Evaluating the Ecosystem Service Benefits of Native Vegetation Management at Solar Energy Facilities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leroy Walston ◽  
Heidi Hartmann
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Solar Energy ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Argonne National Laboratory ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Energy Development ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Pollination Services

<p>Concomitant with the increase in solar photovoltaic (PV) energy development over the past decade has been the increasing emphasis on land sharing strategies that maximize the land use efficiency of solar energy developments.  Many of these strategies focus on improving the compatibility of solar energy development with other co-located land uses (e.g., agriculture) and by improving several ecosystem services that could have natural, societal, and industrial benefits. One such land opportunity is the restoration and management of native grassland vegetation beneath ground-mounted PV solar energy facilities, which has the potential to restore native habitat to conserve biodiversity and restore previously altered ecosystem services (e.g., natural pollination services). This presentation will discuss various assessment and modeling approaches to evaluate the scale and magnitude of the ecosystem services provided by different vegetation management strategies at solar PV energy development sites. This work demonstrates how multifunctional land uses in energy systems represents a win-win solution for energy and the environment by optimizing energy-food-ecology synergies. This work was conducted by Argonne National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357.</p>

A Radiofrequency Identification (RFID) Temperature-Monitoring System for Extended Maintenance of Nuclear Materials Packaging

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Chen ◽  
Hanchung Tsai ◽  
Bud Fabian ◽  
Yung Liu ◽  
James Shuler
Keyword(s):  
Monitoring System ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Argonne National Laboratory ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Nuclear Material ◽  
Temperature Monitoring ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Application Software ◽  
Radiofrequency Identification

A temperature-monitoring system based on radiofrequency identification (RFID) has been developed for extending the maintenance period of the nuclear material packaging for storage and transportation. The system consists of tags, readers, and application software. The tag, equipped with a temperature sensor, is attached to the exterior of a package. The application software enables remote reading, via radio waves, of the temperature from the sensor in the tag. The system reports any temperature violations immediately via e-mail or text message, and/or posts the alarm on a secure website. The system can monitor thousands of packages and record individual temperature histories in a database. The first type of packaging that will benefit from the RFID technology is Model 9977, which has been certified by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to ship and store fissile materials such as plutonium and uranium. The recorded data can be correlated to the temperature of the containment O-ring seals, based on the decay heat load of the contents. Accelerated aging studies of the Viton® GLT O-rings have shown that temperature is one of the key parameters governing the life of the O-ring seals, which maintain the integrity of the containment boundary of the package. Use of the RFID temperature-monitoring system to verify that the surface temperature remains below a certain threshold will make it possible to extend the leak-test period of the package from one year to up to five years. The longer leak-rate testing interval will yield a cost savings of up to $10,000 per package over five years. This work was conducted by Argonne National Laboratory in support of the DOE Packaging Certification Program, Office of Environmental Management, Office of Packaging and Transportation (EM-63).

Commercial CFD Code Validation for Simulation of Heavy-Vehicle External Aerodynamics

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. David Pointer ◽  
Tanju Sofu ◽  
David Weber
Keyword(s):  
Aerodynamic Drag ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Argonne National Laboratory ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Force Balance ◽  
Heavy Vehicles ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Energy Economy ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd ◽  
Vehicle Technologies

The issue of energy economy in transportation has grown beyond traditional concerns over environment, safety and health to include new concerns over national and international security. In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies’ Working Group on Aerodynamic Drag of Heavy Vehicles, Argonne National Laboratory is investigating the accuracy of aerodynamic drag predictions from commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Software. In this validation study, computational predictions from two commercial CFD codes, Star-CD [1] and PowerFLOW [2], will be compared with detailed velocity, pressure and force balance data from experiments completed in the 7 ft. by 10 ft. wind tunnel at NASA Ames [3, 4] using a Generic Conventional Model (GCM) that is representative of typical current-generation tractor-trailer geometries.

scholarly journals Shutdown and Closure of the Experimental Breeder Reactor–II

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
John A. Michelbacher ◽  
Carl E. Baily ◽  
Daniel K. Baird ◽  
S. Paul Henslee ◽  
Collin J. Knight ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Metal ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Argonne National Laboratory ◽  
Passive Layer ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Primary System ◽  
Secondary System ◽  
Reactor Plant ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Gas ◽  
Safe Condition

