I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e3/12/2009 9:43 AM1

Alternative Energy Activities at the USAF Academy

Presented to the USAF Scientific Advisory Board

2009 Study on Alternative Sources of Energy

for USAF Bases

Col Rob FredellChief Scientist

USAF Academy

United States Air Force Academy

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Outline

• Study Background

• Academy Energy Usage Baseline

• Net Zero Initiative

• Research Activities

• Summary

Two laws cannot be changed: supply and demand, and the second law of thermodynamics

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1. Why are you pursuing solar PV instead of solar thermal to electricity?2. What cost models are you using for power production and land use.3. Describe your interaction with the local utilities, State and Federal regulatory headaches.4. What problems you have encountered with AF or DoD regulations in implementing your plans?5. Energy surety--what are you going to do if there is a long-term (>1 month) interruption of power?6. Can you feed energy back into the grid?7. Can you isolate your energy producing capabilities from the grid?8. The long-term research challenges as you see them, and also what basic R&D you are pursuing (in particular on energy storage).9. Energy solutions for OCONUS or expeditionary bases? Not all of the systems you are pursuing at USAFA will map to these.

Questions from the Study Chair

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Outline

• Energy Background

• Academy Energy Usage Baseline

• Net Zero Initiative

• Research Activities

• Summary

Two laws cannot be changed: supply and demand, and the second law of thermodynamics

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Boundary ConditionsMandates

Make USAFA a model energy installation30% reduction in energy consumption by 2015 (EO 13423)55% reduction in fossil-fuel generated energy consumption (2010) reaching 100% (2030) (Energy Independence & Security Act 2007)

Other funded AF work in energyAFRL/RX focused on deployed airbaseAFRL/RZ focused on alternative aviation fuelsColorado Front Range: multiple energy consortia

Economic AssumptionsSome Stimulus money will flow to USAFA Local municipal utility a willing partner in renewables

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Air Force Academy Energy Consumption

Academy Energy Consumption Baseline (2007)Electric – 108,000 MW-hrs: $6M/year (est.)

Natural Gas – 914,000 MCF

Propane – 101,000 Gal

Potable Water – 577,000 HCF

Major Energy Consumers:Cadet area

4,600 cadets housed in 1950’s architecture

4.5 million sq ft (cadet area)

Historic area: difficult target for conservation

Base housing

2008 Inventory -– 1207 units

2013 inventory – 427 units (~2MW reduction in peak)

Community Center

Far removed from steam plant, high losses

Base Transportation

275,000 gallons of diesel and gasoline

2015 Goal: Net -zero electric energy consumers

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Air Force Academy Natural Resources

Abundant sunshine250+ days of sunshine

Lots of WindPoor quality (high gusts)

1,000+ acres of flat, treeless land near gridThin strip along east edge of IThin strip along east edge of I--2525

Pine Valley Pine Valley housing being torn downhousing being torn down

8,000+ acres of Ponderosa pine forestSome forest available as fuel:

Pine bark beetle kills

Thinning for forest health/wildfire mitigation

5,000 gal/year waste cooking oil biodiesel

High visibility to the public

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Outline

• Energy Background

• Academy Energy Usage Baseline

• Net Zero Initiative

• Research Activities

• Summary

Two laws cannot be changed: supply and demand, and the second law of thermodynamics

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Superintendent’s Net Zero Program

Directive: Make Academy a “Net-Zero” facility by 2015, Carbon Neutral by 2025

Definition: Net Zero: produces as much on-site energy power as we consume in electrical power

Project Lead: 10th Air Base Wing Civil Engineering

Technical Advisors: USAFA Faculty

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Diverse Sources Needed to Meet Net-Zero (notional peak power values)

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Conservation

Northfield Hydro

Solar PV1

Wind Power

Solar 2

Waste-to-Energy

Bio-mass

Demand Reduction: 800 Fewer Base Houses

Projected Peak UsageProjected Peak UsageSmart Grid: Peak Shifting

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Net Zero Means Making Smart Decisions

UtilityElectrical Grid

USAFA Electrical Load

FY07 Total 17.0MW 107,800 MWHPrivatized MFH - 0.7MW - 3,600 MWH

Conservation - 5.0MW - 32,300 MWHPEAK LOAD 11.3MW 71,900 MWH

USAFA

Electrical GridWasteto Energy*

1.0 MW

Solar PVEast Academy, 3

MW

Wind PowerBullseye4.0 MW

Net Metering(Utility tariffs)

Biomass– Dry Fermentation*

2.0 MW

NorthfieldHydro,* 1.3 MW

Solar Power*Site TBD, 3 MW

* Denotes possible storage capability

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Alternative Electric Sources (partially funded)

