the ENERGY lab

NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

2013
2

Mission

Advancing energy options to fuel our economy, 

strengthen our security, and improve our environment.
 2013 NETL Accomplishments 3

Contents

2013

Introduction _____________________________ 4

Carbon Management ____________________ 6

Water & Energy _________________________10

Advanced Power Systems ______________16

Reliable Supply _________________________22

Science & Technology Leadership ______28

Awards__________________________________34

A Beneficial Bounty from Energy

Research________________________________38
4

2013 —Another busy year here at the 

Energy Department’s National 

Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)! 

Scientists, engineers, and analysts at NETL 

continued working to deliver the innovative 

and transformative scientific and technological 

solutions to energy security and the economic 

and environmental challenges facing the United 

States. Whether conducting original research—

or managing research projects conducted by 

academia, industrial partners, or other national 

labs—our overarching goal was, as always, to 

transfer technology, knowledge, and expertise 

to markets that serve the American people.

This report provides a sampling of NETL’s 

accomplishments in 2013, organized into six 

broad categories:

• Carbon Management 

• Water & Energy

• Advanced Power Systems

• Reliable Supply

• Science & Technology

 Leadership

• Awards 

INTRODUCTION
 2013 NETL Accomplishments 5

Under each of these headings are articles 

describing a wide range of advances made by 

NETL during 2013. You’ll find descriptions of more 

efficient gas turbine rotor blades, plastics made 

from recycled carbon dioxide (CO2

), potable water 

produced by gas hydrates, a discovery that may 

make blood sugar testing painless, and much 

more.

As the research arm of the U.S. Department of 

Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy, NETL’s 

efforts often focus on fossil energy, our most 

abundant domestic energy resource—but we 

don’t stop here. The laboratory also conducts 

work for DOE’s Office of Electricity Delivery 

and Energy Reliability and DOE’s Office of Energy 

Efficiency and Renewable Energy. In 2013, through 

these projects, NETL played a part in introducing 

a new lighting innovation, showcasing an awardwinning battery storage project, and developing 

many other revolutionary technologies.

Surmounting challenges is what NETL is all about. 

We are proud of the accomplishments we realized 

in 2013 and our contribution to ensuring our 

nation’s economic security, energy independence, 

and environmental safety. We look forward to a 

dynamic and rewarding 2014, serving the United 

States through the development of innovative 

ideas, capabilities, and products.
6

Carbon Management

Carbon dioxide: it’s a matter of too much of a good thing. Green plants 

and trees can’t get along without CO2

. However, the consensus among 

scientists is that anthropogenic—or man-made—CO2

 emissions are causing 

rapid changes in the Earth’s climate, changes that will profoundly affect the 

environment and human health and safety. NETL is addressing this threat 

through carbon capture and storage programs designed to nearly eliminate 

CO2

 emissions from industrial systems.
 2013 NETL Accomplishments 7

Researcher Hanjing Tian displays an oxygen carrier 

developed by NETL for chemical looping combustion.

Waste CO2

 makes up over 40 percent by weight of this 

new polymer.

Oxygen Carriers Bring Chemical 

Looping Another Step Closer to 

Commercialization—NexTech Materials of 

Lewis Center, OH, has successfully prepared 

commercial-scale batches of two NETL-developed 

oxygen carriers for use in chemical looping 

combustion: a magnesium oxide-promoted 

natural mineral hematite oxygen carrier and a 

synthetic carrier consisting of copper oxide, iron 

oxide, and alumina. Both offer increased service 

life and high stability through many combustion 

cycles. Such advancements significantly boost 

the economics of chemical looping combustion, 

positioning it to be a highly effective carbon 

management tool for electric power generation. 

In the hematite-based carrier, NETL researchers 

discovered that incorporating magnesium oxide 

into natural hematite strongly modifies reduction 

activity compared to using either material alone. 

By combining the materials, NETL doubled the 

hematite’s oxygen transfer capacity and increased 

the reaction rate fivefold. In the synthetic 

carrier, researchers observed significantly better 

performance versus natural mineral-based carriers. 

NETL researchers teamed with NexTech to scale 

up the laboratory procedure for preparing these 

successful formulations. The resulting 400-pound 

batch of each oxygen carrier will undergo fluidized 

bed tests in NETL’s pilot-scale 50-kilowatt-thermal 

chemical looping unit. U.S. patent applications have 

been submitted for these new oxygen carriers.

Recycling CO2 To Make Plastics—Converting 

captured CO2 into products such as chemicals, 

plastics, fuels, building materials, and other 

commodities is an important component of the 

Office of Fossil Energy’s Carbon Capture and 

Storage Program. As part of an NETL-managed 

project under the program, sustainable chemistry 

company Novomer and its partner Albemarle 

Corporation have created polycarbonate 

polymers that contain more than 40 percent 

waste CO2

 by weight. 

Conventional production of plastics depends 

heavily on fossil fuels as feedstock, but the 

Novomer process reduces their use by replacing 

up to half the mass of the petroleum-based 

product with CO2

. The polymers can then be 

tailored to create a broad range of materials, from 

solid plastics to soft, flexible foams to viscous 

liquids, depending on the size of the polymer 

chain. Novomer is positioning its new polymer 

technology to compete with conventional 

petroleum-based raw materials across a diverse 

range of applications, including thermoplastics, 

adhesives and sealants, and coating resins for 

food and beverage cans.

What is 

chemical 

looping 

combustion? 

It’s a promising option 

for power generation 

without CO2

emissions. Chemical 

looping is a flameless 

process in which 

there is no direct 

contact between 

air and fuel. It relies 

instead on chemical 

“carriers” to provide 

the oxygen needed 

for fuel combustion.

Did you know?

Chemical looping 

provides many 

advantages 

over traditional 

combustion: it 

emits no nitrogen 

oxide, it creates a 

concentrated CO2

stream ready for 

capture, and it incurs 

no energy penalty or 

reduction in power 

plant efficiency for 

CO2

 separation.
This modular membrane skid was installed at the 

National Carbon Capture Center to demonstrate 

a CO2

-separation system based on MTR’s Polaris 

membrane. (Image courtesy of MTR)

The blue spark shown in this photo is 

generated by a high-intensity laser pulse. 

This portable technology was developed to 

monitor CO2

 stored underground.

The seven NETL-managed Regional Carbon 

Sequestration Partnerships are Big Sky, PCOR, 

MGSC, MRCSP, SECARB, SWP, and WESTCARB.

BIG SKY

MSSC

SECARB

MRCSP WESTCARB

SWP

PCOR

8

Carbon Management

MTR Demonstrates CO2

Removal System for Gasification 

Plants—Membrane Technology and 

Research, Inc., (MTR) demonstrated 

a CO2 separation and capture system 

developed using its Polaris membrane. 

Common CO2

 absorption systems used 

in gasification plants are large, complex, 

and energy intensive. The Polaris 

membrane system operates efficiently 

at the high temperatures required 

in gasification plants and can lower 

the energy required for synthesis gas 

(syngas) cleanup. 

To test the Polaris system, MTR and the 

National Carbon Capture Center fed a 

slipstream of syngas into a coal gasifier 

module for 500 continuous hours. The 

system successfully separated CO2 from 

this slipstream, processing 500 pounds 

of syngas per hour and producing liquid 

CO2

. Capturing CO2 in liquid form saves 

the energy associated with compressing 

the gas prior to use or storage. If the Polaris 

system proves viable at commercial scale, 

it could reduce the operational costs of 

coal gasification for power production 

and carbon capture and help broaden 

the application of this clean, reliable 

coal-processing technology.

Compact Sensor Technology 

Monitors Stored CO2—Capturing 

and storing CO2

 in geologic 

formations is a process that can 

mitigate CO2 emissions and protect 

our environment. As carbon storage 

technologies are implemented, reliable 

monitoring efforts must be undertaken 

to ensure that wells are structurally 

sound and stored CO2 remains within 

the injection formation.

A team of researchers led by NETL has 

developed an optical sensor for CO2

storage and leak monitoring based on 

laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, 

or LIBS. The LIBS sensor employs a 

laser-generated plasma spark to detect 

CO2 leaks in the field, underground, or 

under water. The LIBS system, which 

is compact and portable, can also 

be used for environmental research 

related to natural gas production from 

Marcellus shale. NETL has submitted 

a patent application for the LIBS 

technology.

Dynamic Partnerships Celebrate a 

Decade of Carbon Storage Study—

For 10 years, NETL has managed 

the Regional Carbon Sequestration 

Partnerships (RCSP) Initiative—the 

lead U.S. program investigating 

methods for successfully storing CO2

 in 

geologic formations. The International 

Energy Agency calls the RCSP a “worldleading program for CO2

 storage 

research and public outreach.” 

More than 400 government, industry, 

academic, and nonprofit organizations 

in 43 states and 4 Canadian provinces 

make up the RCSPs. They represent 

seven unique regions throughout 

the United States and Canada that 

feature a wide range of emission 

sources, climate, topography, geology, 

population density, and socioeconomic 

development. The three RCSP Initiative 

phases include small- and large-scale 

field projects associated with carbon 

storage. Phases I and II are complete, 

and Phase III is under way. 

