美國能源部周四宣布撥款2100多萬美元,用于推動清潔能源商業(yè)規(guī)模部署的技術開發(fā)和創(chuàng)新,其中包括從太陽能到核能解決方案的選定項目。
該能源部在一份新聞稿中表示,這筆資金將解決核心商業(yè)化挑戰(zhàn),同時改善實驗室流程,創(chuàng)造清潔能源資源的可及性,并加強與服務不周到社區(qū)的聯系。這項投資使我們的國家更接近政府的目標,即降低能源成本,創(chuàng)造高薪,增加就業(yè)機會,并部署清潔能源,以到2050年實現凈零碳排放。
這項年度投資是2005年設立的技術商業(yè)化基金(TCF)的一部分。
今年用于市場準備核心實驗室基礎設施的TCF撥款中,有80%用于“特定技術合作伙伴項目”。
太陽能解決方案
美國能源部太陽能技術辦公室(SETO)選擇桑迪亞國家實驗室(SNL)用于開發(fā)農業(yè)光伏的微電網產品,或在同一塊土地上生產作物和太陽能發(fā)電。
SETO選擇了國家可再生能源實驗室(NREL)進行三個項目。一是利用負裂膜光刻技術提高碲化鎘電池的轉換效率極限。另一個是將反射目標非侵入性評估商業(yè)化,這是一種用于聚光太陽能(CSP)反射鏡的新型光學測量方法。該部門表示,該實驗室還將“進一步將基于無人機的非侵入式光學(NIO)技術商業(yè)化,用于CSP中定日鏡的高效和自動化光學表征”。
風能解決方案
風能技術辦公室還選擇SNL進行模擬,以促進行業(yè)范圍內采用解決方案,最大限度地減少限制發(fā)電的所謂尾流效應。
該實驗室的資金還支持其“用于自動化和加速分布式風力發(fā)電轉換器的互操作性和互聯認證程序的風力互聯標準平臺(WISP)工具”。
水電解決方案
NREL是水電技術辦公室挑選的唯一實驗室,用于開發(fā)“電網公用事業(yè)、運營商和規(guī)劃者氣候智能決策的交互式可視化和分析網絡工具”。
核能解決方案
阿貢國家實驗室(Argonne National Laboratory)已被核能辦公室納入,以“為實施回收使用過的核燃料和管理核廢料的穩(wěn)健流程提供基礎”,并“提高先進非輕水反應堆安全分析系統(tǒng)分析模塊的建模能力、保真度和成熟度”。
愛達荷州國家實驗室(INL)也參與了一個核項目,該項目旨在將一種對輻射具有高度耐受性的液位傳感器商業(yè)化。
橡樹嶺國家實驗室(ORNL)的一筆撥款支持“熱交換器、泵葉輪和其他部件的獨特解決方案”。
SNL還因其通過新軟件提高反應堆安全性的工作而被國家核辦公室選中。
氫能解決方案
氫和燃料電池技術辦公室選擇了橡樹嶺國家實驗室來尋找一種快速、大批量制造固體氧化物電解槽電池的方法。
INL已被選擇用于固體氧化物電解槽的開發(fā),或通過氧化從水中獲得氫氣的過程。
勞倫斯·利弗莫爾國家實驗室(LLNL)因其旨在直接檢測氫氣泄漏的光纖傳感器的商業(yè)原型以及開發(fā)“低溫壓縮氫氣罐加速耐久性測試”的工作而被選中。
SNL也加入了氫項目,因為它致力于“氫加其他替代燃料風險評估模型的商業(yè)采用,這是一個評估氫和其他替代燃料基礎設施安全性的軟件工具包”。
太平洋西北國家實驗室已獲得資金,用于“提供長期鋅電池模塊、測試數據和技術轉型計劃,以擴大規(guī)模和商業(yè)化”,以及“開發(fā)超穩(wěn)定參比電極,作為氧化還原液流電池的原位系統(tǒng)診斷工具”。
電力辦公室挑選的另一個實驗室,INL“將加快OmniTap的商業(yè)化,以加強對美國工藝控制的保護”。
LLNL也被該辦公室列入名單,以實現自編程微電網算法的商業(yè)化,這是與NREL和洛斯阿拉莫斯國家實驗室合作的一個項目。
該辦公室還選擇了LLNL來開發(fā)“高容量準固態(tài)Zn–MnO2電池”,而NREL還選擇了另一個電力辦公室的項目,該項目旨在展示“一種強大的數據驅動相位識別工具,用于確定配電網中的客戶相位連接”。
ORNL被該辦公室選為“用于測量驅動的自動和自適應阻尼控制技術”的軟件工具。
合作項目
NREL與OTT的合作實驗室Open Voucher Call有另一個支持項目,該項目將與小企業(yè)創(chuàng)新者和服務不周到或代表性不足的社區(qū)建立實驗室合作。
布魯克黑文國家實驗室已獲得其少數族裔服務機構連接計劃的資金,以幫助其“利益相關者合作、外聯活動、研究資金和未來資金來源規(guī)劃”。
在國際合作方面,INL成功地提出了另一個項目,“更有效地吸引外國公司和具有外國影響力的美國公司”。它的資金還包括美國能源部批準的一個模板,該模板將簡化合作研究與開發(fā)協議的談判過程。
托馬斯·杰斐遜國家加速器設施也被選中,該設施“將探索其他交易機構(OTA)以形成快速研發(fā)的最佳實踐,并向國家實驗室系統(tǒng)提供建議”。
郝芬 譯自 鉆機地帶
原文如下:
USA Grants Over $21MM for Development of Clean Energy Solutions
The USA Department of Energy unveiled Thursday more than $21 million in grants for the development of technologies and innovations that advance the commercial-scale deployment of clean energy, with selected projects ranging from solar to nuclear solutions.