Identified Potential Generation (13-15 MW peak, $60M to $70M)Northfield Hydroelectric ($3M) funded by Stimulus, on line mid FY10

1.3 MW multiple hydro turbine initiative with Colorado Springs UtilitiesSolar Arrays ($37M)

3 MW Photovoltaic ($17M) funded by Stimulus, on line late FY103 MW Solar Array ($20M), site TBD, technology TBD

Waste-to-Energy ($TBD)1 MW reciprocating engine burning sludge and vegetable grease

Dry Fermentation Biomass ($TBD)2 MW conversion of municipal waste to energy

Wind power ($TBD)4 MW eastern CO site– under investigation

Under consideration ($TBD)Retrofitting for conservation Ground Source Heat PumpsSolar thermal technology (Stirling engine) for load levelingAdditional efficiency improvements for ground transport and flying operations

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Net Zero will require changing attitudes

USAFA 70% complete with $90M renovation of 50-year-old, 1.2M ft2 academic building that started before 9/11

Few explicit energy conservation measures in renovationLimited metering makes conservation harder to measure

1950s architecture difficult to change, not energy efficientState historic preservation office makes change more challenging

Building maintenance: 100% contractedLimited/no contractual incentives for energyLowest acquisition cost rewarded

Communication a key role to participation, buy-in of populace

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USAF Academy Carbon Footprint due to energy consumption

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USAFA Carbon Footprint due to energy consumption

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Neglects carbon offset of ~8,000 acres of Ponderosa pine forest (~4%)

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Outline

• Energy Background

• Academy Energy Usage Baseline

• Net Zero Initiative

• Research Activities

• Summary

Two laws cannot be changed: supply and demand, and the second law of thermodynamics

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Research Contribution to Net Zero $50M USAFA faculty research base

High-efficiency photovoltaics

Ionic liquids Optical concentrators

Bio-derived fuels

Bright young minds

Modeling & Simulation

Abundant resources

Near term• Optical concentrators to improve solar cell output• High-performance computing: fluid dynamics of wind• Long ocean waves• Hydro-power and geothermal• Beetle-killed pines and waste food oils as biofuels

Long term• Ionic liquids as heat transfer media• Large-scale hydride electrical storage

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USAFA Research Centers & Institutes

• Close tie to Air Force & DoD needs

• Basic and applied research

• Integrated with cadet learning

• Strategic partners

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Academy Expertise Applied to Energy Tapping the Air Force Academy Research Base

Alternate fuels –biomass-to- diesel, grease-to-gas…

Aero research – winglet, drag reduction projects for AF

Conservation – 1950s construction offers opportunity

Air base transformation – alternative electric power, LEED green buildings, enhanced hydro power usage, efficient vehicles

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Highlight: Power from long ocean waves PI: Dr. Stefan Siegel, Dept of Aeronautics

Source: NREL

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Location, location, location…

Except for Chicago, Dallas, Denver, & Dubuque, wind is not where electricity is needed!

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Motivation – why wave power?

Global Availability is huge: ~1 TW onshore, ~10TW offshoreCo-located with human settlements, mostly along seashores

No need for expensive energy transport or transmission linesWaves are a weather feature like wind and sun, but can be predicted much better

Less unsteady grid loadAvailable in eves/morning when large load on electric grid

Can be exploited with little or no impact on environmentNo need for real estate onshore like solar or windmills

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Aerospace Engineering and Wave Power (or “how much surfing can you do in the Rockies?”)

Wave energy conversion is about fluid dynamics: How the wave induced flow interacts with the wave energy converter

Fluid dynamics is a discipline that is traditionally addressed most thoroughly in aerospace engineering

USAFA Aeronautics has developed expertise in feedback flow control, key to efficient wave energy conversion

NSF has funded first stage of this basic research

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Conventional Wave Power Converters

Located at surfaceWorst possible location for storm survivability

Drag based, or indirect (water to air) energy conversionCannot be feathered

Maximum theoretical efficiency limit 25 – 50%Increases cost of energy conversion

All require sea bed attachment: Environmental impact/ Expensive/ No good for deep water

Source: Boyle

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Why are there no large wave power facilities in operation?

