Centers and Groups Doing Energy Research

• HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS

Center for Energy Systems Research, directed by Michael R. von Spakovsky, professor of mechanical engineering, is working on fuel cell systems for transportation and stationary power applications. Research areas are thermodynamics; building, industrial, and transportation energy systems; internal combustion engines; basic fuel cell processes and systems; systems integration; heat and mass transfer; thermoeconomics; second law analysis; thermal optimization; and vehicle systems.

The Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute, directed by Richard Turner, is developing materials and processes for proton exchange membrane fuel cells, carbon fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites for the next-generation wind turbine blades, and high-temperature composite components for the power distribution network.

The Virginia Tech Future Energy Electronics Center, directed by Jin S. (Jason) Lai, professor of electrical and computer engineering, is developing high efficiency power conditioning systems for low-voltage high-power solid oxide fuel cells for stationary power plant applications. For example, researchers in the center are aiming at near perfection — a five-kilowatt (KW) fuel cell power plant that produces AC electricity from a DC source at a rate of 99 percent efficiency. A 5 KW fuel plant could provide all the electricity needed by a family living in a 2,000- to 5,000-square-foot home. Lai — who holds 13 power electronics patents and has another three pending — is developing a fuel cell power converter that will step up the electrical output from a low-power 400 volts DC to the high-power 120 volts or 240 volts AC that are standard for household and industry uses. The second goal is to develop a strategy for integrating 5 KW fuel cell power plants into utility energy grids. A third goal is to improve the efficiency of electric power use by using power electronics to synchronize utility grid voltage and current. The "Solid-State Energy Conversion Alliance Core Technology Program" is supported by the Department of Energy. Lai teaches short courses on fuel cell power conditioning and high-efficiency power converter design.

• FOSSIL FUELS

The Center for Advanced Separation Technologies (CAST), directed by Roe-Hoan Yoon, the Nicholas T. Camicia Professor of Mining and Minerals Engineering, develops coal-cleaning technology and works with a variety of coal produces and equipment manufacturers related to froth flotation and fine coal dewatering. CAST was formed in 2001 under the auspices of the U. S. Department of Energy, which continues to fund both fundamental and applied research in technologies that can be used to produce coal and mineral concentrates in an efficient and environmentally acceptable manner. Results include technologies to process and clean coal with less waste and to recover fine particles from waste streams, making millions of tons of previously discarded coal now available to meet energy needs. CAST is currently funding 60 projects at seven universities.

The Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research (VCCER), directed by Michael Karmis, Stonie Barker Professor of Mining and Minerals Engineering, is developing and implementing sustainable development indicators for the mining and minerals industries and teaching about sustainable development of mineral and energy resources. VCCER is researching characterization and extraction of energy resources, developing GPS data for terrestrial and geological sinks for carbon sequestration, and pilot testing sequestration in coal beds. The center posts carbon sequestration materials at its web site, maintains a Virginia Energy Patterns and Trends web site, hosts the Virginia Coal Reserves web site, and develops data for the National Carbon Sequestration database. VCCER is supported by the Southern States Energy Board and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory, Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy; and numerous industrial sponsors and academic partners.
      With funding from National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 5DT Inc., and mining companies, the VCCER is also doing mining health and safety research and policy development and developing mining health and safety training software, which it is demonstrating at national meetings, at mine sites, and to representatives from industry who visit Virginia Tech.
      VCCER encourages the involvement of stakeholders in proposals with the potential for significant economic development in the traditional coal-producing counties of Virginia.

• ENERGY POLICY

The Center for Energy and the Global Environment (CEAGE), based at Virginia Tech's Advanced Research Institute in Northern Virginia, is a research and educational center that examines issues related to energy and its role in the global environment. Its mission is to promote cooperation among researchers, educators, and policy makers interested in sustainable energy development and to act as a catalyst for developing solutions to environmental problems in many regions of the world. CEAGE is charged with determining reliable and secure methods of electricity generation and utilization that are compatible with the environment. CEAGE programs are guided by discussions with U.S. industry, academia, and regulatory bodies, and interactions with scientists and policy makers internationally. CEAGE sponsors exchange visits by policymakers and academics to assist in formulating environment friendly policies. CEAGE also produces white papers about topics related to energy and environment worldwide and makes them available to the news media and other research institutions. Contact: Saifur Rahman.

