DOE lab to seek materials solutions for fossil-fueled power plants
David Wagman | November 18, 2019The Energy Department's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has issued a Notice of Intent to solicit and award projects that will focus on materials research, development, testing and validation to enhance the domestic materials supply chain and the reliability of the existing fossil power generation fleet.
NETL said that thermal and corrosion fatigue are the predominate damage mechanisms for existing fossil steam cycle components operated under cyclic load conditions. Because of this, the primary areas of interest for the funding opportunity focus on material joint reliability and surface technologies. Projects can focus on coal- and gas-based steam cycle applications but may not be gas-focused only, NETL said.
Successful project applications will fall under two areas of interest, NETL said.
Addressing Fatigue Failures at Dissimilar Metal Joints in High-Temperature Steam-Cycle Components: This will focus on development of innovative materials or materials processing technologies that improve the cyclic durability of joined materials and components, reduce the time and cost associated with repairing and upgrading components and address barriers to deployment of mature joining technologies through demonstrating and documenting their value in a realistic environment.
Addressing Erosion and Corrosion with Surface Technologies in High-Temperature Steam-Cycle Components: This will focus on further development of materials applied to, or built into, the surface of a component and processes for applying materials to a surface, or building them into the surface, of a component.
The formal funding announcement is expected to be issued in December 2019. NETL said that prospective project teams that feature collaborations with materials vendors, component manufacturers, repair service providers and power plant owner/operators are encouraged.
Click here to read the Notice of Intent.
Due to the concerns about global warming and the goal of zero-carbon electricity generation, coal-fired generating plants are probably on their way out. Thus, is investment in research on coal-fired plants cost-effective? Seems to me that the $$$ would be more effectively used in research on the several zero-carbon sources.