I nd u s t r i a l R e s earch Of f i ce News l etter
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Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment. 2
Bayer MaterialScience. 3
Events. 4-5
Dr. Domenic Santavicca and Advanced Power Generation. 6
Penn State Center for Sustainability. 7
Licensable Technology. 8
Energy
Iron Hot Topics
Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment
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he mission of the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment (PSIEE) is to expand the University’s capacity to pursue the newest frontiers in energy and environmental research. To support their mission, the PSIEE encourages cooperation across disciplines and the participation of local, state, federal, and international stakeholders. The institute was established in 1999 as the Penn State Institutes of the Environment to develop and integrate new knowledge of the biological and physical environment and its impact on individual and social wellbeing. In the past year, an energy science and engineering component was coupled with the environmental mission, and the new PSIEE was established. The PSIEE is the central coordinating structure for energy and environmental research, education, and outreach at Penn State. It engages all of the major colleges at Penn State involved in energy and environmental teaching and research in an effort to ensure interdisciplinary collaboration and coherent programs across the University. PSIEE is affiliated with colleges ranging from Liberal Arts to the Milton S. Hershy College of Medicine, as well as various institutes and centers (figure 2.1).
figure 2.1
The PSIEE is focused around a set of major themes that reflect areas of significant challenge and societal interest, which tend to cross traditional disciplinary boundaries. Current focus is on the following seven themes: air quality; biodiversity and ecosystems; energy; global change; health and the environment; industrial ecology and green engineering; and water resources. The Energy Institute, a PSIEE affiliate within the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, conducts research in carbon materials, clean fuels and catalysis, electrochemicals, petroleum and natural gas, stationary power, sustainable energy, and transportation. Dr. Chunshan Song, who was featured in the
inaugural edition of The IRON last year, has recently been appointed as the director of the Energy Institute. Dr. Song is professor of fuel science in the department of energy and geoenvironmental engineering and is the leader of the Clean Fuels and Catalysis Program within the Institute. “The nation needs to diversify its energy production, while simultaneously improving the efficiency by which it generates and utilizes that energy,” said Dr. Song. “We must strive to expand the use of our limited indigenous resources while relying less on nondomestic sources of energy. The development and commercialization of new energy technologies will assist the nation in meeting its energy needs while spurring economic growth.” Another affiliate, the College of Agricultural Sciences, created an Agriculture and Environment Science and Policy Center in an effort to better address the environmental issues related to agriculture. Falling under the college’s Environment and Natural Resources Institute, the Center will be a focal point for cross-disciplinary research and outreach on air and water quality, soil conservation, invasive species, climate change and other environmental issues of consequence to agriculture. “Historically, we have treasured agriculture for many reasons beyond its role in providing food for our tables – its contributions to the economic and social fabric of rural communities, scenic country sides, and our heritage,” says Dr. Jim Shortle, director of the college’s Environment and Natural Resources Institute. “Increasingly, we also see the tremendous value of agriculture’s contributions to the functioning of ecosystems, and the crucial importance of maintaining and enhancing ecosystem services from agriculture, such as carbon sequestration.” The Director of PSIEE, Dr. William Easterling, recently became the new Dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences on July 1, 2007. The Office of the Vice President for Research is currently searching for a new director to continue the excellent leadership that Dr. Easterling has provided.
