Inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers and other STEM professionals means showing children and youth how science and math form the foundation of the world around us. It means demonstrating to middle and high school students how these fields are fun and fascinating, and it means welcoming college and graduate students into the lab to advance their research skills and instill a passion for lifelong learning. NETL researchers are proud to share their expertise and STEM enthusiasm with students in our local areas. Here are few examples of how NETL scientists and engineers are making a difference in their communities.

Developing turbines and other advanced energy systems that can operate at extremely high temperatures boosts efficiency, thereby cutting operating costs and offering potential savings for consumers. Monitoring is critical to ensure that these complex systems run safely and effectively, with minimal downtime; however, the necessary ultra-high temperatures also introduce challenges in developing sensors that can withstand such harsh environments. A recently completed NETL-managed project with Colorado-based Sporian Microsystems, Inc., produced smart temperature sensors that can operate up to 1800 degrees Celsius as well as pressure sensors that operate at temperatures up to 1600 degrees Celsius for improved performance in monitoring gas turbines, combustion systems and more. Extensive testing in relevant environments shows that the developed sensors offer the potential for greater durability, functionality and reliability at a more affordable price than existing alternatives.

The coming decades will usher great opportunities for high-paying jobs in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) industries, but if too few candidates enter the STEM education pipeline, those jobs could go unfilled. That is why it so important to reach out to today’s elementary and middle school students and get them excited about STEM careers. This outreach is especially relevant for underserved and underrepresented populations because the math and science proficiency of these students typically falls below the national average, making a STEM job sometimes seem out of reach. NETL’s STEM Education Outreach Team strives to change that mindset by traveling to “at-risk” K-6 elementary and middle schools around the Lab’s Morgantown, West Virginia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania sites to bring stimulating “hands-on, minds-on” activities that make the students feel like they are part of the STEM conversation.

Morgantown High School (Team 1) and Suncrest Middle School (Team 1), both of Morgantown, claimed victory at the 28th annual West Virginia Regional Science Bowl (WVSB), organized and co-sponsored by NETL. The event was held Feb. 8-9, 2019, at the West Virginia University (WVU) Mountainlair in Morgantown, West Virginia. Twenty-four teams from high schools and 24 teams from middle schools throughout the Mountain State participated in the competition, which was also co-sponsored by WVU. The WVSB tested students’ knowledge of math and science with round-robin and double-elimination competition rounds. Middle school teams competed Feb. 8, followed by high school students on Feb. 9. This year’s competition included welcoming remarks from Congressman David McKinley, as well as representatives from NETL and WVU. Participants also explored hands-on engineering activities and an academic information fair.

Toss-up question, mathematics: How many students nationwide compete in regional Science Bowls each year? The correct answer is more than 9,000 high school students and 4,500 middle school students. Hundreds of those students compete at the West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania Regional Science Bowls, organized and co-hosted each year by NETL to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. These fast-paced, quiz-style events help middle and high school students expand their science and math knowledge, build teamwork skills, and learn how to excel under pressure as they compete for a spot in the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Science Bowl. Described as “a competition like no other,” more than 290,000 students have participated in the National Science Bowl throughout its nearly 30-year history. NETL Director Brian J. Anderson, Ph.D., is among them. His first exposure to the Lab was as a Science Bowl participant at what was then known as the Morgantown Energy Technology Center, a predecessor to NETL.

NETL’s work in designing transformative advanced energy systems through a partnership of academic institutions and U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories — known as the Institute for the Design of Advanced Energy Systems (IDAES) — and its innovations in the field of sensor development has drawn the attention of the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII). Haresh Malkani, Ph.D., chief technology officer of CESMII, visited NETL in Pittsburgh Wednesday to learn more about the Laboratory’s work and discuss potential areas of mutual interest like sensor development and IDAES activities. CESMII, launched in 2016, is the ninth institute in the Manufacturing USA network. Its focus is the research and development of technologies and solutions that can capture, share and process the increasing amounts of information available at manufacturing facilities. These technologies are expected to enable dramatically improved process control and operation, and enable benefits such as improved energy efficiency, equipment reliability and productivity gains, as well as related improvements in safety and quality in manufacturing processes. 

NETL, the nation’s only National Laboratory dedicated to fossil energy research, today launched a new website that highlights the Laboratory’s mission, research news, educational offerings, core competencies, business opportunities, and technologies available for commercialization. The new website, https://netl.doe.gov/, offers access to the latest research information generated by the Laboratory on oil, coal, natural gas and other energy topics as well as posts about NETL’s work by news organizations from around the nation. NETL Director Brian Anderson explained that the new site was created to provide fast and efficient access to energy answers and assistance – one of many ways NETL experts act in support of the Laboratory’s mission to discover, integrate, and mature technology solutions to enhance the nation’s energy foundation and protect the environment for future generations.

NETL, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) only national laboratory devoted to advancing fossil energy technology, will host a special workshop Wednesday, Nov. 14 at the Pittsburgh Airport Hyatt Regency Hotel devoted to the development of a vital domestic materials supply chain for advanced coal-based power generation. The workshop, titled the 2018 Crosscutting Workshop on Developing a Domestic Supply Chain for High Temperature Steam Cycles, will feature presentations and perspectives from DOE and NETL experts, end users and materials vendors that highlight current materials supply chain activities and needs with a specific goal of identifying obstacles to further developments.

With expected shortfalls of 1-2 million unfilled jobs in science-, technology-, engineering- and math- (STEM-) related industries over the next decade, it will be imperative to attract and retain more people – including underrepresented populations – to join the STEM workforce. These future opportunities include high-tech and highly skilled jobs in energy and advanced manufacturing in active National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) research areas, such as advanced computing, new composite materials, novel manufacturing processes and innovative research related to fossil fuels. 

Without ever leaving the Lab, NETL researchers are exploring the microscopic spaces in rocks, called pores, to take measurements as they seek a better understanding of how liquids and gases interact. These measurements are expanding scientific knowledge of the subsurface environment to ensure safe and effective carbon storage, enhanced resource recovery, and basic scientific understanding of subsurface phenomena. Rather than shrinking scientists, NETL is using cutting-edge imaging technology that enables 3D visualization and analysis of volumetric data at the submillimeter scale. The innovative software, called SyGlass, brings data to life through virtual reality, allowing researchers to examine real-world energy challenges in three dimensions.