Assessing the Accuracy of Simulated Energy Use Predictions for Whole Buildings: Comparison between Measured and Modeled Building Energy Consumption. ALENA BENNETT (University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA 98027) KIMBERLY M. FOWLER (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352)

In order to demonstrate that building designs are highly energy efficient, simulation tools that accurately predict whole building energy consumption are necessary. The purpose of this paper is to compare simulated (or modeled) total site energy consumption predictions for buildings to their actual measured energy consumption in order to assess the accuracy of simulation tools. Modeled and measured energy consumption data were extracted from four National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) technical reports. Five design model energy use predictions were compared to actual building energy use data collected from meters over the period of a year at BigHorn Home Improvement, Cambria Office, Lewis Center year 1, Lewis Center year 2, and Merrill Center. The difference between the modeled energy consumption and actual energy consumption was -12%, -39%, 23%, -7%, -41% respectively (a negative percent denotes under predicted energy consumption). A 25% difference resulted between the Lewis Center year 1 model simulated with TMY2 (typical meteorological year v.2) weather data and the same model simulated with actual weather data for March 2001- February 2002. The results demonstrate that, for this data set, energy consumption of buildings is highly dependent on weather and generally design models over estimate the energy performance of buildings.

Calibrating the U.S. Transportation Sector for the Consolidated Impacts Modeling System (CIMS). BRANDON CURRIE (University of California santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA 95064) JOE ROOP (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352)

This paper documents an attempt at calibrating the U.S. transportation sector for the Consolidated Impacts Modeling System (CIMS). When the U.S. transportation sector is calibrated properly, CIMS can forecast how changes in transportation demand affect fuel use and gas emission levels. If CIMS can be calibrated for not only the transportation sector, but also the other 14 economic sectors it covers, it can be a powerful resource for making energy policy decisions. We used a two-step process to do the calibration. We first entered historical standard data and then quantitatively adjusted the model. Our approach to adjusting the model is also a two-step process. First we sought to calculate the share that different transportation demand sub-categories have of the overall demand for transportation. Second, we tried to calculate the share that individual transportation modes had of their respective groups. After adjustment, CIMS should produce fuel use and gas emissions levels equal to the entered historical standard data. We were not able to completely calibrate the U.S. transportation sector for CIMS. Calibration for fuel values ranged from 0.3% to -4915.94%. We believe holes in the data and the use of multiple years for standard historical data may have been the primary reasons for the wide-ranging results that emerged from our calibration attempt. Based on our results, we suggest that future efforts to calibrate the transportation sector include the development of an accurate system of estimation for transportation demand shares and transportation mode competitive shares.

Characterizing the Performance of a Proton-Transfer-Reaction Mass Spectrometer by a Rapid Cycling Tenax Preconcentrator. SHAUN GARLAND (Shasta College Redding, CA 96049) MICHAEL ALEXANDER (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352)

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are species of interest for atmospheric modeling, worker chemical exposure and medical studies. Sometimes the required detection limits for these compounds is below the capability of existing real-time instrumentation. Preconcentrators have been implemented as an inexpensive way to amplify chemical signals and improve detection limits. Proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) has been used as a tool for studying low concentrations of VOCs, but it lacks the capability to differentiate chemical signal contributions from isobaric compounds. In this work, behavior of a newly designed Tenax TA preconcentrator when coupled with a PTR-MS is characterized. This novel preconcentrator design allows rapid temperature cycling, maintaining near real-time response. The preconcentrator was exposed to a sample gas of toluene in varying concentrations and loading times between and then thermally desorbed for analysis by PTR-MS. The effects of preconcentrating multiple analytes simultaneously were also investigated as well as the chromatographic effects of the preconcentrator. A linear behavior was observed when the integrated ion count rates (ICPS) from thermal desorption peaks were regressed against both varying loading times at a constant toluene concentration and varying concentrations with constant loading times. From these trends, it is possible to determine the concentration of a VOC by knowing its ICPS from thermal desorption peaks from a known preconcentration time. Peak height ion count rates representing ultimate detectability were amplified by factors up to 257 times the original signal, extending the range of the PTR-MS from 50pptv to nearly 250 parts per quadrillion. This corresponds to an ultimate sensitivity of 200 parts per quadrillion with 20 minute time resolution. Quantitative preconcentrator behavior was demonstrated using ICPS from these ion peaks and were amplified as much as 148 times their original signal. Results from multi-analyte desorption indicate that chromatographic separation is possible with a Tenax preconcentrator and further details are discussed. The dramatic increased in sensitivity with near real-time response, combined with chromatographic resolving capability opens up new areas of research requiring the detection of ultra-trace organic species using PTR-MS.