The Department of Energy mandated the termination of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) Program, effective October 1, 1994. To comply with this decision, Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-W) prepared a plan providing detailed requirements to maintain the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) in a radiologically and industrially safe condition, including removal of all irradiated fuel assemblies from the reactor plant, and removal and stabilization of the primary and secondary sodium, a liquid metal used to transfer heat within the reactor plant. The EBR-II is a pool-type reactor. The primary system contained approximately 325 m3 (86,000 gallons) of sodium and the secondary system contained 50 m3 (13,000 gallons). In order to properly dispose of the sodium in compliance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), a facility was built to react the sodium to a solid sodium hydroxide monolith for burial as a low level waste in a land disposal facility. Deactivation of a liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) presents unique concerns. Residual amounts of sodium remaining in circuits and components must be passivated, inerted, or removed to preclude future concerns with sodium-air reactions that could generate potentially explosive mixtures of hydrogen and leave corrosive compounds. The passivation process being implemented utilizes a moist carbon dioxide gas that generates a passive layer of sodium carbonate/sodium bicarbonate over any quantities of residual sodium. Tests being conducted will determine the maximum depths of sodium that can be reacted using this method, defining the amount that must be dealt with later to achieve RCRA clean closure. Deactivation of the EBR-II complex is on schedule for a March, 2002, completion. Each system associated with EBR-II has an associated layup plan defining the system end state, as well as instructions for achieving the layup condition. A goal of system-by-system layup is to minimize surveillance and maintenance requirements during the interim period between deactivation and decommissioning. The plans also establish document archival of not only all the closure documents, but also the key plant documents (P&IDs, design bases, characterization data, etc.) in a convenient location to assure the appropriate knowledge base is available for decommissioning, which could occur decades in the future.

scholarly journals Chinas Growth in Residential Solar Roof Tops-A Booster for India

2019 ◽  
pp. 19-29
Author(s):  
Kausar Suraiya Quraishi ◽  
Dr. Salmaahmed ◽  
Dr. K. Maran
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Slow Growth ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Energy Development ◽  
Government Policies ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Fast Growing ◽  
Pv Systems ◽  
Jawaharlal Nehru

China is the world’s largest producer of photovoltaic -PV power with total installed solar capacity surpassing the early leaders in solar energy developed countries viz;USA, Germany, Japan,Italy,France, and UK.The electricity consumption of China exceeds that of any other nation and China is also the top-most solar producer with fast- growing PV systems. This paper focuses on Residential Solar PV and the progress made by China-its evolution of solar policies,trends, challenges overcome, progress made and the future of sustainable solar energy development envisaged by China.A comparison of the trajectory of growth in Residential Solar PVs in India is made to analyze the concrete government policies in this segment and the consistency and growth of RSTPV in India. The challenges faced by India and the reasons for slow growth in this sector are explored.The time is now ripe for India to focus on the RSTPV segment while implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission(JNNSM) and learning lessons from China’s experiences to become a global PV leader in harnessing solar energy.

scholarly journals Completion of Experimental Breeder Reactor-II Sodium Processing at Argonne National Laboratory

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary D. McDermott ◽  
Charles D. Griffin ◽  
Daniel K. Baird ◽  
Carl E. Baily ◽  
John A. Michelbacher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sodium Hydroxide ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Argonne National Laboratory ◽  
The United States ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Safe Condition ◽  
And Control ◽  
Low Level Radioactive Waste

The Experimental Breeder Reactor - II (EBR-II) at Argonne National Laboratory - West (ANL-W) was shutdown in September 1994 as mandated by the United States Department of Energy. Located in eastern Idaho, this sodium-cooled reactor had been in service since 1964, and was a test facility for fuels development, materials irradiation, system and control theory tests, and hardware development. The EBR-II termination activities began in October 1994, with the reactor being maintained in an industrially and radiologically safe condition for decommissioning. With the shutdown of EBR-II, its sodium coolant became a waste necessitating its reaction to a disposal form. A Sodium Process Facility (SPF), designed to convert sodium to 50 wt% sodium hydroxide, existed at the ANL-W site, but had never been operated. The SPF was upgraded to current standards and codes, and then modified in 1998 to convert the sodium to 70 wt% sodium hydroxide, a substance that solidifies at 65°C (150°F) and is acceptable for burial as low level radioactive waste in Idaho. In December 1998, the SPF began operations. Working with sodium and highly concentrated sodium hydroxide presented some unique operating and maintenance conditions. Several lessons were learned throughout the operating period. Processing of the 330 m3 (87,000 gallons) of EBR-II primary sodium, 50 m3 (13,000 gallons) of EBR-II secondary sodium, and 290 m3 (77,000 gallons) of Fermi-1 primary sodium was successfully completed in March 2001, ahead of schedule and within budget.