In Phase I, characterization, the 

partnerships located CO2 sources and 

characterized and assessed suitable 

CO2

 storage locations in deep oil, 
 2013 NETL Accomplishments 9

natural gas, coal, and saline-bearing 

formations. This phase served as 

the foundation for the initiative 

and resulted in the publication of 

the National Carbon Sequestration 

Database and Geographic Information 

System (NATCARB) and the first Carbon 

Storage Atlas, which provide CO2

emissions and storage capacity data 

for North America and updates on 

RCSP Initiative projects. 

In Phase II, validation, the RCSPs built 

on the work conducted through Phase 

I by completing 19 small-scale field 

projects in various storage formations 

at different depths to validate their 

capability to safely store and monitor 

CO2

. Field projects confirmed storage 

estimates and injection capability; 

validated reservoir simulation models; 

demonstrated effective monitoring, 

verification, and accounting methods; 

and informed guidelines for well 

completion, operation, and closure. 

Phase III, development, builds on 

the success of Phase II results and 

focuses on large-scale (1 million metric 

ton) field projects. Currently, eight 

large-scale geologic storage research 

field projects are demonstrating the 

long-term, effective, and safe storage 

of CO2

 in major geologic formations 

throughout the United States and 

portions of Canada. More than 5 

million metric tons of CO2 have already 

been injected at 6 different field sites. 

After injections are completed, the 

RCSPs will monitor and verify the 

continued containment of CO2 in the 

target formations. 

Each RCSP hosts a website with 

information about its projects and 

how they relate to CO2

 storage within 

the partnership’s geographic area. 

In addition, the RCSPs continue to 

contribute to a series of best practices 

manuals that are capturing lessons 

learned throughout the initiative. 

Other sources for information about 

the RCSPs include NATCARB and the 

most recent atlas, The 2012 United 

States Carbon Utilization and Storage 

Atlas. 

 RCSP Accomplishments—

 10 Years of Success

Technical Achievements

In Phase I, characterization of the 

storage potential of various rock 

types and geologic settings led to site 

selections for injection projects in the 

Phase II validation process. In Phase 

II, 19 small-scale field projects were 

completed, storing more than 1 million 

metric tons of CO2

 and validating 

technologies for geologic storage, 

simulation and risk assessment, and 

monitoring and verification. The 

resulting data provided a basis for 

Phase III—large-scale development 

projects.

As of late 2013, eight Phase III field 

projects are planned for the initiative. 

Cumulatively, they will inject 9 million 

metric tons of CO2 and validate carbon 

storage technologies that can be 

commercially deployed. These projects 

will be key to the future deployment 

of carbon storage as a viable 

technological solution to mitigate 

greenhouse gas emissions.

Knowledge Transfer

The RCSPs interact with national 

and international organizations to 

advance carbon capture and storage 

technologies worldwide. These 

organizations include the International 

Energy Agency, the Global Carbon 

Capture and Storage Institute, the 

Carbon Sequestration Leadership 

Forum, the North American Carbon 

Atlas Partnership, and the U.S.-China 

Clean Energy Research Center.

The partnerships have produced an 

extensive body of work, including 

seven best practices manuals; four 

editions of the United States Carbon 

Utilization and Storage Atlas; NATCARB; 

the Carbon Capture and Storage 

Database; and contributions to NETL’s 

Energy Data eXchange. 

Public Outreach

Throughout the three phases, the 

RCSPs have engaged in ongoing 

conversations with local communities, 

scientific organizations, government 

agencies, and other groups to 

inform the public about carbon 

capture and storage. Activities 

include open houses, public forums, 

workshops, stakeholder discussions, 

technical contributions to public 

documentation, and educational 

outreach.

Public outreach products have 

included websites, articles, regional 

atlases, a carbon capture and storage 

training center, and a five-DVD series

on carbon capture and storage. 
10

Water & Energy

For years to come, our nation is expected to need power produced by fossil fuels. 

Water is inherent to fossil-based energy production—from drilling for natural gas 

and oil to operating thermoelectric steam turbines. However, clean water is a limited 

resource needed alike by communities, agriculture, the natural environment, and power 

producers. How can we reclaim and reuse impaired and produced water associated with 

drilling operations? How can we reduce water use in power plants? NETL is working to 

find answers to these and other water–energy related questions.
 2013 NETL Accomplishments 11

Silica particles like the ones in this micrograph can be 

adsorbed by a new aluminum oxide material developed 

by GE Global Research, making impaired water suitable 

for use in power plant cooling towers.

A pulsing spark discharged into the cooling water of a 

coal-fired power plant can prevent scale buildup and 

reduce water use in the plant.

Novel Material Makes Impaired Water 

Suitable for Power Plant Cooling—

Thermoelectric power generation requires 

water to produce steam—and to cool it after it 

has passed through the turbine system. Using 

impaired waters for cooling is one way to reduce 

the freshwater withdrawal normally required by 

coal-fired power plants. This will help operators 

meet growing electricity demands without 

further stressing community water supplies. 

The problem is that although some reclamation 

techniques remove unwanted dissolved salts 

from impaired waters, they leave behind high 

concentrations of scale-forming silica that can 

cause significant problems in power plant cooling 

towers. 

As part of the Power Plant Water Program 

portfolio managed by NETL, investigators at 

GE Global Research (Nishkayuna, NY) have 

developed a new aluminum oxide material that, 

per gram, adsorbs 0.11 grams of silica from water. 

In laboratory-scale tests, the material removed 

enough dissolved silica from impaired water to 

make it acceptable for reuse in thermoelectric 

power systems. To make the process more 

efficient, the team also developed a low-cost 

regeneration process that recycles the material 

multiple times with minimal loss in activity. 

Treatment Method Reduces Water 

Consumption by Power Generators—

Researchers at Drexel University (Philadelphia, 

PA) have devised and demonstrated a benchscale prototype plasma water treatment method 

designed to minimize performance-degrading 

scaling on power plant steam condenser 

tubing. The scaling, which inhibits heat transfer, 

is caused by the buildup of minerals, such 

as calcium and magnesium, in recirculating 

cooling water systems as water evaporates in the 

cooling towers. Power plants may use 10 million 

gallons of water each day, a majority of which 

is used to prevent this scaling. Drexel’s plasma 

treatment method could reduce a typical 1,000 

megawatt fossil-fueled power plant’s freshwater 

consumption by approximately 25 percent.

The Drexel technology, developed under the 

Power Plant Water Program managed by NETL, 

employs a pair of electrodes immersed in the 

recirculating water to discharge a high-voltage 

spark every 10–50 nanoseconds. The low-energy 

pulsating electric field allows calcium and 

magnesium to precipitate as solids that can then 

be mechanically filtered from the water upstream 

of the condenser.

Did you know?

“Impaired waters” 

are those that are 

too polluted or 

otherwise degraded 

to meet water quality 

standards. “Produced 

water” is a specific 

byproduct of oil and 

gas production that is 

considered industrial 

waste. Both impaired 

and produced water 

can be cleaned and 

reclaimed for use in 

power plants in place 

of freshwater supplies.
(

12

Water and energy are intricately linked. Understanding the 

relationship between them is 

fundamental to determining how to 

make the most efficient use of these 

critical resources, both for short-term 

economic benefit and for longerterm societal and environmental 

sustainability. 

To better understand the dynamics 

of the link between water and 

energy, the Northern Great Plains 

Water Consortium (NGPWC) was 

established. NGPWC is a partnership 

between the University of North 

Dakota Energy & Environmental 

Research Center, NETL, and key 

stakeholders in the Great Plains 

region, including electric power 

generating utilities, oil and gas 

companies, industries, municipalities, 

Thermoelectric power plants require large volumes of water to operate. A new 

supercritical thermoelectric unit reduces the amount of water needed for every megawatthour of energy produced.

and state agencies. The 5-year 

partnership addresses issues related 

to water availability, reducing 

water usage, and minimizing the 

environmental impacts of electricitygenerating facilities on water quality.

As the U.S. population and associated 

economic development continues 

to expand, the demand for electricity 

will increase. For the foreseeable 

future, thermoelectric generation 

of power from coal, natural gas, oil, 

and nuclear sources will continue to 

be the primary sources of electricity 

in the United States and around the 

world. But thermoelectric power 

plants require large volumes of 

water to operate. In fact, according 

to the U.S. Geological Survey, 

thermoelectric generation accounts 

for approximately 40 percent of all 

freshwater withdrawals in the United 

States. These plants primarily use 

water to cool down (condense) steam 

after it has been used to turn a steam 

turbine to generate power. 

A majority (approximately 96 

percent) of the withdrawn water is 

returned to surface water supplies 

where it becomes available for other 

uses. While only a small percentage 

of water is actually consumed, 

thermoelectric power plants 

withdraw approximately 143 billion 

gallons of freshwater per day from 

rivers, lakes, streams, and aquifers. 

Withdrawing such large quantities 

of water directly competes with 

other sectors, such as irrigation, and 

becomes especially problematic in 

water-constrained regions. 

As a result of the strategic 

NGPWC partnership, significant 

advances have been made in the 

understanding and management of 

water-related issues relative to energy 

production. These results will help 

satisfy competing water demands 

arising from multiple industries in 

the northern Great Plains region. 

The establishment of a scientifically 

sound and unbiased approach to 

water management issues will prove 

instrumental in making management 

and regulatory decisions related to 

water use.