Grid Monitor Development and Deployment Project Summer 2005. CHRISTOPHER PAVESE (Gonzaga University Spokane, WA 99258) MIA BOSQUET (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352)

Grid Monitor Development and Deployment Project was a 2005 Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science's Summer Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) project hosted at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in which the team developed a visual tool that monitors the real-time frequency fluctuations of the US Power Grid. For development Visual Basic, Visual C++ and Visual Web Development programming suites were used to produce a windows viewer, a screensaver; as well as, the supporting documents and the website. The team was challenged to complete an extensive design, development, testing and deployment procedure prior to public release of the software within the ten week time constraint of the SULI Program. As a result of the team dynamics, the requirements of the project were achieved. At the end of the program the project was complete and the software was deployed in Beta Version via the http://gridwise.pnl.gov/ website. The team's final report details future work for subsequent versions and deployment requirements to fulfill future demands of GRIDWISE™, Grid Friendly™, Grid Monitor, PNNL, DOE, Universities' Science Education programs, and the general public.

Investigate the Collection Capacity of Filter Media Using a Ground Based Airborne Particulate Collection System. COURTNEY TAYLOR (Bevill State Community College Fayette, AL 35555) JOHN E. SMART (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352)

Monitoring atmospheric particulate concentration with selected filter media is a key capability in environmental studies used to measure important airborne signatures. Knowledge of particulate collection capacity for high efficiency filter materials enables researchers to define sampling specifications. This study will report empirical data collected using 3M Brand GS-100 filter media used in the vicinity of Richland, Washington. A 15 horsepower roots blower pump was used to pull in excess of 3500 cubic feet per minute thru a six inch diameter filter section. High volume air sampling combined with the high efficiency collection media resulted in relatively short sampling periods with measurable debris collection. Collected particulate mass was correlated to differential pressure measurements and corresponding face velocity. Meteorological conditions, such as temperature, wind velocity, wind direction, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure, were recorded. Photographs of the particulate collection and the surrounding air conditions will be presented. Measurements of the face velocity, differential pressure across the filter, and the net weight of the collected particulates were recorded at frequent intervals during filter loading and are included in the tables and appendix. The design of air sampling equipment and collection routines will benefit from this resulting data set. Researchers will use this data to help define sampling duration, sampling media type, and pump specifications. Continued work may include assessment of other high efficiency filter media.

Modeling of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells and Manipulation of Steam-Methane Reformation Rates. DANIEL JARBOE (Washington State University Pullman, WA 99163) KURTIS RECKNAGLE (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352)

Direct internal reforming (DIR) offers a number of economic and performance benefits for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) that run on natural gas. However, the endothermic impact of the steam-methane reforming reaction increases the thermal stresses within the cell during DIR operation. These stresses can be alleviated by increasing the activation energy of the reaction, thus slowing the rate of the reforming process. Unfortunately, this modification can also reduce the electrochemical performance of the cell. A series of numerical simulations of DIR-SOFC operation were performed to examine this trade-off between thermal integrity and electrochemical performance. A computational modeling tool developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for simulating SOFC operation was used. Simulations were performed on a single planar SOFC cell. Seven activation energy values were considered. Each activation energy value was investigated with four cell voltage values in order to construct performance curves and reveal any voltage dependencies. For each case, the cell power and maximum on-cell temperature difference (MOCTD) were calculated. These values represent measurements of the electrochemical performance and thermal stresses respectively. Simulation results indicate that the cell power and MOCTD both increase as the activation energy is reduced. Reducing the activation energy will yield improvements in performance without significant MOCTD penalties over a limited range of high activation energies. When the activation energy is further reduced to values below this range, the cell power converges towards a maximum value while the MOCTD increases sharply. The results also indicate that no single voltage value produces the minimum MOCTD for all power output values. Based on these relationships, a strategy for maximizing the power output for a given safe MOCTD through the optimal selection of activation energy and cell voltage values is proposed.

