NETL, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) only national laboratory devoted to fossil fuel research, will be represented at the fifth-annual WV Makes Festival – the Mountain State’s celebration of ingenuity and creativity held in conjunction with National Manufacturing Day Friday, Oct. 5, at the Memorial Student Center of Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va.

WV Makes is organized by the Robert C. Byrd Institute.

Last year, nearly 3,000 events took place across the country for National Manufacturing Day, when manufacturers and educators opened their doors, offered plant tours and engaged their communities. Thousands of students, parents, and teachers learned about rewarding careers in manufacturing and experienced the high-tech innovations in 21st century manufacturing.

As the Mountain State’s version of Manufacturing Day, WV Makes reaches out to students, parents, and teachers with exhibits and hands-on STEM demonstrations. Last year, more than 2,000 people attended WV Makes, including 800 students.

With its focus on energy research, NETL’s work is devoted to enabling domestic coal, natural gas, and oil to economically power the nation’s homes, industries, businesses and transportation while protecting the environment and enhancing the nation’s energy independence.

WV Makes offers an opportunity for NETL to stress DOE’s STEM education outreach efforts that engage young people in hands-on STEM activities and to showcase its strengths and capabilities to a West Virginia audience. NETL will be represented by researchers Dustin Crandall, Ph.D., and Don Ferguson, Ph.D., who will offer hands-on activities designed to engage young minds in the research they do at NETL. NETL exhibits will include:

• A desktop wind tunnel used to demonstrate flow visualizations for investigating aerodynamics related to advanced turbine systems
• A virtual reality tour of a rotating detonation engine – a more fuel-efficient combustion engine that is the subject of ongoing research

• A rock exhibit and virtual reality system allowing visitors to “step inside” rock pores as part of a demonstration related to underground resource extraction and carbon storage

• A 3-D scanner that illustrates how technology can be used to generate models of the real world
• A demonstration of energy transfer using a bicycle with an installed power meter

RCBI, sponsor of the 2018 WV Makes, provides leading-edge equipment, specialized training and expertise so entrepreneurs and manufacturers of all sizes can innovate, create jobs and thrive.

Contact:

• Shelley Martin, DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory, 304-285-0228, contact.publicaffairs@netl.doe.gov