The NGPWC partners set out to 

achieve the following key goals: 

(1) identify innovative solutions to 

expand water resource options for 

Northern Great Plains Water Consortium 

Project Addresses Water-Energy Nexus article
U.S. freshwater withdrawals

Power plants account for the largest 

share of freshwater withdrawals in 

the United States.

thermoelectric

irrigation

41%

37%

drinking 

water

13%

industrial 5%

other 4%

 2013 NETL Accomplishments 13

energy producers; (2) evaluate water 

demand and consumption from 

competing users in the northern 

Great Plains region, including energy 

production, agriculture, industry, 

and domestic and municipal users; 

(3) assess, develop, and demonstrate 

technologies and methodologies 

that minimize water use and 

reduce wastewater discharge from 

energy production and agricultural 

processing facilities; and (4) identify 

nontraditional water supply sources 

and novel options for water reuse.

The NGPWC’s results culminated in 

the successful completion of eight 

separate research projects. Here 

are some of their specific research 

accomplishments:

• Investigated water supply and 

disposal issues in the Bakken 

shale oil play, where the research 

team successfully demonstrated 

how reverse osmosis can be 

economically employed to treat 

non-potable saline groundwater 

for reuse as makeup water for 

hydraulic fracturing (fracking). 

• Identified the potential to recover 

up to 200,000 gallons per day of 

high-quality water from Great 

River Energy’s lignite fuel 

enhancement system by using a 

commercial ambient air heat 

exchange process that is 

marketed by SPX Cooling 

Technologies as ClearSkyTM 

technology. 

• Identified water supply and use 

issues related to existing and 

planned coal-fired power 

generation facilities in the 

NGPWC region. The research 

team compiled data and 

information on surface water 

resources, groundwater 

resources, and municipal and 

industrial wastewater treatment 

plant discharges for the NGPWC’s 

Water Resource Decision Support 

System. 

• Developed a half-hour 

documentary on the waterenergy nexus, “Water: The 

Lifeblood of Energy.”

• Examined water usage for carbon 

capture during post- and oxyfuelcombustion systems. 

• Investigated energy-saving 

opportunities for water 

treatment, including ozonation 

and ultra-violet disinfection 

processes and found ozonation to 

be the most cost-effective. 

• Demonstrated key operating 

concepts of a dry cooling 

alternative for power plants that 

led to successful process 

development and a laboratoryscale performance 

demonstration. 

• Studied water supply and 

treatment issues faced by oil 

refineries that are processing 

lower-cost crude oils and heavier 

feedstocks containing higher 

levels of sulfur, selenium, and 

heavy metals. The team identified 

instrumentation needs and 

approaches to control these 

components—components that 

can also produce hazardous air 

pollutant emissions—and 

completed a review of the 

economics related to wastewater 

issues.

The water-energy nexus defines 

the many relationships between 

energy and water that are necessary 

to ensure an adequate, sustainable 

supply of both resources for multiple 

purposes. Because thermoelectric 

power generation and fossil fuel 

extraction impact water resources, it 

is critically important to protect water 

supplies while also providing the 

energy needed to power our nation. 
This diagram shows how gas hydrate-based 

desalination works. Selected hydrocarbons help 

hydrate formation to occur even with highsalinity “produced” water. Potable freshwater 

can later be separated from the hydrate.

This map, created through BLOSOM, shows a 

hypothetical deepwater well blowout after 40 

days. 

14

Water & Energy

New 3-D Monitoring Tool 

Predicts Outcomes of Deepwater 

Blowouts—NETL, in partnership with 

the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and 

Education, has developed a new 3-D 

modeling tool designed to simulate 

the outcomes of deepwater and 

ultra-deepwater oil well blowouts. The 

Blowout and Spill Occurrence Model, 

or BLOSOM, is an integrated suite of 

modeling tools that allows users to 

predict these blowouts, which are often 

more complicated than traditional oil 

spills. 

BLOSOM includes a traditional 

spill transport and oil weathering 

component, plus components that can 

track the plume coming from a blowout 

at the seafloor and model the properties 

of crude oil, gases, and hydrates. These 

components take into account the 

multiple environmental uncertainties 

associated with deepwater and ultradeepwater blowouts. They can run 

individually or work together as a single 

system, giving BLOSOM a flexibility 

that makes it ideal for modeling riskassessment and response scenarios for 

which existing data may be sparse or 

nonexistent. 

BLOSOM is currently in beta testing 

and has been included in an American 

Petroleum Institute modeling 

intercomparison study.

NETL Assessment Tool Informs 

Decisions About Arkansas Water 

Use—The Arkansas Natural Resources 

Commission (ANRC) is modeling the 

availability of surface and underground 

water resources in watersheds of the 

Fayetteville shale area using a soil 

and water assessment tool, or SWAT, 

developed cooperatively by NETL and 

the University of Arkansas’s Center for 

Advanced Spatial Technology. 

The new SWAT, which combines a stateof-the-art water resource simulation 

model with a geographic information 

system, can help the ANRC make 

science-based decisions about water 

withdrawal volumes, durations, and 

timing during the water withdrawal 

permitting process. Modeled results 

can also help the ANRC set appropriate 

allocation levels during times of water 

shortage.

A SWAT is a critical tool used by the 

gas industry and regulatory agencies 

to manage water resources. Decisionsupport systems that include SWATs 

provide a transparent accounting of 

water supplies, including regularly 

updated estimates of surface water 

availability. Such systems also help 

reduce potentially adverse impacts of 

hydraulic fracturing by predicting how 

withdrawing water from ground and 

surface sources will affect water quality 

and availability.

Enhanced Fayetteville Shale Information 

System showing watershed layers and 

information by area.

Innovative Desalination Process 

Removes 90 Percent of Salt from 

Wastewater—Scientists at NETL are 

developing an affordable method to 

turn briny wastewater produced during 

hydraulic fracturing and other oil and gas 

extraction processes into potable water 

for drinking and irrigation. Oil and gas 

extraction produces roughly 10 barrels 

of briny water for each barrel of oil. In 

dry regions, this water could become 

a valuable resource, but traditional 

desalination methods, such as thermal 

distillation and reverse osmosis, have 

historically been energy intensive and cost 

prohibitive. 

Gas hydrates contain only pure water and 

gas, so when hydrates are formed, salt 

and other impurities are excluded. This 

makes gas hydrates ideal for desalinating 

wastewater for potable use. Traditional 

methods for gas hydrate desalination 

are economically unfeasible, however, 

because the water must first be chilled 

below 32 °F in high-salt conditions for gas 

hydrates to form.

NETL researchers have discovered 

that combining CO2

 gas with select 

hydrocarbons forms gas hydrates from 

wastewater at near-room temperatures. 

This method increases the energy efficiency 

of the desalination process and removes 90 

percent of the salt from wastewater, making 

it an affordable desalination method.
This test facility for dry cooling technology simulated the 

operating conditions of a full-scale power plant cooling 

system, allowing researchers to estimate the performance 

of a full-scale desiccant dry cooling system and monitor for 

potential environmental impacts.

Marlin’s new high-resolution scanning allows 

unprecedented as-built drawing accuracy.

 2013 NETL Accomplishments 15

Dry Cooling Technology for Power 

Plants Eliminates Use of Cooling Water—

Thermoelectric power plants typically use either 

wet (with water) or dry (without water) cooling 

systems to condense the steam that drives a 

turbine. Wet cooling is more cost-effective than 

dry cooling, but it requires large amounts of 

water—nearly 90 percent, in fact, of the water 

used by a power plant equipped with this type 

of system. Through the NETL Power Plant Water 

Program, the University of North Dakota’s Energy 

& Environmental Research Center (EERC) has 

developed a dry cooling system that could nearly 

eliminate water use in thermoelectric power plants 

without the usual cost and performance penalties.

EERC’s non-evaporating liquid desiccant cools 

steam by directly transferring heat from the 

desiccant to the atmosphere. It offers many 

advantages over conventional wet and dry 

cooling: it eliminates water withdrawal for 

the cooling process, it can be continuously 

recirculated, it imposes a smaller loss in overall 

system performance than conventional dry 

cooling, and it eliminates the impact on local 

waterways made by discharging salty blowdown 

water from the cooling tower. 

Based on these pilot results, EERC conducted 

a system study for 300-megawatt-electric coal 

power plants in Gillette, WY; Atlanta, GA; and 

Phoenix, AZ, that indicated its technology 

maintains 40 percent lower annual cooling system 

costs when compared to a traditional air-cooled 

condenser.

What is 

RPSEA?

Under contract with 

NETL, the Research 

Partnership to Secure 

Energy for America 

(RPSEA) has managed a 

7-year ultra-deepwater 

program to develop 

new technologies 

necessary to reduce 

the safety and 

environmental risks 

of producing offshore 

energy resources. 

The overarching 

RPSEA program—

which also includes 

research associated 

with production of 

unconventional natural 

gas and oil—was 

established to help 

meet the nation’s 

growing need for 

hydrocarbon resources 

produced from 

reservoirs in America. 

The RPSEA program 

is scheduled to end in 

2014.

Marlin Receives a 3-D Upgrade—

Lockheed Martin has successfully developed 

an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) 

inspection system for use in deepwater oil fields. 

