Funding-Advanced
Fossil Energy Research; May 16, 2011
Agency
Name
DOE
Description
Project Description: The goal of the Advanced
Research - Coal Utilization Science Program is to conduct research that supports
the development of technologies for clean, efficient electric power generation.
This supports the DOE Strategic Plan by providing core competencies related to
advanced power system technologies. The scope of this activity will include
soliciting both novel and applied research projects from the three areas of
research described below. Objective: The objective of this activity is to
competitively solicit projects in the Sensors and Controls area of the National
Energy Technology Laboratory's (NETL) Advanced Research (AR) Program. The AR
Program sponsors innovative and transformational research and development
(R&D) that bridges the gap between basic sciences and applied engineering.
These R&D efforts are oriented and prioritized towards the full-scale
implementation and operation of the next generation of fossil energy power
systems and improvements to existing fossil energy power systems. These
advancements are driven by the need for highly efficient, near-zero emission
power systems that utilize domestic resources. The Department of Energy (DOE)
NETL, in concert with industrial and university collaborators and other
government laboratories, have realized advancements in the areas of advanced
combustion, gasification, turbines, 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.
Advancements in these areas, while highly beneficial, have brought about other
challenges that drive the need for new Sensors and Controls technology. The
primary challenges being addressed by the AR Sensors and Controls include:
1)Sensing in harsh environments because higher efficiencies and CO2 management
result in extreme temperature and pressure conditions and highly reactive and
corrosive process conditions; 2)Monitoring the condition of equipment and
processes since high system reliability is paramount to having a cost-effective
operation. The conditions under which fuel is converted to power includes
multiple components where condition monitoring is needed to improve reliability
and proactive maintenance; and 3)Management of
complexity within a process control system to enable full plant integration and
optimization. The NETL AR Program in Sensors and Controls has supported
innovations in these areas but seeks to expand its efforts in the select areas
outlined below. These are viewed as timely and important technology
developments needed to enhance the current technology portfolio. This Funding
Opportunity Announcement (FOA) seeks to develop the technologies and approaches
necessary to: 1)Develop decision-based algorithms for
interfacing heterogeneous sensor networks to enable intelligent real-time
decision making capability and allow for appropriate methods for managing
complexity at the sensor network level. The full description of this topic is
provided under Topic Area A; 2)Develop novel coatings
and embedded sensors for online and in-situ assessment of a component or
process. The full description of this topic is provided under Topic Area B; and
3)Develop real-time sensor networks that enable
multi-dimensional reconstruction of reacting systems and operating components.
The full description of this topic is provided under Topic Area C. Applicants
with novel approaches to one of these topic areas are encouraged to apply as it
is a goal of the Advanced Research Program to support such innovative concepts.
Applicants interested in becoming familiar with current AR Sensors and Controls
Portfolio may access project descriptions and other reference documents via the
link: http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/coalpower/advresearch/ref-shelf.html.
NETL?s website also provides descriptions of advanced
power systems and active research in these areas (http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/coalpower/index.html).
Applicants may only respond to one topic per application. Multiple applications
from the same applicant are permitted and teaming within a single application
is also permitted. Application documents must clearly state which topic is
being addressed. Technical Topics: Topic Area A: Development and Application of
Decision-based Algorithms for Interfacing Heterogeneous Sensor Networks The
development of heterogeneous sensor networks has emerged as a primary element
of the AR Sensors and Controls Program. The networks are viewed as an enabling
approach to manage complexity and dynamics associated with advanced power
systems. Sensor networks may consist of tens to thousands of sensors and nodes
that have computational and cognitive capability to self-organize and recommend
actions to control a process. In context to an advanced power plant, sensor
networks may consist of strategically distributed sensors to monitor process
operations and assess the condition of process equipment. Sensors and nodes may
be wired or wireless, and the primary measurements will include pressure,
temperature, flow, strain, gas composition, levels (e.g. tank or silo level),
and equipment condition (e.g. fan or belt speed). As more sensors are deployed
in an industrial environment, the value of data from individual sensors is
diminished and the information developed by a relev
ant sensor network becomes important for managing and controlling systems. The
objective of this topic is to develop computational techniques and algorithms
that can interface with multiple sensors and nodes to transform data into
information and enable cognitive-type computation at the network level.