Real-Time Electrical Grid frequency filtering and graphical display using the Visual Basic and C programming languages. CODY RAY (University of Montana Missoula, MT 59801) DONALD HAMMERSTROM (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352)

The Grid Friendly(TM) Grid Monitor was developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and is currently a vital component within the Grid Friendly Appliance (GFA) Laboratory and the new Power Systems Communication Laboratory (PSCL). The software developed at PNNL allows anyone interested to view the dynamics of our electric power grid in real-time. Currently there is very little real-time grid monitoring software available to the public. The few programs available are web-based or limited to use by scientists and engineers for off-line grid analysis. Using the Visual Basic programming language, we have created a user friendly application for use by anyone interested in the electric grid of the United States. The software contains a self adjusting filter to compensate for noise and several educational features. These include a histogram plot, and a raw data exporting function so that electrical grid data may be used for educational purposes in other software packages. We also improved the already existing screensaver, written in the C programming language.

Self-Calibrating Sensor for On-Line Density Measurement. RYAN DEAN (Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA 02139) MARGARET GREENWOOD (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352)

Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed and on-line computer controlled sensor to calculate the density of fluids based on ultrasonic reflections. A stainless steel hexagonal pipe length fitted with 5MHz transducers bonded on opposing sides of the pipe was able to obtain eleven echoes within the pipeline wall due to multiple reflections of the longitudinal wave. The process of creating a water calibration file, by taking the fast Fourier transform (FFT) of each echo in water, and plotting the natural logarithm of the amplitude of the liquid divided by water allows for exact density calculations. After acquiring the specific reflection coefficient at the solid-liquid interface (SLI) of each sugar water (SW) solution a computer program calculates the density using a sequence of equations. This natural logrithim plotting step is the key to making the sensor self calibrating, unaffected by small changes in pulsar voltage. Results in testing 16 SW solutions with varying weight percentages ranging from 10% to 60% concentration showed densities acquired using the sensor were very similar to those taken by hand utilizing a laboratory pycnometer. Our findings make possible application in quality control pipelines as non intrusive measurement devices or as a safety monitoring units likely. Since this sensor does not directly interact with the fluid it is ideal for situations where a fluid can not be exposed to specific materials present in similar instruments.

The Use of Computer Aided Energy Simulation Program to Assist in Energy Efficient Design and or Retro of Commercial Buildings. DOROTHY RICHARDSON (Lane Community College Eugene, OR 97401) BING LIU (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352)

Given current economic and environmental constraints on energy resources, the energy issue plays an important role in the design and operation of buildings in today's society. Understanding the effects of the decisions made in the design and operation of a building can assist in reducing the energy consumption. Alternative building design strategies, such as the U.S. Department of Energy's DOE-2 Energy Simulation Program allow designers, owners and facility managers to evaluate the design strategies, energy standards compliance and economic optimization of a building before starting construction. Making good design decisions early in the design process ensures energy cost savings throughout the life of a building. By using these programs, it is possible to identify the modifications which would contribute to significant energy and demand reductions, and to gauge the buildings economic viability. This systematic approach to evaluating design strategies is the key to considering the many options without impacting the overall construction costs. The importance of ensuring buildings are energy efficient is increasingly being recognized - driven by rising energy costs and global warming. By using these programs we will see building designers, owners and facility managers taking an active roll in energy savings, conservation and environmental responsibility.

Two Types of Gas Cleanup Technologies Used in Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Power Plants. AARON MARROQUIN (Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa, CA 95401) STEVE A. SHANKLE (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352)

Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants are next generation electricity generating facilities. These new high technology plants operate by gasifying coal rather than burning it, which leads to a more efficient use of coal and less waste production. However, as with pulverized coal (PC) plants, potentially harmful pollutants are produced and need to be captured prior to combustion in a gas turbine (GT). Because higher efficiency is possible by keeping the temperature of the coal-derived gas (syngas) elevated, industry has been looking at hot gas cleanup (HGCU) technologies. HGCU uses components that are able to operate in the elevated temperature gasification environment. Ceramic candle filters and chemical adsorbents are two technologies that appear to have an important role in an IGCC plant. Ceramic candle filters remove particulate material (PM) from the syngas stream. Chemical adsorbents utilize chemical reactions to remove sulfur from the syngas. Both technologies are reusable through back-pulse cleaning and recharging for ceramic candle filters and chemical adsorbents, respectively. Gas cleaning is necessary to prevent damage of downstream components such as the GT. This paper will discuss ceramic candle filters and chemical adsorbents that will most likely be used in an integrated gasification combined cycle plant.