The MarlinTM AUV can perform subsea structural 

inspection tasks up to four times more efficiently 

than human divers or remotely operated vehicles, 

thereby reducing the surface operational 

footprint by 75 percent and eliminating the need 

for large surface-support vessels. 

With sonic imaging, the Marlin was already 

capable of detecting large discrepancies, such 

as bent, broken, or missing members of a subsea 

structure. Now, a new 3-D laser imaging capability 

added in 2013 allows Marlin to produce highresolution images at millimeter scale to evaluate 

minute details, like the degree of corrosion on a 

surface, and it can produce engineering drawings 

as well.

The Marlin’s ability to autonomously detect 

anomalies within an underwater facility in real 

time can help reduce the risks and enhance the 

environmental performance of ultra-deepwater 

drilling. Implementing inspection, repair, and 

maintenance operations using AUVs in ultradeepwater fields will provide game-changing 

improvements in safety, performance, reliability, 

and cost and enable production of smaller 

deepwater fields, as well.

This research was undertaken as part of the 

Research Partnership to Secure Energy for 

America program managed by NETL.
16

Advanced Power Systems

Advanced power system technologies being designed by NETL scientists 

and engineers today will lead to the clean, high-efficiency, low-cost power 

generation of tomorrow. The Lab’s 2013 accomplishments, ranging from those 

in power production to storage to use, represent the larger body of success 

NETL is realizing in this critical area of energy research.
 2013 NETL Accomplishments 17

The stainless steel photocatalysis cell and gold-zinc oxide 

nanoparticles pictured here can convert sunlight into 

thermal energy and catalyze the transformation of CO2

into usable light gases.

Flywheel energy storage at this Beacon plant works as a 

mechanical battery. A rotor spins at an incredibly high 

speed, storing rotational energy, which is converted 

back by slowing down the flywheel to provide instantly 

available energy as needed.

Nanometer-Sized Heaters Developed for 

CO2

 Management and Conversion—NETL 

and West Virginia University researchers have 

developed a new material that converts visible 

sunlight into thermal energy. That energy then 

catalyzes the transformation of CO2

 into methane, 

carbon monoxide, and other useable light gases. 

The new development relies on a unique heating 

mechanism that uses light to excite electrons 

in nanometer-sized metal particles. The excited 

electrons then collide with the crystal lattice of the 

nanoparticles, generating heat. 

The team has developed several catalyst systems 

that rely on nano-sized particles—the only size 

particles that can absorb visible light—of gold and 

other materials as the heater and zinc oxide as the 

catalytically active substrate. Experiments show that 

low-intensity visible light can heat the gold-zinc 

oxide catalysts to approximately 600 °C, with the light 

intensity dictating the light-gas end product. 

These results are further described in the international 

journal Nanoscale, published by the Royal Society 

of Chemistry (Nanoscale, 5, 6968, [2013]). A U.S. 

provisional patent has been filed on this technology.

Flywheel Energy Storage Plant Begins 

Operation—Hazle Spindle, LLC, in conjunction 

with Beacon Power, began commercial operation of 

a flywheel energy storage facility in Hazle Township, 

PA. The flywheels are mechanical devices designed to 

temporarily store surplus energy that may otherwise 

be lost and quickly inject it back into the power grid 

when there is an energy demand. Flywheels are built 

to last 20 years or more with virtually no maintenance 

required in the mechanical portion of the system. 

Fast-response energy storage resources, like flywheels, 

can correct energy imbalances more rapidly (on 

the order of milliseconds) and more efficiently than 

traditional generators, and they do this without 

consuming additional fuel, producing emissions, or 

using hazardous materials or water. 

The Hazle storage facility began providing 4 

megawatts of energy storage capacity for frequency 

regulation services in the Pennsylvania-JerseyMaryland interconnection market in September 2013. 

The plant is expected to reach full storage capacity 

at 20 megawatts in 2014. As a result, electricity users 

should benefit from lower costs and a more stable, 

resilient power grid. 

The project is one of 32 projects funded by the 

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 

through a cooperative agreement under DOE’s 

Smart Grid Demonstration Program. It is managed by 

NETL for the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy 

Reliability.

Did you know?

Pyrochem Catalyst 

Corporation licensed a 

new NETL patent issued 

in 2013, a method to 

design and utilize a 

mixed metal oxidebased catalyst system 

for fuel processing 

with minimal catalyst 

deactivation. The 

catalyst can be 

used in a number of 

applications, such as 

syngas production 

for chemical, fuel, and 

power production 

and in catalytic 

combustion and 

cleanup technology. 

This is the second NETL 

patent licensed by 

Pyrochem Catalyst, a 

Pittsburgh-based startup company, as they 

pursue commercial 

development of NETL’s 

pyrochlore catalyst 

technology.
18

Gas turbines are responsible for the vast majority of power production 

in the United States and the world. 

Advancing hydrogen turbine performance 

in an integrated gasification combined 

cycle (IGCC) power plant offers the most 

significant near-term performance benefit 

for reducing emissions and cost while 

increasing efficiency in a coal-fired plant. 

Because the Energy Department is 

committed to using coal in cleaner, more 

efficient ways that reduce CO2

 and other 

emissions, NETL is pursuing hydrogen 

turbines in an IGCC application as one of the 

cleanest and lowest-cost ways to capture 

CO2

 in a coal-based power plant. 

One key to a turbine’s fuel-to-power 

efficiency is the temperature at which it 

operates. Higher temperatures generally 

Advanced turbines, with parts that can withstand the high temperatures of advanced power 

plants, can produce power more efficiently and economically.

mean higher efficiencies, which in turn can 

lead to more economical operation. But the 

first-stage temperatures in a power plant 

can be in excess of 2,600  ̊F, potentially 

exceeding current metal airfoil melting 

points. To counter this, advanced cooling 

concepts and thermal barrier coatings are 

key technologies that can limit the thermal 

exposure of these turbine components to 

elevated temperatures.

Recognizing the need to develop the next 

generation of gas turbines, DOE sponsors a 

program to advance gas turbine technology 

for coal-based power generation to improve 

efficiency, reduce emissions, lower costs, 

and allow for carbon capture and storage. 

Managed by NETL, the Hydrogen Turbine 

Program is focused on developing 

advanced components and technologies 

for turbines that provide tangible benefits 

to the public. The program’s emphasis is 

on understanding the underlying factors 

affecting combustion, aerodynamics, heat 

transfer, and materials for gas turbines. 

Specific areas of research include improving 

computational modeling, combustor 

technologies, materials research, enhanced 

cooling technology, and coatings 

development. 

One of the major achievements of the 

turbine program was overcoming previous 

limitations on turbine temperatures by 

using a combination of innovative cooling 

technologies and advanced materials. 

The turbine components developed 

within this research program have also 

optimized methods to boost turbine inlet 

temperatures, resulting in higher operating 

efficiencies while limiting critical criteria 

pollutants, specifically nitrogen oxides. 

One area of our research that has helped 

make this accomplishment possible is an 

innovative airfoil manufacturing technology 

that promises to improve the performance 

and longevity of gas turbines. Poised for 

commercial deployment, Mikro Systems, 

Inc.’s, patented Tomo-Lithographic Molding 

(TOMO®) manufacturing process was 

harnessed through NETL for use in gas 

turbine airfoils. The new airfoil design, 

using the TOMO technology, is now being 

produced in Siemens Energy’s new turbine 

component manufacturing facility that 

opened in Charlottesville, VA, in 2013. 

TOMO, which is expected to contribute 

to cleaner, more reliable, and affordable 

domestic energy production—as well 

as create new high-tech manufacturing 

jobs—was licensed by Siemens Energy 

NETL’s Hydrogen Turbine Program 

Delivers Improved Turbine Performance article
 2013 NETL Accomplishments 19

The TOMO technology enables rapid, costeffective manufacturing of ceramic cores 

used to case advanced turbine blades and 

provides features not possible by conventional 

fabrication methods. (Image courtesy of 

Mikro Systems)

in 2011. TOMO enables rapid, costeffective development and production 

of high-performance products made 

from metals, ceramics, polymers, and 

composite material systems. Applied to 

gas turbines, it enables more sophisticated 

airfoil designs with improved cooling 

characteristics that lead to higher 

operating temperatures and improved 

efficiency. 

Mikro Systems received Energy 

Department support through the 

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 

and multiple Small Business Innovation 

Research grants to apply its TOMO 

technology to gas turbine airfoils. This 

project directly addresses the need for 

rapid, cost-effective manufacturing of 

advanced turbine blades that will improve 

the performance and reduce the cost of 

electricity produced by IGCC power plants.

Through our own onsite research, 

collaborations with U.S. universities, 

national laboratories, and partnerships 

with turbine manufacturers, NETL is 

making great strides in advancing more 

efficient and lower-cost power plants with 

CO

2

 capture. These advanced power plants 

are made possible—and our economic 

and energy security are enhanced—by 

retaining U.S. technology leadership in 

high-performance gas turbines.
LED drivers are current control devices that replace the need for resistors. 

The drivers respond to the changing input voltage while maintaining a 

constant amount of current to the LED.

This battery bank at Notrees stores wind energy and returns it to the 

power grid as needed. (Image courtesy of Duke Energy Business Services, 

LLC)

20

Advanced Power Systems

Philips Lighting Electronics Introduces a New Family 

of Drivers—A project managed by NETL on behalf of the 

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy could help 

drastically reduce the amount of electricity the United States 

uses for lighting. 

