This quarter’s Research Associate Spotlight and Mentor Profile illustrates how pairing an experienced NETL researcher with an up-and-coming scientist can open new roads to discovery and facilitate faster technology development at lower cost. Research associate Fei Xue, a participant in the NETL Post Graduate Research Program administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, explains how working with his mentor, Youhai Wen, interacting with other NETL experts and using the Lab’s Joule 2.0 supercomputer, among the most powerful in the nation, are advancing important research in the field of computational science and engineering. Through science-based simulations, multiscale modeling and data analytics, Xue is making meaningful contributions to NETL’s efforts to analyze and predict performance of materials used in a diverse set of energy research projects while accelerating development of clean energy technologies.

The August 2021 edition of RWFI E-Note Monthly, the newsletter of NETL’s Regional Workforce Initiative, outlines how schools and worker education programs can apply for funding from the National Science Foundation to prepare the next generation of technicians for high-technology fields. The foundation’s Advanced Technological Education program supports curriculum and professional development of college faculty and secondary teachers while encouraging partnerships among academic institutions (grades 7-12 and two-year institutes of higher education) and industry and economic development agencies to promote improvement in the education of science and engineering technicians. Materials developed may also be used for incumbent worker education.

A special July Technical Focus Issue of Materials Evaluation (ME) detailed three University-led research and development projects made possible through a partnership with NETL under the Crosscutting Research University Training and Research (UTR) program, which supports energy research at colleges and universities nationwide, including minority institutions. Each project advances robotics-based inspection in unique ways and serves to underscore how NETL is helping to investigate novel technologies that will become viable solutions to industry in the future. NETL began collaborating with Florida International University (FIU), The Colorado School of Mines (CSM) and New Mexico State University (NMSU), through the “Automated Plant Component Inspection, Analysis, and Repair Enabled by Robotics” topic in the competitive 2018 UTR funding opportunity announcement (FOA). In recent years, each team has continued to advance their respective robotic-based inspection technologies.

The summer 2021 edition of the Water-Energy Nexus Newsletter is filled with updates concerning NETL’s ongoing water-energy research and related activities. The newsletter highlights the Lab’s recent virtual Water Management Research and Development (R&D) review meeting, which focused on the progress being made on cooperative research and technology developments to reduce water use in energy production. A portfolio of in-house and extramural research projects was discussed, including a presentation by NETL’s Tim Skone and Erik Schuster on the impact of water use from power systems. The review meeting was attended by scientists, engineers and researchers from academia, industry, and the public working in the water-energy space.

According to the latest rankings by TOP500, NETL’s Joule 2.0 supercomputer remains among the most powerful in the nation, securing a position of 37th in the United States. Supercomputing is essential in achieving NETL’s mission to drive innovation and deliver solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future by ensuring affordable, abundant and reliable energy that fosters a robust economy and national security while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle. By expediting technology development through computational science and engineering, Joule 2.0 helps NETL cut costs, save time and spur valuable economic investments with a global impact. Named for the familiar unit of energy, Joule allows researchers to model energy technologies, simulate challenging phenomena and solve complex calculations using computational tools that save time and money to ensure that technology development ultimately proves successful.

Four scientists at NETL are inspiring girls in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) at GirlCon 2021, an international tech conference aiming to empower the next generation of female leaders. Natalie Pekney, Alexandra Hakala, Circe Verba and Madison Wenzlick are slated to present at several sessions throughout the conference to share their career stories, offer tips for working in energy and address challenges girls may face in pursuing STEM. The conference, held virtually this year from June 27-30, features breakout, professional development and keynote sessions from numerous companies and backgrounds to promote networking and building connections. Attendees have the chance to personally connect with companies from countless career paths and gain mentorship from women in both college and the workforce.

NETL’s Energy Data eXchange (EDX) has served as a virtual platform for the public curation of research data and tools for more than a decade, bringing together researchers from across the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM). Now, as the Biden Administration begins the transition to a clean energy economy, the data and models available through EDX are helping shape this new future where federal leadership will partner with power plant communities to create good-paying union jobs, spur economic revitalization, mediate environmental degradation and support energy workers.

NETL Director Brian Anderson, Ph.D., spoke today to interns who will be participating in this year’s Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship (MLEF) at several locations across the country, including NETL. The mission of the MLEF program is to strengthen a diverse pipeline of future science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) professionals, and mentors involved with the program have offered guidance to several hundred of the best and brightest students from across the nation since its inception. The MLEF program was created in 1995 with the goal of improving opportunities for underrepresented and minority students in STEM fields. The 10-week fellowship, open to undergraduate and graduate students, offers a unique research experience for the next generation of STEM professionals. “Seeking diverse viewpoints and perspectives has always been foundational for how NETL develops solutions to our nation’s toughest energy challenges,” Anderson said. “We are committed to acknowledging and valuing the strength of diversity, and the MLEF program is a great opportunity to gain insights from students and increase opportunities for students with a variety of backgrounds.”

Student participants chosen across three internship programs will gain valuable research experience under NETL mentors as part of the Lab’s 2021 summer internship initiative. Interns from the Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship (MLEF), Consortium of Hybrid Resilient Energy Systems (CHRES) program and Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Advanced Manufacturing Office (EERE-AMO) Energy Storage Internship Program will spend 10 weeks conducting research virtually and receiving guidance from their mentors as they gain experience to become the next generation of energy innovators. Participants include science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors who will get one-on-one mentorship experiences collaborating with NETL’s world-class scientists and engineers.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management today announced that it has selected the West Virginia University Research Corporation to receive $5 million for the research and development of an advanced component that can improve the ability of thermal power plants to generate highly-flexible, low-carbon power from traditional, renewable, and nuclear energy.   The component—an additively-manufactured graded composite transition joint (AM-GCTJ)—will aim to join different metals within thermal power plant parts so they can better withstand the numerous stresses and extreme changes in weather that come from cold and warm startups, fast-load ramping, and frequent shutdowns that are typically associated with thermal power  plant operations.