Energy extraction is a difficult fluid dynamic problem:Unsteady, fluctuating nature of wave energySlow velocities: low Reynolds number flow fieldslarge energy density: huge forces

Existing devices are inefficient by design: Point absorbers are limited to 25 – 50% of wave energy absorption based on first principles

Existing devices usually are not able to survive storms, (no feathering feature like windmills)

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Windmill Evolution

Old Style Windmill:Many blades

ExpensiveDrag force spins wheel

InefficientNot featherable

Will be damaged in storms

Modern Wind TurbineFew Blades

Less expensiveLift Force Turns mill

EfficientFeatherable

Can survive storms

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Cycloidal Propeller

Source: http://members.surfeu.at/fprossegger/english/vsp-function.htmlSource: Voith GmbH

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Array of converters

Device aligns itself with wave directionBy adding more units in the axial direction, a line absorber can be assembled

Theoretical efficiency limit of 100% - wave termination

Wave Travel Direction

Wave Travel Direction

Right Float

Center Float

Left Float

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First Simulation Results

Linearized potential flow theory

Potential vortices represent the hydrofoil

Cycloidal propeller:12 meter radius two blades of 4 m chord length.

90% cancellation of a typical North Atlantic deep ocean waveExtract up to 99% of the wave’s power of 100 kW per meter of wave crest

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Other AFA Renewable Energy Projects

Concentrating Photovoltaics (CRADA with Greenvolts)CFD and wind tunnel testing of various designsOptical concentrator researchCadet summer research and demo on site

Algal lipid extraction process (CRADA with Cool Clean)Non-VOC processesFocus on least-trod path

Ionic liquids for solar-thermal electric powerMolten salts: liquid across huge temp rangeAllow long-term storage of 400oC fluids

Advanced Li-ion batteries flying today in SW Asia

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What we’re NOT doing

• Space-based solar power

• Corn-based ethanol

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1. Why are you pursuing solar PV instead of solar thermal to electricity?2. What cost models are you using for power production and land use.3. Describe your interaction with the local utilities, State and Federal regulatory headaches.4. What problems you have encountered with AF or DoD regulations in implementing your plans?5. Energy surety--what are you going to do if there is a long-term (>1 month) interruption of power?6. Can you feed energy back into the grid?7. Can you isolate your energy producing capabilities from the grid?8. The long-term research challenges as you see them, and also what basic R&D you are pursuing (in particular on energy storage).9. Energy solutions for OCONUS or expeditionary bases? Not all of the systems you are pursuing at USAFA will map to these.

Questions from the Study Chair

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Energy Summary Much to be gained on the air base: USAFA as exemplar

Bold goal to reach “net zero” electric power by 2015

Key partnerships between 10 ABW/CE & faculty/cadetsShort-term: Faculty as technical advisor to CESMedium- to long-term: Faculty research of high-risk ideas

Key resources unique to USAFA:Ability to matching technology maturity with economics Nearly 1000 acres of flat space near grid and loadThousands of bright faculty and cadet minds

We’ll change the attitudes of thousands of future officers

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Backup charts

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Potential Air Force Academy green power Projects shown are suggested by 10 ABW/CE, with technical advice by USAFA faculty

USAFA Annual Energy Consumption, 2007Electric – 108,000 MW-hrs

Natural Gas – 914,000 MCF

Propane – 101,000 Gal

Potable Water – 577,000 HCF

Potential Renewable Energy Sources:Solar power

1,000+ acres of flat, treeless land near grid

Multiple technologies to investigate

Hydro power

Northfield hydro with Colorado Springs Utilities

Waste-to-Energy, biofuels

Use of refuse, wood waste for heating/hot water

Geothermal Ground Source Heat Pumps

Expand technology already installed on USAFA

Decentralization of hot water heating to remote areas

Remove Community Center area from heat plant

Large Potential “Energy Farms” w/o mission impact

Solar Array Site

Decentralization

Biomass

Geothermal

Waste-to- Energy

Hydro

Possible Growth Areas

PossibleGrowth Areas

10 ABW/CE candidateAirfield safety zoneGreen power zones?

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Shrinking the Carbon Footprint by source of improvement

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Energy Background

The Air Force is largest energy consumer in U.S. Government

USAF spends $5B/yr; 80% supports aviation operations

Costs have doubled since 9/11/2001Every $10 increase in a barrel of oil means a $500M bill to AF

Energy is a National Security Issue

Assured, domestic sources of supply

Resilient, reliable energy sector distribution capability

At $50/bbl for oil, is alternative energy becoming competitive?

USAF goal: demonstrate leadership for commercial sector

USAF Academy goal: demonstrate leadership in renewables for

CONUS air bases

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Stakeholders10 ABW/CE:

Engineering, site selection, funding of near-term projects affecting USAFA installation

Faculty & cadet researchers: Economic and business advisor to 10 ABW Technical advisor on feasibility of projectsBasic and applied research for longer termCentering cadet learning on the “green installation”

Colorado Springs Utilities: Ownership of energy-generating capital equipment

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