Philips Lighting Electronics of North America introduced a 

family of new power supplies, commonly called drivers, for 

a wide variety of LED lighting applications. These drivers are 

smaller and more efficient than the previous generation of 

similar products and are designed for outdoor applications. 

The drivers were developed by the company’s LED system 

team in Rosemont, IL, and made possible with DOE’s 

investment in key enabling technologies, such as resonant 

switching.

Driver efficiency, along with thermal and light extraction 

efficiencies, are key elements in making highly advanced 

solid-state lighting luminaires. By 2030, solid-state lighting 

could reduce national electricity use for lighting by nearly one 

half—representing the output of 50 1,000-megawatt power 

plants and an annual savings of $30 billion.

Award-Winning Notrees Battery Project—An NETLmanaged project is helping redefine the future of energy 

storage. A battery storage facility integrated with Duke 

Energy’s 153-megawatt Notrees Wind Farm near Odessa, 

TX, has been successfully providing fast-frequency response 

service to the grid since February 2013. It is a first-of-its-kind 

facility to operate under this highly regulated and controlled 

operational protocol.

The Notrees storage system regulates the wind farm’s naturally 

variable output by using batteries to store energy generated 

by wind turbines, returning that energy back to the grid in 

brief bursts that are critical to maintaining grid integrity. The 

$44 million system, America’s largest battery-storage project, 

was constructed under the Smart Grid Demonstration Program 

with $22 million in matching funds from DOE. 

In 2013, the Notrees Storage Facility was recognized with a 

Top Utility-Scale Energy Innovation Award, presented at the 

Energy Storage North America Conference and Expo in San 

Jose, CA. Award winners were judged on services provided to 

the grid, financing options, ownership models, and technology 

strengths. NETL’s Office of Energy Project Management 

manages this and other smart grid demonstration projects 

in support of DOE’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy 

Reliability.
 2013 NETL Accomplishments 21

What is an IGCC 

power plant? 

An integrated 

gasification combined 

cycle power plant uses 

a gasifier to turn coal 

and other carbon-based 

fuels into synthesis 

gas (syngas). The IGCC 

process then removes 

impurities from the 

syngas, after which the 

syngas is converted 

to separate streams of 

hydrogen and CO2

. The 

CO2 is pure enough to be 

compressed and stored 

while the hydrogenrich syngas fuels a 

combustion turbine. 

Excess heat from 

the combustion 

turbine is passed to 

a steam turbine, and 

the combustion and 

steam turbines work 

together to generate 

power. The process 

results in improved 

efficiency compared to a 

conventional pulverized 

coal-based power plant 

and offers options for a 

significant reduction in 

CO2

 emissions.

In gas turbines, incoming air is compressed to high pressure in 

the compressor section, and then heated to high temperature 

by the combustion of fuel in the combustor section. The hightemperature, high-pressure gas then passes through a series of 

rotor-mounted airfoils, causing them to rapidly spin, thereby 

converting the kinetic energy of the moving gas into mechanical 

work.

How gas turbines work

COMPRESSOR COMBUSTOR TURBINE
22

Reliable Supply

A consistent, reliable supply of energy is essential for the economic health 

and energy security of the United States. NETL is committed to discovering 

and improving techniques and technologies to produce, protect, and improve 

the energy chain for our nation today and in the future.
 2013 NETL Accomplishments 23

These gray cylindrical modules contain membranes 

that separate sodium sulfide into its component 

elements, sulfur and sodium. The sodium is then reused 

as a reactant in Ceramatec’s petroleum upgrading 

process.

Operators of this 1953 power plant have replaced its 

coal- and oil-fired boilers with boilers that burn forest 

residue and discarded tires.

Innovative Technology Improves 

Upgrading Process for Unconventional 

Oil Resources—Ceramatec, Inc., (Salt Lake City, 

UT) has developed an innovative technology 

for upgrading unconventional petroleum 

resources, including heavy oil, shale oil, and tar 

sands bitumen, as part of a DOE-funded project 

managed by NETL. The technology combines 

an alkali metal, like sodium, with hydrogen or 

methane to remove sulfur, nitrogen, and metal 

contaminants from crude oils. It then regenerates 

the alkali metal for reuse to improve process 

efficiency. 

The new approach creates a smaller carbon 

footprint than traditional processes because it 

can use methane directly instead of requiring 

hydrogen as a feed gas. It also has the potential to 

improve economics across industry by increasing 

product yields, directly improving the quality 

of the end products, and reducing the need for 

expensive processing equipment at refineries. 

Finally, because this technology contributes to 

developing domestic energy resources, it can 

help reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign 

oil supplies. 

Ceramatec’s technology operated successfully 

under test conditions for more than 10,000 

continuous hours. A pilot-scale reactor is 

now planned for installation at a site near Ft. 

Saskatchewan in Alberta, Canada.

Award-Winning Energy-Savings Project 

Celebrates First Year of Operation—The 

Biomass Cogeneration Power Plant at the 

Savannah River site in Aiken, SC, completed its 

first year of successful operation on March 3, 

2013. In its first year, the plant used 10,000 tons of 

local landfill tires and 221,000 tons of forest waste 

to produce 1.67 billion pounds of steam and 

97,000 megawatts of electricity. The plant’s two 

massive tire- and wood-burning boilers replaced 

four Cold-War-era coal- and oil-fired boilers as 

part of the largest energy savings performance 

contract completed by the Federal Energy 

Management Program. 

NETL helped negotiate the 20-year contract 

and provided technical expertise on sustainable 

biomass harvesting and the technologies used 

to convert biomass into steam and electricity. 

Approximately 800 jobs were created during the 

facility’s design and construction, and more than 

200 long-term jobs support ongoing operations. 

Installed by Ameresco Federal Solutions, Inc., the 

Savannah River Site Biomass Cogeneration Facility 

has received numerous awards, including the 

2012 DOE Office of Environmental Management 

Best-in-Class Sustainability Award, the 2012 

Renewable Energy World Bioenergy Project-ofthe-Year, and the 2012 “Groundbreaker of the 

Year” at the International Biomass Conference & 

Expo.

Did you know?

FracFocus 2.0, a 

voluntary registry 

for the disclosure 

of chemicals used 

in fracking, was 

launched by NETL in 

2013. It contains data 

on more than 40,000 

wells and was used 

by 10 states in 2013 

as a means of official 

chemical disclosure.
24

Shale gas—natural gas trapped in layers of shale rock—is considered 

an unconventional gas resource. Shale 

is not permeable enough to allow 

trapped natural gas to flow to a well 

bore. The gas is “locked” in the rock, and 

the shale reservoir must be stimulated 

to enable the gas to flow into a well 

and on to the surface.

History: For many decades, although 

producers knew that natural gas lay 

in the shale, low flow rates prevented 

them from drilling for it. Then, in the 

1960s and 1970s, conventional natural 

gas reservoirs became more difficult 

to find, and the nation’s natural gas 

supply was at risk. In 1977, the U.S. 

Congress authorized and funded an 

Unconventional Gas Research Program 

to investigate and quantify shale gas, 

gas sands, and coal-bed methane. 

The predecessor to DOE, the U.S. 

Energy Research and Development 

Administration, implemented the 

program through the Morgantown 

Energy Research Center, which later 

became part of NETL under DOE.

Early DOE-industry demonstrations 

accelerated the development of 

technologies such as horizontal drilling, 

large-volume hydraulic fracturing, 

micro-seismic fracture mapping, and 

electromagnetic telemetry. These 

research and development efforts 

helped to jump-start some of the 

technologies that enable today’s 

commercial production of natural gas 

from shale.

Horizontal drilling with hydraulic fracturing (fracking) of the shale layers to release 

natural gas for extraction.

The Shale Gas Boom: 

What’s Going On? article
 2013 NETL Accomplishments 25

Horizontal Drilling: One problem 

with developing shale gas resources 

was that a normal vertical well 

could only intersect a small volume 

of the shale reservoir. Only the 

natural gas in close proximity to the 

well could be accessed. Research 

revealed that the way to profitably 

produce shale gas was to develop 

a means to economically drill a well 

horizontally to follow the rock layers. 

NETL drilled the first high-angle 

Devonian shale well in 1975. In 1986, 

NETL drilled a horizontal wellbore 

2,000 feet into the shale layer. This 

well initially produced 10 times the 

average amount of gas recovered 

from vertical wells in the area, 

demonstrating that horizontal drilling 

could be one part of the answer to 

the shale productivity puzzle.

Hydraulic Fracturing: Hydraulic 

fracturing of the shale layers to 

release natural gas is accomplished 

by creating high-fluid pressure in 

the wellbore next to the producing 

formation. Water, sand, and chemicals 

are pumped down a well after it 

has been drilled to create fractures 

in the formation that can act as 

flow paths for the natural gas. The 

fracturing flowback water recovered 

with the natural gas can be cleaned 

and reused in fracturing other wells. 

The sand accompanying the water 

is left behind to prop open the new 

fractures so natural gas can escape 

into the well after the fluid pressure 

has been relieved.

DOE Contributions: Over the 

years, collaborative efforts between 

DOE and industry continued to 

add to shale gas recovery research. 

