This project focuses on overcoming manufacturing and supply chain issues associated with a much needed modular technology solution in the gas processing sector. The team will look to take an existing technology for sour gas cleanup (processing scale on order of 1 T/day sulfur or 1 MMSCFD gas processed) and look to improve benefit vs. cost through pilot testing to improve performance and manufacturing design/analysis to determine highest leverage cost reduction steps. The resulting technology will be piloted in a field test to confirm economic assessments.
Almost every process in the chemical and processing industries (CPI) involves heat transfer. Integrated functioning of a variety of heat exchangers with gas, liquid, and vapor/liquid flows of
single- and multi-component working fluids, is critical in any processing plant. Improving air and/or process-side performance can significantly reduce energy consumption and capital costs. This project is looking at the novel geometries and mechanical actuation to enhance heat exchanger performance. The level of improvement, and approach to modification will facilitate the design of both “bolt on” process enhancement for existing equipment and the design of standardized modular heat exchangers. Significant effort in this proposal will focus on taking leads demonstrated in the lab and looking to establish cost effective and scalable manufacturing approaches.
This project is looking to address the primary challenge we see in the module manufacturing space – how we can significantly improve the Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) of a high Technical Readiness Level (TRL) technology to open the door for broad deployment. In particular, the team at PNNL and OSU is carrying out a cost/manufacturability study on the piloted STARS technology for solar steam methane reforming. The results of this study will define key economic break points in the production number of STARS process modules that point to “best” methods of mass manufacturing (such as additive manufacturing for production runs on the order of 100 -1000). Within each of these target methods, a cost analysis is carried out to determine where the largest cost drivers exist (e.g. raw material costs) and then modified production approaches are proposed to address these issues and move toward desired production cost targets.