The Consortium on Energy Restructuring is an interdisciplinary group that analyzes policy and gauges consumer education related to market restructuring. Group members submit newspaper op-eds to help with consumer education. The National Science Foundation is supporting research to create a conceptual foundation for designing and managing distributed generation (DG) technologies for a secure, efficient, and restructured electric utility system. DG technologies consist of small-scale, modular generation equipment, such as micro-turbines, photovoltaic arrays, wind turbines, internal combustion engines, and fuel cells, which can be located near the demand for power. They provide extra reliability and security to electricity users who no longer need to depend on grid-supplied energy. The research team, working in the realms of policy, consumer affairs, business, power engineering, and electrical engineering, has been investigating a host of technical, business, and social issues relating to DG systems. Research shows that succcessful implelementation of DG technologies is behing inhibited not so much by technical problems, but by subtle social factors. For example, while we have developed engineering and market-based approaches that encourage widespread DG use, it appears that regulatory policy and a public opposition to several forms of DG technologies may be the largest impediment. Technical and business innnovations must be integrated into a framework that considers consumer behavior and a history of public apathy and lack of knowledge about the electric power system. Researchers include Richard Hirsh and Irene Leech in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Ralph Badinelli in the Pamplin College of Business, and Vergilio Centeno and Fred Wang in the College of Engineering.

The Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research (VCCER), directed by Michael Karmis, Stonie Barker Professor of Mining and Minerals Engineering, is providing leadership and support to the state and nation on carbon sequestration and energy policy. Under his guidance, the VCCER, a state-mandated research center created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1977, is conducting research, technology transfer, outreach, and education focused on carbon sequestration, sustainable development, energy data collection and dissemination, mine health and safety training systems, and coal processing.
      This work is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the Southern States Energy Board's Southeastern Carbon Sequestration Regional Partnership (SECARB); the DOE through the University of Kentucky; the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, and by major mining, energy, and transportation corporations in the Appalachian region.
      Center researchers and faculty members from other departments at Virginia Tech work cooperatively with a variety of coal producers, utility companies, transportation companies, consultants and other universities. For example, in the SECARB project alone, the VCCER coordinates research and outreach efforts with five major subcontractors: the Geological Survey of Alabama, Marshall Miller and Associates, Advanced Resources International, the Kentucky Geological Survey, and the Eastern Coal Council, as well as numerous corporations providing cash and in-kind support for the project and access to field test sites.

• ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE

The Center for Intelligent Materials Science and Structures, directed by Daniel Inman, the George R. Goodson Professor in Mechanical Engineering, is developing energy harvesting methods for powering small electronics. For example, they are creating several materials as devices to convert and store ambient energy sources, such as vibrations, changing temperatures, and solar energy, into usable electrical energy. An important application is wireless sensors. The research is part of a multidisciplinary university research initiative with the University of Washington, University of California at Los Angeles, and University of Colorado at Boulder funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. The research is also funded by the National Science Foundation and other agencies.

The Center for Photonics Technology, directed by Anbo Wang, the Clayton Ayre Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, does research on optical fiber sensors, special fiber waveguides, components and devices for optical communications and slip rings, and 3-D surface mapping. For example, optical fiber sensor-based techniques developed by the center are being used for on-line detection and location of partial discharges in transformers. This research is supported by the National Science Foundation and EPRI, a consortium of electric companies worldwide. With funding from the Department of Energy and others, the center has developed sensors to enhance coal gasification technology.

The Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES), directed by Fred C. Lee, University Distinguished Professor of electrical and computer engineering, is a multi-institutional National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center (NSF ERC) with five partner universities – Virginia Tech (lead institution), University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, North Carolina A&T State University, and University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez. Funding in excess of $12 million was provided by the National Science Foundation, other federal agencies, and industry, in the last fiscal year. CPES develops advanced electronic power conversion technologies for efficient future electric energy utilization through multidisciplinary engineering research and education in the field of power electronics. The vision is to enable dramatic improvements in the performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of electric energy processing systems by developing an integrated system approach via integrated power electronics modules (IPEMs). The envisioned integrated power electronics solution is based on advanced packaging of new generation of devices and innovative circuits and functions in the form of building blocks with integrated functionality, standardized interfaces, suitability for automated manufacturing and mass production, application versatility, and the integration of these building blocks into application-specific systems solutions. Working with 80 industry partners, the IPEM-based system integration vision has been demonstrated with successful technology transfer in the areas of distributed power systems for computer and communication equipment and motor drives. In particular, many of the IPEM concepts and approaches have been successfully transferred to industry and have been commercialized. The center offers two NSF-sponsored Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs focused on power electronics topics. The CPES REU program is open to all juniors and seniors majoring in electrical, computer, or mechanical engineering or materials science. The CPES REU for Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Scholars provides undergraduate research opportunities in power electronics for underrepresented students both internal and external to Virginia Tech. Both programs are designed to develop students' problem-solving skills in power electronics, while encouraging students to pursue careers in the field.

