Department of Energy Announces $4 Million for 10 Projects and a New $3.4 Million Funding Opportunity to Advance High Performance Computing for Energy Innovation

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) yesterday announced $4 million in federal funding for ten projects across eight states that will harness the raw processing power of the world's most powerful supercomputers—and the lab experts who operate them—to tackle today's toughest manufacturing challenges and move the country closer to a renewable energy future for all Americans. 

Awardees include four teams that will work on projects led by DOE's Hydrogen with Carbon Management Program. These projects include:

• RTX Technology (in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory): This project will use high performance computing simulations and machine learning to expedite the design of film cooling technologies for high performance turbines. Anticipated impact: up to 13.8 million gigajoules (GJ) in annual energy savings and a reduction of 520,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year.
• GE Vernova Advanced Research (in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory): This project will leverage high performance computing simulations and machine learning to enhance the durability of gas turbine components against hydrogen embrittlement. Anticipated impact: up to a 5-million-tonne reduction of CO₂ by allowing higher hydrogen blends.
• DNV GL (in collaboration with National Energy Technology Laboratory): This project will accelerate design and development of high-strength nickel alloys that are resistant to hydrogen embrittlement. Anticipated impact: annual savings of 12,600 GJ and reduction of 1080 tonnes of CO₂.
• EarthEn (in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory): This project will employ high performance computing simulations of a supercritical CO₂ compressor-as-a-turbine for energy storage systems. Anticipated impact: For each 8 MW system, annual savings of 3,110 GJ and reduction of 566 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.

As a part of DOE's High Performance Computing for Energy Innovation (HPC4EI) initiative, the selected teams will apply advanced modeling, simulation, and data analysis to projects that improve manufacturing efficiency, reduce industrial emissions, and explore new materials for clean energy applications. HPC4EI is managed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, with funding from DOE's offices of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, and Science.

In addition to the $4 million in funding, DOE also announced a new $3.4 million funding opportunity for HPC4EI. Qualified industry partners can apply for funding to participate in short-term, collaborative projects with DOE national laboratories. Successful applicants will work with staff from one or more of DOE's national laboratories to conduct project activities across the various high performance computing areas of expertise. These areas include development and optimization of modeling and simulation codes, porting and scaling of applications, application of data analytics, as well as applied research and development of tools or methods.

View the full solicitation here. Concept papers are due on December 11, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET. Full proposals are due in March 2025.