Development of Technologies and Analytical Capabilities for Vision 21 Energy Plants

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Development of Technologies and Analytical Capabilities for

Vision 21 Energy Plants

AGENCY: Federal Energy Technology Center (FETC), U.S. Department of

Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice inviting financial assistance applications.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy announces that it intends to conduct

a competitive Program Solicitation and award financial assistance

(Cooperative Agreements) for the program entitled ``Development of

Technologies and Analytical Capabilities for Vision 21 Energy Plants.''

Through this solicitation, FETC seeks to support applications in the

following areas of interest: development of (A) the enabling and

supporting technologies upon which the components and subsystems

(``modules'') of Vision 21 plants depend, (B) systems integration

capability needed to combine two or more modules in Vision 21 plants,

and (C) advanced plant design and visualization software leading to

demonstration of ``virtual'' plants. Awards will be made to a limited

number of applicants based on an evaluation of the promise of the

proposed technology, the quality of prior supporting scientific and

engineering studies and of the technical approach to reduce the

proposed technology to practice, appropriateness of the project plan,

the technical and management capabilities of the applicant

organization(s), and availability of DOE funding in the technical areas

proposed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Raymond D. Johnson, U.S. Department of

Energy, Federal Energy Technology Center, Acquisition and Assistance

Division, P.O. Box 10940, MS 921-143, Pittsburgh PA 15236-0940,

Telephone: (412) 386-6109, FAX: (412) 386-6039, E-mail:

[email protected].

DATES: This solicitation (available in both WordPerfect 6.1 and

Portable Document Format (PDF)) will be released on DOE's FETC Internet

site (http:/www.fetc.doe.gov/business/solicit) on or about September

30, 1999.

[[Page 43367]]

Additional information on the Vision 21 Program is available on DOE

FETC's World Wide Web Server Internet System (http:/www.fetc.doe.gov/

publications/others/vision21/v21.pdf).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title of Solicitation: ``Development of Technologies and Analytical

Capabilities for Vision 21 Energy Plants.''

Objectives: Through Program Solicitation No. DE-PS26-99FT40578, the

Department of Energy seeks applications for developing the technology

basis for Vision 21 energy plants, including developing the enabling

and supporting technologies upon which the components and subsystems

(``modules'') of Vision 21 plants depend, systems integration

capability, and advanced computer design and simulation tools. Examples

of technology modules are a gasifier, combustor, an engine or turbine

system, fuel cell, or a subsystem for separating air into oxygen-and

nitrogen-rich streams. Systems integration knowledge is required to

design and construct complete plants. Although the DOE's intent is to

focus on technology module development rather than on specific plant

configurations, arrangements of modules may need to be considered in

order to acquire knowledge of systems integration techniques. Computer

models for individual technology modules and for complete Vision 21

plants will be required to reduce development costs by minimizing the

number of scales at which new technologies will need to be tested, to

aid in design and scaleup, and to increase confidence that new designs

will meet performance expectations. It is anticipated that spinoff

technologies, available as early as 2005, will also result from R&D

supported by this solicitation. Spinoff technologies include low-cost

oxygen and hydrogen separation technology, gas purification and

cleaning technology, better catalysts for producing fuels and chemicals

from low-valued raw materials, more efficient and lower cost

environmental control technology, improved low-cost manufacturing

techniques for high-technology components, advanced combustion and

materials technology for enhancing engine and turbine systems, and

improved materials for service under aggressive high-temperature

conditions.

Eligibility: Eligibility for participation in this Program

Solicitation is considered to be full and open. All interested parties

may apply. The solicitation will contain a complete description of the

technical and organizational evaluation factors and the relative

importance of each factor.

Areas of Interest: The Department is interested in obtaining

applications to develop (A) the enabling and supporting technologies

upon which the components and subsystems (``modules'') of Vision 21

plants depend, (B) systems integration capability needed to combine two

or more modules in Vision 21 plants, and (C) advanced plant design and

visualization software leading to demonstration of ``virtual'' plants.

