Emerging Decarbonization Technologies Projects

Energy Efficient Nitrogen Production from Biowaste

This project is focused on advancing the development of a biomass reactor for the purpose of energy efficient and sustainable nitrogen production.

Principle Investigator - James Acquaviva
Sponsor - SWFT Labs LLC

Repurposing Retired Tesla EV batteries and Adoption to Solar Mobile Towers

This project studies used Tesla EV batteries and evaluates how to build up a battery system to adapt the retired Tesla batteries into a solar mobile lighting/security tower. Used electric vehicle batteries could offer a more viable business case for power storage instead of sending them to landfill to reduce environmental impacts. The EV cars’ lifespan can last roughly 100,000 to 300,000 miles. By 2030, between 10-15 million tons of lithium-ion batteries would have been discarded. The cost of fully recycling a lithium-ion battery is roughly $1.2/kg ($650/kwh pack). Repurposing retired batteries can extend the lifetime of EV batteries and create another possible solution to the industry with the increasing amount of retired EV batteries and ultimately reduce environmental waste.

Principle Investigator - Dr. Vyacheslav Solovyov
Sponsor - Biacomm Inc.

Predicting Pipeline Behavior Using AI

This research collaboration between VJ Technologies (VJT) and SBU is based on VJT’s previous work with organizations such as BP, Total, Con Edison, PSE&G, National Grid, EPRI and others. VJT had witnessed the impacts of corrosion on existing pipeline infrastructure and the catastrophic failures that can occur. In-situ monitoring, pigging, replacement of steel pipes with composites, etc. are some of the methods that organizations are using to combat and deal with the corrosion issues and VJT has played a role by providing Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) services, primarily in the form of radiography, to observe and detect corrosion. VJT was interested in developing and using AI and ML tools along with sensors, NDT data, and metallurgical data, to generate a predictive model that can enable companies to be proactive about corrosion mitigation strategies. Proactive response toward corrosion ensured continued efficiency of infrastructure and enabled companies to plan outages, repairs, and extend the life of infrastructure as well as reduce the risk of catastrophic failure saving money, lives, and the environment. This team created a predictive model in combination with AI/ML algorithms along with a Big Data approach, that comprised of data based on NDT and other relevant data on the pipelines and the pipes themselves.

Principle Investigator - Dr. Devinder Mahajan
Sponsors - VJ Technologies

Self-Powered Photovoltaic Integrated System for Production of Clean Water and Electricity

This proposal addresses the “military installation resilience plans” to maintain resilience of infrastructure  (NDAA sec. 2801(c)(5)(A)) on energy and water supply. The proposed system can be used shipboard or on-site at the navy establishment. Because it is portable, runs on solar power and does not depend on external power supply, the technology will limit the scope of adverse energy events and assist in recovery. The scientific and engineering challenges include solar PV panels, bandgap of materials, vapor-liquid equilibrium and thermodynamics, various materials, salt intrusion and management of MD device design, balance between performance and temperature, and clean water production rate. Building a prototype of a PV-MD system as a testbed will help us conduct research and analysis to address these challenges to advance the state of the arts.

Principle Investigator - Dr. Imin Kao
Sponsors - US Navy Office of Naval Research

Advanced Dual Fuel Combustion of Zero-Carbon and Traditional Logistics Fuels

In the quest to address the Naval R&D priority of Operation Endurance, zero-carbon fuels (e.g. hydrogen (H2) and ammonia (NH3)) have the potential to provide additional energy resources for remote communities and military bases. However, zero-carbon fuels are not drop-in replacements for traditional logistics fuels (e.g., F-76, JP-5) used in current engines. Despite this, these zero-carbon fuels can effectively in advanced combustion engines, either in combination with logistics fuels under an advanced dual fuel combustion (DFC) model, or as a single fuel stream (single fuel combustion, SFC) consisting of only NH3 and H2 without logistics fuels. An improved understanding of the combustion process with zero-carbon fuels under both DFC and SFC are necessary to take full advantage of the fuel properties. However the use of NH3 may lead to high NOx emissions, due to the increased nitrogen content in the fuel. Plasma catalysis technology, under development for the generation of NH3 (Project E4-21), has the potential to treat NOx in the exhaust better than current after treatment. This project will address both the combustion performance, emissions characterization and NOx reduction, of NH3/H2 blends alone and with logistics fuel under advanced combustion modes.

The specific objectives of this project are to:
1) Quantify NH3/H2 blend reactivities under advanced combustion conditions (DFC/SFC)
2) Retrofit, characterize, and demonstrate an advanced combustion engine for NH3/H2 blends alone and with Navy logistics fuels
3) Create computational models to accurately simulate and predict NH3/H2 advanced combustion
4) Investigate the use of plasma catalysis to enhance current NOx after treatment

Achieving these objectives will lead to new power generation systems that can integrate with intermittent renewables using NH3 as the energy storage medium. This increases the reliability of renewable systems by providing a long-term, stable energy storage medium, and decreases pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions from power generation. Advanced combustion engines that can use both locally generated zero-carbon fuels and logistics are then also resilient to shocks in either logistics fuel supplies or local renewables generation by being able to use either alone or in combination as desired.

Principle Investigator - Dr. Dimitris Assanis
Sponsors - US Navy Office of Naval Research

 

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