| NSF Org: |
EAR Division Of Earth Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | September 5, 2012 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 27, 2013 |
| Award Number: | 1230691 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Stephen Harlan
EAR Division Of Earth Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | September 15, 2012 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2017 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $1,900,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $1,900,000.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
2221 UNIVERSITY AVE SE STE 100 MINNEAPOLIS MN US 55414-3074 (612)624-5599 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
MN US 55455-2070 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
Special Projects - CCF, Sustainable Energy Pathways |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
The NSF Sustainable Energy pathways (SEP) Program, under the umbrella of the NSF Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability (SEES) initiative, will support the research program of Prof. Martin O. Saar and co-workers at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. This project is motivated by the need to simultaneously reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere while expanding the production of electricity, preferably using renewable resources. The project will develop CO2 Plume Geothermal (CPG) technology as a method to achieve both goals. CPG injects CO2 that is captured from a CO2 emitter (e.g., a coal-fired power plant) underground where the majority is permanently stored. CPG can also be used as an energy storage technique by compressing the CO2 into the subsurface reservoirs. In this case, slightly heated CO2 is circulated to the surface for electricity production to offset demand or to arbitrage prices. This is an approach to energy storage that uses CO2 to moderate differences in timing between the time electricity is produced by variable sources, such as wind and solar, and the time electricity is demanded by society. The objectives are to investigate the feasibility of CPG technology options, the implications of their deployment, the potential for broader spillovers, and the production educational material about geothermal energy, CPG, and their potential roles within the broader energy system.
This project will enhance the transition to sustainable energy systems in part by training researchers in interdisciplinary teams and by raising the awareness of geothermal energy and CPG as parts of the low-carbon, renewable energy portfolio. The overall purpose of CPG is develop an environmentally benign energy source that uses fewer resources (e.g. water) and with less negative externalities (e.g., CO2 emissions) than conventional approaches. This research will thoroughly investigate environmental returns that can be gained by storing and using CO2 to produce electricity. In addition, investigations of CPG deployment produce fundamental understanding in areas of electricity market dynamics, decision science, the economics of low-carbon energy sources, and energy policy. In association with the Hubert Project at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs (www.hubertproject.org), a CPG case study detailing the challenges and benefits of developing geothermal energy into a significant sustainable energy resource will be developed. Interactive online visuals will be produced to explain CPG to the public and for use in undergraduate courses. Collabration with the University of Minnesota's Diversity and Outreach program will increase the diversity of the participants in this project.
The transformative nature of the project involves its investigation of (a) CPG for economically storing CO2 and for using the stored CO2 to utilize geothermal energy to produce electricity and/or distribute heat, (b) the economic, financial, and operational issues of CPG technology development and commercial deployment, and (c) how the CPG technology may enable the deployment of other renewable and low-carbon energy technologies. If successful, this project will produce the understanding necessary for the development of a new environmentally benign approach to energy production or storage. The understanding and awareness of the challenges and opportunities for increasing the sustainability of renewable energy systems will be increased. In addition, the CPG technology has the potential to make carbon sequestration economically possible, thereby mitigating global warming.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The purpose of this project was to investigate a novel concept to use carbon dioxide (CO2) captured from large stationary emitters as the primary working fluid for geothermal energy applications, whereby geothermal energy is produced while all of the CO2, that is injected into the subsurface, is ultimately and permanently stored in deep geologic formations. We investigated this technology — termed CO2 Plume Geothermal (CPG) — in the broader context of sustainable energy pathways and analyzed how developing CPG can increase the overall sustainability of various energy systems.
During this project, we developed extensive time-dependent, three-dimensional numerical models of coupled multiphase fluid and heat transfer in porous geologic media that are overlain by a low-permeability caprock. The models were coupled to engineering models of geothermal power systems, allowing optimization of fluid (CO2) flow rates, electric power production, and reservoir management. The latter addressed both CO2 and heat management in the reservoir. The information from these models was fed into economics models to investigate how and where in the US such CPG systems might be deployed to provide cost-competitive geothermal power, while storing all of the injected CO2 permanently underground. The results of this effort, which revealed that CPG is technically feasible and can be a cost-effective means of providing both electrical power and providing large-scale subsurface energy and CO2 storage simultaneously, have been and continue to be published in peer-reviewed articles and have been and continue to be disseminated through presentations both to the general public and to experts at scientific/engineering conferences.
In addition, the project has helped the US and international efforts to transition to sustainable energy systems by training numerous researchers and students to function effectively and thrive in interdisciplinary teams. Furthermore, the project has raised public awareness regarding geothermal energy utilization for electric power and/or heat production and/or storage, CO2 capture and (geologic) storage (CCS), and the combination of the two technologies, i.e., CPG, which results in CO2 capture, utilization, and (geologic) storage (CCUS) operations. The project also helped raise the public’s awareness of these technologies being a valuable part of the low-carbon, renewable-energy portfolio in the US and potentially worldwide and as an enabler of other, only intermittently available, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.
The project has resulted in more than 120 peer-reviewed journal publications, conference presentation and papers, and theses. A 14-minute educational video, hosted on its own website, was produced to inform the general public, academics, public and industry professionals about geothermal power in general and CPG in particular.
Finally, the project is helping to inform commercial development of new geothermal and geologic energy storage systems. A private company, formed during the grant period, is working to build new geothermal and CPG power plants and, as part of the Carbon XPrize competition, turn CO2 from a liability into a sustainable resource.
Last Modified: 12/07/2017
Modified by: Martin O Saar
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