The Center for Power Engineering, directed by Yilu Liu, professor of electrical and computer engineering, researches wide area measurements and applications important to the monitoring, protection, efficient use, and control of the U.S. power grid. One of the recommendations of the team that reviewed the 2003 blackout was the increased use of phasor measurement units (PMUs). These devices -- presently being installed in almost all utilities in the East as part of the Eastern Interconnection Phasor Project -- were first developed and implemented at the Center for Power Engineering in 1987. Since then, the center has lead the research and implementation efforts in the field of wide area measurement (measurement of large interconnecting systems). PMUs take advantage of GPS signals to time-synchronize their measurements with high accuracy. PMUs together with fast communication networks allow utilities to measure angle differences on-line to monitor the dynamic behavior of power systems. The center works closely with manufacturers and utilities in the development and applications of wide area measurement devices. Current research focuses on the areas of optimal placement, state estimation, enhanced protection and system visualization.

The Consortium on Energy Restructuring is doing research on the implementation of distributed generation technologies and is developing educational modules. Creating a new electric power system archetype will require a robust network of distributed generation (DG) sources, such as fuel cells, micro-turbines, and renewable wind and solar energies, along with traditional centralized power plants using fossil fuels. Funded by the National Science Foundation, members of the Consortium for Energy Restructuring (CER) at Virginia Tech are trying to encourage the use of small-scale generation technologies as part of an approach to create a more secure and efficient electric utility system. Group members include academics and graduate students from disciplines that span engineering, business, consumer affairs, and science and technology studies. CER integrates power electronics technologies with novel business prototypes, as well as social science and consumer research, such as new grid-interface concepts, a computerized business simulator, and public policy and consumer information that can be translated into testimony for legislatures and regulatory agencies. Contacts: Richard Hirsh, Irene Leech.

The Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research, directed by Michael Karmis, Stonie Barker Professor of Mining and Minerals Engineering, is doing research on characterization of energy resources and creates and maintains the Virginia Energy Patterns & Trends web site, including educational information tied to the Virginia Standards of Learning, and hosts the Virginia Coal Reserves web site. See additional information under Policy and Fossil Fuels.

• ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

The Powell River Project is a collaboration of faculty members from several departments, especially the Departments of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences, Animal and Poultry Sciences, Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, and Biology. The Powell River Project conducts research and education programs to enhance the restoration of mined lands and to benefit communities and businesses, Activities include development of coal mine restoration technologies to improve post-mining land use potentials and reduce environmental impacts and Virginia Cooperative Extension programs to communicate research results to the coal industry and regulatory agencies. Education includes tours and programs concerning mine restoration directed toward K-12 students in Southwest Virginia’s coalfield region. The project’s 1,100-acre center is a hub of research programs focused on developing practical, cost-effective solutions to natural resource problems in the central Appalachia coal mining areas and education programs conducted through Virginia Cooperative Extension that put completed research into practice. Led by Carl Zipper in crop and soil environmental sciences, the Powell River Project has worked collaboratively with other educational entities in Southwest Virginia since its inception in 1980. Sponsors include the Commonwealth of Virginia, Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, the U.S. Office of Surface Mining, and local and regional coal producers and land managers.

• ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION

The Center for Turbo Machinery and Propulsion Research, directed by Wing Fai Ng, the Chris Kraft Endowed Professor in Mechanical Engineering, does research to improve the performance and energy efficiency of fluid machinery. His research is supported by the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA, and industry.

The Consortium on Energy Restructuring (CER), directed by Richard Hirsh, provides a forum for synergistic research on the social, political, economic, and technical aspects of changing energy systems. Currently, under a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), members of the CER have begun collaboration and education dealing with the design and management of distributed generation technologies, small-scale, decentralized, modular hardware that provides electricity in harmony with the existing utility infrastructure. The consortium expects to produce a more secure and efficient electric utility system within the restructured political and regulatory framework. The programmatic elements of this project can be categorized into four general areas: (1) research, development, and demonstration of distributed generation technologies, power engineering, grid interface systems, and transmission mechanisms; (2) the social, political, environmental, and economic dimensions of the use of distributed generation technologies; (3) business marketing, pricing, and design of distributed generation systems; and (4) educational outreach on distributed generation. Founded in 2001, the consortium consists of faculty members and graduate students working in several departments, including the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Departments of Business Information Technology, Resource Management, Science and Technology Studies, Mechanical Engineering, History, and Engineering Education. CER members work closely with the National Science Foundation Program on Electric Power Networks Efficiency and Security, the Office of Naval Research, and the Center for Power Electronics Systems.

