Resources - Energy and the Environment

Scientific, technological, and social issues related to the nexus between energy and the environment.

AQUATIC IMPACTS AND PROTECTION

William Hopkins, associate professor in fisheries and wildlife sciences, has spent the last 11 years studying the impact of energy production on ecological systems. His work primarily focuses on the unintended side-effects of electricity production from coal combustion on aquatic and semi-aquatic life. He is specifically interested in how coal combustion liberates trace elements that are subsequently transferred through food chains and ultimately affect the survival and reproduction of predatory vertebrates. Hopkins' achievements in this area were recently recognized by the National Academy of Sciences, which appointed him to serve on the National Research Council's Committee on Mine Placement of Coal Combustion Residues.

Sarah Karpanty's research group in fisheries and wildlife sciences is studying the impacts of terrestrial and coastal wind turbine generators on migratory and resident birds in terrestrial and coastal ecosystems in Virginia, Massachusetts, and New York, including diverse species such as breeding Cerulean Warblers and migratory raptors in western Virginia and Piping Plovers, Red Knots, and other shorebirds on the Atlantic coast.

Dick Neves, professor of fisheries and wildlife science and leader of the Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, is conducting research to determine the sensitivities of endangered freshwater mollusks to coal mining effluents being discharged into the rivers of Southwest Virginia. Surface and pore water samples are being collected to monitor levels of heavy metals and other potential contaminants being discharged into the rivers. Bioassay tests with a suite of test organisms, to include juvenile mussels, are being used to determine the acute and chronic levels of sensitivity of these aquatic species to these contaminants. One application of the results is to determine the feasibility of recovery of federal and state protected species in river reaches affected by coal mining activities. If a specific contaminant is identified as particularly toxic, it may be feasible to develop waste processing technology to strip that contaminant from the effluent water before discharge into the river.

ATMOSPHERE PROTECTION

Kathleen Meehan, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, researches nano and micro optoelectronic materials and devices, optical spectroscopy, and semiconductor devices and sensors. For example, she is developing advanced solid state sensor technology base for Vision 21 systems. Vision 21 is one of the goals for Department of Energy’s clean coal research activities. The plan is to develop technologies that can be used to generate electricity from coal with the emission of little to no greenhouse gases or other pollutants, such as mercury, by 2015. Real-time sensors of the effluent from coal furnaces have been one area of research funded by DOE in this program. Sensors, such as Schottky diodes fabricated using SiC, which Meehan and Chester Stinespring of West Virginia University have been working on, can be used to continuously monitor the concentration of certain chemical species in the exhaust of the furnace so that adjustments can be made to the operation of the furnace to minimize the emission of the pollutants and/or monitor the efficiency of scrubbers and other technologies used to sequester these materials. Stinespring and Meehan evaluated the impact of mechanical damage at or near the SiC surface had on the stability of the metallization that formed half of the Schottky diode and the effects of moisture and hydrogen at high temperatures on the electrical characteristics of these diodes.

Danesh Tafti, associate professor of mechanical engineering, is developing prediction tools for how contaminants move in air and water systems.

CARBON SEQUESTRATION

Michael Karmis, Stonie Barker Professor of Mining and Minerals Engineering, is developing and implementing sustainable development indicators for the mining and minerals industries; developing GPS data for terrestrial and geological sinks; pilot testing sequestration in coal beds; and doing research and development of best management practices for the Appalachian mining industry. Also see the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research in the Energy Policy section.

John Seiler, Shelton Short Professor of Forestry, studies the fundamental processes that control carbon sequestration in forests, with a particular emphasis on how forest management practices influence these processes. By understanding these processes (such as photosynthesis and soil CO2 efflux), forest managers can begin to implement management practices that will maximize carbon sequestration. Carbon sequestration influences the cooling and heating of the earth, so forest canopy can be used to help reduce those energy costs.

Carl Zipper, associate professor of crop and soil environmental sciences, is investigating the use of terrestrial systems for the sequestration of atmospheric carbon. By using natural systems to remove excess carbon from the atmosphere, Zipper and other researchers hope to allow the continued use of fossil fuels while minimizing the harmful climatic effects. He also serves as director of the Powell River Project. He teaches graduate-level courses on environmental science.

EDUCATION

Barbara Bekken, assistant professor of geological sciences, has organized the University Core Curriculum Series on Earth Sustainability, which includes case studies and discipline-based views of non-renewable and renewable energy.

Dennis Blodgett, associate professor of biomedical sciences in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, teaches environmental health toxicology, which covers environmental toxicants, such as from global warming and oil spills.

Kathleen Parrott, professor of apparel, housing, and resource management, teaches "Housing, Energy, and the Environment" and incorporates energy issues in several undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in housing.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

John Randolph, professor of urban affairs and planning and director of the School of Public and International Affairs, specializes in the areas of environmental planning and policy, land use planning, water resources planning, energy planning and policy, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and environmental impact assessment.

Saifur Rahman, professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Virginia Tech - Advanced Research Institute, researches the environmental effects of electricity generation from fossil and nuclear fuels, and from renewable resources, including effects of high-voltage transmission lines, and assesses the market potential of commercial and institutional sector combined heat and power (CHP) development in Virginia, focusing on environmental implications for the Commonwealth's ozone non-attainment jurisdictions. His research is supported by the National Science Foundation, Academic Liaison Office of the USAID, U.S. Department of Energy, Virginia Department of Minerals, Mines and Energy. He teaches alternative energy systems and electrical energy and environmental systems, and has held seminars and workshops in Bangladesh, Malaysia, India, Greece, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Russia, Germany, and the United States. He helped to develop a clean energy curriculum for the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy for Administration, the premier training institution for Indian elite civil service officers.