“This funding will address core commercialization challenges, while improving laboratory processes, creating accessibility to clean energy resources, and enhancing connections to underserved communities”, it said in a press release.
“This investment brings our nation one step closer to the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of lowering energy costs, creating good paying, union jobs, and deploying clean energy to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”
The annual investment is part of the Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) established 2005.
Eighty percent of this year’s TCF allotments for Core Laboratory Infrastructure for Market Readiness have gone to “technology-specific partnership projects”.
Solar Solutions
The DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) has picked the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) for the development of a microgrid product for agrivoltaics, or the production of crops and solar power on the same land.
The SETO has selected the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for three projects. One aims to raise the conversion efficiency limit of cadmium telluride cells by using negative cracked film lithography. Another is for the commercialization of the Reflected Target Non-Intrusive Assessment, a new optical measurement for concentrated solar power (CSP) mirrors. The lab will also “further commercialize the drone-based Non-Intrusive Optical (NIO) Technology for efficient and automated optical characterization of heliostats in CSP”, the department said.
Wind Solutions
The SNL has also been chosen by the Wind Energy Technologies Office for simulations that promote the industry-scale adoption of solutions that minimize the so-called wake effect, which limits power generation.
Funding for the lab also supports its “Wind Interconnection Standard Platform (WISP) tool for automating and accelerating interoperability and interconnection certification procedures for distributed wind power converters”.
Hydro Solutions
The NREL is the sole lab picked by the Water Power Technologies Office, for the development of “an interactive visualization and analysis web tool for climate-smart decision-making by power grid utilities, operators, and planners”.
Nuclear Solutions
The Argonne National Laboratory has been included by the Nuclear Energy Office to “provide a basis for the implementation of a robust process for recycling used nuclear fuel and managing nuclear waste”, as well as to “improve the modeling capabilities, fidelity, and maturity of the System Analysis Module for advanced non-light water reactor safety analysis”.
The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has also made it to the nuclear program for a project seeking to commercialize a liquid level sensor that is highly tolerant to radiation.
An allotment for Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) backs “unique solutions for heat exchangers, pump impellers, and other components”.
The SNL has also been picked by the nuclear office for its work on improving the safety of reactors through new software.
Hydrogen Solutions
The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office picked the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to find a way to make solid oxide electrolyzer cells in a fast and high-volume manner.
The INL has been selected for the development of solid oxide electrolyzers, or the process of deriving hydrogen from water through oxidization.
The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has been chosen for its commercial prototype of a fiber-optic sensor that seeks to directly detect hydrogen leakage, as well as its work on developing an “accelerated durability test for cryo-compressed hydrogen tanks”.
The SNL has also made it to the hydrogen program for its work on enabling the “commercial adoption of Hydrogen Plus Other Alternative Fuels Risk Assessment Models, a software toolkit for assessing the safety of hydrogen and other alternative fuels infrastructure”.
Grid Solutions
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has received funding to “deliver long-duration zinc battery modules, testing data, and technology transition plans for scale-up and commercialization”, as well as to “develop an ultra-stable reference electrode as an in-situ system diagnostics tool for redox flow batteries”.
Another lab picked by the Electricity Office, the INL “will accelerate the commercialization of OmniTap for enhanced protection of process controls within the U.S.”.
The LLNL has also been listed by the office to enable the commercialization of self-programmed microgrid algorithms, in a project with the NREL and the Los Alamos National Lab.
The office has also picked the LLNL for the development of “a high-capacity quasi-solid-state Zn–MnO2 battery”, while the NREL also has another Electricity Office-selected project that seeks to demonstrate “a robust data-driven phase identification tool for customer phase connectivity determination in distribution grids”.
The ORNL has been picked by the office for a software tool “for measurement-driven automatic and adaptive damping control technology”.
Collaborative Projects
The NREL has another supported project with OTT’s coLABoratory Open Voucher Call that would forge lab collaboration with small business innovators and underserved or underrepresented communities.
The Brookhaven National Laboratory has received funding for its Minority Serving Institution Connect program to help it in “stakeholder collaboration, outreach events, fellowships, and future planning for funding sources”.
For international cooperation, the INL has successfully proposed another project, “to engage foreign companies and U.S. companies with foreign influence more effectively”. Its funding also covers a DOE-approved template that would streamline the negotiation process for Cooperative Research and Development Agreements.
Also selected is the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, which “will explore Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs) to document best practices for rapid R&D [research and development] and provide recommendations to the national lab system”.