• Number 386  |
• April 15, 2013

Biofuels, batteries, and hybrid energy systems

Research on biomass processing, advanced vehicles and energy storage systems will benefit from new state-of-the-art facilities at DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory. The new Energy Systems Laboratory also will include capabilities for studying hybrid energy systems that integrate hydrocarbon, nuclear and renewable energy sources to generate electricity and divert waste heat for manufacturing activities.

The facility will accommodate the biomass Process Demonstration Unit, which is helping overcome the barriers to a national commodity-scale bioenergy feedstock supply system. The new lab also will house the team collecting and analyzing data for DOE’s Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity, which works with users across the country to demonstrate advanced vehicles in real-world driving conditions. INL collects 1-million miles worth of advanced vehicle testing data each week and conducts advanced battery testing. Energy storage also contributes to research on hybrid energy systems, which can help integrate renewable energy sources into the grid while using waste heat from nuclear and fossil energy generation to make valuable commodities such as vehicle fuel or chemicals for plastics.

In short, the impact of research at ESL will enhance the nation’s global competitiveness and advance energy security by integrating clean energy systems, advancing energy storage technologies, and improving biomass design and analysis. The new 91,000-square-foot facility has a Biomass Characterization Laboratory, three high bays (54,000 square feet) of reconfigurable laboratory research space and space for a Computer-Assisted Virtual Environment (CAVE).

More than 100 people attended the facility’s April 2 LEED dedication. Steve Chalk, deputy assistant secretary for Renewable Energy from DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; and Dennis Miotla, chief operating officer for DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy both attended the dedication. Dan Arvizu, laboratory director for DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory also attended, along with local, state and congressional officials.

[Nicole Stricker, 208.526.5955,
nicole.stricker@inl.gov]