DOE has, with the help of industry, academic, and government

stakeholders, identified ``enabling'' and ``supporting'' technologies

that are expected to be important in developing high-performance

technology modules for Vision 21 plants. Enabling technologies are

those upon which the modules or subsystems that form the building

blocks of a Vision 21 plant depend. Enabling technologies include:

Gas separation, e.g., membranes that can be used to

separate oxygen from air and hydrogen from syngas

High-temperature heat exchangers, e.g., alloy exchangers

capable of heating high-temperature steam or air for use in advanced,

high-efficiency cycles

Fuel-flexible, thermally efficient gasification to allow

the use of low-cost feedstocks, such as municipal waste, petcoke,

biomass

Gas stream purification systems capable of operating at

high temperatures for removing sulfur compounds and other constituents

that may corrode or erode downstream components, e.g. turbines, or

poison downstream catalysts.

High-performance combustion systems, including ultra-low-

NOX combustion and combustion systems that burn fuels in

O2/CO2 mixtures and produce exhaust streams

containing only CO2 and water; both suspension-fired and

fluidized bed systems are of interest.

Fuel-flexible combustion turbines and engine systems,

especially turbines and engines capable of operating on coal-derived

gases or hydrogen; fuel cell/turbine-engine hybrids capable of 70-80%

efficiency; advanced combustion turbines, including ceramic turbines

and engines; advanced steam turbines.

Fuel cells, e.g., high-efficiency, low-cost fuel cells;

cascaded fuel cell systems capable of operating at multiple

temperatures and pressures; fuel cells bottomed by fuel cells; fuel

cell/turbine hybrids; new, low-cost, fuel cell concepts capable of

approaching $100/kilowatt stack costs and, when incorporated into a

system, 70-80% system efficiency.

Advanced fuels and chemicals development: systems and

catalysts for fuels and chemicals production; hydrogen production and

storage.

Supporting technologies are cross-cutting technologies also judged

to be important for the design of Vision 21 plants. Supporting

technologies include:

Advanced materials for high-temperature applications in

aggressive environments, e.g., boiler tubes for high-temperature steam

bottoming cycles, and very high-temperature (>2000 deg.F) heat

exchangers for use in indirectly fired cycles and other applications,

as well as functional materials needed for turbine/engine hot-gas-path

components, and gas cleanup or separation.

Advanced manufacturing and modularization techniques to

reduce costs and improve quality. (Modular design is desired where it

can reduce costs by maximizing shop fabrication and minimizing field

construction, while maintaining or increasing flexibility in plant

design.)

Systems Integration prescribes how to combine high-performance

technology modules into safe, reliable, economic Vision 21 plants and,

as such, is a critical part of the Vision 21 program. Systems

integration can be divided into 3 key subelements: systems engineering,

dynamic response and control, and industrial ecology. Systems

integration topics of interest to DOE include:

Systems engineering and compatibility issues related to

linking Vision 21 modules and components, e.g., gasifiers with

combustion turbines, fuel cells, and gas cleanup devices; development

of design modifications and interconnections for major subsystems and

components.

Dynamic response and control of Vision 21 modules and

integrated plants; studies of the transient response of subsystems and

total plants to changes in load and other operating parameters, startup

and shutdown, and upset conditions including component failures;

modeling of the dynamic response of Vision 21 systems; design of

process control software and hardware.

Application of industrial ecology principles to Vision 21

systems; development and evaluation of designs to recycle or utilize

all process effluents that would otherwise be handled as waste streams.

Computational modeling and virtual demonstration software that

provides a cost-effective complement to experimental development is

also of interest; advanced models to assist in the design process by

providing

[[Page 43368]]

physically based simulations of Vision 21 components, modules, and

plants are sought; an integrated suite of codes (software) called the

``virtual demonstration'' or ``virtual plant'' is needed to illustrate

equipment configuration and orientation and simulate plant operation.

Awards

DOE anticipates issuing financial assistance (cooperative

agreements) for each project selected. DOE reserves the right to

support or not support, with or without discussions, any or all

applications received in whole or in part, and to determine how many

awards may be made through the solicitation subject to the funds

available. Approximately $5 million -$10 million of DOE funding is

planned for this solicitation in each of the three years FY00, FY01,

and FY02. Cost sharing by the applicant is required, and details of the

cost sharing requirement are contained in the solicitation.

Solicitation Release Date

A draft of this Program Solicitation is available for comment on

FETC's World Wide Web Server Internet System at http:/www.fetc.doe.gov/

business/solicit until August 20, 1999. The final Program Solicitation

is expected to be ready for release on or about September 30, 1999.

Applications must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the

instructions and forms contained in the Program Solicitation.

Raymond D. Johnson,

Contracting Officer, Acquisition and Assistance Division.

[FR Doc. 99-20472 Filed 8-9-99; 8:45 am]

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