For more information: www.psiee.psu.edu Contributions for this article by Jeff Mulhollem, jjm29@psu.edu
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Forging Relationships with Bayer MaterialScience, LLC
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he Bayer Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is the U.S. subsidiary of the worldwide Bayer Group, an international health care, nutrition, and innovative materials company based in Germany. Penn State and Bayer Corporation share a long collaborative history, with Bayer’s support to the University totaling more than $2.4 million in gifts, plus more than $1.3 million in research contracts. The Industrial Research Office (IRO) has been a key factor in developing a relationship with Bayer MaterialScience, LLC (BMS), a subgroup of Bayer Corporation. BMS offers a broad range of polycarbonates, coatings, thermoplastics, and polyurethanes used in a wide range of products for everyday life. Through a series of visits coordinated by the IRO, BMS was exposed to collaborative research possibilities, including the opportunity to work with Dr. Evangelos Manias of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Penn State. “Developing new technologies that improve the properties and performance of our products, like Makrolon® polycarbonate – one of our signature products – is always front and center at BMS,” explained Jim Mason, Director of Product Technology, Bayer MaterialScience. “For that very purpose, BMS has been engaged in nanotechnology research with Dr. Manias for the past several years. His expertise in polymer composites coupled with Penn State’s resources combine to provide an excellent research environment for Makrolon nanocomposites.” Manias added, “The polycarbonate nanocomposites project was largely done rather collaboratively, with the fundamental research in our labs and, where necessary, scale-up and development in parallel in Bayer’s facilities. Beyond the complementarities in expertise, focus and approaches, which allowed both sides to engage in what they are best in doing, this collaborative modus operandi also allowed for a unique flexibility in quickly identifying dead-ends, challenges, and opportunities, which often redefined the initial scope of work.” “For example,” Manias explained, “the scientific focus of the work shifted drastically more than a year within the project, when we discovered a striking materials behavior due to the nanoscale structure of the composite. The understanding and optimization of this behavior has led to a very high performance Makrolon nanocomposite material and a very impressive Ph.D. thesis.”
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The initial success of this project led BMS to sign a master agreement to easily develop and manage multiple new research projects at Penn State. With the master agreement in place, the IRO used their formal RFP process to request proposals from University researchers, resulting in several awards and five current projects with BMS. Gregory S. Babe, President and CEO, Bayer MaterialScience, said, “As an inventor company, we at Bayer recognize that innovation, in all its forms, offers the only true sustainable, competitive advantage we have. At the same time, in a globalizing economy, the old standard of ‘innovation from within’ no longer applies. Instead, the Open Innovation model, one of Bayer’s Overarching Goals, shifts the center of gravity beyond our company borders to the creation of new relationships with external partners. Our collaboration with Penn State’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, which has at its core the development of new ideas that have the potential to create value, is deeply rooted in this concept.” In addition to the research partnership with BMS, Penn State’s Office of Corporate Foundations and Relations has developed a strong relationship with the Bayer Foundation, an endowed 501(c)(3) entity and is the primary source of Bayer Corporation’s philanthropy in the United States. In September 2006, the Bayer Foundation presented Penn State with a $300,000 grant to fund the Bayer Graduate Fellowship in Materials Science as well as the Bayer International Internship Scholars. “In today’s science and engineering marketplace, innovation is happening all around the world,” said Dr. Robert Kumpf, Chief Administrative Officer, Bayer MaterialScience. “Students who have international experience, in many cases, are one step closer to meeting the challenges and opportunities of a globalizing economy. To help give students that important edge, the Bayer Foundation has created the Bayer International Internship Scholars fund at Penn State. The fund is designed to help undergraduate students pursuing careers in materials science and engineering participate in the Materials Study Abroad program. With travel expenses and a partial stipend provided by the Bayer fund, these students study at host institutions in countries like England, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, deepening their knowledge base about the subjects, as well as the various cultures and peers they one day may be working with or competing against.”
For more information: John Siggins | johnsiggins@psu.edu
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the Materials Characterization Lab, and the Nanofabrication Facility.
Follow the IRO
A Look at Recent Trade Shows & Penn State Events
NHA Annual Hydrogen Conference The Penn State Hydrogen Energy Center joined the Industrial Research Office at the NHA (National Hydrogen Association) Annual Hydrogen Conference in San Antonio from March 19-21. Dr. Bruce Logan, Director of the Hydrogen Energy Center, serves on the NHA Board of Directors and Executive Committee. At the event, the Penn State team discussed the University’s progress in hydrogen storage, production, utilization, and education. A hot topic at the event was Dr. Logan’s research of microbial fuel cells, specifically the bioelectrochemically assisted microbial reactor (BEAMR) process. The BEAMR process is a two-chambered system that produces pure hydrogen gas. Dr. Joel Anstrom, Director of the Hybrid and Hydrogen Vehicle Research Lab at Penn State, also attended the event. Dr. Anstrom discussed the facilities at Penn State such as the Hydrogen Fueling Station, Hybrid Electric Vehicle Lab, the One-mile Test Track and the Heavy Vehicle Lab. For more information: IRO Event Page: www.iro.psu.edu/nha
Materials Day at Penn State Materials Day 2007 was held on April 10 and 11 at Penn State. Coordinated by the Materials Research Institute, the theme of this year’s event was the science, the future, and the commercial viability of nanotechnology. Materials Day began with an industry workshop on Competitive Modern Manufacturing through Nanotechnology, hosted by the Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization (CNEU). The CNEU is dedicated to research, development, and education across all aspects of micro- and nanotechnology. Following the workshop, tours were conducted of the CNEU, John Siggins (left) of the Industrial Research Office discusses the services of the Penn State Technology Transfer Organization.
