Technology Research Validation and Certification

NREL's world-class facilities can be used to analyze the thermal, mechanical, and reliability aspects of an array of materials, packages, and power electronics components.

It's our goal to enable widespread geothermal energy deployment across the globe. We can measure the thermal and mechanical performance as well as the reliability of electronic materials and components. From submicron elemental and crystal analysis to bench-scale testing of thermal and mechanical properties of novel materials and electronics packaging, NREL is ready to validate materials, packaging, and components for geothermal applications.

Capabilities

• X-ray characterization – X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, and X-ray computed tomography provide insights into crystal structures (in testing environments that can simulate in situ conditions), elemental composition, and micro-scale pore structure.
  
  
• Component and environmental experimental characterization – NREL can characterize and validate lab-scale components for physical (mechanical), thermal, chemical, and electronic properties and performance. Most evaluation and characterization can be done at in-situ temperatures and conditions and provide information on long-term performance by leveraging advanced-aging techniques.
  
  
• Component modeling – NREL’s finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics modeling and simulation capabilities allow for detailed transient electrical, thermal, and mechanical representations of downhole electronics for optimizing designs.

Publications

Experimental and Numerical Study of Heat Transfer Characteristics of Single-Phase Free-Surface Fan Jet Impingement with Automatic Transmission Fluid, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer (2021)

Automotive Power Electronics Thermal Management Systems: Experimental and Modeling Analyses, ITherm Conference (2016)

Reliability of Emerging Bonded Interface Materials for Large-Area Attachments, IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging, and Manufacturing Technology (2016)

View all NREL publications about geothermal research.

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