Thursday, Sept 15th at 12:30 PM, Port Townsend Yacht Club, 2503 Washington Ave, Port Townsend WA
Energy Technology [ET] or tools for working with energy is frequently the focus of Energy Lunch programming: ET for electric power, ET for green fuels, ET for energy storage, and more. ET will be addressed again in September but, this time with an additional feature: how some of these new tools might fit with each other and work together in moving towards 100% local renewables.
In April last year, Dr. Jacob Leachman dazzled Energy Lunch attendees with his presentation on the use of hydrogen fuels in electric power storage and in transportation as well as on specific hydrogen research and development (R&D) underway in his HYPER lab (HYdrogen Properties for Energy Research Laboratory).
The key speaker for September is also in ET R&D at Washington State University (WSU) Pullman Campus in eastern Washington but instead of the HYPER Lab he is a member of the Clean Energy Systems Integration Lab (CESI Lab).
In particular, September’s Key Speaker will cover i) WSU R&D in high temperature solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology that functions in today’s energy environment as a highly efficient carbon neutral generator, and ii) works in tomorrow’s high renewable energy society as a reversible energy conversion system that utilizes existing natural gas energy infrastructure to balance and store intermittent renewable energy.
SOFCs are relatively low cost fuel cells that produce electric power from hydrogen fuel using an electrolyte or core material that is a solid oxide like ceramic or glass. They operate at temperatures between 500 degrees C and 1,000 degrees C.
Systems integration, a new primary topic in Energy Lunch programming, is the process of bringing together separate energy tools into one overall system of energy operations where each part is integrated with the others so that all parts function together reliably and economically.
The key speaker in September is Dustin McLarty of the CESI Lab at the Pullman Campus of Washington State University. Dr. McLarty investigates high temperature fuel cells, and the dynamics and controls of advanced microgrids. Involved in research for clean energy systems, Dr McLarty has worked with industry partners and national labs to develop systems integration solutions and novel electrochemical power concepts such as linking fuel cells and gas turbines.
Dr McLarty’s presentation will cover i) the basics of current fuel cell technology; ii) operational advantages of solid oxide fuels cells (SOFCs); iii) electrolysis and reversible SOFCs; iv) Improved SOFC operation with pure oxygen (OXY-SOFC); v) ammonia co-production with OXY SOFCs; vi) hybrid SOFC and gas turbine options; vii) local energy systems analysis for transition to 100% renewable energy; viii) methodology for planning new building and gird energy systems – Distributed Generation Build-out and Economic Assessment Tool (DG-BEAT); ix) use of microgrid architecture for integrating distributed generation, variable energy storage capacities, and full use of local renewable energy resources.
The Key Speaker for this month will be of interest and value to those in Jefferson County, Energy Lunch veterans and others, who are interested in i) the ET pathways from electricity to fuels and from fuels to electricity; ii) how developing these pathways can result in a more rapid transition to renewable energy in local sun, wind and water resources; and in iii) how systems integration impacts local energy plans now underway.