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Three panelists from various Pennsylvania organizations spoke of the need to reduce barriers to nano commercialDr. Jeffrey Catchmark (right) discussization. Rebecca Bagley of the es the Penn State Center for NanoCelPA Department of Community lulosics. Economic Development remarked on the DCED’s investment of $63 million in nano, which was matched by $70 million from the federal government. Dr. Anthony Green of the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern PA represented the Nanotechnology Institute, an alliance of businesses and state agencies with a vision to make the Mid-Atlantic region a hub of nanotechnology commercialization. And, Dr. Alan Brown, Executive Director of the PA NanoMaterials Commercialization Center in Pittsburgh, discussed the Center’s purpose of providing funding to promising nanomaterials research which has a well-defined defense or commercial application. For more information: IRO Event Page: www.iro.psu.edu/materialsday
BIO 2007 At BIO 2007, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) and its partners represented the state’s world-class research institutions, emerging companies, mature industry and global pharmaceuticals. At the event, held in Boston from May 6-9, Penn State was one of several partners on-hand to attract companies to Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania delivers the funding, access, and expertise to help businesses succeed. For example, Pennsylvania is the only state to dedicate 100% of all tobacco settlement funds to health-related programs, a $2 billion multi-year commitment to life sciences. Designed to foster community/university partnerships, technology transfer and entrepreneurship, Pennsylvania com-
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mitted $3.7 million to Keystone Innovation Zones (KIZs), $10 million in Keystone Innovation Grants and $6 million in Keystone Innovation Starter Kits. Commercialization is supported in PA by three nationally recognized life sciences greenhouses, industry-specific business incubators. Pennsylvania also boasts a network of support organizations such as Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Governor’s Action Team, Office of International Business Development and more. For more information: IRO Event Page: www.iro.psu.edu/bio DCED: www.newPA.com
Learning Factory Project Showcase On May 3, The Learning Factory at Penn State held its 25th student project showcase. Over 200 engineering students in Mechanical, Industrial, Electrical, Chemical, Bioengineering, and Computer Science and Engineering presented their solutions to real-world engineering problems. The Learning Factory enables students to gain practical experience working closely with company sponsors to solve their challenging problems. Contact The Learning Factory to learn more about sponsoring a student engineering project. Benefits of sponsorship include recruiting, fresh ideas and solutions to real problems, access to Penn State facilities and technologies, and project management experience for your junior staff engineers. For more information: The Learning Factory: www.lf.psu.edu
Pennsylvania has the 5th-largest concentration of nanotechnology-focused companies, university programs, government laboratories and other organizations.