Fuel-efficient airplanes can significantly reduce the negative impact that fuel prices have on the financial health of airlines. For more than a decade, researchers at Virginia Tech’s Multidisciplinary Analysis and Design Center (MAD Center) for Advanced Vehicles have been developing a comprehensive approach to design highly-efficient aircraft. One success story has been the design of a strut-braced, long-range aircraft for that uses 29 percent less fuel than the current cantilever wing technology. To achieve this efficiency, the researchers at the MAD Center worked for more than five years to arrive at innovative solutions to the aerodynamic, structural and aeroelastic problems that have prevented earlier strut-braced designs to compete with conventional wings. Funded earlier by NASA Langley Research Center and Lockheed, the project may get additional funding from the Airbus through the National institute of Aerospace. The researchers are William Mason, Joseph Schetz, and Rakesh Kapania, professors in aerospace and ocean engineering.

• WIND, SOLAR, HYDROELECTRIC, AND BIOMASS ENERGY

The Center for Energy and the Global Environment (CEAGE), based at Virginia Tech's Advanced Research Institute in Northern Virginia, is a research and educational center that examines issues related to energy and its role in the global environment (see full center listing in Energy Policy section). CEAGE is charged with determining reliable and secure methods of electricity generation and utilization that are compatible with the environment. An example related to renewable energy systems is research by George Hagemann and CEAGE colleagues who are conducting physical and numerical modeling of a submerged wave energy buoy for sustainable powering of ocean observing systems. Virginia Tech is under subcontract to the Neptune Sciences Division of PSI, with Phase I funding from the Navy and Phase III funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Contacts: Saifur Rahman and George Hagerman.

The Consortium on Energy Restructuring (CER), directed by Richard Hirsh, provides a forum for synergistic research on the social, political, economic, and technical aspects of changing energy systems. Currently, under a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), members of the CER have begun collaboration and education dealing with the design and management of distributed generation technologies, small-scale, decentralized, modular hardware that provides electricity in harmony with the existing utility infrastructure. The consortium expects to produce a more secure and efficient electric utility system within the restructured political and regulatory framework. The programmatic elements of this project can be categorized into four general areas: 1) research, development, and demonstration of distributed generation technologies, power engineering, grid interface systems, and transmission mechanisms; 2) the social, political, environmental, and economic dimensions of the use of distributed generation technologies; 3) business marketing, pricing, and design of distributed generation systems; and 4) educational outreach on distributed generation. Founded in 2001, the consortium consists of faculty members and graduate students working in several departments, including the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Departments of Business Information Technology, Resource Management, Science and Technology Studies, Mechanical Engineering, History, and Engineering Education. CER members work closely with the National Science Foundation (NSF) Program on Electric Power Networks Efficiency and Security, the Office of Naval Research, and the Center for Power Electronics Systems.

The Conservation Management Institute (CMI), is a center within the College of Natural Resources focused on natural resource management, inventory, monitoring, and innovation. Biomass, cellulosic materials widely available either as agricultural and forestry waste or dedicated energy crops, has been identified by the US Department of Energy as an important contributor to the future energy supply of the nation, and the Southeastern US has been identified as a high likelihood region for the production of biomass. The largest biomass, electric plant in the US is located in Virginia. Dedicated herbaceous biomass crops hold the potential for dramatically improving water quality, wildlife habitat, and farm profitability in the Southeast. CMI has been active in supporting pilot projects in multiple counties in Virginia to demonstrate the production, collection, and concentration of biomass for future biorefineries. Contact Jeff Waldon for more information.

• NUCLEAR ENERGY

The Institute for Particle, Nuclear, and Astronomical Sciences, directed by Raju Raghavan, professor of physics, studies nuclear and particle reactions.
   The research is supported by the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, and others.

The Laboratory for Neurotoxicity Studies, directed by Bernie Jortner and Marion Ehrich, professor of biomedical science in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, is doing research to assess the neurotoxicity potential of depleted uranium resources. The research is funded by the U..S Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity.

The Microwave Processing Research Facility in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Virginia Tech has been funded by U.S. Department of Energy to look at new ways to expand the use of nuclear energy while minimizing the risks to the public. In this study, conducted by David Clark, department head, and Diane Folz, senior research associate, new types of nuclear fuel pellets will be prepared from the stockpiles of depleted nuclear pellet wastes using a high-temperature microwave method. Because microwave energy can be used to form these materials rapidly (minutes) and to high density (over 95 percent dense), the crucial components that generate energy will not be lost as they are in the conventional processing method that requires many hours at high temperatures. In addition to the efficiency of the processing method, there is the added bonus of using up the stockpiles of what is now considered radioactive waste for an energy producing application — a vital component of international goals for non-proliferation of hazardous materials.