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President George W. Bush Views Energy Innovations

President George W. Bush observed demonstrations of a number of technologies with energy-related applications during a tour of Battelle.

Scientists showed the President some of the leading-edge technologies currently under development at Battelle and the five Department of Energy national laboratories it manages or co-manages. The demonstrations included significant developments in pipeline safety and security, next-generation nuclear power, energy-efficient appliances, grid reliability, and clean coal.

The tour also included a close look at a fuel cell developed at Battelle Columbus and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) that is being engineered to provide auxiliary power for the U.S. Army’s Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The fuel cell gives the Bradley extended silent-watch capability and increased fuel efficiency. Other combat vehicles will also benefit from this technology.

The demonstrations the President witnessed represent some of the promising work under way across the organization.

The pipeline safety discussions included information on public-private partnering to maintain and improve pipeline safety records, Battelle’s ongoing work with the Mexican petroleum company PEMEX, and monitoring and detection technologies to detect sabotage. Much of that work is ongoing at Battelle’s Columbus and West Jefferson Operations.

The nuclear energy presentation included a schematic of the next-generation nuclear power plant and its capabilities for emissions-free hydrogen production. Battelle leads the team that recently won the management contract for the Idaho National Laboratory, and a key component for that contract is the development of this next-generation nuclear power plant.

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are working toward a zero-energy house that will actually produce as much energy as it uses. The President saw a demonstration of how researchers developed a low-cost house with technologies ranging from high-efficiency appliances to solar panels that use just $.60 per day in energy and sometimes, on sunny days, actually generates more electricity than it uses.

The presentation on grid reliability focused on high-temperature superconductivity and how these types of cables will be able to handle a much larger electrical load than existing power lines. Also highlighted were monitoring and control technologies that will enable grid operators to detect problems on the grid and reduce loads in a way that does not impact the end customer. These technologies have the potential to relieve the strain on a maxed-out grid system that failed during the New York City blackout of 2003. the work in ongoing at both PNNL and Oak Ridge.

The discussion on clean coal included a technique under development called carbon sequestration. This technology, a key component of the President’s FutureGen initiative, involves capturing carbon dioxide emissions and permanently trapping them thousands of feet beneath the earth’s surface. Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Battelle Columbus are leading the effort.

For more information, visit www.battelle.org.

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