NSTI Nanotech 2007
According to a survey by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, Pennsylvania has the fifth-largest concentration of nanotechnologyfocused companies, university programs, government laboratories and other organizations1. The Penn State Industrial Research Office and Materials Research Institute returned to the NSTI Nanotech Conference and Exhibit this year to pro1
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mote the ongoing nano research at the “Many University. NSTI Nanotech 2007 was c o n s i d e r held in Santa Clara, CA in May. The Penn State to be IRO promoted Penn State faculty first in the country for materials research and expertise in molecular electronics, second in industrial nanowire synthesis, nanomanufacsupport of research.” turing, nanobiotechnology, and sev~Small Times Magazine, May/June 2007 eral other areas. According to the cover story in the May/ June 2007 issue of Small Times Magazine, a leading provider of news and analysis on nanotechnology, “Many consider Penn State to be first in the country for materials research and second in industrial support of research. The university’s strengths are embodied in collaborative materials research covering a broad range of nanomaterials, and employing expertise from disciplines spanning agbio, through engineering to basic materials chemistry and condensed matter physics. An interdisciplinary graduate degree program brings students and faculty together across these disciplines.” For more information: IRO Event Page: www.iro.psu.edu/nano
Upcoming Events AUGUST 15-16 World Energy Engineering Congress Washington, DC www.iro.psu.edu/weec SEPTEMBER 04-05 CrossOver 2007 at Penn State “Bioenergy: From Fields to Wheels” Penn State University Park www.iro.psu.edu/crossover 25-27 Energy from Biomass and Waste Pittsburgh, PA www.iro.psu.edu/ebw NOVEMBER 11-13 Commercialization of NanoMaterials Pittsburgh, PA www.iro.psu.edu/cnm
www.iro.psu.edu/events
Pittsburgh Business Times, June 1 - 7, 2007
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Faculty Spotlight Dr. Domenic Santavicca and Advanced Power Generation
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n the Fall 2006 edition of The IRON, we highlighted the economic development efforts at The Navy Yard in Philadelphia. In that article, we mentioned the initiative of creating a Center for Advanced Power Generation (CAPG), an initiative that Dr. Dom Santavicca is moving forward. Santavicca, Director of the CAPG, is Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Penn State. According to Santavicca, “Electric power represents approximately 40% of the energy consumed in the United States and as such is an area of strategic national importance. Since greater than 50% of electric power is produced from coal, and Pennsylvania is ranked 8th in coal reserves, power generation is an area of significant economic importance to the Commonwealth.” The development of future power generation systems is being driven by several well-known factors including increased demand, the need for cleaner fuels, concerns over global warming and the need for reduced dependence on foreign energy sources. These demands will be met through a mix of zerocarbon power generation technologies including renewable power, nuclear power and advanced coal-based power systems. The CAPG brings together researchers in coal gasification, air separation, gas cleanup, CO2 capture, CO2 sequestration, advanced combustion systems, advanced turbine cooling, high temperature materials and coatings, probabilistic design and communication-information technologies. The CAPG facilitates collaborative efforts involving Penn State, industry and government in support of the national effort to develop and commercialize zero-carbon power generation technologies. The technology focus of the CAPG is
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the integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) advanced power generation system. The IGCC power plant employs coal gasification, CO2 capture and CO2 sequestration technology integrated with combined cycle electricity generation, and when successfully developed will be the world’s first zero emissions fossil fuel power plant. The Center will be co-located at Penn State University Park and The Navy Yard in Philadelphia. The R & D activities at the University Park campus will initially be based on a number of on-going projects in the areas of high temperature materials and coatings, aero-thermal heat transfer, hydrogen combustion, high temperature analysis and design, CO2 capture, advanced modeling and health monitoring. The objective of this research is to obtain fundamental understanding of critical processes which affect the performance of IGCC power generation systems. This research will complement activities that are planned for The Navy Yard, which involve the study and testing of full-scale IGCC components operating at realistic operating conditions. The first facilities to be built at The Navy Yard include a full-scale coal gasifier test rig and single nozzle combustor test rig. It is expected that these facilities will be operational by the end of 2009. Industry involvement is critical to the success of the CAPG. The relationship between the Center and companies involved in the field of advanced power generation will take many forms including funded research, writing joint proposals, identifying critical research needs, internships and co-ops for Penn State students, continuing education programs for company employees, identifying small business-large business teaming opportunities, and recruiting graduating students to work in the advanced power generation field. There are already a number of companies in the advanced power generation field that are working with Center faculty who will be the Center’s first industrial partners. These companies include GE Energy, Pratt & Whitney, Siemens Power Generation and Solar Turbines. It is expected that more than $1,000,000 in research funding will be provided by these companies during 2007. One of the primary objectives for 2007 is to expand the number of companies that are involved with the Center, creating new members and research sponsors. Upcoming events include the 2007-2008 CAPG Seminar Series which begins in September 2007, and the 1st Annual CAPG Symposium tentatively scheduled for April 2008. Visit the Center’s website at www.capg.psu.edu for updated details.
