WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham
announced today that 22 universities in 18 states will receive $3.4 million in
fossil energy research grants through a Department of Energy (DOE) program that
brings science, university students, and their professors together to advance
the study of new clean and efficient coal-use technologies and concepts. Clemson
University will receive $49,999 for a clean coal project. "This program continues to explore the best ways to use clean coal
technology while protecting the environment," Secretary Abraham said.
"The selected projects are an integral part of President Bush's Clear Skies
Initiative and focus on enhancing clean energy." DOE's 2004 University Coal Research (UCR) Program projects cover a wide range
of research areas, including developing new systems and capabilities to improve
performance and reduce the costs of existing advanced power systems; developing
materials to detect fossil fuel gases under high pressures and temperatures;
finding new CO2 and/or HO2 separation technologies; and designing new turbine
combustors with improved stability and emissions. Since UCR's inception in 1979, the Energy Department has funded approximately
675 new research projects with a combined value of almost $113 million, while
giving more than 1,645 students throughout the U.S. first-hand experience in
combining science and engineering advances to help solve issues facing the coal
industry today. Seven of this year's innovative concepts are entering their first phase of
research, while four concepts are continuing research from last year. Of the
four in Phase II, research will be focused on improving the overall efficiency
of producing hydrogen, removing mercury by improving barrier filters, and
improving the conditions under which solid oxide fuel cells operate. The grants include nearly $1 million in cost-share funds from the
universities. The research will target President Bush's Clear Skies Initiative,
the Global Climate Change Initiative and the FutureGen Initiative. This year's UCR awards are divided into three areas. The "Core
Program" focuses on applied research in the Office of Fossil Energy and is
geared toward exploratory research that benefits the President's FutureGen
Initiative. The "Phase I Program" (Innovative Concepts) is targeted
toward ideas that may lead to future breakthroughs and the "Phase II
Program" (Innovative Concepts) provides funds for projects supported last
year with Phase I funding. The South Carolina project selected is: Clemson University -- Project title: "Specifically Designed Constructed
Wetlands: A Novel Treatment Approach for Scrubber Wastewater." Flue gas
desulfurization (FGD) systems, or scrubbers, are a process in coal-fired power
plants to remove sulfur from air emissions, and they also remove trace
contaminants such as mercury, selenium, and arsenic which are then contained in
the FGD wastewater at low levels. This research will evaluate a pilot-scale
constructed wetland to remove these harmful constituents which are present at
such low concentrations that traditional treatment methods are cost prohibitive. Performance will be tested over various conditions and seasons to demonstrate
the robustness of the system (DOE share: $49,982; duration: 12 months). Brief profiles of all the selected projects are listed at http://
www.fossil.energy.gov
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