Approaches that allow for self-organization of the sensor networks and are
scalable are of interest. Utilization of models, heuristics and other novel
emerging approaches are encouraged to allow the decision making to occur at the
network level. Cognitive and decision making algorithms are analogous to
algorithms for robotics control, but the physics and time scales of the power
system(s) must be considered. Major systems with an advanced power plant may
include steam systems, air & water handling systems, combustion & steam
turbines, coal gasification, gas cleaning systems, carbon capture systems,
power generation systems, etc. More information about Advanced Power Systems
can be found at NETL's website (http://www.netl.doe.gov).
Approaches that limit the number of sensors and nodes to less than 10 inputs
are not of interest. Approaches that extend the capability of traditional
proportional, integral, derivative (PID) control algorithms are also not of
interest. Applications submitted under this Topic Area should clearly be marked
Topic Area A. Topic Area B: Development of Novel Materials and Designs for
Embedded Active Sensing Applications Embedded sensors and smart materials
represent an area of sensing that interest many scientific and industrial
disciplines. In the area of power generation, embedding sensors and employing
smart materials or coatings can lead to greater understanding of the system and
allow for better system design and operation. Historically, the Advanced
Research Sensors and Controls Program supported developments in materials and
sensor designs that enabled survivability in harsh environments. While
advancements have been made in these areas, few technologies have emerged as
either an embedded sensor or smart material. Development opportunities for
embedded sensor design and engineered smart materials extend from
biologically-activated approaches and biomimetics to
high temperature meta-materials, chemical- or temperature- activated coatings,
and optical materials. Research in non-conventional smart systems leverages
recent progress in these alternative technologies to develop advanced power generation
concepts. The objective of this topic is to develop embedded sensors and smart
materials that can be applied to power systems to enable real-time, online
assessment of a system or component. Concepts that are novel but offer the
potential to be demonstrated at bench-scale at the completion of the project
are of interest. Approaches that can be interrogated remotely or are wireless
are also of interest. Critical systems and operating components may include
embedded sensors or smart materials capable of indicating/measuring strain,
temperature, flow, composition, and pressure. The research for these sensing
concepts should consider performance factors such as selectivity, accuracy,
response time, recovery time and working lifetime. More information about
Advanced Power Systems can be found at NETL's website (http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/coalpower/index.html).
Approaches to sensing that require a probe design and those approaches that do
not have the potential to be applied to systems utilized in central industrial
power production are outside the scope of this effort and will not be
considered under this FOA. Applications submitted under this Topic Area should
clearly be marked Topic Area B. Topic Area C: Development of Real-time Sensor
Networks to Enable Multi-Dimensional (3-D) Reconstruction of Reacting Systems
and Operating Components The use of active sensor networks in power plant
operations is a novel approach to improving plant operations and providing more
efficient power generation. Sensor networks may consist of tens to thousands of
sensors randomly distributed throughout a particular volume or component in an
advanced power system with the ability to measure multiple variables such as
pressure, flow, strain, temperature, and composition. These networks have the
potential to provide a greater understanding of the physical characteristics of
a power plant for which to control and efficiently operate future advanced power
generation systems. The data gathered by these large sensor networks could be
used to reconstruct images of multiple measuring volumes inside reactors or
vital power system (or subsystem) components. The objective of this topic is to
develop real-time sensor networks that enable multi-dimensional (3-D)
reconstruction of reacting systems and operating components. Using the data
from these sensor networks, reconstruction may include, but is not limited to,
(1) mapping (temperature, pressure, deformation) of internal system components
such as turbine blades; (2) cross-sectional, volumetric reconstruction of flows
within a gasifier or combustor (single- or
multi-phase); (3) cross-sectional, volumetric reconstruction of gas species
within a gasifier; and (4) volumetric reconstruction
of the combustion flame. The data reconstruction generated from these sensors
shall emulate the 3-D graphical representations generated using Computational
Fluid Dynamics and Finite Element software. Applications shall include self-organizing
features of spatial-temporal relationships for the physical phenomena being
observed by the sensor networks. Extrapolation of single point measurements to
generate 3-D reconstruction as well as sensor networks that cannot measure an
entire cross-sectional volume representative of those found within components
of industrial power systems are not of interest. Applications submitted under
this Topic Area should clearly be marked Topic Area C.
Announcement
Number: DE-FOA-0000518
Due
Date: May
16, 2011
Link
to Full Announcement
https://www.fedconnect.net/fedconnect/?doc=DE-FOA-0000518&agency=DOE
Contact
Information
MAUREEN
B. DAVISON, 412-386-5163
Maureen.Davison@NETL.DOE.GOV