NETL’s Reaction Analysis and Chemical Transformation (ReACT) facility in Morgantown, West Virginia, and its Functional Materials Synthesis Laboratory (FMSL) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were recognized as finalists in a recently concluded national competition to honor excellence in research laboratory design, planning and construction.

The Lab Design Excellence Awards were established in 2019 by Lab Manager magazine to recognize the best new projects within the lab design community. A panel consisting of laboratory architects, engineers, construction professionals and editorial staff from Lab Manager analyzed each entry for its approach to lab design, specifically focusing on the categories of innovation, sustainability and safety.

Projects entered in the contest represented a wide range of laboratory types, including research labs, academic facilities, forensic and crime labs, as well as health care, government and industry labs. Entrants were asked to demonstrate what makes their facilities unique and cutting-edge, and how they can serve as models for the lab design/building community.

NETL’s new and revamped ReACT facility supports energy conversion engineering work, offering researchers innovative tools to advance the science of chemical reactions. ReACT’s capabilities enable researchers to develop transformative technologies such as microwave-assisted chemical conversion that can reduce overall system energy requirements, decrease overall costs and lower targeted emissions from fossil fuels.

Innovation was woven into ReACT’s design and construction. Designers ensured the facility was both modular and flexible to accommodate NETL and the U.S. Department of Energy’s changing needs. For example, ReACT is fuel flexible, which permits the study of a variety of fuel feedstocks — from coal, biomass and natural gas to shale gas, methanol and more — all in one location. Also, reactors are positioned on skids so they can be changed out to accommodate changing research needs.

The FMSL is the primary laboratory to support NETL’s materials synthesis and wet chemistry work. These research efforts were previously scattered across many different buildings. The project increased the amount of lab space on NETL’s Pittsburgh site, which allowed these activities to be housed together, enabling greater collaboration and increasing space for research.

Multiple sustainability features were added to the FMSL. For instance, a chilled water closed-loop system to cool research equipment was installed. The upgrade has conserved a considerable amount of water.

Previously, the building maintained a minimum of eight air changes per hour at all times. Variable volume fume hoods and occupancy sensors tied into the building management control system were installed. The upgrades allowed a turndown of four air changes per hour after hours and when the lab is unoccupied. The energy-saving enhancement has reduced the air flow needed by half when it is after hours and the lab is unoccupied.

As finalists in the competition, the ReACT and FMSL facilities will be profiled on labmanager.com. The competition’s winners were announced on the Lab Manager news site.