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Coal

Materials Challenges in Advanced Coal Conversion Technologies

Cynthia A. Powell^a1 and Bryan D. Morreale^a1

^a1 National Energy Technology Laboratory, USA

Abstract

Coal is a critical component in the international energy portfolio, used extensively for electricity generation. Coal is also readily converted to liquid fuels and/or hydrogen for the transportation industry. However, energy extracted from coal comes at a large environmental price: coal combustion can produce large quantities of ash and CO₂, as well as other pollutants. Advanced technologies can increase the efficiencies and decrease the emissions associated with burning coal and provide an opportunity for CO₂ capture and sequestration. However, these advanced technologies increase the severity of plant operating conditions and thus require improved materials that can stand up to the harsh operating environments. The materials challenges offered by advanced coal conversion technologies must be solved in order to make burning coal an economically and environmentally sound choice for producing energy.

Cynthia A. Powell can be reached at Offce of Research and Development, National Energy Technology Laboratory, 1450 Queen Ave., SW, Albany, OR 97321, USA; tel. 541–967–5803, fax 541–967–5914, and e-mail cynthia.powell@netl.doe.gov.

Powell is the Materials Science Focus Area lead for the Offce of Research and Development at the US Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). She received her PhD degree in materials science from Case Western Reserve University in 1989, preceded by MS and BS degrees in ceramic engineering from Clemson University, in 1985 and 1983, respectively. Powell has more than 15 years of research experience in the areas of high-temperature phase and microstructural development in ceramic materials, particularly refractories, and the effect of these phase changes on the bulk properties of the material. At NETL, her research focuses on the development of improved performance materials that will enable the next generation of fossil-fuel power plants. Her research also has addressed microstructure/property and microstructure/processing relationships in a wide range of intermetal-lic, metallic, and composite materials, and the infuence of microstructure on the tribological performance of ceramics and ceramic-based composites. Powell has more than 40 publications in these areas. She also is listed as coinventor on a U.S. patent, which describes an improved material engineered for slagging gasifer applications.

Bryan D. Morreale can be reached at 626 Cochrans Mill Rd., PO Box 618, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, USA; tel. 412–386–5929, fax 412–386–5920, and e-mail bryan.morreale@netl.doe.gov.

Morreale is currently the research group leader for the Reaction Chemistry and Engineering Group of the Offce of Research and Development at the US Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory. Morreale is an alumnus of the University of Pittsburgh, where he received his PhD degree from the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering and was the recipient of the annual Coull Memorial Award for Outstanding Graduate Student. His current research interests are focused on energy conversion and conservation technologies, specifcally gasifcation, gas separations, synthesis gas conversion, and carbon utilization.