In addition to the first air-drilled 

horizontal Devonian shale well 

mentioned above, researchers 

recovered the first core from a 

horizontal air-drilled shale well; were 

first in successfully using externalcasing packers in a horizontal 

well; and completed the first 

horizontal well with seven individual 

hydraulically fractured intervals.

In 1977, NETL, with Columbia Gas, 

introduced large-scale massive 

hydraulic fracturing for shale gas 

recovery in the eastern United 

States at a Lincoln County, WV, test 

site. Here, NETL also introduced 

electromagnetic measurementwhile-drilling to steer downhole 

motors in air-drilled holes. NETL 

conducted more than 13 field tests, 

which ultimately led to successful 

commercial application of the 

technology in the United States and 

western Canada. 

Into the future: In 2013, under 

DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy, NETL 

began seeking partners interested in 

conducting field research that would 

provide an unbiased perspective 

on the environmental impacts of 

shale-gas production. Because 

horizontal drilling and multi-stage 

hydraulic fracturing are raising public 

concern, NETL wants to document 

environmental conditions before 

shale gas development (to establish 

a baseline) and during its production. 

NETL is also developing science and 

technology strategies that will reduce 

the risk of adverse environmental 

events and ensure that, if they do 

occur, they can be detected quickly 

and mitigated.
Dynamic line rating technology monitors real-time line capacity to 

help relieve costly congestion caused by transmission constraints and 

contingencies.

USGS technicians deploy instruments at the start of a seismic survey to 

explore gas hydrates in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico from April to May 

2013. (Image courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey/photo by Patrick Hart)

26

Reliable Supply

Utility Completes Smart Grid Demonstration 

Project—Oncor Electric Delivery Company and its partners 

demonstrated a comprehensive dynamic line rating system 

that is now helping parts of Texas more effectively manage 

power transmission. 

Integrated dynamic line rating, or iDLR, brings together 

a variety of instruments and sensors currently available 

in the marketplace to report, in real time, the impact of 

temperature changes, solar radiation, and wind variations 

on power line tension. System operators and transmission 

owners can use this information to accurately determine line 

capacity. In doing so, they can increase capacity limits by 

6–14 percent above ambient adjusted rating under certain 

ambient conditions (84–91 percent of the time). The iDLR 

can allow an increase in power capacity ratings through 

existing transmission lines with minimal additional capital 

investment, enhance the ability to dispatch wind power, 

and mitigate congestion on heavily loaded circuits. The 

demonstration was so successful that Oncor has deployed 

iDLR on five additional transmission lines near Odessa, TX. 

This project, the largest DOE-supported dynamic line rating 

project to date, is one of 32 projects using funds provided by 

the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 under 

DOE’s Smart Grid Demonstration Program. It is managed 

by NETL for the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy 

Reliability. The final report has been published through DOE’s 

Office of Scientific and Technical Information and the Smart 

Grid.gov website.

Collaborations Enhance Methane Hydrate 

Knowledge—NETL is developing the tools and 

technologies to enable environmentally safe methane 

hydrate production from domestic Arctic and offshore 

deposits. The challenges involved in developing this 

potentially rich source of natural gas are best solved through 

international collaboration due to the presence of deposits 

around the globe. In 2013, NETL researchers cooperated on 

several international methane hydrate projects.

Japan: Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 

and Georgia Institute of Technology, along with Japanese 

scientists, are using cutting-edge technology to study 

rare gas hydrate samples recovered from deep beneath 

the seafloor. This research, part of an ongoing Japanese 

collaboration on methane hydrate research with DOE and 

the Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project, 

advances understanding of the global distribution of gas 

hydrates and how the methane might be used as a viable 

energy source.

Gulf of Mexico: NETL joined USGS and the Bureau of 

Ocean Energy Management for a 15-day methane hydrate 

research expedition in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The 

mission resulted in high-resolution seismic data and imagery 

that researchers will use to refine estimates of the nature, 

distribution, and concentration of the methane hydrate 

resources in that area. This research took place in the same 

area where, in 2009, a DOE-funded drilling expedition first 

discovered the methane hydrate reservoirs.
 2013 NETL Accomplishments 27

Methane Hydrates

Alaska: NETL released data from an innovative 

test to release natural gas from methane hydrate 

at the Iġnik Sikumi test well on the Alaska North 

Slope. The production trials were conducted in 

2012 by NETL, ConocoPhillips, and the Japan Oil, 

Gas, and Metals National Corporation. The goal 

was to determine if a CO

2

 exchange technology 

developed by ConocoPhillips and the University 

of Bergen, Norway, could enhance methane 

hydrate extraction while storing CO

2

.

In a separate effort, the Alaska Department 

of Natural Resources and DOE signed a 

memorandum of understanding to improve 

cooperation and collaboration between the 

two agencies through energy research and 

development. The agreement promises to 

advance our nation’s understanding of methane 

hydrate. It will be implemented by the Office of 

Fossil Energy and NETL.

Methane hydrate is formed when 

methane molecules—the chief 

component of natural gas—become 

trapped within a cage-like lattice of ice 

at low temperature and high pressure, 

primarily under Arctic permafrost or 

beneath the ocean floor. 

Researchers study methane hydrate 

as a possible energy source and out 

of concern that climate change could 

cause an increase in the release of 

methane, itself a potent greenhouse 

gas, into the ocean or atmosphere.

Did you know? 

Dynamic line rating 

(DLR) is a real-time 

overhead electric 

transmission 

line monitoring 

methodology that 

uses various sensing 

technologies to 

determine the 

maximum powercarrying capacity of the 

lines while respecting 

system design limits.

 DLR provides more 

accurate and generally 

higher ratings than 

the static ratings that 

the industry typically 

uses, because DLR 

is based on actual 

conditions at a specific 

moment rather than on 

a set of assumed, near 

“worst-case scenario” 

conditions. Thus, DLR 

allows system operators 

to maximize capacity 

to relieve congestion 

on heavily loaded 

transmission lines.
28

Science & Technology Leadership

NETL scientists and engineers have proven once again to be leaders in their 

fields. In 2013, they shared knowledge, tools, and innovations with other 

organizations inside and outside the energy arena. They also received more 

than a dozen patents for their technologies, bringing those discoveries one step 

closer to commercial viability.
 2013 NETL Accomplishments 29

Illustration of an acetone molecule adsorbed on a titanium dioxide cluster at the surface of a carbon nanotube. A 

hypothetical diabetes breathalyzer device is shown on the right.

New Material Shows Promise for 

Diabetes Testing—NETL’s Office of Research 

and Development and affiliated university 

colleagues have developed a new hybrid 

nanostructure material that may be used in 

an inexpensive breathalyzer to monitor blood 

glucose. 

The research team discovered that, by bolstering 

carbon nanotubes with titanium dioxide, they 

could produce an electrical semiconductor with 

ultra-high sensitivity to acetone vapors. When 

glucose levels rise in persons with diabetes, 

their breath produces a higher concentration 

of acetone as compared to persons without 

diabetes. Since the hybrid nanostructure 

displays unique behavior when exposed to 

ultra-violet illumination, it can help differentiate 

an elevated amount from a normal amount. 

Carbon-nanotube-based sensors are extremely 

small and inexpensive, consume little to no 

power, and are compatible with complementary 

metal-oxide-semiconductor technology, making 

them ideal for chemical sensing and noninvasive medical diagnostic tools.

When used as a sensing tool in a breath 

analyzer, the new material could offer millions of 

people with diabetes a non-invasive alternative 

testing method for blood sugar. The NETL 

team is now developing a prototype sensor, 

which, if it operates successfully in clinical trials, 

could prove to be a game-changing medical 

technology for glucose monitoring.

Did you know?

Because sensors 

based on carbon 

nanotubes are 

compatible with 

complementary 

metal-oxidesemiconductor 

technology, they 

could potentially be 

incorporated into 

modern electronic 

devices, including 

smart phones.
The NETL Energy Data eXchange 

Helps Researchers Work Together by 

Sharing Results 

article

30

Sharing energy knowledge and expertise to encourage collaboration 

among a wide range of energy experts 

became easier in 2013 with the launch 

of NETL’s Energy Data eXchange, or 

EDX, a comprehensive network of fossil 

energy-related datasets and tools that 

allow scientists to put research results 

to work across a spectrum of energy 

topics. 

EDX houses primary R&D data.

EDX makes data generated by NETL 

-affiliated researchers and other EDX 

users available almost instantly through 

a common portal designed to encourage 

and support efficient and timely sciencebased inquiry and analysis. EDX is 

constantly growing and evolving with 

user input, new content, connectivity, 

and tools to make coordination and 

collaboration efficient for EDX users and 

stakeholders.

EDX facilitates connections. In EDX, 

collaborative workspaces help NETLaffiliated researchers nurture ongoing 

research quickly and cost-effectively 

in a secure, private environment from 

across the office or across the world. 

In addition, EDX’s multi-organizational
 2013 NETL Accomplishments 31

This customized map from Geocube shows the locations of offshore wells in the Gulf of Mexico.

search capabilities allow users to 

search externally hosted information 

and link to key publically available 

energy-related data. Public features, 

such as EDX tools, EDX groups, and 

EDX portfolios, promote more efficient 

information sharing, technology 

development, and knowledge and 

technology transfer. 

