Coal Utilization Science Advanced Research for Fossil Energy Power Systems | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Department of Energy (DOE), through its National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), released this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to fund competitive research projects under its Advanced Research Program focused on Coal Utilization Science for fossil energy power systems. The overall purpose is to push forward the technologies needed for cleaner and more efficient electric power generation, especially next-generation coal-based systems aiming for very high efficiency and near-zero emissions. A central theme throughout the opportunity is reliability: as coal-based power plants (both today s fleet and newer high-performance designs) operate under demanding conditions, unplanned downtime and component failures become expensive and can undermine performance goals. NETL is looking for R and D that improves how plants monitor equipment health, predict failures, and plan maintenance so operators can reduce forced outages, shorten planned outages, extend component life, and potentially improve heat rate and environmental performance by keeping major systems operating in their optimal ranges.

A key motivation in the FOA is that emerging advanced fossil power systems often must run closer to design limits and within tighter operating margins to deliver efficiency and emissions targets. That can make them less forgiving than traditional coal plants, which is why NETL emphasizes advanced condition monitoring networks that combine sensors, data-driven and physics-based models, and smarter control strategies. NETL wants technologies that can function in harsh industrial environments and can be integrated into plant-wide asset management approaches. The agency highlights that better monitoring can enable more proactive maintenance (preventative or just-in-time), better outage planning, fewer catastrophic failures, and improved operational decisions. While emerging systems are a priority, NETL also values ideas that can deliver near-term benefits to the existing coal fleet.

The FOA is organized into four distinct topic areas, and applicants are required to choose only one topic per application (though an applicant may submit multiple applications to different topics, and teams are allowed). Across the topics, NETL is looking for novel approaches in model development and validation, sensor materials, wireless and self-powered sensing, and methods that directly measure or infer equipment condition, material degradation, and process variables that indicate component or system health. NETL also notes that these topic areas can be viewed as building blocks that, when integrated, could support a unit-specific condition monitoring network with heterogeneous sensors and prognostic algorithms that recommend preventative actions.

Topic Area A focuses on developing prognostic remaining-life and predictive maintenance models for specific plant units or systems in advanced fossil power facilities. The problem NETL is trying to solve here is that operators may run expensive advanced plants conservatively to avoid damage, but conservative operation can reduce efficiency and environmental performance. By using remaining-life models and prediction tools, operators could run closer to design tolerances with more confidence. NETL encourages first-principles (physics-based) modeling, but also values approaches that incorporate online operating data for validation and improvement, including learning or neural-based algorithms that help estimate time to failure. Applicants are expected to narrow the scope to a particular unit or system so the work is achievable within a reasonable schedule. A notable condition in this area is DOE s intent to limit recipients ability to copyright software if DOE determines that software is essential to its effort to develop publicly available modeling tools.

Topic Area B targets model-based sensor placement for condition monitoring, aiming to move beyond the common practice of placing sensors only where it is convenient to install them. NETL wants models and simulations that can identify optimal sensor locations, sensor types, and even the minimum or optimal number of sensors needed to monitor a given component or system, considering geometry, size, complexity, and operating conditions. The deliverable emphasis is on a virtual demonstration showing that the method can determine optimized sensor placement and sensor selection for a particular component or system. NETL also mentions hybrid sensor architectures, including the ability to measure multiple parameters at one point (pressure, temperature, wear, etc.) and to maintain robustness if some sensors are damaged or lost in operation. As with Topic A, DOE signals it may restrict copyright on software deemed essential for publicly available modeling efforts.

Topic Area C is centered on the development of novel sensors for online condition monitoring, specifically integrated devices that are self-powered and networked. NETL is looking for sensors and systems that combine harsh-environment sensing, wireless communications, and energy harvesting (for example, using waste heat or vibration commonly available in power plants). Example measurement targets include temperature, corrosion, vibration, proximity for rotating equipment, and stress/strain, and proposals may include multi-parameter sensing in a single device. A strict requirement here is that the sensing element must survive and operate reliably in harsh conditions, and NETL states that sensors that cannot operate within a reasonable 500 C to 1300 C range will not be considered. Wireless approaches are expected to reflect industrial realities, including secure and reliable communications and preference for recognized standards and protocols. Applicants are also expected to explain why the sensor is valuable to the condition monitoring network for the chosen unit or system, with examples like turbine tip-clearance sensing or online boiler tube corrosion monitoring.

Topic Area D seeks transformational approaches for monitoring refractory liners in coal gasifiers and coatings in turbines, both of which are critical to advanced system reliability and are difficult to assess during operation. For gasifiers, NETL describes extreme operating environments (roughly 1200 C to 1400 C, excursions up to 1600 C, and pressures up to 1000 psi) where refractory liners protect the vessel from erosive, corrosive slagging conditions. Refractory degradation drives expensive maintenance and lost production, so NETL wants methods to monitor refractory integrity online and to estimate remaining life without forcing shutdowns or causing process upsets. Priority is given to techniques that can assess the innermost, exposed refractory layer and that minimize the number of access points into the gasifier. Detecting cracking and spallation early, before hot spots cause serious damage, is described as an ideal capability. For turbines, NETL is interested in monitoring degradation of protective coatings such as thermal barrier coatings on first-stage blades, where temperatures can reach around 1400 C and conditions are especially harsh. The most desirable turbine solution is non-contact, two-dimensional mapping of coating condition over the surface, in a way that does not damage or alter the coating.

From an administrative and funding standpoint, the opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0000261) was issued as a discretionary science and technology R and D program using cooperative agreements, with an estimated total funding level of about $5.6 million and an expectation of roughly 6 awards. It falls under CFDA 81.089 (Fossil Energy Research and Development) and includes a cost-sharing requirement. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity, subject to any clarifications in the full announcement). The FOA was posted April 19, 2010, with an application due date of May 24, 2010, and it was later archived July 24, 2010. A named NETL contact for access issues is Maureen B. Davison (Contract Specialist), with phone and email provided in the announcement.

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