U.S. Department of Energy • Office of Fossil Energy

N a t i o n a l E n e r g y Te c h n o l o g y L a b o r a t o r y
Message from the Director

It is my pleasure to present the National Energy Technology Laboratory’s

(NETL’s) Accomplishments Report for fiscal year 2002. As the fossil energy

research laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy, NETL conducts and

implements a strong portfolio of science and technology projects, encompassing

a broad range of energy and environmental topics. This report emphasizes the

results of our activities—not our activities themselves. We believe it demonstrates

that we have wisely used taxpayer funds to achieve meaningful program results

that benefit the public.

Improved and innovative energy technologies are key to ensuring that the

Nation has clean, affordable, and reliable energy supplies. Through its onsite

research programs and its contracted activities, NETL is developing these new

and improved energy technologies. Our primary focus is on the production and

utilization of fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas. These resources provide

85 percent of the Nation’s energy supply and will continue to supply the bulk

of the Nation’s energy needs for the foreseeable future. The challenge is

developing affordable ways to produce and utilize these resources in ways that

are consistent with national environmental and energy security objectives.

This report provides examples of the progress NETL employees and contractors made during fiscal year 2002. Advances

range from:

• Developing a better understanding of methane hydrate deposits, a resource that could potentially double the domestic

resource base, to

• Constructing a large-scale fluidized-bed power plant at Jacksonville, Florida, in a cost-shared demonstration project.

Using the fluidized-bed combustion technology, the 300-megawatt plant will demonstrate low emissions, fuel

flexibility, and enhanced performance.

With funding from our parent organization, the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy, other DOE offices,

and other Federal agencies, NETL’s work is speeding the development of comprehensive energy solutions. We

remain committed to translating science and technology advances into energy systems that improve the quality of

life for all people.

Rita A. Bajura

Director, National Energy Technology Laboratory

Rita A. Bajura

Director

National Energy Technology

Laboratory
Contents

4 Securing America’s

Energy Future

6 NETL—Who We Are

8 NETL’s Contributions to

America’s Energy Future

10 NETL’s FY 2002 Program

Accomplishments

10 Energy Resources (ER)

34 Science (SC)

37 Environmental Quality (EQ)

40 National Nuclear Security (NS)

41 Corporate Management (CM)

Abbreviations

CABE (NETL) Center for Acquisition

and Business Excellence

CCPI Clean Coal Power Initiative

D&D deactivation and

decommissioning

DOE (U.S.) Department of Energy

EIA (DOE) Energy Information

Administration

EM (DOE) Office of Environmental

Management

EPA (U.S.) Environmental Protection

Agency

FE (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy

FEMP Federal Energy Management

Program

FY fiscal year

GHG greenhouse gas

GPRA Government Performance and

Results Act of 1993

IGCC integrated gasification

combined-cycle

ISO International Organization for

Standardization

MBtu million British thermal units

NASA National Aeronautics and Space

Administration

NETL National Energy Technology

Laboratory

NOX nitrogen oxides

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 3

Contents and Abbreviations

NPTO National Petroleum Technology

Office

R&D research and development

RD&D research, development, and

demonstration

R/V research vessel

SCNG (NETL) Strategic Center for

Natural Gas

SECA Solid State Energy Conversion

Alliance

SOFC solid oxide fuel cell

Tcf trillion cubic feet

USAID U.S. Agency for International

Development
“ The name of our agency

may be the Department of

Energy, but the core

mission of the Department

is national security. What

that means is that all of the

Department’s programs,

initiatives, offices, and

facilities have to be judged

by how they advance

national security.

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham,

“Remarks at Lawrence Livermore National

Laboratory,” November 26, 2002.

Securing

America’s

Energy Future

4 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

This fiscal year (FY) marked the 25th anniversary of the U.S. Department of

Energy (DOE). The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), through

its predecessor laboratories, has been part of DOE from its inception. We're

proud to have been part of 25 years of accomplishment, leadership, and public

service—and we're excited to look ahead to the next quarter century.

DOE's overarching mission can be simply stated: we enhance national

security. We achieve our mission in part by increasing domestic energy

production, revolutionizing our approach to energy conservation and efficiency,

and promoting the development of renewable and alternative energy sources.

Energy self-reliance enhances America's security in an increasingly volatile

world.

America's economic engine is powered by fossil fuels. Coal, oil, and natural gas

supply 86 percent of our total energy, 70 percent of our electricity, and nearly all

of our transportation fuels. It is estimated that fossil fuels will supply 88 percent

of our Nation's energy by 2025. America's abundant reserves of coal and natural

gas, and their affordable costs, are the main reasons why U.S. consumers benefit

from some of the lowest energy costs of any free-market economy.

The technologies we have developed with our industry partners have made

fossil fuels cleaner than ever before. New technologies have reduced waste,

noise, and emissions; preserved water resources, wildlife, and their habitats;

and enhanced worker safety. Emissions that lead to smog, acid rain, and

regional haze are a fraction of what they were 30 years ago. The “footprint”

for oil and gas wells—the surface land area required for drilling the well and

producing gas and oil—is a tenth of what it was in the 1970s.

As the research laboratory for DOE's Office of Fossil Energy (FE), NETL

develops technologies to use our abundant fossil resources more cleanly and

efficiently. Our work helps to produce, transport, and use the energy our

Nation depends on, at affordable prices, without harming our environment.

This report examines our accomplishments during FY 2002 in energy supply,

reliability, and affordability; our achievements in policy support and

environmental issues; and our contributions to best business practices within

DOE. We discuss our accomplishments in sections that match DOE

performance goals and business lines: energy resources, science,

environmental quality, national nuclear security, and corporate management.

We are inspired by what we do and excited to share the results with you, the

American public. We want you to know what we are doing to secure America's

energy future by providing reliable, affordable, clean energy.
Fossil fuels supply most of our Nation’s total energy and electricity.

The chart shows U.S. energy consumption by fuel type for 2001.

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 5

Securing America’s Energy Future

“ Today, fossil energy

resources supply 85 percent

of the energy we consume;

over the next 20 years,

virtually all credible energy

projections agree that these

fuels will supply a similar,

if not larger, share of our

energy needs.”

Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Carl

Michael Smith, “Statement to the Committee

on Resources, U.S. House of Representatives,”

Washington, D.C., March 19, 2003.
NETL—Who

We Are

6 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL is a federally owned and operated national laboratory for DOE, providing

expertise in energy supply, delivery, and end-use technologies. Our primary mission

is to implement a science and technology development program to resolve the

environmental, supply, and reliability constraints of producing and using fossil

resources. We do this through our work for DOE’s Fossil Energy (FE) office. Our

vision is to be the preferred provider of energy technology and policy options that

benefit the public.

We also support other parts of the Department and other Federal agencies. We support

DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE) by developing new

energy technologies that complement work underway in the FE program. Our work for

the Department of Homeland Security and DOE’s Office of Energy Assurance furthers

the national goal to improve our energy infrastructure, while our work for the National

Nuclear Security Administration supports nuclear non-proliferation. We also assist

DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) by developing technologies to

reduce the cost and risk of remediating DOE’s weapons complex.

The history of NETL dates back to 1910 when the mission was to train coal

operators and miners and to develop innovative coal-mine safety equipment and

practices. Then in the 1940s, the mission incorporated synthetic fuel development,

and by the mid-1970s, the organization began managing contracted research work.

In the 1990s, NETL’s focus expanded to include work in environmental remediation

as a constructive approach for cleaning up DOE sites that contained radioactive,

chemical, and other hazardous wastes left behind after 50 years of nuclear weapons

production.

In 1996, the fossil energy research centers in Pittsburgh, PA, and Morgantown,

WV, merged under single management to become the Federal Energy Technology

Center. In 1999, the center was elevated to national laboratory status and renamed

the National Energy Technology Laboratory, becoming the Department’s 17th

national laboratory. A Strategic Center for Natural Gas (SCNG) and six onsite

research Focus Areas were created. The National Petroleum Technology Office

(NPTO) in Tulsa, OK, became part of NETL in 2000 and NETL’s Arctic Energy

Office opened in Fairbanks, AK, in 2001.

Today, NETL’s contracted programs comprise more than 1,100 joint governmentindustry projects across the United States. These projects are carried out through

various contracting arrangements with corporations, small businesses, universities,

and other national laboratories and government agencies.

Early in the research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) process,

roadmapping workshops are conducted with industry and others to gain a better

understanding of end-user needs and national objectives. As a Federal organization,

NETL does not compete with its partners to commercialize technologies; NETL’s

partnerships help to successfully implement RD&D programs that lead to commercialized products and services for the American public. These partnerships benefit

from intellectual contributions and cost-sharing with the private sector, and provide

an intrinsic technology transfer mechanism to accelerate the deployment of new

technologies in the marketplace.

“ NETL is a unique entity

within DOE—both our

mission and approach to

achieving that mission

differ from those of other

national laboratories. . . .

While we perform

important research within

our laboratories, we also

place great emphasis on

partnering with industrial,

academic, and other

Governmental

stakeholders to create

commercially viable

technical solutions to

energy and environmental

problems.”

NETL Director Rita A. Bajura,

“Welcome to NETL,” www.netl.doe.gov,

February 26, 2003.
NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 7

Carbon

Sequestration

Science

stabilization of

atmospheric CO2

levels

Gas Energy

Systems

Dynamics

gaseous-fueled

power-generation

systems

Computational

Energy Science

virtual demonstrations

of energy plants of

the future

Advanced

Fuel Systems

high-efficiency

transportation

systems

Vision 21 Advanced Power Systems

pollution-free modular energy plants

Environmental Research

air, soil, and water

characterization/treatment

NETL’s

Six Onsite Research

Focus Areas

NETL—Who We Are

FY 2002: Shaping, Funding, and Managing Contracted RD&D

• Nearly 1,100 research activities in all 50 States and more than

40 foreign countries

• Total award value of $8.0 billion

• Private-sector cost-sharing of almost $4.0 billion

- Leverages DOE funding

- Ensures relevance of research to national objectives

- Helps achieve commercialization by involving industry,

universities, etc. in R&D

• 60 active memoranda of understanding or agreement

FY 2002: Conducting Onsite Science and Technology Research

• Corporate research and development function for DOE FE

• Research laboratories in Morgantown, WV, and Pittsburgh, PA

• Involves one third of NETL's Federal and contractor staff

• Focal point for regional scientific initiatives

• 17 active cooperative research and development agreements

(CRADAs)

• Technical leadership to support program development

FY 2002 Contracted RD&D
NETL’s

Contributions

to America’s

Energy Future

Over 50 percent of our electricity is

supplied by coal-fired power plants.

U.S. coal-fired electric utilities have a

remarkable legacy of success in reducing

emissions in the last 30+ years.

8 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

The Federal Government’s investment in fossil energy continues to pay

dividends. Technological advancement, driven in part by DOE’s partnerships

with industry, is one reason why Americans continue to benefit from relatively

low energy costs compared to those in the rest of the world. This is one of

NETL’s major contributions to America’s energy future.

Emissions Reduction. New technologies have led to remarkable progress in

reducing the amount of pollutants emitted by fossil-fuel-fired power plants.

For example, from 1970 to 2000, the emission rates of nitrogen, sulfur, and

particulates from U.S. coal-fired power plants declined by 58, 76, and 87

percent, respectively. This has enabled coal use to more than double while

allowing the United States to meet its clean air objectives.

Clean Coal Projects. NETL has implemented cost-shared clean coal

demonstration projects since the inception of the Clean Coal Technology

(CCT) Program in 1986. This role continues today under the Clean Coal

Power Initiative (CCPI), beginning with the first successful solicitation in FY

2002. The solicitation was the first in response to the President’s pledge to

invest $2 billion in Federal funding over 10 years to advance technologies that

can help meet our Nation’s growing demand for electricity while

simultaneously protecting our environment.

Carbon Sequestration. NETL is uniquely positioned to contribute to an

understanding of the role of technology in climate-change mitigation

strategies. We are investigating the application potential of technologies to

reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2),

“ I favor the policy of economy,

not because I wish to save

money, but because I wish to

save people. The men and

women of this country who

toil are the ones who bear the

cost of the Government.

Every dollar that we

carelessly waste means that

their life will be so much the

more meager. Every dollar

that we prudently save means

that their life will be so much

the more abundant. Economy

is idealism in its most

practical terms.”

President Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933),

“Inaugural Address,” March 4, 1925.
NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 9

NETL’s Contributions to America’s Energy Future

including carbon capture and sequestration. For example, NETL systems studies have shown that in some circumstances,

one fossil-fuel-based power system (integrated gasification combined-cycle) combined with sequestration could produce

electricity profitably in a competitive market with no government subsidy for avoided carbon emissions.

Energy Security. NETL’s Energy Security Technology Program supports the DOE Office of Energy Assurance (OEA).

We are helping OEA and the new Department of Homeland Security develop a seamlessly integrated national response

capacity to assist facility owners in protecting their assets and ensuring that a robust national and regional response

capability exists. The plan is to routinely conduct exercises, capture the lessons learned, and develop solutions to address

deficiencies. We are working with State emergency management offices, State homeland security offices, and Federal

Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offices.

NETL’s products are the result of research in diverse technologies, and our successes continue to provide fossil energy

solutions that are reliable, affordable, and can meet ever more stringent environmental goals:

• Gasification Technologies. Gasification combined-cycle power systems, specifically integrated gasification combinedcycle (IGCC), can be equipped with a carbon capture and sequestration system (IGCC+S) to produce electricity at a

competitive price, clean the environment of CO2 (the most important GHG), and use the CO2 as a valuable by-product

to recover additional oil from mature reservoirs.

• Fluidized-Bed Combustors. These combustors, which capture sulfur inside the combustion chamber, are now sold by

every major boiler manufacturer. In Pennsylvania alone, from 1990 to 2000, fluidized-bed combustors reduced the

costs of producing electricity by nearly a quarter of a billion dollars by burning waste cleanly.

• Low-Nitrogen-Oxides (NOX) Burners. These burners are now found in 75 percent of our Nation’s coal-fired power

capacity. Federal investment in selective catalytic reduction, a technology for reducing power-plant NOX emissions, has

reduced the costs of this technology by nearly 50 percent, translating to a savings of more than $17 billion over the

lifetime of units installed through 2005 across the United States.

• Fuel Cells and Gas Turbines. Environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient fuel cells are being demonstrated at many

sites across the country and worldwide. The first commercial fuel cell application for central power generation is

scheduled for startup in 2003. Fuel cells are also being demonstrated in cogeneration mode, supplying heat and power.

Ultrahigh-efficiency gas turbines delivered through 2005 are expected to save consumers more than $8 billion over the

systems’ 30-year life spans. Current research is focusing on hybrid systems, which combine fuel cells with other power

generation systems, such as gas turbines. These systems merge the best aspects of different power technologies and

achieve fuel efficiency and emissions performance beyond the reach of any stand-alone system.

• Producible Gas Resources. DOE-industry partnerships have added more than 100 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of

producible gas resources, resulting in increased production while adding to our proven natural gas reserve base. These

gains span several types of gas resources—tight gas formations, coalbed methane, and mature producing fields; and

represent a wide spectrum of geographic locations—the Rocky Mountains, the Midwest, and the Gulf of Mexico.

NETL is part of a large intergovernmental group that is studying methane hydrates, which could increase the worldwide

known reserves of natural gas by a staggering amount: from 5,000 to 400 million Tcf.

• Oil Resource Recovery—Federal investment in improved oil recovery, technology transfer, and environmental

technologies has resulted in many environmental-impact and cost-reduction benefits that have enabled recovery of

527 million barrels of the 175-billion-barrel technically recoverable oil resource remaining in today’s reservoirs.

This investment has also resulted in a technology portfolio with the potential to recover an additional 100 million

barrels by 2005.
NETL’s FY 2002

Program

Accomplishments

DOE is committed to improving accountability to American taxpayers

through implementation of the Government Performance and Results Act

of 1993 (GPRA). This law requires agencies to develop long-range strategic

plans, annual performance plans, and annual performance reports. DOE’s

mission is accomplished through five Department goals, one for each of the

five mission areas: National Nuclear Security, Energy Resources, Science,

Environmental Quality, and Corporate Management. Each goal is supported

by strategic objectives.

The goals are long-term outcome-oriented statements, and the strategic

objectives are major accomplishments that significantly contribute to each

DOE goal. NETL actively supports and responds to all five DOE goals and has

program accomplishments that meet strategic objectives within these goals.

Most of our accomplishments fall under the Energy Resources goal. Thus,

we first describe our Energy Resources accomplishments by objective and

follow with other DOE goals and objectives.

Energy Resources (ER)—Increase global

energy security, maintain energy affordability,

and reduce adverse environmental impacts

associated with energy production, distribution,

and use by developing and promoting advanced

energy supply, diversity, productivity, and

reliability.

The United States spends over $0.5 trillion annually for energy, and our

economic well-being depends on reliable, affordable supplies of energy. For

the past 90 years, NETL has been at the forefront of research to advance fossil

energy exploration, supply, and end-use technologies. We are developing new

technologies and approaches to ensure the safe, clean, and affordable use of

U.S. fossil energy resources throughout the 21st century.

Our primary goal is to ensure that the United States can meet its increasing

demand for affordable energy without compromising the quality of life for

future generations of Americans. Our vision is to be a recognized national

leader in fossil energy technologies by providing technology and policy

options to ensure that the United States has a reliable, affordable, and

environmentally sound energy supply. This means reducing the vulnerability

of the U.S. economy to energy-supply disruptions; ensuring that competitively

priced electricity is available; increasing the efficiency and productivity of

energy use; supporting U.S. environmental, energy, and economic interests in

a global market; and conducting information collection, analysis, and research.

10 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

“ We face a 45 percent increase

for electricity over the next

20 years . . . 50 percent for

natural gas . . . and

33 percent for oil . . . We have

to build the equivalent of as

many as 1,900 new electric

power plants—about one a

week—over the next 20 years

to meet projected energy

demand.”

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, “Remarks

to the Detroit Economic Club,” May 13, 2002.
ER1—Use public-private partnerships to promote energy

efficiency and productivity technologies in order to enhance

the energy choices and quality of life of Americans in 2020

relative to 2000 by: reducing the oil intensity of the U.S.

economy by 25 percent, reducing energy intensity in the U.S.

economy by 32 percent, and reducing the need for additional

electricity generating capacity by 10 percent.

Aiding the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)—NETL

awarded biomass and alternative methane fuels (BAMF) super energy savings

performance contracts (ESPCs) in FY 2002 to provide a mechanism for Federal

facilities to acquire energy management services. The purpose of the DOE

FEMP is to reduce the cost and environmental impact of the Federal

Government through energy efficiency measures. Through these ESPCs,

NETL is helping reduce Federal-sector energy use by 35 percent by 2010

and GHG emissions to 30 percent below 1990 levels by 2010. In addition,

an NETL assessment identified BAMF resources (e.g., landfills, wastewater

treatment plants, wood waste sources) located near large Federal facilities.

More than 1,200 large Federal facilities are within 15 miles of a candidate

landfill and 500 of these are within 5 miles, a proximity that would be

economical for piping the methane gas to the facilities for use in generating

electricity.

Exterior and Home Improvements Conserve Energy—

Solid-state lighting was installed in 18 signs at NETL and

at public parks in West Virginia. Nine of these signs are

solar powered. Compact fluorescent lamp technology that

meets Energy Star requirements for efficiency was

improved to better resemble natural lighting. In another

energy conservation project, an optical flame monitor for

oil-fired heating boilers was demonstrated in 85 homes.

The monitor triggers a service call if operating efficiency

degrades. To date, 45 patent disclosures have been filed in

connection with this program.

Environmentally Clean Shuttle Bus—A first-of-a-kind

shuttle bus operating on an environmentally clean,

alternative transportation fuel was dedicated in a ceremony

at Pennsylvania State University, where it was developed.

The shuttle will operate on a mix of conventional diesel

fuel blended with dimethyl ether (DME), which contains

no sulfur and produces no smoke or particulate emissions

upon combustion. Researchers will determine the

optimum blend of DME with diesel fuel. DME can be

produced from coal, natural gas, or biomass. Vehicles

fueled by DME-diesel blends could facilitate transition to

ultraclean transportation fuels.

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

The NETL sign at the Morgantown site uses solid-state

lighting technology.

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 11
Using Remote Sensing to Characterize Watersheds—Nighttime airborne

thermal imagery has been successfully used to identify surface discharge

locations of groundwater at a spatial resolution of 1 meter and a thermal

resolution of 0.1 oC. NETL is filing a patent disclosure on the post-collection

data-processing approach. Airborne electromagnetic conductivity has been

used to locate underground water pools within 50 meters of the surface,

groundwater infiltration or recharge zones, and surface areas that contain acidgenerating material, such as refuse piles and reclaimed surface mines. This

means that remote sensing can be used to accurately locate the boundaries of

flooded abandoned mines. To date, thermal scanner data from over 300 square

miles have been processed from sites in Pennsylvania, West Virginia,

Maryland, and California. NETL plans to cooperate with the Office of Surface

Mining and the State of Virginia to extend the potential utility of this approach

to deeper mines.

State Energy Program Award—The DOE State Energy Program presented a

National Recognition Award to NETL employee Judith Dyer for outstanding

contributions to the program. Ms. Dyer helped West Virginia become the first

State to launch an Industries of the Future project, a program that improves the

energy efficiency of energy-intensive industries such as steel, chemicals, glass,

aluminum, and forest products. She also led an initiative that launched a

program of energy-efficiency improvements in historic structures, and took

part in the State Energy Office’s advocacy effort to get a statewide building

code in place.

Energy Management Achievement Award—NETL employees Joseph P.

Kanosky and Bernard M. Avon were presented the DOE 2002 Energy

Management Achievement Award. Their award was one of eight presented to

individuals from five national laboratories. The employees have been

instrumental in implementing strategies to reduce energy consumption through

designs for new construction, maintenance and relamping programs, outreach

programs, and communication with NETL employees through the Intranet and

NETL employee newsletter. They developed energy efficiency leadership

goals, energy and fuel usage goals for certification by the International

Organization for Standardization (ISO), and a new energy management

performance agreement with FEMP.

Energy Management Retrofit Project Award—NETL received the DOE

Energy Management Retrofit Project Award in FY 2002. The cash award of

$220,000 was given in recognition of five energy conservation measures

associated with one of NETL’s buildings. The retrofit project was reviewed

and approved by FEMP, and was funded by FEMP as a cost-shared project

with NETL. Upon completion, the five energy conservation measures will

save over $80,000 and 8,200 million British thermal units (MBtu) per year.

The project will also help the building meet ISO 14001 requirements.

12 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

DOE 2002 Energy Management

Achievement Award Recipients

Nighttime Airborne Thermal Imagery
ER2—Use public-private partnerships to bring cleaner, more

reliable, and more affordable energy technologies to the

marketplace, enhancing the energy choices and quality of life

of Americans in 2020 relative to 2000 by: increasing the share

of renewable energy to 10 percent, increasing the share of

renewable-generated electricity to 12 percent, and doubling

the share of capacity additions accounted for by distributed

power, which increases distributed generation to 11 percent of

all electricity generation.

Fuel Cell Simulator—To aid parties interested in installing onsite distributed

power generation, NETL developed a fuel cell simulation device that can be

installed at the power load center of a building or facility. This device will

monitor power demand and calculate fuel cell energy cost versus other dispatch

options, thereby providing economic data for fuel cell-system investment

decisions. Favorable decisionmaking for advanced technologies like fuel cells

will dramatically benefit our environment and energy infrastructure.

Second-Generation Sorbent Becomes Commercial—The fixed-bed sorbent

RVS-1, invented by NETL researchers Dr. Ranjani V. Siriwardane and

Daniel C. Cicero, is showing promise in black liquor and biomass applications.

The sorbent was originally developed to remove sulfur from high-temperature

coal gasification streams. In collaboration with Research Triangle Institute

(RTI), NETL has found that RVS-1 can remove sulfur from black liquorgenerated syngas to less than 20 parts per million, and the sorbent becomes

mechanically stronger and remains chemically active when subjected to

multiple cycles. Initial bench-scale desulfurization reactor tests at RTI show

the newly developed fluidized-bed/transport-reactor desulfurization sorbent

operates at elevated temperatures. The test conditions, similar to those in the

Chevron-Texaco Inc. gasification process, are very challenging, since the

sorbent must be operational at 316 oC (600 oF). Sud Chemie is manufacturing

and selling the second-generation sorbent, which is currently being tested on

the M.W. Kellogg transport reactor unit and will be demonstrated on a

Chevron-Texaco Inc. gasifier.

Industrial Partner Selected for R&D 100 Award—Acrion Technologies, Inc.,

a small business partner from Cleveland, OH, received an R&D 100 award for

NETL-funded work on developing technology for recovery and use of GHG from

landfills. The technology provides an approach for avoiding large quantities of

methane and CO2 emissions as landfill materials decompose. The approach

developed by Acrion captures and separates landfill gas into commercially

valuable products: clean-burning methane gas and liquid CO2. The technology

was featured in the September issue of R&D 100 Magazine and is being

demonstrated at the New Jersey EcoComplex in Columbus, NJ.

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 13

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

“ As a people, we have the

problem of making our

forests outlast this

generation, our iron

outlast this century, and

our coal the next; not

merely as a matter of

convenience or comfort,

but as a matter of stern

necessity.”

President William Howard Taft (1857–1930).

NETL’s Fixed-Bed Sorbent RVS-1
ER3—Reduce the burden of energy prices on low-income

families by working with State and local agencies to

weatherize at least 123,000 homes per year from 2003

through 2005.

NETL Supports Rebuild America—NETL manages marketing,

communications, and customer service support for the DOE Rebuild

America Program. The program is helping DOE lead the Nation in

research, development, and deployment of advanced energy efficiency

and clean power technologies and practices. Rebuild America has

497 community partnerships that are dramatically improving the energy

efficiency in commercial buildings. Efficiency improvements were

installed in 528 million square feet of commercial space, an increase of

25 percent over 2001. The result was a realized annual energy cost savings

of $298 million, a 12-percent increase from 2001.

Energy Star Participation Increases—NETL recruited more

manufacturers and retailers to Energy Star products in FY 2002. Energy

Star is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-DOE partnership to

promote voluntary labeling that is designed to identify and promote

energy-efficient products in order to reduce CO2 emissions. Energy Star

offers businesses and consumers assurance about the cost effectiveness

of these energy-efficient solutions, thereby saving money while protecting

the environment for future generations. Manufacturer participation during

FY 2002 increased by 85 percent in three areas: lighting, appliances, and

windows. Utilities, government, retail, and storefront participation also

increased. The market share of Energy Star labeling in three product areas

increased dramatically during the year: room air conditioners—from

16 to 43 percent, clothes washers—from 10 to 18 percent, and

dishwashers—from 21 to 39 percent.

Weatherization Efforts Reduce Household

Heating Costs—Program analyses, training,

and technical assistance managed by NETL

aided State office implementation of the DOE

Weatherization Assistance Program, which

provides services to over 70,000 low-income

households. On average, these homes

received $2,500 in energy efficiency

improvements that resulted in heating cost

savings of $218 per household, a 34-percent

reduction in heating costs.

14 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

“ As we peer into society’s

future, we—you and I, and

our Government—must avoid

the impulse to live only for

today, plundering, for our

own ease and convenience,

the precious resources of

tomorrow. We cannot

mortgage the material assets

of our grandchildren without

asking the loss also of their

political and spiritual

heritage. We want democracy

to survive for all generations

to come, not to become the

insolvent phantom of

tomorrow.”

President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969),

“Farewell Address,” January 17, 1961.
ER4—Create public-private partnerships to provide technology

to ensure continued electricity production from the extensive

U.S. fossil fuel resource, including control technologies to

permit reasonable cost compliance with emerging regulations,

and ultimately, by 2015, zero-emission plants (including

carbon) that are fuel-flexible and capable of multi-product

output, and have efficiencies of over 60 percent with coal and

75 percent with natural gas.

Advances in Combustion Technology—NETL has been involved in research

on combustion technology for decades. The research has focused on identifying

and defining the needed technological developments to continue using domestic

coal supplies for power generation, and on developing and commercializing new

combustion technologies that can enter the global market arena. Examples of

FY 2002 activities are given below.

• Sensor Developed for Turbine Combustion—To meet the emissions

reduction requirement for nitrogen oxides (NOX) proposed by the President’s

Clear Skies Initiative, low-emissions combustion technologies must have

narrower operating limits and tighter controls. The Combustion Control and

Diagnostics Sensor technology, developed and patented by NETL, was

successfully demonstrated in the laboratory and is rapidly moving toward

commercial deployment. The technique measures and monitors combustion

stability and flashback of fuel flames in gas engines, and can perform both

diagnostics and control of a combustor using a single sensor. NETL recently

signed licensing agreements with an industrial partner (Woodward Industrial

Controls) through a CRADA.

• Zero-Emissions Combustor—NETL is assisting an industry partner, Clean

Energy Systems, Inc., in developing a zero-emissions combustor that can

potentially produce energy from fossil fuels with negligible production of

CO2 or other pollutants. Design and fabrication of the combustor were

completed and a demonstration test was conducted at the Plum Brook

Facility of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Glenn Research Center. The combustor uses oxy-fuel combustion diluted by

steam to produce an exhaust of CO2 and water vapor. The CO2 is easily

separated from the steam, leaving a highly concentrated CO2 by-product that

can be marketed or sequestered.

New Pollution-Control Device—A cooperative agreement between NETL and

the Otter Tail Power Company has paved the way for installation of a new type of

pollution control device on the 450-megawatt Big Stone Power Plant in Milbank,

SD. This first-of-a-kind device is expected to remove more than 99.99 percent of

the microscopic particulate matter (PM2.5) released when coal burns, virtually

eliminating a pollutant that contributes to haze and that can cause respiratory

problems. This $13.4-million project is one of eight projects selected under the

DOE Power Plant Improvement Initiative, which is implemented by NETL.

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 15

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

“Coal is a portable climate.

It carries the heat of the

tropics to Labrador and

the polar circle; and it is

the means of transporting

itself whithersoever it is

wanted. Watt and

Stephenson whispered in

the ear of mankind their

secret, that a half-ounce

of coal will draw two tons

a mile, and coal carries

coal, by rail and by boat,

to make Canada as warm

as Calcutta, and with its

comfort brings its

industrial power.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882), U.S.

essayist, poet, philosopher; “Wealth, The

Conduct of Life,” 1860.
Assessing Ambient PM2.5 Data—NETL has compiled ambient air quality data

collected over a 3-year period from six DOE-funded regional air-sampling

stations into a common database. An Internet web-based tool is being

developed to access this database, which will assist both researchers and

regulators in improving their understanding of air quality. The information

was incorporated into a comprehensive report of results from the PM2.5

research program, including results on the concentration and composition of

ambient PM2.5 in coal-burning regions and conclusions on implications for

coal-fired power plants. The report was provided to the EPA for use in

reviewing the PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard.

Mercury Control—Several NETL projects involve control or removal of

mercury from coal combustion effluents or by-products:

• Advanced Mercury Control Technologies—NETL managed the first-ofa-kind field testing of advanced mercury control technologies. The goal

is to develop performance and cost data and information for regulatory

decisionmaking on potential future mercury regulations. Leaching tests on

coal utilization by-products indicate that mercury would be retained in the

solid products rather than being mobilized and released into the environment.

• Removing Mercury From Power-Plant Flue Gas—A key component of the

President’s Clear Skies Initiative is removal of mercury from flue gas. NETL

researchers have developed and filed patents for two technologies that may

greatly lower the cost of mercury effluent reductions. One method involves

removing partially combusted coal and reinjecting it further downstream,

instead of using activated carbon to scrub out the mercury. The other approach

involves irradiating the flue gas with ultraviolet light, which photochemically

oxidizes the mercury, allowing it to be easily removed.

Clean, Efficient Energy From Coal—NETL has been the principal DOE

manager of cost-shared clean coal projects since the inception of the Clean

Coal Technology (CCT) Program in 1986. This role continues today under

the Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI).

• Successful First-Round Solicitation—NETL implemented a successful firstround solicitation in response to the President’s CCPI, which resulted in

36 proposals for projects valued at more than $5 billion. This solicitation

was the first in response to the President’s pledge to invest $2 billion in

Federal funding over 10 years to advance technologies that can help meet our

Nation’s growing demand for electricity while simultaneously protecting the

environment.

16 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

NETL scientist Evan Granite explains

that ultraviolet light drives a reaction

that removes mercury from power-plant

flue gas.

“ Just a few years ago, the idea

that a coal plant could be

pollution free, including even

carbon emissions, seemed

farfetched. Today that view

has changed. It now appears

likely that if the current pace

of R&D can be sustained, a

new type of fossil fueled energy

plant can be introduced by

2015 that would have virtually

no negative environmental

effects.”

Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Carl

Michael Smith, “Statement Before the House

Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on

Interior and Related Agencies, Concerning the

FY 2003 DOE Fossil Energy Budget Request,”

Washington, D.C., February 28, 2002.
• 2002 Power Plant/Project of the Year—Power magazine

presented the 2002 Power Plant of the Year Award to JEA

(formerly Jacksonville Electric Authority) for their large-scale

circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) combustion demonstration

project in Jacksonville, FL. The project also earned the

Project of the Year Award from Power Engineering magazine.

Power chronicled the progress of power-generation

technologies and specifically examined the promise of low

emissions, fuel flexibility, and enhanced performance

possible through CFB technology, such as the project

supported by NETL at JEA. The JEA repowering project

increased plant efficiency while reducing both emissions and

the cost of electricity. The project resulted in one of the

cleanest coal-fueled facilities, with ultralow emissions of

sulfur dioxide (SO2) at 0.15 lb/MBtu, NOX at 0.09 lb/MBtu,

and particulates of all sizes (0.011 lb/MBtu).

• Transport Gasifier Reduces Costs/Increases Efficiencies—The feasibility of using high-rank coals in an integrated

gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) transport gasifier was demonstrated by completing a 180-hour test with Sufco

bituminous coal at the Power Systems Development Facility in Wilsonville, AL. Steady operations were achieved in

both the gasifier and particulate collection equipment. Southern Company Services, the facility operator, estimates that

total capital costs for using a transport gasifier in an IGCC system would be reduced by 5 to 18 percent from the costs

for using conventional gasifiers, and that plant efficiencies would be increased to 46 percent from a level of

38 to 43 percent. In addition, the transport gasifier was successfully operated with oxygen feed, which would further

improve IGCC efficiency and provide a simpler, more reliable, and less expensive gasification system. The use of

oxygen would also avoid the extensive nitrogen dilution created in air-blown gasifiers, thus enhancing the potential for

low-cost carbon capture and sequestration.

• Intelligent Sootblowers—NETL has signed an agreement with Tampa Electric Power Company to demonstrate how

advances in 21st-century computer technology can make a vintage 1970s coal-fired power plant run cleaner and more

efficiently. This $2.4 million project calls for engineers to install a new “neural network-driven” computer system in

one of the boiler units at the Big Bend Station near Apollo Beach, FL. Designed to prevent soot from building up in

coal boilers, this computerized system will replace conventional, manually operated sootblowers. Sootblowers use

high-velocity jets of steam or air to blow carbon residue off the inside surfaces of coal-fired boilers.

Ultralow-NOX Combustion System—NETL-sponsored research on oxygen injection technology has resulted in a new

approach to coal combustion that can reduce NOX emissions to levels below the regulatory target of 0.15 lb/MBtu. The

new oxygen injection technology can be retrofitted to most existing coal burners and could reduce regulatory compliance

costs by up to 50 percent, compared to the cost of the best currently available technology. In addition, improved

combustion efficiencies result from oxygen injection, which reduces the amount of unburned carbon in the combustion

process fly ash, thus producing a more usable by-product.

Improved Sulfur Recovery Process—NETL-sponsored research at Research Triangle Institute has resulted in a patent

application for a low-cost, less-complex process to remove and recover sulfur from gas streams produced from coalgasification systems. This single-step process could recover 99 percent of the sulfur in the gas stream. Conventional

scrubbing technology typically requires a more-expensive, more-complex scrubbing operation.

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 17

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

The JEA repowering project converted an existing oil/

gas-fired steam plant to coal-fuel blends, and resulted in

the largest circulating fluidized-bed unit in the world.
New Class of Sensors—A university research program that focuses on

developing sensors capable of operating in high-temperature combustion

environments has been initiated. Properties of sensor devices, including

chemical stability, hardness, high-temperature conductivity, and electronic

characteristics, are being studied in harsh operating environments to

determine stability and survivability. These improved sensors could be

capable of rapid and real-time measurement and control of pollutants in

advanced high-efficiency energy technologies.

Virtual Environment Center—Researchers at NETL have devised a

four-surface, virtual-environment technology that immerses users in a

synthetic environment generated from digital science and engineering

data. NETL is collaborating with Ames National Laboratory to develop

the cave-like automatic virtual environment facility into a science

laboratory and engineering design center for the fossil-fueled energy

plants of the future. The center will be capable of predicting dynamic

responses of entire energy systems, and will be used to find science,

engineering, and design solutions to Vision 21 plant development.

Carbon Sequestration—NETL seeks to define carbon sequestration’s role

in stabilizing atmospheric CO2 levels by developing scientific understanding

and environmentally acceptable technologies. Many power plants and other

large point sources of CO2 emissions are located near geologic formations

that are amenable to CO2 storage. Injection of CO2 into a geologic

formation can often enhance the recovery of oil and gas, which can offset

the cost of CO2 capture. Sequestration of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems

offers a low-cost means of reducing net carbon emissions with significant

collateral benefits: restored natural environments for plants and wildlife,

reduced runoff, and increased domestic production of agriculture and forest

products. Terrestrial carbon sequestration could also serve a strategic role

in offsetting carbon emissions from vehicles and other dispersed energy

systems, such as residential heating and small industrial processes.

• Geologic Sequestration—Geologic formations, such as oil fields,

coalbeds, and saline formations may provide large-scale opportunities

for sequestering CO2, and NETL has initiated studies to determine the

potential of such formations to hold CO2. Agreements have been

established to examine the technical feasibility and environmental

consequences of injecting CO2 into underground formations. Working

with the U.S. Geologic Survey, NETL researchers developed a

comprehensive saline-formation database containing information on

over 65,000 such formations from all 50 States.

• CO2 Injection in Enhanced Oil Recovery—NETL and Canada’s

Department of Natural Resources have implemented an agreement to

monitor the storage capacity, movement, and fate of CO2 injected into a

geologic formation for enhanced oil recovery. While CO2 injection has

historically been used for enhanced oil recovery, this Weyburn CO2

18 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

NETL’s Virtual Environment Facility

“To clean the air, and to address

climate change, we need to

recognize that economic

growth and environmental

protection go hand in hand.

Prosperity is what allows us

to commit more and more

resources to environmental

protection. And in the coming

decades, the world needs to

develop and deploy billions of

dollars of technologies that

generate electricity in cleaner

ways. And we need strong

economic growth to make that

possible.”

President George W. Bush, “President Announces

Clear Skies & Global Climate Change Initiatives,”

Silver Spring, MD, February 14, 2002.
sequestration project in southeastern Saskatchewan, which was organized by

the International Energy Agency, will provide the first large-scale test to

determine if oil reservoirs offer sufficient storage integrity to provide longterm carbon sequestration. CO2 for the project will be provided from the

Great Plains Synfuels plant in Beulah, ND. In addition, agreements with

Battelle Laboratories, American Electric Power, CONSOL Energy, and the

University of Texas-Austin will examine injection of CO2, including CO2

recovered from coal-fired power plant emissions, into underlying geologic

formations, including coalbeds and saline aquifers.

• Terrestrial Sequestration—The Nature Conservancy, through a grant from

NETL, initiated a project to explore the compatibility of carbon sequestration

and biodiversity. The Conservancy will study how CO2 can be stored more

effectively by changing land-use practices and undertaking forestry projects.

Using newly developed aerial and satellite-based technology, researchers

will study forestry projects in South America to determine their carbon

sequestration potential. A Technical Advisory Panel was convened to critique

progress in developing tools to measure and verify the quantity of carbon

stored in terrestrial sequestration projects in Brazil, Bolivia, and Belize. The

projects are designed to offset GHG emissions. New software models will also

be tested to predict the quantity of carbon uptake by soil and vegetation in the

United States and internationally, thus supporting development of accurate,

cost-effective, and accepted tools that can account for the amount of carbon

stored using terrestrial-sequestration technologies.

Commercial CO2 Projects and Sources

in the United States

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 19

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

“ The issue of climate

change respects no border.

Its effects cannot be

reined in by an army nor

advanced by an ideology.

Climate change, with its

potential to impact every

corner of the world, is an

issue that must be

addressed by the world.

President George W. Bush, “President Bush

Discusses Global Climate Change,” The White

House, June 11, 2001.
Commercial Success for Fuel Cells—Largely because of DOE

leadership in technology development and the communication of results,

commercial interest in environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient fuel

cells is rapidly emerging. This is demonstrated by the 20-percent

increase in attendance and the 92 exhibitors at the June 2002 Fuel Cell

Seminar in Palm Springs, CA, in November 2002. The seminar has now

become an annual conference. Examples of the rise in commercial

viability of fuel cells follow.

• Fuel Cell Operation at Bronx Hospital—Under an agreement with

NETL, New York Power Authority successfully demonstrated a

200-kilowatt (kW) phosphoric acid fuel cell at the North Central

Bronx Hospital that is connected to the grid, but can also automatically

switch to a backup generation mode in the event of grid failure. The

unit manufactured by United Technology Fuel Cells generated

707,695 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity at a capacity factor of

97.5 percent with only three shutdowns for a period of 1 year. Based

on this experience, other public hospitals in the city are considering

adoption of fuel cells and other clean, highly efficient distributed

generation technologies.

• Largest Ever Fuel Cell Demonstration—A first-of-a-kind fuel cell

operation on coal gas was resited from its original project to the IGCC

plant in Wabash, IN. By doing so, DOE accelerated the FuelCell Energy

(FCE) 3-megawatt electric (MWe) demonstration by several years, which

is now expected to start up in 2003. This will be the first commercial

fuel cell application for central power generation.

• FuelCell Energy Torrington Facility—Beginning as a Small Business

Innovation Research award, NETL-nurtured technology development

resulted in FCE designs and manufacturing processes that reduced

molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) product costs by 40 percent. The

technology advances led to a recently constructed, privately financed,

facility in Torrington, CT, that is capable of manufacturing 50 megawatts

(MW) per year of fuel cell units. These fuel cell power systems will

generate electricity from natural gas at about 50 percent efficiency and

with near-zero pollutant emissions. The high efficiency also greatly

reduces CO2 emissions.

• Clean Electricity from Sewage—FCE’s MCFC systems are being

applied in unique ways. For example, FCE has partnered with EPA and

King County, WA, to deliver a 1-MW fuel cell-based power plant that

will be fueled by digester gas from a municipal wastewater treatment

plant. The plant will supply electricity to the municipality. In another

application, an FCE MCFC system will operate in a cogeneration mode,

supplying 90 percent of the backup power and 20 percent of the building

heat for Ocean City College in Toms River, NJ. Emissions from these

operations will be near zero.

20 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

A 200-kilowatt phosphoric-acid fuel cell sits on

the roof of the North Central Bronx Hospital.

Testing of a 1-MW FuelCell Energy MCFC

Plant
Hybrid Systems for Efficient Power Generation—Hybrid systems combine two or more power-generating technologies

into an integrated power generation system. These systems can merge the best aspects of different power technologies

into one system that achieves fuel efficiency and emissions performance beyond the reach of any single stand-alone

system. Examples of hybrid system advances in the past year follow.

• National Fuel Research Center—The successful outcome of an NETL-managed fuel cell R&D project resulted in

completion of the world’s first acceptance test of a 220-kW hybrid power plant. The hybrid plant is a combination of a

fuel cell and a microturbine, the most advanced fuel cell system ever developed. Linked together in a mini-power plant

the size of a small house trailer, this system was tested for 1,300 hours at the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the

University of California-Irvine.

• Advanced Hybrid Fuel Cell Attracts Investors—NETL-sponsored R&D has attracted the commercialization expertise

of Caterpillar, Inc. FCE and Caterpillar, Inc., recently announced an agreement to distribute and develop ultralowemission power generation products for industrial and commercial use. The companies plan to jointly develop

Caterpillar-branded power plants in the 250-kW to 3-MW size range, incorporating FCE’s fuel cell module. They also

plan to explore the development of a hybrid power system utilizing Caterpillar’s turbine engine technology and FCE

products. FCE has developed MCFC technology and indirect fuel cell/turbine hybrid power systems under separate

contracts with NETL.

• Hybrid Control Strategies—NETL researchers are modeling system dynamics and controls for both MCFC and solid

oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems. A dynamic model of a SOFC integrated with a gas turbine was run for the first time

in FY 2002. The fuel cell/gas-turbine integration could generate electricity at efficiencies greater than 75 percent.

The model evaluates load conditions and can thus identify potential inlet over-temperature and turbine over-speed

conditions. Model results help define and support research strategies, such as mitigation for loss of load to the fuel

cell or gas turbine.

• Zero-Emissions Power—Under NETL sponsorship, Siemens Westinghouse validated a concept for zero emissions from

a SOFC power plant. A ceramic oxygen-transport membrane is incorporated, which separates oxygen that combusts

depleted fuel from the fuel cell. The result is a pure CO2 stream that can be sequestrated. Approximately 2,500 hours

of membrane operation were completed. Such designs will be demonstrated as part of the Vision 21 power plant initiative.

Improving Fuel Cell Performance and Reducing Costs—Fuel cells offer a clean, quiet, and adaptable power source

for electricity generation, but they need to be made cost-competitive with other power sources. NETL is involved in

improving fuel cell performance and making them even cleaner as well as reducing their costs:

• Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA)—The NETL plan for bringing fuel cell energy benefits to American

citizens achieved a major milestone with the selection and announcement of 19 research projects that are expected to

provide the scientific breakthroughs allowing a tenfold cost reduction in fuel cell systems. Researchers will extend the

frontier of high-temperature materials science, devise models to reduce manufacturing cost, and develop innovative

sensors and state-of-the-art simulation methods. As of 2002, SECA has four industry teams that include Delphi,

General Electric, Cummins, and Siemens Westinghouse working on designs for target markets for high-power-density

SOFC systems that can be mass produced.

• Reducing Fuel Cell Costs—Under NETL sponsorship, General Electric (previously Honeywell, Inc.) demonstrated a

33-percent performance improvement in power generation at 800 °C for planar solid-oxide fuel cells. Very high fuel

utilization rates (up to 80 percent) were attained, leading to high fuel-efficiency and low cost. This project is part of

NETL’s SECA program, which is targeting a tenfold reduction in fuel cell system costs.

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 21

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)
• Novel Device for Improved Fuel Cell Performance—Fuel cell life

and performance have been improved through research at NETL.

Researchers have invented a novel concept that uses micro-valves to

control cell-to-cell flow of air and fuel. These valves use micro-electromechanical systems. In collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh,

a prototype design has been completed and fabrication has been initiated.

The expected fuel cell life extension and reliability could dramatically

reduce fuel cell system operating costs.

Prototype Ramgen Engine—A radical new power generating technology

called Ramgen was shown to be ready for prototype fabrication under a

project cosponsored by NETL. Ramjet engines are mounted at the tips

of turbine blades to spin a generator at supersonic speed. Design review

by DOE revealed no insurmountable technical barriers. Prototype testing

is expected to occur in 2004 by Ramgen Power Systems, headquartered

in Bellevue, WA. If tests prove successful, Ramgen could become a key

component in DOE’s Vision 21 program to develop high-efficiency,

virtually pollution-free power plants.

Understanding Carbon Monoxide Adsorption—Iron can be used as the

Fischer-Tropsch (FT) catalyst to produce coal-derived syngas. In the FT

process, synthesis gas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide

(CO), is reacted in the presence of an iron catalyst to produce such

products as methane, synthetic gasoline and waxes, and alcohols.

Knowledge of the chemisorption properties of CO on the iron surface is

important in properly describing the mechanism associated with FT

catalysis and in developing more optimal processes. NETL researchers

used mechanical calculations to determine the most stable adsorption

configuration for CO modules on the iron surface. The results can

assist in modifying the FT process for producing fuels and chemicals

from coal.

Hydrogen: Clean Fuel of the Future—Hydrogen produced from fossil

fuels can provide the transition to sustainable, renewable resources for

energy production in the long term, yielding solutions to America’s energy

security needs and minimizing the environmental impacts of energy use.

NETL is working with industrial and academic partners on advanced

technologies and processes to convert coal to hydrogen. In addition, NETL

researchers are examining novel hydrogen-separation membranes, as well

as an enhanced water-gas shift reaction using membrane reactors, to

improve the separation and yield of hydrogen under the hightemperature, high-pressure conditions that are typical of gasification

processes. Our Nation can rely on its abundant coal reserves and use

these technologies and processes to produce hydrogen, while capturing

CO2 emissions and producing electric power. These activities can

provide our Nation with a new hydrogen way of life—a hydrogen

economy.

22 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

Schematic of the 400-kilowatt

Ramgen Turbine

This computer simulation of the

Fischer-Tropsch process shows

carbon monoxide (green and

red) adsorbing on iron (orange)

surfaces.
Oxygen Membrane Technology—Two projects on oxygen membrane technology could make advanced coal combustion

technologies cleaner and more efficient:

• Ion-Transport Membrane Syngas—High-purity oxygen is a key requirement for many industrial processes and

advanced energy technologies, but extracting oxygen from air is both capital- and energy-intensive. DOE and Air

Products and Chemicals, Inc., of Allentown, PA, are jointly funding development of a novel ion-transport membrane

that can separate oxygen at potentially much lower costs and with much better energy efficiency than current

technology. Tests to determine ceramic membrane performance in a laboratory-scale apparatus are complete, and five

candidate membranes have operated for more than 6 months at high pressure, producing data for performance models.

Additional laboratory-scale testing of catalysts and membrane stability will continue in support of pilot-scale operations

and future commercialization.

• Oxygen-Transport Membrane Technology—In a cooperative agreement with NETL, Praxair, Inc., of Tonowanda, NY,

has made remarkable progress in developing a ceramic membrane that will economically separate oxygen from air for

improved coal gasifier performance. By using oxygen instead of air, the synthesis gas produced from coal is undiluted

with nitrogen, resulting in higher downstream processing efficiency, lower NOX production, and easier carbon capture

and sequestration if combusted. Separation by a ceramic membrane is expected to overcome the thermal inefficiency

and capital intensity of current technologies, which could favorably impact the cost of IGCC systems.

Ash for Aggregate Manufacturing—Construction has begun on a demonstration plant to transform 115,000 tons/year

of ash from the Mirant-Birchwood Power Facility in King George County, VA, into aggregate for manufacture of

lightweight masonry block and concrete. Nationally, the use of combustion-related ash for material production could

significantly reduce the landfill costs and environmental impacts of ash disposal. Universal Aggregates, LLC, of

Bridgeville, PA, will demonstrate its aggregate manufacturing technology in this demonstration project. The project,

managed by NETL, is a result of the DOE Power Plant Improvement Initiative.

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 23

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

Mirant-Birchwood Power Facility

in King George County, VA
Enhancing Economics and Efficiency of IGCC—Several operational

successes were achieved in the Liquid-Phase Methanol Process Demonstration

Unit at Eastman Chemical Company’s chemicals-from-coal complex in

Kingsport, TN. The catalyst needed to synthesize methanol from coal-derived

gas was successfully activated using in-situ techniques in two separate

operation cycles. Activation within reactor vessels at the plant avoids the

external batch activation approach previously used and could result in an

estimated 10-percent reduction in capital costs for a new plant. The plant has

experienced additional periods of uninterrupted operation, which has increased

the overall level of availability of the plant to 97.7 percent since the initial

startup in early 1997. This technology demonstration was established through

a cooperative agreement between NETL and Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.,

to enhance the economics and efficiency of IGCC power generation by

producing a clean-burning, storable liquid (methanol) from synthesis gas,

particularly during periods of low power demand.

Improved Materials for Higher Efficiency Processes—NETL-supported

research on materials improvements for enhancing fossil energy processes has

uncovered an approach that increases the durability of molybdenum-silicon

materials. These materials are lighter and less expensive and possess greater

stability at higher temperatures than materials currently envisioned for use in

advanced fossil energy plants, such as nickel-based super alloys.

Molybdenum-silicon materials could enable advanced fossil energy systems to

achieve ultrahigh thermal efficiencies.

• Laboratory Research—Research work sponsored by NETL at the Pacific

Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has resulted in development of new

methods for improved sealing of ceramic-to-metal joints that are exposed to

high-temperature environments. Effective seals are vital for the hightemperature ceramic-to-metal components that are needed to separate

hydrogen, oxygen, or CO2 from process gas streams for efficient downstream

processing.

• Ceramic Material Formulations—Ceramic material formulations have been

identified that increase hydrogen permeability, by a factor of three, above the

permeability of previously studied materials, while achieving greater

stability and easier processing. These formulations could reduce the cost of

producing hydrogen from gasified coal. Effective and regenerable sorbents

have also been identified that could reduce solid waste and improve the

overall economics of power generation from gasified coal.

Awards—NETL and NETL researchers continue to earn awards for

outstanding achievements in research on advanced fossil energy technologies:

• American Chemical Society Names Outstanding Paper—A paper on coal

swelling theory by NETL scientists Badie Morsi, Ekrem Ozdemir, and Karl

Schroeder received the R.A. Glenn Award at the Spring 2002 meeting of the

American Chemical Society. The paper was recognized as outstanding in the

24 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

“ We all believe technology

offers great promise to

significantly reduce

emissions—especially

carbon capture, storage

and sequestration

technologies. . . . So we’re

creating the National

Climate Change

Technology Initiative to

strengthen research at

universities and national

labs, to enhance

partnerships in applied

research, to develop

improved technology for

measuring and monitoring

gross and net greenhouse

gas emissions, and to fund

demonstration projects for

cutting-edge technologies,

such as bioreactors and

fuel cells.”

President George W. Bush, “President Bush

Discusses Global Climate Change,” The White

House, June 11, 2001.
fuel division. CO2 sequestration in deep unmineable coal seams with recovery of methane is one of the most appealing

forms of long-term CO2 storage, and may also be a cost-effective way for coal and power industries to mitigate GHG

emissions. The NETL scientists investigated physical, chemical, and environmental effects on the ability of coal to

adsorb CO2. Their research led to alteration of the equation describing CO2 adsorption to account for coal swelling.

• Project of the Year Award—NETL received the Project of the Year award from Power Engineering magazine at the

Power-Gen conference in December 2001 for the Advanced Turbine Systems Program. This was the first time DOE

has won this award for one of its R&D activities. The award cites a joint government-industry development effort that

began in 1992 and culminated recently with the commercial introduction of advanced turbine system products.

• Financial Times 2001 Global Energy Award—The NETL High-Efficiency Engines and Turbines (HEET) program

was nominated for a Financial Times 2001 Global Energy Award, which recognizes outstanding accomplishments in the

global energy industry. A Clean Energy Systems (CES) project was one of seven nominated finalists in the category of

Pre-Commercial Technology Development of the Year, which focused on commercially inspired innovation. The CES

HEET project is based on a zero-emission rocket engine design used in NASA space shuttles.

• Achievement and Innovation Awards—NETL Director Rita A. Bajura was awarded the Washington Coal Club’s

Annual Achievement Award in December 2001. This award honors an individual who has recently made a meaningful

contribution to the coal community. Ms. Bajura was cited as an effective champion of advanced approaches for cost

effectively using coal for electric power generation with near-zero emissions of CO2 and air pollutants. Rita Bajura also

received the University of Pittsburgh’s Annual Award for Innovation in Coal Conversion in September 2002, which

honors an individual who has provided recent and significant contributions to new technologies, new procedures, or new

policies for coal utilization.

ER5—By 2020, add over 1 million barrels per day in domestic oil

production and almost 2 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) per year in

additional gas production as a result of technologies and practices

from DOE-supported research and development.

Diagnostics and Imaging—Newly developed imaging and modeling technologies

will enable production from tight, inaccessible, and fractured reservoirs, which

contain major portions of our Nation’s future oil and gas resources. Such reservoirs

include fractured shale, fractured tight gas reservoirs in the Rocky Mountain region,

deeper parts of producing basins, and reservoirs in deep water or below salt in the

Gulf of Mexico. In FY 2002, NETL demonstrated numerous seismic and geophysical

tools and techniques for use in characterizing hydrocarbon reservoirs, and the results

were transferred to industry for implementation through the Petroleum Technology

Transfer Council.

• Advanced Visualization Software—Researchers at Michigan Technological University have combined existing

reservoir information from core samples and well logs with advanced software visualization techniques to model

fracture systems that control reservoir fluid flow. Eleven new faults have been mapped on three horizons (Dundee,

Salina, and Stray) in the Central Michigan Basin. The data are now available on the Internet, permitting visualization

and interpretation of reservoir conditions in the Dundee formation throughout the Michigan Basin. Improved models

will aid geoscientists in predicting reservoir characteristics from seismic data. This will decrease risks associated with

exploration and development operations, thus reducing costs and increasing profits.

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 25

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)
“ The President’s National

Energy Policy emphasizes that

21st century technology is the

key to environmental protection

and new energy production.

The American oil and gas

industry has made great strides

in technology development

and is one of the global

leaders in the successful use

of advanced technologies and

best operational practices.”

Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Carl

Michael Smith, “Statement to the Committee

on Resources, U.S. House of Representatives,”

Washington, D.C., March 19, 2003.

26 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

• Advanced Imaging Method—A Southwest Research Institute project

resulted in a method that integrates nuclear magnetic resonance techniques

and acoustic measurements to improve predictability of the productive

rock layers in hydrocarbon reservoirs. This is particularly important in

understanding extremely complex carbonate rocks. Carbonates are often

fractured because of their brittle nature, and drilling through fractured

carbonates can cause large volumes of drilling fluids to be lost in the rock

formation. Carbonates constitute about 13 percent of sedimentary rocks.

• Vertical Seismic Profiling—Vecta Exploration’s seismic technology uses a

conventional, unidirectional compression sound wave, plus three other major

types of shock waves, to paint a richer and much more revealing portrait of

underground rock formations. Expectations are that the combination of all

four wave types will permit petroleum geologists to locate the elusive

stratigraphic traps where oil can accumulate because of changes in the rock’s

character, such as porosity. This new imaging technology is considerably

more expensive than conventional methods, but is expected to reduce drilling

costs, increase oil discovery rates, and improve the recovery of bypassed oil.

Use of vertical seismic profiling could result in recovery of billions of

additional barrels of oil across the United States.

• Improved Ways to Find Gas Reservoirs—NETL and Paulsson

Geophysical Inc. achieved a fivefold improvement in wellbore vertical

seismic imaging. The development enhances the capability of gas well

operators to find hidden reservoirs between existing wellbores in a natural

gas field. Gas field production can thereby be greatly increased or extended

without developing new drill sites.

• Seismic Technology Helps Native Americans—Use of seismic technology

has also helped a Native American Tribe. An estimated 890 million barrels

of oil and natural gas liquids and six trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas

are thought to exist beneath Native American lands in the lower 48 States

and Alaska. NETL’s Native American Initiative program is designed to help

Tribes develop and manage their energy resources in an environmentally

sound manner by participating in joint exploration and production efforts

with the oil industry. By providing Tribes access to the latest technological

innovations, NETL hopes to enable them to develop and manage their

mineral resources. The effort is expected to return economic dividends to the

Tribes at the same time it helps to strengthen our country’s energy security.

The Uintah and Ouray reservation in Utah is the location of two discoveries

by independent Wind River Resources Corporation and the Ute Indian Tribe.

Combined, the two wells produce in excess of 2 million cubic feet of gas and

50 barrels of oil per day. These exploration wells were drilled as a result of

3-D seismic survey funded by NETL.
NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 27

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

An Example of DOE’s Microdrilling

Technology: Attaching the drill bit

to a thin steel coil could be a major

advancement in underground oil and

gas exploration.

Drilling—Drilling technologies under development permit high-efficiency

directional drilling, faster rock penetration rates, reduced environmental risks,

and lower costs. Significant NETL accomplishments in FY 2002 include the

following:

• High-Fracture Technology for Low-Permeability Gas Reservoirs—

Multiple projects are proving that production from low-permeability natural

gas reservoirs can be doubled, thereby transforming uneconomic reservoirs

into economically recoverable gas reserves. These technology solutions are

favorably impacting the availability of low-cost natural gas. For example,

drilling in New York confirmed that new seismic, gravity, and magnetic

techniques can locate gas-containing fractures; and drilling in the San Juan

Basin, NM, proved that a borehole tool—high-resolution cross-well seismic

survey—is effective in fracture density evaluation.

• Sonic Tool to Unclog Wells—A low-cost sonic cleaning tool may do a

better job than conventional means of unclogging wells that are used to

withdraw gas from underground storage reservoirs. A DOE-sponsored

team of companies led by Furness-Newburge Inc. of Versailles, KY, has

produced a prototype system that uses sound waves to remove inorganic

matter and other debris that clog the perforations of gas wells. The

technology could significantly increase the efficiency at which natural gas

is withdrawn from storage reservoirs, making a larger amount of gas

available to consumers during the winter heating season.

• Deep Trek—The technology needs for Deep Trek have been defined, and

five responsive research projects have been selected. The Deep Trek

initiative is designed to develop technologies that make it economically

feasible to produce deep oil and gas resources. If these projects are

successful, drillers will be provided with new tools to unlock natural gas

supplies that lie 20,000 feet or more beneath the Earth’s surface. The

projects, totaling almost $8 million, will assist industry in developing

high-tech smart drilling systems—tough enough to withstand the extreme

conditions of deep reservoirs, yet economical enough to make the gas

affordable to produce.

• Composite Drill Pipe Readied for

Demonstration—Composite drill pipe may provide

a low-cost natural-gas-well drilling option that is

cheaper and easier to use than steel drill pipe. Such

options are needed to contain cost as greater depths,

deeper water, and longer horizontal drill paths are

needed to satisfy our appetite for energy. NETL has

worked with Advanced Products and Technology Inc.

to develop standard-diameter pipe designs that are

ready for production and initial drilling

demonstrations.

Engineers demonstrate the flexibility of the advanced composite

drill pipe.
• Novel Drill Bit for Gas Wells—The search for natural gas requires drilling

deeper and doing so economically. Pennsylvania State University and NETL

have developed a new approach for manufacturing tungsten-carbide bit cutters

that is expected to reduce costs and extend bit life. A powder-metallurgy

microwave-sintering process produces a material grain boundary that results

in a bit with much better wear and less erosion and corrosion. A prototype

production system has been designed, built, and transferred to Dennis Tool

Company for manufacturing.

• Slimhole Drilling in Arctic Environment—In collaboration with NETL,

the Alaskan Tribal-owned NANA Development Corporation, Cominco

Alaska Inc., and Advanced Resources International produced improved

arctic drilling tools and systems that are more cost efficient, and reduce the

size of the footprint to one-third that of a typical drilling operation. The new

tools drill holes that are 3-inches in diameter compared to conventional 8-inch

holes, and require substantially reduced volumes of drilling muds/fluids and

casing cement. By reducing by-product accumulation and disposal, slimhole

technology reduces costs and environmental risks. The smaller, mobile drilling

rig is designed to protect workers from exposure to harsh environments and

because it’s so light, can be transported to remote locations by helicopter,

thus avoiding road construction and surface disturbance to the tundra.

Drilling fluids designed to prevent freezeup in the permafrost zone are

effective, safe, and biodegradable. Using this slimhole technology,

Cominco and NANA discovered and are developing a large (>2 Tcf) gas

shale deposit. This unconventional energy resource will be used to fuel

nearby mining operations, avoiding the expense of diesel fuel and its

transportation. The technology can be used to provide electrical power for

remote villages and communities. The technology is applicable to

unconventional gas deposits not only in Alaska, but also other arctic

settings such as Canada and Russia.

28 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

“As Presidents Bush and Putin

said almost a year ago, ‘An

open market economy, the

freedom of economic choice

and an open democratic

society are the most effective

means to provide for the

welfare of the citizens of our

countries.’ . . . we see

additional opportunities for

technology exchange in the

areas of arctic production

technologies, gas flaring and

gas hydrates; opportunities

for expanded exchange

programs to enhance data

collection and analysis; and

opportunities to exchange

ideas and technology on

increased energy efficiency.”

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, Remarks

at the U.S.-Russia Commercial Energy Summit,

Houston, TX, October 1, 2002.

Laying Pipeline in Alaska
Enhanced Reservoir Efficiency—For every barrel of crude oil produced in the

United States, two barrels are left in the ground. Average oil recovery from U.S.

reservoirs is only about 32 percent. Although it is physically impossible to

recover all of the oil that is discovered, the potential for improvement with the

use of advanced technologies is very large indeed. These advanced technologies

can slow down, even stabilize the declining oil production rate, and increase the

gas production rate. They can also reduce the rate at which domestic oil and gas

fields are being abandoned—an extremely important result because once shut

down, restoring oil and gas reservoirs to production is usually uneconomic.

NETL had significant accomplishments in this area in FY 2002:

• Stripper Well Technology—Stripper wells (low-producing oil and gas

wells) are a recognized source of U.S. energy from oil and gas, now

providing 8 percent of our gas annually. A new research consortium

helped find technology solutions that allowed members to continue

production from this existing infrastructure that otherwise would have

been prematurely abandoned. The NETL-managed Stripper Well

Consortium, consisting of over 60 members in 14 States, completed over

13 highly relevant and quick-turnaround research projects with timely

web-based dissemination of results to members.

• Produced Water Disposal Technique—As part of an NETL project,

researchers at the Environmental Energy Research Center of the University of

North Dakota successfully completed a commercial-scale demonstration of the

Freeze-Thaw/Evaporation (FTE®) process that treats and disposes of water

produced from oil and gas operations. The process was shown to be fieldworthy and effective in removing salts, dissolved heavy metals, and organics

from produced water, making the water safe for wildlife and livestock and

suitable for beneficial uses, such as irrigation, dust abatement, and drilling mix.

The process is based on the principle that as ambient temperature falls below

32 oF, pure water freezes sooner than brine. This provides a mechanism for

separating the heavier brine fraction from the relatively high-quality water

fraction. By relying on seasonal changes to produce the freezing and thawing,

the cost for disposing of the treated water from the demonstration site in the

Jonah Gas Field, WY, was reduced by 80 percent over the commercial disposal

option. Comparable savings in other climatically suitable areas will depend on

local disposal fees and transportation costs.

• Oilfield Waste Injection Disposal Techniques—Terralog Technologies and

NETL have partnered to develop and test improved fracture-injection disposal

techniques and diagnostic tools. One such process is slurry fracture injection

(SFI), a means to dispose of accumulated oilfield wastes by deep well

injection. This process yields considerable advantages to the operator over

conventional disposal methods. SFI provides an environmentally attractive and

permanent disposal solution for considerable volumes of nonhazardous oilfield

waste, and has minimal impact on surface land use. In addition, it affords a

significant reduction in long-term liability to the operator while reducing

transportation and disposal costs.

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 29

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

“ When President Bush took office

he was handed a number of

energy challenges: electricity

shortages, and high prices for

gasoline and natural gas. . . . he

addressed them not in piecemeal

fashion, but by designing

comprehensive plans to ensure

our energy security for this

century. The quiet diplomacy in

international oil markets and

creative solutions to our natural

gas supply challenges were part

of the plan.”

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham,

“Remarks to the National Petroleum Council,”

May 16, 2003.

During the FTE® separation process, ice

piles separate into produced water and brine.
• Risk-Based Data Management System (RBDMS)—The RBDMS is a PC-based program that allows States to easily

manage their production and underground injection data and to make risk-based regulatory and operational decisions,

such as where to assign inspectors for maximum effectiveness. The system enables States to generate reports quickly

for EPA and the public. Originally developed for six States, RBDMS has proven so successful that 25 States have

formed a users group to help each other implement the system. At least 17 States have adopted the system and more

are in the planning stage.

Synthetic Fuels—Several NETL accomplishments in improving the production of synthetic gas and liquid fuels can be

reported for FY 2002:

• Novel Reactor for Synthesis Gas Production—Synthesis gas production technologies available today require large

reactors and significant amounts of steam, and the resulting ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide still must be adjusted

for conversion to liquid. These disadvantages make the technologies capital-intensive and difficult to implement,

particularly in remote locations or in limited space (e.g., oil platforms). Praxair, Inc., designed and fabricated a

prototype high-pressure reactor to produce synthesis gas from natural gas by partial oxidation reforming. The reactor

has a residence time on the order of milliseconds, steam is not needed, and hydrogen and carbon monoxide are

produced at a ratio ideal for gas-to-liquid production. Reactors using the technology cost 25 to 50 percent less than

more traditional methods.

• High-Efficiency Syngas Generation—Reforming natural gas into carbon monoxide and hydrogen is the highest cost

step in producing methanol and Fisher-Tropsch liquids. Steam reforming requires expensive high-nickel-alloy

reforming tubes. Conventional auto-thermal or partial oxidation reforming minimizes the size and cost of the reformers

and provides a near optimum mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, but incurs the added expense of pure oxygen.

With funding from NETL, TDA Research, Inc., is developing a process that has the advantages of the pure oxygen

process (smaller reactors and nitrogen-free product) at a reduced cost by using a nickel catalyst for both oxygen

extraction and steam reforming. During FY 2002, four sorbents were prepared; characterized for strength, oxygen

loading, and catalytic activity; and subjected to multiple-cycle tests. One sorbent gave promising results in the

multiple-cycle tests, and will be subjected to extended-cycle testing. An economic analysis showed approximately

15-percent cost savings on producing gas-to-liquids utilizing the TDA process, compared to oxygen-blown auto-thermal

reforming.

• Syntroleum Clean Fuels Plant—Syntroleum Corporation and Marathon Oil Corporation broke ground for a

synthetic fuels plant in the Port of Catoosa near Tulsa, OK, in August 2002. The demonstration plant, being

constructed at an approximate cost of $36 million, will produce 70 barrels of ultraclean diesel fuel per day by mid2003. Initial testing of the synthetic fuels will involve bus transit vehicles in Washington, D.C., and Government

vehicles in Denali National Park, AK. Daimler-Chrysler and Volkswagen are also demonstrating the use of these

fuels in vehicles having prototype diesel engines and emission control systems. The U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force

will test these fuels in ground, aviation, and rocket systems. This NETL project is expected to be a key in meeting

the demanding quality specifications of tomorrow's fuels.

• Nickel-Based-Catalyst Development—NETL researchers have developed a robust catalyst that is superior to those

commercially available on the market for producing syngas from natural gas and CO2. A series of nickel-based

catalysts containing alkali-earth metals such as magnesium and calcium, promoted with sodium and potassium, has

been prepared and tested for more than 360 hours, producing a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide from natural

gas without forming significant amounts of carbon in the catalyst bed. Since carbon is a major cause of catalyst

deactivation and shutdown in processes that produce hydrogen, the catalyst could significantly reduce the cost of

hydrogen production. The information obtained from this study has been presented at national meetings and published

in peer-reviewed journals.

30 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)
Methane Hydrates—Methane hydrates are cage-like lattices of ice, inside

of which are trapped molecules of methane (the chief constituent of natural

gas). Around the United States, large deposits have been identified and

studied in Alaska, the west coast from California to Washington, the east

coast, including the Blake Ridge offshore of the Carolinas, and in the Gulf

of Mexico. Worldwide estimates of the natural gas potential of methane

hydrates approach 400 million Tcf—a staggering figure compared to the

5,000 Tcf that make up the world’s currently known gas reserves. This

huge potential, alone, warrants a new look at advanced technologies that

might one day reliably and cost-effectively detect and produce natural gas

from methane hydrates. If only 1 percent of the methane hydrate resource

could be made technically and economically recoverable, the United States

could more than double its domestic natural gas resource base. In FY 2002,

researchers collected naturally occurring gas hydrate samples during

research cruises off the coast of Oregon and in the Gulf of Mexico, and

from a deep well in the Northwest Territory of Canada:

• Oregon—The research vessel (R/V) JOIDES Resolution docked at

Victoria, BC, in September 2002. The largest amount of marine methane

hydrate core samples ever recovered for scientific study was unloaded.

The samples were collected from 50 miles offshore of Oregon in an area

known as Hydrate Ridge. The samples were shipped in pressure vessels

to Texas A&M University for study by scientists from around the globe.

Their detailed analyses of the icy substance could reveal new clues about

this potential resource that many believe could hold the key to a virtually

inexhaustible supply of natural gas. NETL provided over $1 million in

cofunding along with the specially designed pressure vessels used to

preserve core samples.

• Gulf of Mexico—Research cosponsored by NETL provided valuable new

gas hydrate scientific data during 14 successful dives conducted in May

and June 2002 by the cruise ship R/V Seward Johnson and the

submersible Johnson Sea-Link. The cruise was dedicated to studying the

near-seafloor hydrocarbon system within the hydrate stability zone of the

northern Gulf of Mexico, and specifically at locations in the Green,

Mississippi, and Desoto canyons. Researchers are also analyzing the

results from the seafloor probe recovered at this hydrate site.

- Partially funded by DOE, gas hydrate samples were obtained from the

seafloor by the R/V Marion Dufresne in July 2002. U.S. scientists

obtained 17 40- to 70-foot-deep core samples. Ongoing sample analysis

will aid in the predictive capability of the nature and location of the

resource, a critical research need for preserving seafloor stability during

drilling operations.

The R/V JOIDES Resolution is the world’s

largest scientific drill ship.

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 31

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

Researchers use gloves to handle methane

hydrates.
• Northwest Territory—Cofunded by DOE, researchers drilled a 1,200-meter-deep well in the Mackenzie Delta of the

upper Northwest Territory of Canada and obtained samples of methane hydrates for resource characterization. NETL

research personnel present during the drilling are working with the U.S. Geological Survey and other team members to

expand the scientific knowledge of this gas resource, which is believed to be more than seven times the U.S. original

gas-in-place estimates for all non-hydrate methane.

• The Arctic—NETL and industry partners finalized plans for the first dedicated gas hydrate well in Alaska to test the

concentrations of hydrates in the North Slope. In preparation for the 3,500-foot well, scheduled for groundbreaking

in March 2003, the partners developed a unique arctic drilling platform and a specialized onsite core characterization

system. Recoverable gas locked in arctic hydrates is estimated at 11,000 to 24,000 Tcf.

Pipeline Infrastructure—Natural gas is distributed to virtually every region of the country through an extensive system

made up of more than 1.3 million miles of pipelines, meters, compressor stations, and more than 400 storage reservoirs.

The gas industry currently has the capability to deliver approximately 75 billion cubic feet per day during peak periods.

NETL is working with private industry to reduce consumer costs through increased deliverability, decreased deliverability

revitalization costs, and increased operating efficiency.

32 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

• Conformable Array Measures Pipeline Corrosion—Initial tests

confirm the feasibility of using a conformable array as a low-cost

way for field engineers to quickly map corrosion of natural gas

pipelines. This device, a flexible pad of eddy-current sensors,

measures depth and pattern of corrosion when wrapped around the

pipe. The analyzed field data produces a two-dimensional colorcontour map that can be used to update maintenance records or

trigger repair. New technology such as the conformable-array

device will provide greater reliability and security for our Nation’s

gas pipeline infrastructure.

• Unique Flow-Loop Facility—As a member of the Joint Industry

Partnership focused on hydrate research, DOE funded relocation of

a $1.5-million “flow loop” donated by Marathon Oil Company from

their facility in Littleton, CO, to the north campus of the University

of Tulsa, OK. The orientation of the flow loop is variable.

Temperature and pressure controls allow researchers to determine

the conditions leading to the formation of hydrate accumulations

that can obstruct flow within the simulated pipeline. Ensuring the

proper flow of oil and gas in many different, sometimes extreme,

operating environments is a key challenge facing the industry.

DOE’s effort to stem the continuing decline of industry

involvement in domestic R&D activities was rewarded when British

Petroleum recently announced their intention to use the facility to

help plan a $15-billion deep-water Gulf of Mexico exploration and

production effort.

Natural Gas Pipeline
This unique flow-loop facility can simulate

the flow of oil, water, and gas in a pipeline

at different slopes on the ocean floor.

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 33

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Energy Resources (ER)

“ Energy technologies

have become extremely

complex. For the most

part, they are no longer

invented by the brilliant

individual working in

isolation: the Thomas

Edison, the George

Westinghouse. They are

developed by teams of

individuals, with diverse

skills, working in

collaboration.”

NETL Director Rita A. Bajura, speech at

Relaunch of JEA’s Northside Generating Station,

Jacksonville, FL, October 14, 2002.

ER8—Provide national and international energy data, analysis,

information, and forecasts to meet the needs of the energy

decision-makers and the public in order to promote sound policy

making, efficient energy markets, and public understanding.

Forecasting Tool Updated—NETL provided the Energy Information

Administration (EIA) with alkylation and iso-octane technology information

and cost data to be entered into their national energy modeling system

(NEMS). Alkylation is the principal technology used to convert gaseous

hydrocarbons produced during refinery cracking operations into a salable

liquid product. Iso-octane is a biodegradable gasoline component that has

low vapor pressure and superior octane value, making it very clean burning.

The updated technology and cost information mean that NEMS can now be

used to estimate the short- and mid-term effects of pending legislation on

these specific petroleum refining techniques. NEMS can also be used for

sensitivity studies to establish the consequences of a range of responses by

refiners to any regulatory changes that result from the legislation.

Oil in the Sea—A report, sponsored in part by NETL, presented the most up-todate estimates of the various sources of petroleum and petroleum products found

in the world’s oceans. Of the oil found in the oceans, approximately 60 percent

is from natural sources, such as seeps. Oil exploration and extraction are

responsible for only 3 percent of the petroleum that enters the oceans. The report

was published by the National Research Council. Committee members included

the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Coast Guard, Chevron Texaco Corporation,

several universities across the country, Environment Canada, and Woods Hole

Oceanographic Institution. Recommendations from this report are intended to

help policy makers prioritize next steps for pollution prevention and response.
Science (SC)—Deliver the scientific

knowledge and discoveries for DOE’s applied

missions; advance the frontiers of the physical

sciences and areas of the biological,

environmental, and computational sciences;

and provide world-class research facilities and

essential scientific human capital to the

Nation’s overall science enterprise.

NETL’s world-class onsite research facilities in Pittsburgh, PA, and

Morgantown, WV, support the DOE Science goal and the U.S. position as the

world leader in science. NETL scientists are making important contributions

in separation of hydrogen from carbon dioxide, computational energy science,

and gas energy system dynamics. NETL recruits top scientists through various

programs to support U.S. leadership in science and ensure the success of

DOE’s Science mission.

SC4—Provide leading scientific research programs in materials

sciences and engineering, chemical sciences, biosciences, and

geosciences that underpin DOE missions and spur major

advances in national security, environmental quality, and the

production of safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally

responsible systems of energy supply; as part of these programs,

by 2010, establish a suite of Nanoscale Science Research

Centers and a robust nanoscience research program, allowing

the atom-by-atom design of revolutionary new materials for

DOE mission applications; and restore U.S. preeminence in

neutron scattering research and facilities.

Nanotubes for Hydrogen Storage—Researchers at NETL and the University

of Pittsburgh have suggested that a chemically and physically disordered array

of activated carbon nanotubes may provide a solution to hydrogen storage

problems. They have discovered that the best material for hydrogen storage

may not be the ideal nanotube structures frequently assembled in theoretical

studies. Disordered arrays of nanotubes can be activated and engineered to

provide molecular nooks and crannies with improved chances of approaching

the density target of 6 weight-percent required to make the onboard storage of

hydrogen using carbon nanotube technology economical.

34 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Science (SC)

“ Anyone who is practically

acquainted with scientific

work is aware that those

who refuse to go beyond

fact rarely get as far as

fact; and anyone who has

studied the history of

science knows that almost

every great step therein has

been made by the

‘anticipation of Nature.’”

Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95),

British biologist and educator.

An NETL scientist describes storage

opportunities in the channels of

disordered arrays of nanotubes.
Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award—Dr. Eric Beckman of the

University of Pittsburgh received the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge

Award for his work on designing non-fluorous, highly CO2 -soluble materials.

Collaborating with researchers at Yale University on an NETL project in

enhanced oil recovery, Dr. Beckman is applying these less expensive and

environmentally friendly materials to enhance CO2 viscosity, which increases

the amount of oil that can be recovered from a reservoir. The awards

program provides national recognition of outstanding chemical technologies

that incorporate the principles of green chemistry into chemical design,

manufacture, and use, and can be or have been utilized by industry in

achieving their pollution-prevention goals.

John Franklin Carll Award—The Society of Petroleum Engineers

awarded Dr. Gary A. Pope, University of Texas-Austin, the John Franklin

Carll award for achievements that advance petroleum engineering

technology. Dr. Pope is the principal investigator for the NETL enhanced

oil recovery project, “A New-Generation Chemical Flooding Simulator.”

Distinguished Achievement Award—The Society of Petroleum Engineers

presented Dr. William R. Rossen, University of Texas-Austin, the

Distinguished Achievement Award for Petroleum Engineering Faculty for his

superior teaching, excellence in research, and significant contributions to the

petroleum engineering profession. Dr. Rossen is the principal investigator for

the NETL project, “Mechanistic Studies of Improved Foam-Enhanced Oil

Recovery Processes.”

SC5—Enable advances and discoveries in DOE science through

world-class research in the distributed operation of highperformance scientific computing and network facilities; and

deliver, in 2006, a suite of specialized software tools for DOE

scientific simulations that take full advantage of terascale

computers and high-speed networks.

Advanced Gasifier Model—NETL scientists completed the first version of an

advanced gasifier model that incorporates gasification chemistry into a

multiphase fluid dynamics code to simulate the transport gasifier at

Wilsonville, AL. The code was run on the new terascale computer at the

Pittsburgh Supercomputer Center. Such advanced models will be instrumental

in economically attaining the goals of the Vision 21 initiative. Vision 21 plants

will be virtually pollution-free, will process a wide variety of fuels (such as

coal, natural gas, biomass), and will produce multiple products (electricity,

liquid fuels and chemicals, hydrogen, and industrial process heat).

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 35

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Science (SC)

“ Progress in energy technology

development is not linear. It

occurs in fits and starts as

forms of energy that have

dominated for decades, if not

centuries, give way to new

energy technologies. Just as

direct forms of energy—wood,

wind, water, and animals—

gave way to steam engines,

electricity, and the internal

combustion engine, so too will

today’s energy technologies

give way to a future we can

only imagine.”

NETL Director Rita A. Bajura, speech at

International Energy Policy Conference,

Oklahoma City, OK, October 24-25, 2002.

Operation of high-performance scientific

computing and networking facilities will be

instrumental in attaining Vision 21 goals.
SC7—Provide major advanced scientific user facilities where

scientific excellence is validated by external review; average

operational downtime does not exceed 10 percent of schedule;

construction and upgrades are within 10 percent of schedule

and budget; and facility technology research and development

programs meet their goals.

Facilities Improvement Program—NETL initiated a 7-year facilities

improvement program in FY 2002 that included the construction of two new

buildings, the renovation of several existing buildings, and the disposal of

obsolete buildings. The improvement program will provide an excellent return

on investment: (1) the total life-cycle cost savings for the improvement

program is almost $11 million over 30 years; (2) operational costs are

projected to be reduced by about $3.00 per square foot for operation,

maintenance, and utilities; and (3) 22,500 square feet of billable space will be

eliminated. A design contract was initiated for one of the new buildings and

design contracts were awarded for renovation of several buildings. Several

projects were completed to repair critical building systems, renovate missionsensitive research facilities, and upgrade high-priority infrastructure.

New Facility Used to Study Ocean Sequestration—NETL has designed

and constructed a high-pressure water tunnel facility that allows laboratory

duplication of deep-ocean conditions. The facility is being used to investigate

the chemical, physical, and thermodynamic behavior of CO2 when it is

injected into the ocean. The rig is helping scientists understand the formation

mechanism of ice-like CO2 hydrates and the ultimate fate of sequestered CO2

in deep-ocean conditions. Recent results on the rate of CO2 dissolution in

seawater compare favorably with those obtained from actual investigations by

the Monterey Bay Aquarium Institute.

Peer Review Process—Consistent with NETL’s performance metrics, our

onsite research projects are subject to periodic merit reviews. Each project

is typically reviewed by a team of technical experts representing industry,

academia, other research institutions, and the Government. In FY 2002, merit

reviews were conducted for 60 projects in various research areas, including

carbon sequestration, advanced fuel processing, advanced power systems, gas

hydrates, combustion processes, fuel cell and hybrid systems, computational

energy science, and environmental research. The merit reviews have

contributed significantly to improving the quality of research at NETL.

36 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Science (SC)

“ Science is the knowledge

of consequences, and

dependence of one fact

upon another.”

Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679),

British philosopher.

By manipulating seawater flow,

NETL’s high-pressure water tunnel

facility can hold a buoyant drop of

CO2 stable for extended observation

through its viewing port.
Environmental Quality (EQ)—Aggressively

clean up the environmental legacy of nuclear

weapons and civilian nuclear research and

development programs at 114 of the

Department’s sites; permanently dispose of the

Nation’s radioactive wastes; minimize the

social and economic impacts to individual

workers and their communities resulting from

Departmental activities; and ensure the health

and safety of DOE workers and the public and

the protection of the environment.

During the Cold War, the nuclear weapons complex generated large amounts of

waste, which pose unique problems. DOE is committed to remediating sites

across the country that supported the Nation’s production and testing of nuclear

weapons. The DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) manages

some of the most technically challenging and complex work of any

environmental program in the world.

NETL is a vital contributor to the development of innovative environmental

technologies and their subsequent deployment at DOE’s former weapons

complex sites, reducing remediation costs and risks. NETL is committed to

perfecting techniques that will protect the health and safety of its workers, the

public, and the environment while removing the contamination.

EQ1—Safely and expeditiously manage waste; clean up

facilities and the environment; and stabilize and store nuclear

material and spent nuclear fuel, with the intent to complete

cleanup of 16 additional sites by the end of 2006, bringing the

total number of sites cleaned to 92 out of the total 114.

New System Saves Money/Time and Reduces High Radiation Exposure—

The in-situ object counting system (ISOCS), manufactured by Canberra

Industries, Inc., has been deployed at the Nevada Test Site and at Brookhaven

National Laboratory. The gamma-ray spectroscopy system, demonstrated by

NETL, identifies isotopes and characterizes structures, facilities, and soil as

well as waste packages. ISOCS is being deployed with the Multi-Agency

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 37

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Environmental Quality (EQ)

The In-Situ Object Counting System

“ In this century, the

greatest environmental

progress will come about

not through endless

lawsuits or commandand-control regulations,

but through technology

and innovation.”

President George W. Bush, “State of the

Union,” The U.S. Capitol, January 28, 2003.
Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual. The methodology verifies that

the exterior of a structure can be released for disposal prior to demolition. The

combined system is lowering disposal costs and time by reducing the need to

send smears, physical samples, and cores for analysis onsite and offsite, and by

reducing information compilation and quality assurance reviews. A big bonus is

that the combined system reduces personnel exposures to high radiation.

Three-Dimensional Model of Soil Contaminant Concentrations—During

operation and following shutdown of a reactor pile at Brookhaven National

Laboratory, two very large below-grade air ducts used to provide cooling to

the reactor experienced water intrusion. Using the ISOCS instrument

verified in the earlier project as well as other innovative technologies, NETL

partnered with Brookhaven to produce a three-dimensional representation of

soil contaminant concentrations under the ducts. Results indicated that

contamination was located in several discrete areas, but most of the soil

beneath and surrounding the ducts was clean. The cost savings that resulted

from the reduced number of needed samples, the accelerated schedule, and

the costs for sample analysis are estimated to be $3.4 million. An additional

$7.1 to $8.1 million in potential savings resulted from leaving the ducts in

place and only removing the contaminated soil.

Bioremediation Technology—ARCADIS of Durham, NC, is developing

biotechnology that can significantly reduce remediation costs under a contract

with NETL. Bioremediation could achieve the required effluent standards in

about 5 years, whereas comparable baseline pump-and-treat technology could

take up to 100 years. Using this new technology means that a number of

contaminated DOE sites should meet the 2006 closure schedule.

Cheaper Treatments for Metal Contaminated Soils—Nuclear Fuel

Services, Inc., is partnering with IT Corporation of Knoxville, TN, to develop

a treatment for mercury-contaminated soil. The treatment is an amalgamation

process that stabilizes mercury and other Resource Conservation and Recovery

Act metals; remediates contaminated soils, sludge, and waste; and meets land

disposal requirements. Preliminary cost-benefit analyses show a potential

50-percent reduction in costs compared to the current baseline technology.

Encapsulation Technology for Radioactive Waste—Kaiser Hill Company

has successfully demonstrated the use of a polyurea spray as an industrial

encapsulation package for low-level radioactive and hazardous equipment at

the Rocky Flats Closure Project. Under the accelerated deployment contract

managed by NETL, two 20-ton Lindberg furnaces were removed, packaged

using the encapsulation spray, and shipped to the Nevada Test Site for disposal.

The estimated cost savings for disposal of the two furnaces exceeded $30,000.

The process is now being considered for a large contaminated waste compactor

at Rocky Flats at an estimated cost savings of over $100,000.

38 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Environmental Quality (EQ)

“ In the end, the fate of

children depends on our

ability to use technology

constructively and

carefully. . . .Technological

decisions made today will

determine, perhaps

irrevocably, the kind of

physical and social world

we bequeath them and the

kind of people they

become.”

Kenneth Keniston, U.S. professor of human

development, All Our Children, chapter 3, The

Carnegie Council on Children, 1977.

Furnace Packaged With Spray-On

Polyurea Coating for Shipment to the

Nevada Test Site
Russian-Developed Device Demonstrated and Deployed—NETL was

successful, through its participation on the U.S.-Russian Joint Coordinating

Committee on Environmental Restoration, in bringing a Russian-developed

gamma-locator/isotope-identification device to the United States for

demonstration. The technology was initially demonstrated at Idaho National

Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), and INEEL has since

deployed it. The device is a unique arrangement that combines a gamma

camera with a gamma spectrometer. It was designed and developed by the

Research and Development Institute of Construction Technology (NIKIMT) in

Moscow, Russia, based on a machine originally used at Chernobyl. NIKIMT

and RedZone Robotics of Homestead, PA, are exploring the possibility of U.S.

commercialization of the device. The device can eliminate the need to send

samples offsite for analysis, reduce worker exposure to radiation, and can

reduce both time and cost over similar conventional devices.

Hemispheric Center for Environmental Technology (HCET) Activities—

Under DOE funding, Florida International University has been evaluating

baseline and innovative technologies for deactivation and decommissioning

(D&D) applications since 1995. As a result of these assessments, directly

comparable performance data related to operations and maintenance, primary

and secondary waste generation, and health and safety have been compiled.

Two successful HCET projects are described below.

• Jet Edge Ultrahigh-Pressure Water-Jet Cutting System—Using 55,000-psi

water pressure combined with an abrasive for controlled cutting of metal, Jet

Edge technology was demonstrated in early June at the HCET by sectioning

a glove box and annular tank. The demonstration was part of an evaluation

of innovative technologies performed under the DOE Office of Science and

Technology (OST) University Program managed by NETL.

• Remote Harsh Environment Surveyor—HCET’s harsh-environment

surveyor is a remotely controlled, mobile unit equipped with a radiation

sensor that enables workers to safely assess radioactive contamination. The

surveyor is an example of the technologies emerging from the DOE OST

University Program that could drastically improve the D&D process at

radiologically contaminated facilities while reducing decommissioning time

schedules. The surveyor can also be fitted with additional tools and sensors

for use in long-term monitoring and surveillance.

NETL Technology Receives Engineering Achievement Award—A diamond

wire-cutting process, developed under NETL’s D&D Focus Area, has received

prestigious recognition. The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory received the

2002 Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award from the New Jersey Society

of Professional Engineers. The process was used to safely dismantle the tritiumcontaminated vacuum vessel of the TOKAMAK Fusion Test Reactor. Only the

diamond saw comes in contact with the radioactive material, and it can cut

dissimilar materials in one operation through remote control. Compared to

conventional methods, the process reduces worker exposure to radiation, and

produces fewer airborne emissions and radioactive waste.

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 39

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Environmental Quality (EQ)

Remote Harsh Environment Surveyor

“ Thanks to increased

international cooperation,

the turn to market-based

economies, and the great

promise of today’s and

tomorrow’s technologies,

we are entering a world of

almost limitless potential.”

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham,

“Remarks at the Announcement of the

FutureGen Power Plant of the Future Project

and the Carbon Sequestration Leadership

Forum,” Washington, D.C., February 27, 2003.
National Nuclear Security (NS)—

Strengthen United States security through the

military application of nuclear energy and by

reducing the global threat from terrorism and

weapons of mass destruction.

Nuclear weapons remain a key component of the Nation’s security posture. A

critical challenge is the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction: nuclear,

chemical, or biological weapons or nuclear materials that could fall into the

wrong hands and be used against U.S. interests, both domestically and

internationally. In addition, international events and crises continue to arise to

which the United States must project a proactive presence. NETL is involved

in looking at ways of reducing the production of weapons of mass destruction

by foreign countries, and in finding safe and economical ways to store

radioactive waste.

NS2—Detect, prevent, and reverse the proliferation of

weapons of mass destruction while promoting nuclear safety

worldwide.

Creating a Fuel Cell Industry in Russia—NETL is helping create a new

industry and partnership among DOE, the Russian Federation (RF) Minatom,

and U.S. and Russian private industry with funding from the Nuclear Cities

Initiative (NCI). The goal of the NCI program is to engage Russian nuclearweapons scientists in alternative economic pursuits other than the production of

weapons of mass destruction, and the objective of the partnership is to use the

resources of former RF weapons manufacturing facilities to launch a fuel cell

industry in Russia. NETL is helping the partnership develop a business plan,

form a U.S.-RF joint venture, and obtain capital funds. The joint venture will

commercialize several types of fuel cells. Goals include cost reduction, market

and infrastructure development, and job creation. The ultimate vision is a selfsustaining, worldwide, competitive, RF fuel cell power plant industry by 2010.

International Nuclear Safety and Cooperation—NETL initiated work on the

National Nuclear Security Administration’s Seversk and Zheleznogorsk

plutonium production elimination projects. These two projects and the nuclear

safety upgrades project, which is supported by Pacific Northwest National

Laboratory, constitute the Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation’s

Elimination of Weapons Grade Plutonium Production Program. NETL’s

efforts in support of the program are to provide sufficient coal-based

replacement energy to permit the RF to shut down its three remaining

plutonium-production reactors. These RF reactors, two located at Seversk

(Tomsk region) and one located at Zheleznogorsk (Krasnoyarsk region),

provide essential heat and electricity to these two Siberian cities and

surrounding regions.

40 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

National Nuclear Security (NS)

“ Since September 11, 2001,

our Nation has taken great

strides to improve homeland

security. Citizens, industry,

and Government leaders

from across the political

spectrum have cooperated to

a degree rarely seen in

American history.”

President George W. Bush, National Strategy

for Homeland Security, July 2002.

A Fuel Cell Power Plant
Corporate Management (CM)—

Demonstrate excellence in the management

of the Department’s human, financial,

physical, and information assets. Successfully

implement each of DOE’s requirements in the

President’s Management Agenda; demonstrate

measured progress in resolving DOE’s

management challenges; and resolve all

management recommendations from DOE’s

Inspector General and General Accounting

Office within 3 years of issuance.

The corporate management goal is the focus for improving management

and accountability while ensuring the safety, security, and health of the

workforce and members of the public. NETL contributes to best business

and management practices by using corporate systems that integrate a

diverse portfolio of program missions with our program support structure.

We provide a safe and rewarding workplace, and we are recognized for our

business excellence and our ability to deliver results. We act as a customeroriented public servant, working for our internal DOE customers, but

ultimately for American taxpayers.

CM1—Achieve effective and efficient management of the

Department of Energy by implementing the President’s

Management Agenda initiatives on Strategic Management of

Human Capital; Competitive Sourcing; Improved Financial

Performance; and Budget and Performance Integration.

NETL Earns PILLAR Award—NETL was one of two Federal agencies to

receive the PILLAR (Performance, Incentives, and Leadership Linked to

Achieve Results) Award in August 2002. The award represents the highest

recognition given by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and

recognizes exemplary employee performance-management practices that

contribute to a citizen-centered, results-oriented Government. Thirty

nominations were received from 14 different agencies. NETL received the

award for its innovative and effective performance management and awards

system. This system is based on linking employees with organizational

goals, performance measures, and a rewards system that reaches employees

at all levels.

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 41

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Corporate Management (CM)

“ This Administration is

dedicated to ensuring that

the resources entrusted to

the Federal Government

are well managed and

wisely used. We owe that to

the American people.”

President George W. Bush, “President’s Message,”

The President’s Management Agenda, Fiscal Year

2002.

NETL’s Performance Management and

Awards System
Excellence-in-Government Awards—The Pittsburgh Federal Executive Board

annually recognizes outstanding employees in the Pittsburgh and Morgantown

areas with Excellence-in-Government Awards. The annual event rewards

employees in the Federal Government whose service demonstrates deep

personal and professional commitment. Over 150 nominations were received

from area agencies. Seven NETL employees and one NETL team received

awards: three gold awards, one silver award, and four bronze awards.

Malcolm Baldrige Self-Assessment—NETL conducted its second Malcolm

Baldrige National Quality Award Program criteria self assessment in FY 2002.

The assessment addresses performance and helps to determine strengths and

weaknesses relative to the award criteria. NETL employs a systematic

approach that is responsive to the basic purposes of most items in the Baldrige

criteria. The results of the assessment were used to improve NETL’s collection

of performance metrics, and to create baseline trends as a foundation for

performance improvement.

HBCU/OMI Program—NETL selected six projects under the Historically

Black Colleges and Universities and Other Minorities (HBCU/OMI) program

in FY 2002. The HBCU/OMI program recognizes that first-class scientific

studies are needed to advance global industrial competitiveness, clean energy

research, national security, and environmental quality. The program (1) serves

as a technology base for developing ideas and data to generate new and

improved products; (2) provides opportunities for developing mentoring

relationships with industrial partners; and (3) assists in producing the next

generation of scientists and engineers of diverse backgrounds.

Assistance to Headquarters Programs—NETL played a significant role in

several DOE programs in FY 2002:

• Investment Decisionmaking and Performance Measurement—DOE’s FE

office was one of the 20 percent of Federal Government agencies that

completed the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Program

Assessment Rating Tool (PART) during FY 2002. NETL completed the 32-

question PART appraisal for five program components: the Clean Coal

Research Initiative, Fuel Cells (Stationary), Methane Hydrates, Gas

Exploration and Production, and Oil Exploration and Production. PART

assesses program purpose and design, strategic planning, and program

management and results. In terms of performance measurement, NETL uses

a Baldrige-like “dashboard” to assess performance against a set of high-level

metrics, one of which is our performance against GPRA annual targets.

During FY 2002, NETL met 10 of its 11 GPRA targets, with one delayed

until FY 2003.

42 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Corporate Management (CM)

“ Good beginnings are not

the measure of success.

What matters in the end is

completion. Performance.

Results. Not just making

promises, but making good

on promises.”

President George W. Bush, “President’s Message,”

The President’s Management Agenda, Fiscal Year

2002.
• Value Engineering—The NETL Center for Acquisition and Business

Excellence (CABE) serves as the lead Federal support group for the DOE

Office of Engineering and Construction Management in establishing and

managing the Department’s Value Engineering program. This year, the

CABE completed development of a standard practice for value engineering

that will be included in the upcoming revision of the DOE Project

Management Practices Guide. The CABE also developed the value

engineering training curriculum to be included in the DOE Project

Management Career Development Program.

Staffing for the Future—NETL identified and analyzed a number of issues,

such as prospective retirements, declining budgets, functional studies under

the Federal Activities Inventory Reform Act, and skills-mix imbalances, that

could affect our ability to meet current and new mission requirements.

Management of human capital is an important part of the President’s

Management Agenda: agencies must demonstrate that their human capital

strategy is aligned to support mission, goals, and organizational objectives.

NETL’s strategic analysis identified skills that may be lost by attrition, skills

needed to support anticipated mission changes, and a proposed strategy for

meeting the requisite skill mix through FY 2006.

Project Management Training and Certification—In an effort to continually

improve the quality of our workforce, NETL has institutionalized a project

management training program. This program is based on principles of the

Project Management Institute (PMI), an internationally recognized organization.

Seven NETL project managers have received certification as Project

Management Professionals, and 40 others have been accepted by PMI as

qualified to take the certification examination this coming year. NETL’s overall

goal is to have 90 percent of project management staff certified by 2005.

Minority Mentoring and Internship Program (MMIP)—NETL completed

the second year of this program, which provides internship opportunities to

students. In addition to the six students in the MMIP, NETL also employs six

students in the Student Career Employment Program. Hiring students is part of

NETL’s succession planning.

Senior Executive Service (SES) Mentoring Program—This program teams

SES-level mentors with protégés selected from among applicants at general

service (GS) levels 13 through 15 who have shown strong leadership potential.

Thirteen protégés were selected from among 26 applicants and paired with

mentors. Mentor-protégé pairs are pursuing objectives outlined in

individualized mentoring agreements prepared for 1-year terms.

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 43

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Corporate Management (CM)
Gallup Survey on Employee Engagement—NETL worked with the

Gallup Organization to develop and implement an Organizational

Improvement Training Program (OITP). Using a simple 13-question

survey of employees, the OITP assessed the current strength of NETL’s

workplace. Strength of a workplace is described as the level to which an

organization engages employees in their work and work life. The 2002

OITP provided a baseline measurement, and successfully raised awareness

of the importance of employee engagement—involvement and commitment

to their work—as a critical component for achieving program and

institutional results. It also provided managers with a tested process for

work unit improvement.

CM2—Implement the President’s E-Government initiatives by

developing a framework for existing Information Technology

and building a roadmap for corporate direction.

Electronic Posting of Solicitations—Approximately 99 percent of all NETL

competitive solicitations, including competitive financial assistance

solicitations, were issued electronically through the DOE web-based industry

interactive procurement system. Technical evaluators were able to review

proposals and applications electronically, speeding up the review process while

saving time and duplication, paper, and postage costs.

SECA Workshop—Conference attendees at the Third Annual SECA

Workshop meeting were able to use one of DOE’s E-Government initiatives.

Those who chose not to travel to the Pittsburgh conference location were able

to access presentation materials in real-time via the Internet and participate in

workshop discussions by telephone. Providing electronic access to workshops

is one way E-Government can reduce travel time and expense and open

meetings to a wider range of participants. SECA is a joint DOE-industry effort

to develop an ultralow-cost fuel cell.

Electronic Compliance and Approval Process (ECAP)—The ECAP system

was developed by the Texas Railroad Commission in partnership with NETL

(through the NPTO) and the oil and gas industry. It is an electronic commerce

system that eliminates paper by capturing, storing, and electronically

transmitting permitting information on oil or gas wells. ECAP is expected to

save $3 to $6 million annually, improve communication, and streamline

regulatory processes through the use of Internet-based technologies, relational

databases, document imaging, and workflow software. The process shortens

approval from 2 to 4 days to 1 hour. Once the ECAP system is fully

implemented to include other performance reports and compliance permits,

total annual industry savings in Texas, based upon only 25-percent utilization

of electronic filing, is expected to be $17.5 million.

44 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Corporate Management (CM)

“ I will expand the use of the

Internet to empower citizens,

allowing them to request

customized information from

Washington when they need

it, not just when Washington

wants to give it to them. True

reform involves not just giving

people information, but giving

citizens the freedom to act

upon it.”

Governor George W. Bush, “Making the

Government More Efficient,” Philadelphia, PA,

June 9, 2000.
Environmental Cost Analysis System (ECAS)—The CABE completed

several enhancements to the web-based ECAS, which is used to maintain and

analyze actual cost data for completed EM site cleanup projects. ECAS uses

the Engineering News Record Construction Cost Index History to escalate

costs for inflation. The CABE also provided system support for the installation

of ECAS at the Savannah River Site, the first site to actually enter project costs

interactively into ECAS.

I-MANAGE—NETL is actively participating in DOE’s Integrated

Management (I-MANAGE) Navigation System project, which will provide

each manager in DOE with current, web-accessible information on budgets,

people, procurements, projects, performance, and spending. The first major

application, the Standard Accounting and Reporting System (STARS), is due to

be implemented on October 1, 2004, and will replace the Department’s legacy

accounting system, DISCAS.

CM3—Ensure secure, efficient, effective, and economical

operations of the Department’s Information Technology

systems and infrastructure.

Information Management—NETL has adopted the rational unified process

(RUP) as its software engineering methodology. RUP is a web-enabled set of

software engineering processes that will help streamline NETL programming

and program-development activities. The software supports object-oriented

web-based applications development, which will mean better information

technology solutions for NETL business processes.

Network Intrusion Detection—NETL initiated an upgrade of its network

intrusion detection system as a result of a comprehensive cyber-security

vulnerability assessment. NETL’s cyber-security resources were enhanced by

providing a centralized monitoring and reporting capability. This facilitates

greater access to data correlation, and security personnel are better able to

respond rapidly to cyber threats.

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 45

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Corporate Management (CM)

“ Thanks to the advances of

electronic Government, we

envision a future that will be

very different from—and very

much better than—anything

the Department has seen in its

first 25 years. We will have a

strongly defined information

technology portfolio, closely

tied to a comprehensive

enterprise architecture,

supported by a robust budget

process with strong cyber

security protection.”

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham,

“Remarks, DOE e-GOV Action Plan Rollout,”

October 16, 2002.
CM4—Provide analysis of domestic and international energy

policy; develop implementation strategies; ensure policies are

consistent across DOE and within the Administration;

communicate analyses and priorities to the Congress, public,

industry, foreign governments, and domestic and international

organizations; and enhance the export and deployment of

energy technologies internationally.

Provide Analysis of Domestic and International Energy Practices and

Policies—NETL provided several technical reports for Government planners

and energy policy leaders:

• Report on Carbon Sequestration—NETL developed a report analyzing the

national benefits of carbon sequestration. The report examines the potential

contribution of carbon sequestration R&D to achieving the President’s goal

of 18-percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity by 2012. The

analysis provided a scenario for stabilizing GHG emissions by mid-century

and identified carbon sequestration as essential for that achievement. Carbon

sequestration can account for at least 50 percent of the required emissions

reduction.

• Industry Perspective on Gasification Markets and Technologies—NETL

compiled a report on the gasification industry’s view of R&D needs to meet

future market opportunities and environmental challenges. The report was

based on confidential interviews with expert teams from 22 prominent

organizations in the U.S. gasification industry.

• New Regulation on Cooling Water Use by Power Plants—NETL prepared

two reports on the new EPA ruling on the use of cooling water intake

structures in coal-fired power plants. The intent of the ruling is to ensure that

aquatic organisms are not affected. The reports quantify the costs and

regional impacts associated with retrofitting existing power plants to

conform with the new ruling, and discuss the feasibility of such retrofitting at

four existing steam-condensing power plants. NETL also reviewed and

critiqued numerous EPA reports on the proposed regulation during the

interagency review and subsequent public comment periods.

• The Economics of Gas Turbines—A region-specific study about the

economics of gas turbines fueled by natural gas and gas turbine combinedcycle systems was completed by NETL. The largest competitive electricity

market of the United States is the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland

interconnect (PJM) region. Evaluation of a range of possible fuel price

scenarios concluded that, at gas prices below about $4.00 per MBtu,

investors would continue to invest in new gas-turbine-based projects.

However, at higher fuel prices (without a corresponding increase in the price

of electricity), such an investment would not be made.

46 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Corporate Management (CM)

“ The acquisition of

knowledge is the

mission of research,

the transmission of

knowledge is the

mission of teaching,

and the application

of knowledge is the

mission of public

service.”

James A. Perkins, president of Cornell

University, “The University in

Transition,” Stafford Little Lectures at

Princeton, November 3, 1966.
• Fuel Cell Technology Benefits Quantified—An NETL study for the EPA

characterized the potential environmental benefit to the United States if fuel

cell technology were to be deployed in our industrial business sector.

Conclusions state that an annual pollution amount equivalent to 200 typical

100-MW power plants could be avoided.

• GHG Emission Reductions in the Transportation Industry—NETL

authored a report for the DOE Clean Cities program aimed at national and

international project developers and other entities. GHG Emission

Reductions and Natural Gas Vehicles: A Resource Guide for Project

Development provides a guide on how to estimate and document the GHG

emission reduction benefits or penalties of natural gas vehicles. The manual

is available the DOE Clean Cities Program webpage, on NETL’s Climate

Change Policy Support webpage, and on CD from NETL.

• Rocky Mountain Gas Resources—Gas-in-place resources of Rocky

Mountain basins have been assessed by NETL researchers. This first-time,

detailed, regional assessment analyzed hundreds of well-log suites to better

understand geologic and engineering parameters. This scientific knowledge

is guiding development of technology expected to someday allow resource

recovery of natural gas that would otherwise be deemed unrecoverable.

Develop Implementation Strategies—NETL developed implementation

strategies for several DOE programs in FY 2002:

• Strategies on Mercury and Other Pollutants—In support of

interagency strategy discussions on control of mercury and

other pollutants, NETL analyzed the cost and performance of

mercury and NOX control technologies for coal-fired boilers.

NETL-sponsored in-house research on mercury control was

heavily referenced by the EPA in a report on controlling

mercury emissions from coal-fired electric utility boilers.

NETL’s analyses and comments were submitted to the DOE

Policy Office and to the Department of State on the United

Nations draft global mercury assessment report. NETL

conducted workshops and meetings with industry

representatives and other key stakeholders to obtain input into

future needs for mercury control technology R&D. Input was

also obtained through meetings with industry, EPA, State

environmental agencies, research organizations, and other

interested parties to identify the potential implications of

future mercury regulations on the sale and disposal of coal

by-products and on research needs and opportunities.

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 47

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Corporate Management (CM)

Wisconsin Electric’s Pleasant Prairie Power Plant,

Mercury Control Test Site

Fuel Cell Vehicle
• CO2 Capture and Sequestration Give IGCC an Edge—Coal-based IGCC

with CO2 capture and sequestration would produce only one-fifth the

specific carbon emissions of state-of-the-art natural-gas combined-cycle

systems. If captured CO2 can be sold at historically realized prices for use

in enhanced oil recovery, electricity generation by IGCC with CO2 capture

can be profitable with no subsidy for avoidance of CO2 emissions. There

are prospects for deploying this technology in every State with oil

production, notably including California.

• Theory-Based Process Modeling of Fuel Cells—NETL has demonstrated

that the standard components of commercial simulators can be used to

formulate a thermodynamically consistent fuel cell model. Since the theorybased model can predict fuel cell performance for conditions outside actual

test data, it has been used to identify potential new directions for several

DOE programs, including hybridization of fuel cells with reciprocating

engines, and systems that capture CO2 from coal-derived fuel gases without

the efficiency penalties of conventional systems.

• Natural Gas Potential in Powder River Basin—The rich coal seams of the

Powder River Basin in Wyoming and surrounding States may hold much

more natural gas than previously believed. Advanced Resources

International, working under contract to NETL, has completed a study of

coalbed methane development and produced water management in the

Powder River Basin. The study raises the Wyoming Geological Survey’s

estimate of recoverable coalbed methane from 25 to as much as 39 Tcf.

Enhance Export and Deployment of Energy Technologies

Internationally—NETL researchers actively market our clean, efficient

technologies abroad. NETL also actively assists commercial enterprises in

exporting their technologies, most of which were developed under various

contractual mechanisms with NETL:

• Promoting Clean Coal Technology in the Asia Pacific Region—Three coal

technology meetings and a CO2 reduction study for the power sector in Asia

Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies were conducted by the

Expert Group on Clean Fossil Energy (EGCFE), which is chaired by NETL.

The meetings, which were held in Malaysia, included a seminar on the Asia

Pacific coal trade, a clean fossil-energy technology seminar, and a workshop

on trade and investment in the fossil-energy sector of APEC economies. Site

visits to two coal-fired power plants were also conducted.

- Representatives from Australia, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Korea, Hong

Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, P.R. China,

Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam attended the meetings. Also,

under EGCFE guidance, a study was completed on options to reduce

CO2 emissions from electricity generation in the APEC region.

48 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Corporate Management (CM)

FutureGen, the Integrated Sequestration

and Hydrogen Research Initiative, is a

Government/industry partnership to design,

build, and operate a nearly emission-free,

coal-fired electric and hydrogen production

plant.
Nineteen technical options were identified that could be used to reduce

CO2 emissions from existing and future APEC power plants. A second

phase of the project will include case studies of actual CO2 reduction

projects and action plans, and a third phase will disseminate project

information to senior officials in the energy ministries and power

sectors of APEC countries.

• United Nations Conference of Parties—The 8th Session of the Conference

of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

recently met in New Delhi, India. NETL provided two adjunct events in

cooperation with our regional partners, Winrock International, National

Thermal Power Corporation, and the U.S. Agency for International

Development (USAID)-Delhi. The two events were a combined heat and

power and decentralized energy symposium, and a USAID international

conference and exhibition. A compendium on cogeneration with an emphasis

on renewable energy, and the NETL Handbook on Sugar Mill Cogeneration

were presented to the Chief of the USAID mission and the U.S. ambassador

for distribution at the conference. Approximately 400 attendees participated

in the conference and adjunct events.

• Promoting Fuel Cell Use in Foreign Countries—NETL scientists and

engineers are promoting the use of fuel cell technologies as environmentally

sound power systems:

- Egypt: NETL is managing a project funded by USAID-Cairo under a fuel

cell cooperative agreement between DOE and Egypt. A fuel cell test facility

is being designed for the Egyptian Electric Holding Company (EEHC).

DOE engineers and support contractors performed a site inspection survey

and obtained site-specific information to complete the design. EEHC

officials visited the United States to (1) participate in a review of their

design-build plan, (2) meet with representatives of U.S. fuel cell companies,

and (3) visit an operating 200-kilowatt phosphoric acid fuel cell plant

operating on natural gas and a fuel cell testing laboratory. The cooperative

agreement supports foreign interest in developing fuel cell technologies that

are environmentally sound while promoting U.S. exports and sustainable

economic growth.

- Latin America: Participants at a fuel cell meeting hosted by NETL

agreed to pursue the establishment of a Latin America Fuel Cell Council

to facilitate future collaboration, resource-sharing, and information

exchange. Government and private sector representatives from Brazil,

Argentina, and Mexico met with national laboratory and private industry

personnel to discuss the technical and business aspects of fuel cell

deployment in their countries.

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 49

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Corporate Management (CM)

“ We have become a great

Nation, forced by the fact of

its greatness into relations

with the other nations of

the Earth, and we must

behave as beseems a people

with such responsibilities.

Toward all other nations,

large and small, our

attitude must be one of

cordial and sincere

friendship. We must show

not only in our words, but

in our deeds, that we are

earnestly desirous of

securing their good will by

acting toward them in a

spirit of just and generous

recognition of all their

rights.”

President Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919),

“Inaugural Address,” March 4, 1905.
• Training Programs—NETL conducted training for U.S. foreign-service

officers, power company personnel from India, and Russian oil and gas

professionals in FY 2002:

- Training for Foreign Service Officers—NETL conducted the third annual

week-long course on coal and power for the U.S. Department of State’s

foreign-service officers. The training focused on important issues in the

international energy arena, such as electricity deregulation, clean coal

technologies, climate change, pollution control technologies, and

ultraclean fuels. The U.S. Government and private industry must cooperate

if the technological advances in coal and power supported through DOE

programs are to be translated into world-market shares for U.S. industries.

Benefits of this cooperation will spread to the worldwide energy arena to

ensure safe, affordable, and clean energy for future generations.

- SABIT Program—NETL partnered with the U.S. Department of

Commerce (DOC) and Syntroleum Corporation to train 18 oil and gas

professionals from Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan,

Georgia, and Tajikistan. The training program was broad in scope but

limited to exploration and production topics, including business and

strategic planning, cross-cultural business practices, project management,

new techniques, and environmental strategies and solutions. The training

was part of DOC’s Special American Business Internship Training

(SABIT) program. The SABIT oil and gas exploration and production

program offers the unparalleled opportunity for energy companies in the

United States to meet with the chief decision makers, procurement officers,

and engineers working for potential clients and partners from the former

Soviet Union. One of the goals of the program is to enhance the transition

of these countries’ economies into market-oriented U.S.-friendly

strongholds. To date, SABIT has helped generate more than $200 million

in revenues and has successfully trained more than 2,000 executives and

scientists from the former Soviet Union.

- Training Indian Power-Company Personnel—Two Indian power-company

engineers/middle managers completed an intensive 5-week training program

in the United States. The training was facilitated by NETL and included

visits to power plants and power stations in Kentucky and Tennessee and the

National Center for Coal and Energy in West Virginia. Sessions included

information on heat rate and CO2 monitoring software, sulfur and nitrogen

oxides compliance, the U.S. power market, and U.S. power pricing and

dispatching practices. The training was supported under the Greenhouse Gas

Pollution Prevention Program funded by USAID-India.

50 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Corporate Management (CM)

“ You cannot escape

the responsibility of

tomorrow by evading

it today.”

President Abraham Lincoln

(1809-1865).
Communicate Analyses and Priorities—NETL’s technical analyses often lead to suggested priorities—for example, for

further research to expand the technical knowledge base or for commercialization of specific products or technologies.

But to be effective, these analyses and the resulting priorities must be communicated:

• Mid-Continent Carbon Sequestration Database—Through a cooperative agreement with geological surveys in Illinois,

Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, and Ohio, NETL initiated development of web-based computer technology that will enable

evaluations of the carbon sequestration potential in these five mid-continent States. When fully developed, the MidContinent Interactive Digital Carbon Atlas and Relational Database will allow users to locate and estimate point sources

of CO2 releases in relation to geologic features that could be used as potential reservoirs for CO2 sequestration. When

fully operational, this natural resource database and geo-information system could serve as a prototype for a national

database on carbon sequestration.

• Fuel Cell Handbook Published—NETL published the 6th edition of its Fuel Cell Handbook. First published in 1988,

the handbook now includes over 5,000 fuel cell patent abstracts and their claims, features a new fuel cell power

conditioning section, and contains an overview of the hydrogen industry and rare-earth minerals market. This

knowledge continues to stimulate emerging fuel cell technology innovations.

• GasTIPS to Reach Users—NETL reached out to thousands of potential new technology users by teaming with the Gas

Technology Institute in 2002. They are communicating emerging R&D for cost-effective solutions to meet growing

natural gas demands in the United States. NETL’s SCNG is working with Hart Publications to provide a quarterly

newsletter called GasTIPS that will describe these latest technology solutions.

• Websites Offer Technology Solutions—Websites

are today’s way of transferring information to the

widest possible audience. NETL has been active

in establishing new websites and upgrading and

maintaining those already in existence:

- National Methane Hydrate Website

Established—Government, academic, and

industry partners advanced efforts to better

understand methane hydrates as a climate

change agent, a subsea hazard, and as a

natural gas resource. The research program,

coordinated by NETL’s SCNG, now involves

13 Government laboratories or agencies,

10 universities, and a dozen exploration and

production (E&P)-related private companies.

The SCNG established a methane hydrate

website as a single reference point for

updating and informing project participants,

industry, and the public about evolving

scientific findings. In addition, the SCNG

now publishes a periodic newsletter, Fire in

the Ice, to inform interested parties of

workshop events and research activity.

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 51

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Corporate Management (CM)
- Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI) Website—NETL established the CCPI

website to provide public access to current, complete, and accurate

information on the implementation of this cost-shared partnership between

the Government and industry. Specific information, such as a copy of the

final solicitation and schedules for all pre-award meetings and workshops,

has been posted. A bulletin board on the CCPI homepage provides the

latest news and current events for this program.

- Clean Coal Technology (CCT) Compendium—The NETL-managed CCT

Compendium, which presents a worldwide web source of data generated

from the CCT program and related CCT developments, was cited by a

National Science Foundation (NSF) project that provides an on-line

Internet source of the most valuable and authoritative science and

technology literature. The NSF’s biweekly periodical, the National

Science Digital Library Scout Report for Math, Engineering, and

Technology, cited the CCT Compendium in its July 19 issue. The CCT

Compendium website (www.lanl.gov/projects/cctc) continues to receive

large numbers of visits, occasionally exceeding 20,000 per week and often

consisting of greater than 10 percent international accesses, from Australia

and countries of the European Union, Asia, South America, Africa, and the

South Pacific.

• Key Conferences and Workshops—Conferences, symposia, and workshops

offer the best and fastest way to transfer technology: one-on-one meetings

between the technology provider and the technology user. NETL was

involved in meetings with stakeholders in many fossil energy technologies in

FY 2002:

- Inaugural Gas Technology Conferences—NETL’s SCNG joined with the

Gas Technology Institute to sponsor two technology exchange conferences:

Natural Gas Technology—Investment in a Healthy U.S. Energy Future in

May 2002, and Natural Gas Technologies—What’s New and What’s

Next? in September 2002. These forums collectively involved over

700 attendees. Participants learned about emerging technology solutions

of national impact, and provided feedback to government leaders for

incorporation into R&D planning and prioritization.

- Government Research Pooled for Better, Faster Results—Research results

and plans for future methane hydrate research among Federal agencies

were addressed at the first Methane Hydrate Interagency R&D Conference

in March 2002. The collaborative conference was sponsored by FE,

NETL, the Naval Research Laboratory, Minerals Management Service,

U.S. Geological Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

and the National Science Foundation. Over 100 participants heard reports of

technology advancements at the SCNG-coordinated event. Each agency

presented research efforts by U.S. geographical region: Arctic, West Coast,

East Coast, and Gulf of Mexico. Results are available on CD from the

NETL website.

NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Corporate Management (CM)

52 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

“ Do not go where the path

may lead, go instead where

there is no path and leave

a trail.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882),

U.S. essayist, poet, philosopher.
NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Corporate Management (CM)

NETL Accomplishments FY 2002 53

- Electricity Generation and Water Issues—NETL conducted workshops

and meetings with industry and other key stakeholders on emerging

electricity generation and water issues, including Clean Water Act

316(b) regulations dealing with cooling-water-intake structures. The

purpose was to identify R&D needs.

- Coal Combustion—NETL participated on industry and EPA working

groups to develop improved analysis protocols to characterize the

leachates from coal combustion by-products.

- Health Benefits Study—NETL sponsored a Health Benefits Study to

assess the feasibility of using existing models to evaluate potential

health benefits that may accrue to the public through application of

coal-based technologies developed by NETL.

- Coal Utilization—NETL participated in review meetings with the

Coal Utilization Research Council to establish milestones for strategic

R&D on coal technologies, and to identify partnerships and resources

that could accelerate commercial deployment of coal technologies

being developed by NETL or being demonstrated as part of the

President’s CCPI.

- Geologic Sequestration—NETL met with representatives from the

American Association of State Geologists and the Interstate Oil and

Gas Compact Commission to discuss development of policies and

guidelines for geologic sequestration that would reduce regulatory

uncertainties associated with geologic sequestration.

- Terrestrial Sequestration—NETL met with representatives from the

U.S. Department of Agriculture to identify research needs for

establishing the technical viability of terrestrial carbon sequestration.

Research needs include methods for measuring and monitoring GHG

in the atmosphere and carbon in the soil in order to establish the type

of rigorous accounting system needed to determine the effectiveness

of candidate methods for terrestrial carbon sequestration.

“ If you have built castles

in the air, your work need

not be lost; that is where

they should be.

Now put the foundations

under them.”

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), essayist,

poet, and practical philosopher.
NETL’s FY 2002 Program Accomplishments

Corporate Management (CM)

54 NETL Accomplishments FY 2002

“ Our first responders nationwide

need standardized training.

They need procedures and

equipment that will allow them

to communicate with each other

during a crisis. We intend to

enhance cooperation across the

Federal Government.”

Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge,

“Governor Ridge Speaks at Homeland Security

and Defense Conference,” November 27, 2001.

A canine named Adam has been trained

to find missing or lost persons, cadavers,

narcotics, and bombs. He demonstrated

his prowess at a training meeting held at

NETL, remaining focused but good

natured as he practiced responding in

unfamiliar territory.

CM5—Reduce adverse security incidents, worker injuries, and

environmental releases through policy development,

counterintelligence, intelligence, and oversight of the Nation’s

energy infrastructure, nuclear weapons, materials, facilities,

and information assets.

Attaining ISO 14001 Certification—Attaining International Organization for

Standardization (ISO) 14001 certification is a process by which a company or

organization establishes and manages its environmental goals. NETL conducted

four internal audits in FY 2002 in preparation for final ISO certification. The

NETL goal is to obtain certification in FY 2003.

• Environmental Management System (EMS) Leads to Waste Reductions—

NETL surpassed its FY 2002 targets for minimizing waste and pollution.

Hazardous and non-hazardous waste generation were minimized through

increased recycling, and pollution was reduced through greater use of lesspolluting, more-efficient, alternate fuel vehicles. Toxic-release inventory

chemicals were decreased below the target levels. Other EMS achievements

include implementation of a records management system and a directives

process for managing policies, plans, and procedures; and continued review

of documentation and processes for compliance to the ISO 14001 standard.

ESS&H Achievement Award—NETL’s integrated model for responding to

bomb threats earned NETL employees Jeff Buterbaugh, Rodger Dotson, and

Cindy Mullens the DOE FE Environment, Security, Safety, and Health

Achievement Award. The procedure was developed to conduct improved bomb

searches and to manage bomb threats in the post 9-11 era. The model

encompasses assessment of bomb threats, working with bomb-search dogs and

community emergency response teams, documenting findings in diverse

industrial complexes, and assessing the safety of employees returning to their

work areas after a threat.

Outstanding Award for Accident Prevention—For the sixth consecutive year,

NETL earned the Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of exceptional

accident prevention performance in occupational safety from the Western

Pennsylvania Safety Council. The award is given to western Pennsylvania

organizations with representative Standard Industrial Classification Codes who

maintain the lowest lost workday case rates under the Occupational Safety and

Health Administration.
National Energy

Technology Laboratory

626 Cochrans Mill Road

P.O. Box 10940

Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0940

3610 Collins Ferry Road

P.O. Box 880

Morgantown, WV 26507-0880

National Petroleum Technology Office

Williams Center Tower 1

1 West Third Street, Suite 1400

Tulsa, OK 74103-3519

Visit our website at:

www.netl.doe.gov

Customer Service

1-800-553-7681

U.S. Department of Energy

Office of Fossil Energy

Printed in the United States on recycled paper

August 2003