NETL-sponsored research aimed at developing smart sensing systems for harsh-environment applications is expanding to provide critical performance information and meet industry needs. As part of a $1.6 million project managed by NETL, researchers at West Virginia University (WVU) developed a smart refractory sensor system for wireless monitoring of temperature, degradation and overall health of slagging gasifiers. Although the project wrapped up in 2018, the research team continues to build upon its work to explore new materials for improved sensor systems with broad applicability for harsh-environment sensing, including coal-fired boiler technology, biomass gasification, and steel and glass manufacturing. Harsh-environment sensors with real-time monitoring capabilities can provide valuable insight into the performance of advanced energy systems, identifying opportunities to improve operations, cut costs and reduce downtime.

NETL welcomes the children of employees this week for Bring Your Kids to Work Day festivities, which reflect the Lab’s strong commitment to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education outreach. All three NETL sites will celebrate Bring Your Kids to Work Day. Festivities will begin in Morgantown, West Virginia, on Tuesday; continue in Albany, Oregon, on Wednesday; and wrap up in Pittsburgh on Thursday. Approximately 200 children are expected to participate across all locations. Employees will host interactive indoor activities, engaging outdoor demonstrations and educational Lab tours for the children to enjoy before spending the afternoon shadowing their parents. In years past, NETL volunteers have used slime, LEGO bricks, magnetics and more to excite participating kids about the wonders STEM as they learn about the Lab’s fossil energy research and development.

NETL’s highly ranked Joule 2.0 supercomputer is breaking barriers by accelerating the development of innovative, cost-effective energy technologies to ensure affordable, reliable energy for all Americans. The high-performance system ranks 21st in the United States and 55th in the world per the latest rankings by TOP500, announced today. A recent $16.5 million upgrade boosted Joule’s computational power by nearly eight times, enabling researchers to tackle more challenging problems than ever before as they work to make more efficient use of the nation’s vast fossil fuel resources. 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. The upgrade work more than tripled the number of central processing unit (CPU) cores — from 24,192 to 73,240 — and added graphics processing units to further enhance simulations of advanced energy technologies.

NETL celebrated new and revamped facilities that expand the Lab’s robust research capabilities to develop efficient, affordable energy technology solutions at a special ceremony Friday, June 14. NETL welcomed U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, U.S. Representative David McKinley , Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Steven Winberg and regional media to the Lab’s Morgantown, West Virginia, site to dedicate a new Reaction Analysis and Chemical Transformation (ReACT) facility and showcase a $16.5 million upgrade to the Joule supercomputer. A representative from U.S. Senator Joe Manchin’s office also participated. “The ReACT facility pushes the boundaries of reaction science to boost efficiency, while Joule 2.0 enhances our computational work to deliver innovative energy technologies more quickly and at a reduced cost,” NETL Director Brian J. Anderson, Ph.D., said. “Collectively, these facilities offer greater capabilities in support of NETL’s work to create technologies that enable efficient, affordable energy production from our vast domestic resources, while ensuring responsible stewardship of the environment.”

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) and NETL have selected 17 projects to receive approximately $39 million in federal funding for cost-shared research and development under funding opportunity announcement Improving Efficiency, Reliability, and Flexibility of Existing Coal-Based Power Plants. DOE selected these projects as part of its Transformative Power Generation Program and Crosscutting Research Program. The projects will develop, in the near term, advanced technologies that improve the overall performance, reliability, and flexibility of the Nation’s existing coal-fired power fleet.This research will support DOE’s goal to improve the average modeled efficiency (i.e., heat rate) of a typical plant in the existing fleet by 5 percent from the 2017 baseline of 31 percent by the end of Fiscal Year 2020.

Paul Ohodnicki, Ph.D., of NETL’s Functional Materials team, visited Central Elementary School in Allison Park, Pennsylvania, May 31 to share his expertise in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by assisting with Hampton Township School District’s Science Olympiad. With support from the Lab’s STEM K-12 Education & Outreach team, Ohodnicki encouraged students to solve real-world engineering problems through application of the engineering design process during the event.

NETL welcomed more than 40 research associates June 3 as the Lab opened its doors to participants in the Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship (MLEF) and Consortium for Integrating Energy Systems in Engineering and Science Education (CIESESE) programs. The summer research associates include science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors who will get hands-on experience in NETL’s world-class facilities and conduct research one-on-one with the Lab’s expert scientists and engineers. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy, MLEF kicks off its 24th year with a class of 34 undergraduate and graduate students. The program was named after late Congressman Mickey Leland of Texas, a passionate advocate on many issues who died in a 1989 plane crash while on a mission to Ethiopia. 

A leading-edge sensing technology developed by NETL researchers designed to enable more flexible operation of gas-fired power plants is advancing toward commercialization as part of a partnership with turbine manufacturer Solar Turbines Incorporated. NETL’s Raman Gas Analyzer provides the capability for real-time control of turbine machinery based on fuel composition. A cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with Solar Turbines provided testing to help advance this technology toward commercialization. Its eventual implementation will enable more flexible operation of gas-fired power plants, creating clean, affordable power from domestic fuel sources.

NETL is battling the destructive effects of corrosion and other risks to the natural gas pipeline infrastructure by developing fiber-optic sensor systems that can monitor vital natural gas pipelines from within. The data will provide critical information for early detection and help avoid expensive pipeline failures to maintain affordable, reliable energy for consumers. Natural gas pipelines are arteries that fuel many of the nation’s fossil-energy power plants. However, like all metals, every inch of pipe is susceptible to corrosion. According to worldwide corrosion authority NACE International, corrosion adds billions of dollars to operation and maintenance expenses each year. Amongst other benefits, mitigating these preventable costs could result in lower energy bills for consumers.

Turbines, nuclear power plants and chemical reactors operate at increasingly higher temperatures to boost efficiency and reduce expenses. However, these extreme temperatures also create harsh environments that contribute to corrosion, oxidation and other materials challenges in monitoring advanced energy systems. NETL’s novel laser-heated pedestal growth system enables researchers to fabricate custom single-crystal optical fibers from bulk materials, such as sapphire or yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG), that can withstand ultra-high temperatures. Now, researchers are building upon that work to incorporate these specially made fibers into fully distributed sensing systems that effectively monitor temperatures, strains or other important parameters up to 1,500 degrees Celsius, or more than 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit.