The December 2021 edition of the RWFI E-Note Monthly, the newsletter of NETL’s Regional Workforce Initiative, details deadline extensions for funding opportunities to establish a network of university-based, regional electric power cybersecurity centers. These centers are intended to address interrelated research and development challenges of cybersecurity and critical energy infrastructure and steps that need to be taken to build workforce expertise. The goal of this initiative is the creation of tools and training for the energy sector. The original deadline to engage with the University Based Cybersecurity Centers Program has been extended to Feb. 4, 2022. This month’s newsletter also highlights funding opportunities from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that focuses on increasing and broadening the participation of underrepresented researchers.

In this quarter’s Research Associate Spotlight and Mentor Profile, up-and-coming environmental engineer Preom Sarkar discusses the important contributions she is making in collaboration with NETL experts to create more environmentally friendly methods of flue gas desulfurization (FGD). FGD systems are used to scrub the gas released during fossil energy combustion to mitigate the release of pollutants such as sulfur oxide gases and mercury into the atmosphere. As a result of scrubbing, a complex wastewater containing a number of contaminants is formed that must be treated before it is acceptable for surface discharge. Sarkar conducts research on water management of power systems, with a specific focus on biological treatment of FGD systems. In this spotlight feature, Sarkar shares the journey that led her to apply for a research associate position at NETL and the new skills and invaluable experiences she has gained completing research with her mentor, Djuna Gulliver, Ph.D.

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced its intent to fund projects through its University Training and Research Program, which is composed of the University Coal Research (UCR) program and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Other Minority Institutions (HBCU-OMI) program. The programs serve to prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists working to advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s goals of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Projects will be managed by FECM’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). Both opportunities would fund projects to conduct early-stage research and development of decarbonization approaches, such as exploring biomass feedstocks blended with waste coal and coupled with carbon capture and dedicated storage to advance net-zero energy production. They would also include projects that address the mitigation and remediation of legacy environmental impacts of coal-based generation.

The November 2021 edition of RWFI E-Note Monthly, the newsletter of NETL’s Regional Workforce Initiative, details a funding opportunity from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that focuses on increasing and broadening the participation of students in engineering careers. The NSF seeks to strengthen the future U.S. engineering workforce by enabling and encouraging the participation of all citizens in the engineering enterprise. The Broadening Participation in Engineering Program is supporting not only research to increase interest in engineering, but also collaborative endeavors to foster the professional development of a diverse and well-prepared engineering workforce. In addition, the program encourages the development of innovative approaches to building capacity through inclusivity and equity within the engineering academic experience.

NETL researchers supporting computational science & engineering (CSE) are working to develop science-based simulation models, mathematical methods and algorithms, and software tools required to address technical barriers to the advancement of next-generation technologies. This research helps to generate information and understanding beyond the reach of experiments alone, saving time, money and materials. The Lab accomplished many CSE successes in 2021. For example:

Advanced magnetics technologies with potential application in energy and electric vehicle manufacturing developed at NETL and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) were recently licensed to Pittsburgh-based startup CorePower Magnetics Inc. to bring them to the private sector. The technology license covers a broad portfolio of soft magnetics technologies developed by teams led by CMU’s Michael McHenry Ph.D., co-founder and chief scientist of CorePower Magnetics, and University of Pittsburgh’s Paul Ohodnicki Ph.D., co-founder and chief technology officer of CorePower Magnetics and former NETL researcher. This combination of novel magnetic materials and advanced manufacturing techniques enable a level of control in magnetics engineering not currently available. 

NETL’s ongoing water-energy research projects, including efforts to extract critical minerals (CMs) from water and other waste streams in support of the Administration’s work to revitalize coal, oil and gas, and powerplant communities impacted by the transition to clean energy, are highlighted in the latest edition of Water-Energy Nexus News. The newsletter recaps a presentation by Mengling Stuckman, Ph.D., in which she discussed the Lab’s research to support sustainable, domestic CM recovery from energy production waste streams. In remarks at a Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association water and waste management seminar, Stuckman explained how NETL’s efforts could help the U.S. end its reliance on foreign countries to obtain CMs. Other updates in this edition of Water-Energy Nexus News include:

The Energy Data eXchange (EDX), an NETL-developed virtual library and data laboratory built to advance fossil energy and environmental research and development (R&D), celebrates its 10th anniversary this month. EDX supports the entire lifecycle of data by offering secure, private collaborative workspaces to help scientists maximize their research potential and further critical technology advancements. The virtual tool has seen wide success since its inception and is in a prime position to support the artificial intelligence and machine learning big data revolution currently under way.

NETL leadership and experts, including NETL Director Brian Anderson, Ph.D., joined representatives from 11 universities as they gathered virtually to discuss project successes during the 2021 University Coalition for Fossil Energy Research (UCFER) Annual Technical Review Meeting this week. NETL Deputy Director and Chief Technology Officer Sean Plasynski, Ph.D., kicked off the second day of the meeting with opening remarks, proceeded by an administrative update from UCFER DOE Project Officer Omer Bakshi. “UCFER has provided significant results since its inception six years ago,” Bakshi said. “To date, 18 of the 43 funded projects have been completed, and 25 are ongoing. The presentations we saw this week confirmed that the research of our partner universities will continue to lead to important breakthroughs for the decarbonization of the economy.”

NETL Director Brian Anderson, Ph.D., will welcome representatives from 11 universities for the virtual 2021 University Coalition for Fossil Energy Research (UCFER) Annual Technical Review Meeting Oct. 5-6, 2021. “Partnerships like UCFER help the Lab leverage its connections, resources and expertise to develop critical carbon management technologies,” Anderson said. “The dedication of our University partners across UCFER to our mission is an inspiration when we see the innovations from see the best and brightest minds from universities across the country.” During the two-day event, researchers for selected active projects will give virtual presentations on technologies spanning topics that will include carbon capture, carbon storage, crosscutting research, carbon ore processing, fuel cell technologies, gasification systems, coal and coal-biomass to liquids, natural gas technologies, and rare earth elements.