a
plant. Process/CFD co-simulation enables better understanding and
optimization
of the coupled fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, and related phenomena
that
drive overall performance of advanced fossil energy plants. In addition,
the
optimization of individual equipment items using CFD is not done in
isolation,
but within the context of the overall process, so that a global improvement
is
achieved, especially for cases in which plant performance depends strongly
on
local mixing and fluid dynamics.
Applications are sought for the automatic and systematic development of
multizonal reduced order models (ROMs) that approximate high-fidelity
computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based equipment simulations of gasifiers
and
combustion reactors used in the simulation of power generation and fuel
production systems. Multizonal (network-of-zones) models are a class of
ROMs
where a CFD model of a single equipment item (e.g., gasifier, combustor) is
represented by an interconnected network of reactor models, including the
complex chemical kinetics required to accurately model gasification and
combustion. Applicants are encouraged to consider the application of the
multizonal ROM technology to coal gasification and combustion reactors used
in
the production of clean power and coal-derived fuels. It is also desirable
for
applicants to make use of the process industry CAPE-OPEN (CO) software
standard
such that the multizonal ROMs can be used with CO-compliant process
simulators
and NETLs CO-compliant Advanced Process Engineering Co-Simulator
(APECS). |