Scott Klopfer, research associate at the Conservation Management Institute, performs research on the potential impacts of bioenergy crops and alternative energy production on wildlife.

RECLAMATION

Jim Burger, professor of forestry and soil science, is doing research to determine how to restore productive soils and forests on drastically-disturbed surface mined land. Coal is the dominant source for electric power production in the United States. Since 1980, more than 1.2 million acres of mostly forest land have been drastically disturbed throughout the eastern coalfield region. Examples of on-going research include mine soil selection for forestry land uses, methods for overburden placement and grading, groundcover selection for erosion control and compatibility with trees, carbon sequestration potential on mined land, tree species selection for restoring native hardwoods, and success of specialized tree crops for economic enterprise. This research effort has been recognized by the American Society for Surface Mining and Reclamation as the most comprehensive forestry related restoration research program in the United States. Research results were used as the basis for modifying state wide reclamation regulations and guidelines in Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. These modifications reduce reclamation costs for mining companies, increase the productivity and value of restored soils and forests for landowners, and restore ecosystem services, such as watershed control, water quality, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity for local communities.

W. Lee Daniels, professor of crop and soil environmental sciences, is assessing the potential for beneficial use and the associated risk with the use of coal combustion byproducts. Researchers hope to utilize these byproducts as soil amendments or treatments for acid mine drainage. He is also working collaboratively with several state agencies including the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to ensure the safe field application and usage of coal combustion byproducts. His work is supported by the Virginia Division of Mined Land Reclamation. He also teaches a junior-level course on soils and graduate-level courses on soil genesis and the reclamation of disturbed lands.

Thomas Fox, associate professor of forestry, is researching the land application of biosolids in forests, which may increase forest biomass production. He is a member of the Mid-Atlantic Biosolids Association and the Virginia Forestry Association Biosolids Task Force. Fox’s research focuses on meeting the newly-emerging needs of the forest industry in the United States and Latin America.

TRANSPORTATION

Linsey Marr, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, studies the air quality impacts of energy consumption, especially in the transportation sector. She studies how pollution from cars, trucks, and factories mix together chemically and move throughout the environment. She developed a fuel-based motor vehicle emission inventory for central California while a doctoral student at the University of California at Berkeley. She has completed research on motor vehicle particulate emissions and analyzed photochemistry in power plant and petrochemical industry plumes. The research was sponsored by the NSF and NOAA, respectively. Her current research on emissions is supported by a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award. She is a member of the Sustainable Mobility Learning Lab.

Doug Nelson, professor of mechanical engineering, studies the impact of fuel selection, vehicle characteristics, and use on overall environmental impact of vehicles. He teaches about energy, environment, and transportation in Advanced Technology Vehicles; and advises the senior design project for the Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team to participate in Challenge X. He is a member of the International Technical Committee for Challenge Bibendum, a sustainable mobility and environmental vehicle evaluation event. He and Michael Ellis, associate professor of mechanical engineering, are doing an "Advanced Technology Vehicle Fleet Impact Assessment Study,” funded by Phillip Morris.

Hesham Rakha, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, studies how cars move through street networks, why traffic congestion occurs, and how being stuck in traffic creates air pollution. He models vehicle fuel consumption and emission behavior and integrates these models within traffic simulation software to evaluate the network-wide energy and environmental impacts of alternative transportation initiatives. He teaches courses on energy and environmental transportation issues. He is doing vehicle inspection and maintenance program analysis in collaboration with Kyoungho Ahn in the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and did research in collaboration with University Transportation Fellow Ray Pethtel on “Acquiring and Developing a Fully Instrumental City.”

OTHER

David Clark, materials science and engineering department head, studies corrosion of complex glass compositions in various geologies. He is working with Westinghouse Savannah River National Laboratories to develop glass matrices for containment of nuclear wastes. He and Diane Folz, senior research associate, are doing research on microwave combustion processes for polymer-based fuel cell components and to understand microwave-material interactions. Clark and Folz are also working with Engelhard Corporation to recycle high-cost catalyst materials and to treat emissions from combustion from recycling operations.

Susan Day, research assistant professor in urban forestry, is evaluating using engineered soils and soil restoration techniques in green infrastructure design to maximize the benefits we receive from urban trees. Reduction in energy consumption is paramount among these benefits. Large trees cool urban areas through evapotranspiration and shading. Studies focus on developing models to predict ultimate tree size from urban site conditions and evaluate techniques for achieving the site conditions needed to achieve necessary canopy sizes. In order to effectively implement planning ordinances, natural resources managers need to be able to predict the true canopy cover that can be expected from a given land use plan. In this way, an oak tree planted in a compacted cutover or an inadequate parking lot cutout will not be attributed the same value as an oak tree planted on a properly prepared site. Site designers and planners will know what canopy cover, and therefore what reduction in energy consumption and what reduction in stormwater flow will result from a give design. This knowledge will optimize planning to maximize these benefits.

Air-tight, energy-efficient buildings can degrade indoor environment quality because there is less fresh air to dilute the many pollutants emitted from building materials. John Little, professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Eva Marand, associate professor of chemical engineering, are developing a standard reference volatile organic compound (VOC) source, with the support of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and are doing research to develop barrier layers to minimize volatile emissions from building materials.