Advanced Laser Diagnostics for Fuel Flexible Combustion Applications

Description

The National Energy Technology Laboratory's (NETL's) record of success has been built on understanding the future of energy and the technologies required to make that future possible. We’ve long touted our success in developing the technologies that took on acid rain in the 1970s and mercury in the early 2000s.

Program Goals

The Professional Internship Program is designed to introduce undergraduate students and recent Bachelor's graduates to the challenges of conducting energy research, and enable graduate students and recent Master's graduates to further build off their studies and experience as they join the scientific community. Participants interact daily with assigned mentors who guide research and project activities during the internship, while they become integral members of project teams.

The program goals include providing the opportunity to participants to:

• Develop skills and knowledge in their field of study
• Engage with new areas of basic and applied research
• Transition classroom theory into hands-on experience
• Network with world-class scientists
• Exchange ideas and skills with the Laboratory community
• Use state-of-the-art equipment
• Contribute to answers for today's pressing scientific questions
• Collaborate with the broader scientific and technical communities

Project Details

Through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), this posting seeks a recent Bachelor's graduate or student researcher to engage in projects with the Research Innovation Center (RIC) at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in the area of Advanced Turbines MYRP, under the mentorship of Clinton Bedick. This project will be hosted at the NETL Pittsburgh, PA campus.

The overall project objective is to improve the understanding and predictive capabilities of ammonia (NH3) combustion, specifically focusing on the formation of nitrogen oxides (NOx). The project will utilize advanced optical diagnostic techniques, such as Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF), Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF), Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS), and chemiluminescence, to gather critical experimental data from various flame configurations in the NETL Pittsburgh Fundamental Combustion Laboratory. This data will be compared to CFD and NH3 kinetic models, which currently show significant discrepancies in predicting NOx emissions. The ultimate goal is to enabling utilization of NH3 as a fuel in gas turbine applications while effectively minimizing harmful NOx formation.

The learning objectives for this project are:

• To research comprehensive experimental datasets on NO, NH, and NH2, and OH species concentrations in NH3-containing flames under various conditions.

• To research and expand knowledge on existing NH3 kinetic models by comparing experimental measurements with 1-D simulations.

• To investigate the impact of flow field effects on the kinetics of NH3 combustion and NOx formation in swirl burner configurations.

• To establish a deeper understanding of NOx chemistry during NH3 combustion at both scientific and practical application levels.

Stipend: Participants receive a biweekly stipend based on their educational level. Stipend payments are taxable as an educational benefit. Stipends for full-time participation are:

• $814.50 per week for undergraduate students
• $1267.00 per week for recent Bachelor's graduates
• $1550.00 per week for graduate students and recent Master's graduates

Program Requirements: To document the effectiveness of the program, participants are required to submit a pre-appointment and post-appointment survey, as well as a reflection on their appointment experience when they renew or end their appointment. The reflection should summarize their project(s), additional activities, and overall experience. Details are provided as the appointment end date approaches.
Participants may also have the opportunity to contribute to manuscripts, journal articles, book chapters, conference presentations, posters, patents, and other publications as a part of their appointment. Such achievements should also be reported to ORISE; additional details are provided after an offer has been accepted.

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory system, is owned and operated by the DOE. NETL supports the DOE mission to advance the energy security of the United States. This is an educational opportunity offered by NETL and administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. Participants in the program are not considered employees of NETL, DOE, the program administrator, or any other office or agency.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate would have some, but not necessarily all, of the following skills:

• Background in combustion science, chemical kinetics, or related fields.
• Experience with optical diagnostic techniques, particularly Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) and Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF), Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS), and chemiluminescence.
• Proficiency in experimental setup, calibration, and data acquisition for combustion diagnostics.
• Familiarity with kinetic modeling and simulation of combustion processes (Cantera).

It is recognized that not all applicants will have knowledge and experience in all of these areas. This opportunity will provide exposure to/interaction with technical experts in several of these areas.

To be eligible for this opportunity, you must:

• Have one of the following academic statuses
  • An undergraduate student *1 in good standing at a regionally accredited college/university *2
  • A recent Bachelor's degree graduate *1who has received their Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college/university *2within the last 24 months at time of application
  • A graduate student in good standing at a regionally accredited college/university
  • A recent Master’s degree graduate who has received their Master’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university within the last 36 months at time of application
• Have an overall GPA of 2.5/4.0 or higher
• Be at least 18 years of age at the time of application
• Provide confirmation of coverage under a health insurance plan prior to the beginning of the internship

*1Soon-to-be Associate's degree graduates are eligible to apply if enrolled as a student at time of application.
*2Students and recent Bachelor's degree graduates from accredited Community Colleges and Technical Schools are encouraged to apply.

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree: Associate's Degree, Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree, or Doctoral Degree.
• Minimum Overall GPA: 2.50
• Discipline(s):
  • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (12 )
  • Communications and Graphics Design (2 )
  • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (17 )
  • Earth and Geosciences (21 )
  • Engineering (29 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (14 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (51 )
  • Mathematics and Statistics (11 )
  • Physics (16 )
  • Science & Engineering-related (2 )
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (29 )
• Age: Must be 18 years of age

How to Apply

A complete application consists of:

• An application, including academic history, work history experiences, and honors/awards
• Description of your goals, related experience, and related skills – refer to NETL's Core Competencies and ongoing projects when applicable
• Transcripts – Click here for detailed information about acceptable transcripts
• A current resume or CV
• Two educational or professional recommendations
  You must provide contact information for at least two recommenders in your application. The first two recommendations received will be attached to your application for review by NETL. You may click the "send" (paper airplane) button to send the recommendation request email immediately after entering their information prior to submitting your application; if not, a request will automatically be sent when you submit your application. Your recommenders will receive an email with a subject line of "[Your Name] - ORISE Recommendation Request - [your email]", from [email protected]. This email will include information on the opportunity to which you have applied, as well as a secure link to submit a recommendation for you for this application. If you ask the same person to submit a recommendation for you for multiple applications in Zintellect, they must click the unique link in each email request, but will be given the opportunity to copy over what they had previously submitted.

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.

If you have questions about the application process, contact [email protected] .

After you have submitted an application in Zintellect, you may reach out to [email protected] to request to talk with the hosting researcher if you would like additional information on the project or to express particular interest. You must have a completed application in Zintellect to receive a response.

Application Tips

NETL values a combination of academic success, experience, and leadership potential as demonstrated in all aspects of your application. NETL's goal is to create, maintain, and support a diverse environment that encourages creative ideas and leadership. In the words of former Lab Director Brian Anderson , "our differences make us stronger and we’re united in fostering inclusivity in all aspects of our research to drive innovation and deliver solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future." In your application, show us who you are!

To increase your chances of being selected for an appointment, we recommend:

1. Reading about NETL projects, and tailoring your responses to align with Laboratory focus areas. What parts of the project(s) are most interesting to you?
2. Spending sufficient time on your essay responses and your resume. Give yourself time to review your writing!
3. Ensuring that everything you submit is grammatically correct and clearly expressed.
   • Consider using a word processor to draft your answers and then copy and paste into the application.
   • Review and edit repeatedly until you have a strong response.
   • Ask someone whose judgement you trust to proofread it and make suggestions for improvement.
   • Efficient writing is valued over quantity of writing.
4. Submitting the application -- we can’t select you if you don’t submit an application!