scholarly journals Probabilistic dose assessment for personnel during decommissioning of spent nuclear fuel storage facility of transportable NPP “Pamir-630D”

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 378-384
Author(s):  
A. V. Kuzmin ◽  
A. V. Radkevich ◽  
V. P. Petrushkevich ◽  
N. D. Kuzmina
Keyword(s):  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Accurate Determination ◽  
Probabilistic Approach ◽  
Argonne National Laboratory ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Dose Assessment ◽  
Storage Facility ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Uncertainty Estimates

The aim of the current work is to perform a probabilistic dose assessment to quantify the relative importance of the source data uncertainties contribution towards the uncertainty estimates of collective and maximum individual doses of personnel during decommissioning of a storage facility. A probabilistic approach to the analysis of dose loads, including the analysis of sensitivity and uncertainty with respect to the input parameters of the used calculation models of dose assessment, allows to determine the most sensitive parameters, inaccuracies in the task of which lead to significant uncertainties in the estimates of dose loads on personnel and, therefore, require more accurate determination of conservative boundary values in deterministic analysis and safety justification. The calculations were performed by applying the code RESRAD-BUILD 3.50, developed by the Argonne National Laboratory of the US Department of Energy. The obtained results allow us to rank the parameters of the computational model according to the degree of their influence on the uncertainty of the final estimates of the dose loads on personnel, to develop recommendations for optimizing dose loads when performing radiation-hazardous work during nuclear facilities decommissioning.

Testing and Validation of a Series PHEV Control System

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Golecki ◽  
Christopher D. Monaco ◽  
Benjamin J. Sattler
Keyword(s):  
Control System ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Hybrid Electric Vehicle ◽  
Development Process ◽  
System Development ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Argonne National Laboratory ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Plant Model ◽  
Auxiliary Power

EcoCAR 2: Plugging into the Future is an Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition managed by the U.S. Department of Energy at Argonne National Laboratory. The competition challenges 15 universities across North America to reduce the environmental impact of a production vehicle without compromising performance, safety and consumer acceptability. To meet this goal, the Pennsylvania State University Advanced Vehicle Team has designed a series plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) capable of achieving a 40 mile all-electric range. An auxiliary power unit (750 cc two-cylinder engine converted to run on E85 fuel) provides extended range greater than 200 miles. A rigorous development process has been followed to provide a control system that meets the safety, performance and fuel economy targets, including fault mitigation. This paper summarizes the control system development strategy, starting with vehicle component selection. The strategies used to develop a control algorithm and plant model in parallel are described. Extensive testing is performed throughout the vehicle development process, including both software-in-the-loop (SiL), hardware-in-the-loop (HiL), and in-vehicle testing. In addition, it will be shown how pertinent testing data plays a crucial role in further plant model developments.

Reduced ecosystem services of desert plants from ground-mounted solar energy development

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven M. Grodsky ◽  
Rebecca R. Hernandez
Keyword(s):  
Native American ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Solar Energy ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Energy Development ◽  
Desert Plant ◽  
Desert Plants ◽  
Perennial Plant ◽  
Desert Scrub

<p>Deserts are prioritized as recipient environments for solar energy development; however, the impacts of this development on desert plant communities are unknown. Desert plants represent long-standing ecological, economic and cultural resources for humans, especially indigenous peoples, but their role in supplying ecosystem services (ESs) remains understudied. We measured the effect of solar energy development decisions on desert plants at one of the world’s largest concentrating solar power plants (Ivanpah, California; capacity of 392 MW). We documented the negative effects of solar energy development on the desert scrub plant community. Perennial plant cover and structure are lower in bladed treatments than mowed treatments, which are, in turn, lower than the perennial plant cover and structure recorded in undeveloped controls. We determined that cacti species and Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera) are particularly vulnerable to solar development (that is, blading, mowing), whereas Schismus spp.—invasive annual grasses—are facilitated by blading. The desert scrub community confers 188 instances of ESs, including cultural services to 18 Native American ethnic groups. Cultural, provisioning and regulating ESs of desert plants are lower in bladed and mowed treatments than in undeveloped controls. Our study demonstrates the potential for solar energy development in deserts to reduce biodiversity and socioecological resources, as well as the role that ESs play in informing energy transitions that are sustainable and just.</p>

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