Contact Information: Dr. Dom Santavicca | 814.863.1863 | das8@psu.edu
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Research Spotlight Center for Sustainability
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nder the direction of Dr. David Riley, Professor of Architectural Engineering at Penn State, the Center for Sustainability has initiated collaborative relationships between multiple academic, research, and administrative programs at the University to refine education and research in four targeted areas: green design architecture and engineering, hybrid energy systems, food security, and natural wastewater treatment. The mission of the Center is to integrate education, research, and outreach on issues of sustainability through innovative, interdisciplinary projects, facilities, and hands-on learning opportunities. The research projects at the Center involve the efforts of interdisciplinary faculty and students from across the University Park campus, and many volunteers from the local community. The Center’s research agenda focuses on “systems research,” determining how well technologies and systems within our housing and communities can work together, including residential-scale renewable and conservation technologies, and green design architectural engineering. Currently a team of Penn State students is putting the finishing touches on The MorningStar solar home to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy 2007 Solar Decathlon from October 12-20 in Washington, DC. Penn State is one of twenty teams selected to participate in this event sponsored by the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Each team is awarded $100,000 over two years to support the Decathlon’s research goal of reducing the cost of solar-powered homes and advancing solar technology. After the competition, the MorningStar will return to the Center’s 8.5 acre Site for Ecological Technologies on Porter
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Road to serve as the new Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems (HyRES) Laboratory, in addition to accommodating outreach programming for energy education. At the HyRES Lab, the MorningStar Home will be powered by a redundant hybrid system including solar and wind power, and will also be gridconnected. Net metering is used to balance energy use, and surplus power used to make hydrogen for a fuel cell vehicle. In rare cases when the sun, wind, and grid power are unavailable, the MorningStar Home will be powered through a vehicle possessing a fuel cell power system. Tours, workshops, field trips and other educational outreach programs will be regularly scheduled at the MorningStar residence in 2008. You can support the Solar Decathlon team at www.solar.psu.edu. The Ecological Systems Laboratory (ESL) at the Center is a natural wastewater treatment facility that mimics nature’s own processes found in wetlands and marshes to remediate contaminated water. Since the plants are doing most of the work, the ESL offers a low impact, low cost and energy efficient alternative to chemical waste water treatment. This blackwater treatment system is capable of cleaning 1,000 gallons a day with expansions planned for the facility in the near future. The ESL also features a newly installed grid-tied solar array and tacker that provides power for the facility. The Biointensive Gardening project focuses on food security research by investigating methods of food production and preparation that reduce the use of fossil fuels. Sustainable food production will in part depend on educating consumers about the embedded energy in our meals, our agricultural dependence on fossil fuels and foreign imports. Fertilizers, pesticides, and the irrigation, harvesting, processing, storage, refrigeration, packaging, and transportation of food all involve the use of petroleum products. The Center is investigating ways to lower the use of petroleum and the ecological footprint of our food at their biointensive minifarm and hoop house. Other projects at the Center include the Powerlion Portable Powerstation featuring 30 53-watt solar panels, 12 photovoltaic gel batteries, and a diesel generator mounted atop an 18-foot long steel trailer. The Winter Gardening Project focuses on season-extended growing and harvesting that is necessary for food-generation in colder climates. The Instructional Garden Project uses innovative, experiential garden-based education in order to increase ecological literacy and stewardship. And, the straw bale workshops focus on straw bale construction and the benefits with this renewable resource.
Contact Information: www.engr.psu.edu/cfs
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Penn State Licensable Technology Below is a list of inventions that resulted from Penn State’s energy research. These inventions are available for licensing through the Penn State Intellectual Property Office. For more information on the following technologies, read The IRON online at www.iro.psu.edu/theiron. • Cold-Active Proteases from Psychrophilic and Psychrotolerant Microorganisms • Low Temperature Sintering of Antiferroelectric Lead-based Ceramics • Quaternary Metal Alloys for Use in Fuel Cells • Modified Cymbal Transducers • Proton Conducting Polymer Membranes
Industrial Research Office Newsletter
• Gel Polymer Electrolytes
Subscribe to the e-Edition of The IRON at www.iro.psu.edu/theiron.
• Method and Device to Manufacture Camber Free Multilayer Ceramics During Co-sintering
Look for our Fall 2007 issue in October.
• Doping of Magnesium Diboride Thin Films During the Hybrid Physical-Chemical Vapor Deposition Process
Send comments or suggestions for The IRON to: Gregory Angle, gregangle@psu.edu Marketing Coordinator, Industrial Research Office This publication is available in alternative media on request. Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce. U.Ed. RES 08-01.
• Ferroelectric Fluoropolymers with Chemically Tunable Dielectric Constants and Processes Thereof • High Surface Area Carbon for Ultracapacitors and Other Applications