EDX is secure. The system provides 

three tiers of access, ensuring that 

information is only shared when it’s 

meant to be. Open-access data is 

available to the public for download 

and represents the knowledge 

transfer half of EDX. Restricted data

is available to registered users as 

appropriate. Collaborative working 

data is proprietary and securely shared 

among designated members of 

identified teams. To further promote 

a secure environment, open-access 

and restricted data is checked for 

quality before being made available. 

The data is then subject to continuous 

monitoring by all users. 

EDX adapts to user needs. As an 

evolving platform, EDX is being 

developed in response to the needs of 

its users. This user-driven approach will 

keep EDX relevant, improve its content 

and capabilities, and ensure that it is 

a continuously growing and evolving 

tool that meets the needs of the energy 

research community.

Because NETL administers wideranging fossil energy research projects 

and maintains a highly specialized 

talent base, knowledge management 

and efficient information transfer are 

strategic priorities. EDX is dynamically 

aligning and sharing relevant data 

to fill immediate needs across our 

organization. NETL understands 

that the ability to keep researchers 

connected allows them to create 

productive relationships and solve 

today’s energy challenges efficiently. 

EDX meets the growing demand to 

access, share, and publish data and 

data-driven products in support 

of science-based decision making. 

Researchers can visit EDX at www.

edx.netl.doe.gov to explore, join the 

system, and participate in its evolution.

What’s in the EDX toolbox?

EDX houses a suite of data-driven 

applications created by NETL 

researchers to facilitate the use of 

data and information related to and 

resulting from NETL projects. These 

tools leverage the results of NETL 

research and help transfer energy 

knowledge to researchers, policymakers, regulators, and the general 

public. Combined, they extend EDX’s 

capabilities, ultimately improving 

access to key information, furthering 

research efforts, and fostering efficient 

collaboration.

Geocube is a web application that 

allows users to produce custom maps 

that integrate standard geographic 

elements with non-geographic 

elements like oil and gas wells, 

power stations, and recreational 

and commercial facilities. The prepopulated data within Geocube 

is currently focused on the Gulf of 

Mexico to support research at NETL 

related to offshore oil and natural 

gas spill prevention. However, NETL 

is continuing to add datasets from 

other regions as well: next up is the 

Appalachian Basin. Users can also 

upload information from any location 

worldwide to take advantage of 

Geocube’s web-mapping capabilities in 

support of their specific research. 

geoWELL is a map-based application 

that links users to online sources of 

subsurface geologic information and 

information about oil and gas wells, 

CO2

 injection, and other underground 

injection and production sites. Links 

to federal, state, and tribal agencies 

help users quickly find primary sources 

of information related to selected 

geographical areas. The application 

also helps NETL researchers and 

analysts find information important 

to studying the resources, risks, and 

impacts associated with fossil energy 

production. 

MFiX (Multiphase Flow with Interphase 

Exchanges) is an NETL-developed 

open-source computer code capable 

of describing systems in which solids 

and liquids interact under complex 

conditions. Existing previously as 

a standalone system, MFiX joined 

EDX tools in 2013. MFiX reduces the 

time and cost of advanced energy 

technology development by evaluating 

innovations in systems design using 

science-based simulations. Through 

EDX, users can download the MFiX 

code and documentation and see 

examples of code application.

With new tools and applications 

planned for 2014, the EDX toolbox will 

continue to grow and evolve to meet 

the needs of its users and support 

NETL’s knowledge transfer goals.
32

Science & Technology Leadership

NETL’s 2013 patents are as follows:

• A fabrication method for fiber-supported ionic liquids for 

chemical separation

• An improved catalyst system for reforming hydrocarbon 

fuels

• Nanocomposite films for use in high-temperature optical 

gas-sensing devices

• A process and device for the rapid formation of gas 

hydrates

• Three patents related to sorbent materials for CO2 capture

• An advanced turbine airfoil configuration for improved 

surface cooling

• A sensory access probe for process monitoring in harsh 

environments

• A method to measure particle motion in circulating 

fluidized-bed reactors

• The development of a flow modulation valve for gas 

turbine operations 

• A thermal method to deactivate high-carbon fly ash

• Reduced palladium-containing membranes for improved 

hydrogen separation

• A pulse-jet mixer for the suspension of heavy solids within 

a carrier fluid 

• A process to improve the water-gas shift reaction for 

hydrogen production

Patenting technologies protects U.S. taxpayer investments 

in energy-related research. NETL fosters the continued 

development of new technologies, with the ultimate goal 

of transferring them to the marketplace. Many innovations 

developed at NETL have been successfully transferred to 

industrial partners, resulting in improved energy efficiency and 

reduced environmental impact from fossil fuels.

NETL-Developed Technologies 

Receive U.S. Patents—Research 

efforts by NETL and its partners were 

recognized by the issuance of 15 

patents in 2013. Deployment of these 

NETL-developed technologies will 

result in reduced emissions, more 

efficient power plants, and lower energy production costs—

all of which have a direct impact on U.S. energy consumers.
 2013 NETL Accomplishments 33

NETL Fuel Cell Technology Adapted by the Navy 

for Unmanned Undersea Vehicles—The U.S. Office of 

Naval Research is adapting NETL solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) 

technology for use in advanced unmanned undersea vehicles 

(UUVs). 

A significant challenge in UUV development is finding a 

propulsion power source that conforms to strict size limits and 

meets endurance requirements ranging from days to weeks. 

Additional considerations include reliability; air-independent 

operation; refuelability; rapid start-up, shut-down, and 

load following; and the ability to operate with minimal 

“observables,” like noise or hull discharges.

The Navy believes that an SOFC-based solution could become 

a transformative technology in meeting ever-broadening 

mission profiles, enhancing national security, and maintaining 

maritime superiority into the future. Successfully incorporating 

NETL SOFCs into UUVs would also provide the electric power 

industry with valuable SOFC operational experience and 

contribute to the manufacturing base required for low-cost 

mass production.

A UUV is deployed during a U.S. Office of Naval Research demonstration 

near Panama City, FL. (Image courtesy of the U.S. Navy)

Did you know? 

Because SOFCs produce 

electricity through 

an electrochemical 

reaction and not 

through a combustion 

process, they are 

much more efficient 

and environmentally 

benign than 

conventional electric 

power generation 

processes. Their 

inherent characteristics 

make them uniquely 

suitable to address the 

environmental, climate 

change, and water 

concerns associated 

with fossil fuel 

based electric power 

generation.
34

Awards

This section contains a sampling of the awards our scientists and engineers have earned 

while contributing to NETL’s 2013 successes.
 2013 NETL Accomplishments 35

Dr. Brian Anderson, a professor of Chemical Engineering 

at West Virginia University and an NETL research fellow, 

is a 2013 recipient of the PECASE award, the highest 

honor the U.S. government bestows on early-career 

scientists and engineers.

Set-up diagram for the R&D 100 award-winning arc 

position sensing technology applied to a VAR furnace.

Research Affiliate with NETL’s Office of 

Research and Development Receives 

Presidential Award—NETL-ORD research 

partner Dr. Brian Anderson of West Virginia 

University’s Department of Chemical Engineering 

was awarded a 2013 Presidential Early Career 

Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) for 

his innovative work in natural gas hydrates and 

geothermal energy systems.

PECASE awards represent the highest honor 

the U.S. government bestows on outstanding 

scientists and engineers in the early stages of 

their independent research careers. The awards 

recognize recipients’ exceptional potential for 

leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge 

and their commitment to community service as 

demonstrated through professional leadership, 

education, or community outreach. The awards 

are conferred annually at the White House 

and are based on recommendations from 

participating government agencies.

As an NETL-ORD research affiliate and GE 

Plastics Materials Engineering Professor of 

Chemical Engineering, Dr. Anderson’s research 

has demonstrated the potential of engineered 

geothermal systems for substantial commercial 

and industrial energy production and the 

promise of methane hydrate as a future natural 

gas resource. He is recognized at NETL, and in 

the greater research community, as an up-andcoming leader in these arenas.

R&D 100 Awards Presented for 

Nanocoating and Monitoring Method—

Two technologies advanced by NETL in collaboration 

with strategic partners were recognized by 

R&D Magazine as being among the 100 most 

technologically significant products introduced into 

the commercial marketplace in 2013.

NETL and partner MDS Coating Technologies 

Corporation (MCT) were recognized for their work 

in developing an erosion-resistant nanocoating. 

During aircraft operation, gas turbine engines 

are continuously exposed to erosive media that 

damage engine components. Researchers at 

MCT designed an erosion-resistant nanocoating 

material and application process that significantly 

reduces erosion of compressor airfoils. The Federal 

Aviation Administration-approved nanocoating has 

the potential to save the U.S. commercial aviation 

industry up to 100 million gallons of fuel annually 

and realize cost savings greater than $300 million per 

year at today’s jet fuel prices.

In addition, NETL and partner Allegheny 

Technologies were recognized for their development 

of arc position sensing to monitor the melting and 

refining of specialty metals. Vacuum arc remelting 

(VAR) is the primary method for processing 

specialty metals for aerospace and other advanced 

applications. NETL’s arc position sensing technology 

allows system operators to digitally monitor arc 

location in real time during melting so they can 

identify poor operating conditions quickly and avoid 

known conditions that may lead to defects.

