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| Dr. Duane Dombek |
Technology to Reduce Carbon Emissions from Power Plants
MATRIC is undertaking research on technology for capturing carbon dioxide from the stack gas of coal- burning utilities to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. There is an increasing recognition that capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide generated by burning fossil fuels may be necessary to reduce the amount of carbon added to the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is currently recovered from various industrial processes by amine absorbers or cryogenic coolers. However, these technologies are not cost-effective when applied to power plants. It has been estimated that three-fourths of the total cost of a system for carbon capture, storage, transport and sequestration is associated with the CO2 capture process. One problem with existing coal-burning power plants is that the flue gas contains about 10-12% CO2 by volume, diluted with nitrogen. For effective sequestration, the carbon dioxide must be concentrated from this mixture, which requires advances in separations technology. The U.S. Department of Energy through the National Energy Technology Laboratory is providing the funding to explore new adsorption concepts that could significantly reduce CO2 capture costs. MATRIC is working with Research and Development Solutions, LLC on this project. “The goals for this program call for reducing the separations cost by about half, as compared with the amine absorption technology,” says Daniel Fisher, a MATRIC engineer working on the project. “With our concept of a dry adsorption bed system and an ambitious adsorbent research program by NETL, we hope to achieve this.” |
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| Jon McCullough |
Continuing IV&V Support for NASA Missions
Currently, MATRIC is providing software assurance for the NASA International Space Station (ISS) Oxygen Generation System (OGS), Common Cabin Air Assembly (CCAA) and the Intermodule Ventilation Station Control (IVSC). The OGS will generate oxygen through the electrolysis of water to support metabolic consumption and atmospheric losses. In the electrolysis process, liquid water is fed to the OGS where it is electrolyzed to produce gaseous oxygen and hydrogen. The oxygen that is generated will be routed to the cabin, while the hydrogen will either be vented into space or combined with carbon dioxide to produce water. The CCAA is responsible for temperature control, condensation removal, and some electrical interfaces while the IVSC is responsible for airflow between the Laboratory Module and attached elements. The IVSC also isolates elements due to depressurization, fire, and hazardous contamination. MATRIC has teamed with L3-Titan, a prime contractor at the NASA Software Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) facility in Fairmont, WV to perform these independent analysis activities. For more information about the International Space Station please visit their home page. |
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| Dr. Duane Dombek |
MATRIC Receives Recognition from the Charleston Area Alliance
MATRIC was one of three winners of the "Expect the Best from West Virginia" award, presented by the Charleston Area Alliance at their annual celebration on February 16, 2006. The "Expect the Best" award was created to recognize businesses and organizations that promote quality of life at home, at work and in the community. The intended result is that organizations and individuals will implement quality practices leading to pride and economic growth in West Virginia. As a young organization, MATRIC is very honored to receive this recognition. It affirms that our vision to become a leading non-profit research center with a major local, national and international economic impact is indeed achievable. A short promotional video produced by MotionMasters was presented to MATRIC as part of the award. To learn more, view the video on the CAA site. |
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| Keith A. Pauley |
The 360 Degree Leader : Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization 
The Entrepreneurial Mindset 
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