NETL’s Coronary Stent 

Team—Paul Turner, 

Paul Jablonski, and 

Ed Argetsinger—was 

recognized with a 

2013 Secretary’s 

Honor Award by 

the U.S. Secretary 

of Energy. The team 

formulated a unique 

platinum-chromium 

alloy used to create 

a new generation 

of coronary stents 

for treating patients 

with coronary artery 

disease.
Dr. Malgorzata Ziomek-Moroz holds the award she received from the Corrosion Society for her 

technical achievements in corrosion engineering.

36

Awards

NETL’s Dr. Ziomek-Moroz Wins 

Award for Corrosion Research—

NACE International, the “Corrosion 

Society,” presented NETL’s Dr. Malgorzata 

Ziomek-Moroz with a 2013 Technical 

Achievement Award. NACE, serving 

members in 116 countries, awards this 

honor yearly to recognize technical 

achievements that have significantly 

impacted corrosion control or the 

profession of corrosion engineering. 

NACE specifically cited Dr. ZiomekMoroz, an NETL research chemist, for her 

work in corrosion processes for surface 

modifications and electrochemical 

machining of brittle advanced bulk and 

film metallic materials.

Beyond this award, Dr. Ziomek-Moroz 

is also recognized in the scientific 

community for these merits:

• Investigating carbon-induced 

gaseous corrosion of alloys in solid 

oxide fuel cells and creating 

materials for solid oxide fuel cell 

interconnects

• Contributing to the development of 

thermal spray zinc and titanium used 

for bridge protection and 

investigating corrosion mechanisms 

of alloys in oil and natural gas 

environments

• Guiding students into the field of 

corrosion and corrosion control, 

where their research has earned 

recognition through NACE student 

awards

• Participating in the DOE-sponsored 

National Science Bowl, which 

encourages middle and high school 

students to excel in science, 

technology, engineering, and 

mathematics (STEM areas)
 2013 NETL Accomplishments 37

NETL metallurgist Dr. 

Paul Jablonski was 

honored to be named 

a finalist for one of the 

Partnership for Public 

Service’s prestigious 

Samuel J. Heyman 

Service to America 

Medals—known as 

the “Sammies.” These 

annual awards pay 

tribute to federal 

employees whose work 

advances the health, 

safety, and well-being 

of Americans.

NETL was awarded the Carnegie Science Center’s Advanced Materials Award for development of the 

alloy for this advanced coronary stent.

NETL Earns Two Carnegie Science 

Awards—NETL’s platinum-chromium 

(Pt-Cr) alloy was selected for the 

Carnegie Science Center’s Advanced 

Materials Award, which honors 

“accomplishments in materials science 

that create new materials or properties 

leading to significant business, 

economic, or societal benefits for the 

region.” Development of the alloy 

began in 2000 when Boston Scientific 

contacted NETL to partner in the 

design and production of a new alloy 

for coronary stents. The new Pt-Cr alloy 

solved many of the problems associated 

with traditional stents; it is stronger, 

thinner, more flexible, and easier to see 

on x-ray.

In addition, NETL earned a Corporate 

Innovation Award for its research 

partnership with regional universities. 

This award is given to “an organization 

or representative of an organization 

that develops and encourages an 

environment that promotes innovation 

in science or technology.” NETL and 

its university affiliates combine NETL 

facilities, expertise, and resources with 

those of industry partner URS and five 

nationally known research universities: 

Carnegie Mellon University, Penn State, 

the University of Pittsburgh, Virginia 

Tech, and West Virginia University. 

Working together, NETL and university 

partners develop technologies 

that protect human health and the 

environment, reduce the energy sector’s 

carbon footprint, find uses for mitigated 

CO2

, and ensure energy security.
38

A Beneficial Bounty from Energy Research

Many common inventions were initially created for another 

purpose. WD-40, GPS, and Teflon, for 

example, were originally designed 

for corrosion prevention of nuclear 

missiles, military defense, and 

refrigerant, but they became popular 

as a slippery solvent, a must-have for 

civilian travel, and a non-stick surface 

for your skillet.

NETL, too, has found that its novel ideas 

can be adapted for other uses. Over 

the years, many of our technological 

breakthroughs have been borrowed by 

other industries for new applications, 

leading to unexpected benefits. Here 

are just a few technologies that crossed 

into other fields.

From Preventing Heavy Metal 

Poisons to Platinum Recovery

NETL researchers were trying to 

mitigate heavy metal poisons caused 

by ground and surface waters reacting 

with byproducts from mining, 

manufacturing, and the incineration 

of waste materials. The best solution 

was to convert the solid wastes into a 

glassy product that doesn’t react with 

water, preventing these hazardous 

liquids from ever forming. The iron 

and steel industry was already using 

this “vitrification” process, so NETL 

researchers borrowed the idea and 

developed a unique water-cooled, 

sealed electric arc furnace system to 

vitrify waste materials. 

A few years later, an Engelhard 

Corporation employee approached 

NETL about using the arc furnace 

technology to recover valuable 

platinum-group metals from 

catalysts used by the petroleum and 

transportation industries. A partnership 

sprang up, and NETL scientists 

adapted their unique equipment and 

helped Engelhard develop a hightemperature melting process that 

economically recovers over 98 percent 

of the platinum-group metals during 

processing, leaving very little in the 

waste material. 

From More Robust Digger 

Teeth to Environmentally 

Benign Shotgun Shells

Large-scale mining operations crush 

and grind enormous amounts of 

rock to recover valuable minerals. 

This abrasive process reduces the 

service life of digging equipment and 

requires expensive, time-consuming 

parts replacement. To improve mining 

equipment’s wear resistance, NETL 

started a project that added extremely 

hard particles, such as economical 

tungsten carbide, to the equipment’s 

surface during manufacture. 

Years later, NETL engineers were 

discussing the project with a colleague 

from a local metal producer who 

wanted to produce a low-cost, 

high-density, non-toxic substitute 

for lead shot in shotgun shells—an 

idea propelled by the 1980s push for 

governments to ban lead-containing 

shells from wetlands and other delicate 

ecosystems. This new shot would be 

composed of an environmentally 

benign iron-tungsten material with 

a density equal to lead’s. However, 

developers were unsure of how to 

make spherical shot from this material. 

One NETL-industry collaboration later, 

researchers had found a way to make 

the shot in a process adapted from the 

one used to coat digger teeth. It was 

refined for economical commercial 

production under a new company, 

Environ-Metal, Inc., resulting in HeviShotTM shotgun shells for use in hunting 

a wide range of game birds. 

From Predicting Movement of 

Coal Particles to Monitoring 

Blood Flow

In most advanced energy processes 

that use coal, the fuel is crushed into 

coffee-ground-sized particles and then 

sped through energy systems by air 

or other gases. Seeing and measuring 

particle motion in great detail, deep 

inside fast-moving fields thick with 

particles is imperative for improving 

the efficiency and environmental 

friendliness of coal-based energy 

production, but doing so was difficult 

before NETL’s high-speed video 

systems. 

With the availability of these systems, 

NETL was asked by cardiac transplant 

surgeons at Presbyterian Hospital in 

Pittsburgh, PA, and Baxter Healthcare 

to help solve a blood flow problem 

in an artificial heart. Because blood 

is a flowing liquid with a high 

concentration of tiny particles, NETL 

developed a new high-speed video tool 

to see and measure blood stagnation in 

the artificial organ, which was causing 

blood clots that could eventually 

dislodge and cause strokes. The data 

Taking NETL Technology to Market
2013 NETL Accomplishments 39

allowed bioengineers 

to modify the artificial 

heart to stop production 

of blood clots, as well as 

improve the design of other 

cardiac devices.

In 2010, we also shared our 

high-speed video techniques to 

lessen the impact of the Deepwater 

Horizon disaster. NETL led a team of 

elite engineers and scientists that 

quickly generated the first accurate 

official estimates of the oil leak 

rate from the Deepwater Horizon 

using video of the oil leaks taken by 

small submarines. NETL’s estimate 

helped responders design a system 

to permanently cap the well and 

implement the cleanup effort. For this 

effort, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu 

recognized the team with a Secretary 

of Energy Achievement Award, and the 

Director of the U.S. Geological Survey 

presented the team with an award for 

“Exemplary Service to the Nation.”

Hey, Can I Borrow That?

NETL technologies prove to be both 

novel and versatile. Because so many 

natural systems have similar attributes, 

is it any wonder that so much 

borrowing goes on across different 

fields of research? Our scientists are 

proud that their research results can be 

used to solve problems both inside and 

outside the energy field. 

1 Our high-speed video capabilities 

offer benefits outside the energy 

arena, such as studying blood flow in 

artificial hearts.

2 NETL’s high-speed particle imaging 

system has been used to track 

particles in energy, medical, and 

environmental applications. Imagine 

trying to watch the movement of 

each of these particles without it!

3 Equipment coating and shot 

for hunting derive from similar 

tungsten-based materials, 

making them both sturdy and 

environmentally benign. 

4 Platinum group metals are recovered 

from used catalysts in the electric arc 

furnace. Then the molten metal is 

“tapped” in this furnace.

5 This cross section of mining 

equipment shows the hard surface 

alloy bonded to the steel.

KEY – Images L-R
National Energy Technology Laboratory

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