Penn State EME Connection Newsletter, Spring/Summer 2009

EME students graduate with honors - page 7

Spring/Summer 2009

www.eme.psu.edu

In This Issue:

Alumni Update .......................................4

EME Education ......................................6

EME@Your Service ...............................8

Professional Society and Club News ...10

Faculty Attributes ................................. 11

Research in Motion ..............................12

Student Voice ......................................14

Newsletter

Photo Credit: Andy Colwell, Penn State University

From The Department Head

Dear Alumni and Friends,

Just a few weeks ago, hundreds if not thousands of graduating students dressed in their caps and gowns lined up outside of University Park’s Rec Hall to have their turn at snapping a picture with the famous Nittany Lion statue. It has become a Penn State tradition of sorts, one last collegiate memory captured before embarking on a new and exciting phase of life. We are proud of the hard work of our graduating students, and wish them well.

Those of us left in town will be focusing on a few new and exciting developments of our own. To start with, our enrollment numbers are continuing their upward trend. New degree programs have attracted a healthy and ever-growing constituency and every legacy program has upped its enrollment over this past year. To date we have over 120 graduate students and nearly 600 undergraduates, which accounts for half the total number of undergraduate students in the entire College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Such numbers are great for our expanding energy and minerals industries, and the department continues to find ways to ensure that each and every student is receiving the quality education he or she needs and deserves.

Those plans include a full-scale laboratory enhancement project, as you will read about on the opposite page. It has been nearly fifty years since many of our laboratory facilities have been built so the time is ripe to be looking into how we can enhance our lab space to

accommodate more students and better learning conditions. Our alumni and friends will play a crucial role in making this project successful. We look forward to your support.

Also on the horizon is the arrival of four new faculty members in July. Two will teach primarily in the energy business and finance discipline, while the other two will fill vacancies in the mining engineering and petroleum and natural gas engineering programs. In addition, we still have a position to fill in quantitative analysis of energy risk as well as two more in PNGE (one at the senior level). Introductions to our new faculty will be made in the next edition.

Elsewhere in the department we continue to refine our degree programs to the changing needs of the industries our students serve. This summer we are launching a new Environmental Health and Safety Engineering option as part of the Environmental Systems Engineering program. The new option will take the place of our old Industrial Health and Safety program, and will have the added benefit of graduating students with an ABET-accredited engineering degree. It’s a change that several of our alumni and industry partners suggested so we are pleased to be offering this new and improved curriculum. For more information, check out the article on page 6.

Outside the classroom, faculty members are keeping just as busy with speaking engagements, appointments to editorial and organizational committees, and research projects that cover the gamut of energy topics. Not to be outshone, our students have been demonstrating their innovative spirit as well. Thanks to the organizing efforts of the mining engineering students and the encouragement of some enthusiastic alumni, the department is now home to a new Penn State student chapter of the International Society of Explosives Engineers (see page 10). At the same time, our new Energy Club successfully arranged two departmental and alumni picnic events this year and has made a splash at several recruitment events.

I must also mention how much we appreciate the extraordinary level of departmental participation we continue to receive from you, our alumni and friends. Whether serving as guest speakers, offering guidance on class projects and advising committees, or joining us at social functions, being able to maintain such a close partnership with you is not only beneficial to our students, it’s the key to making the department successful.

Yaw D. Yeboah, Department Head

2 www.eme.psu.edu

Connection is a publication of the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at Penn State.

Submissions for future issues are welcome and can be sent to:

Connection newsletter

116 Hosler BuildingPenn State UniversityUniversity Park, PA 16802-5000or by e-mail to: [email protected]

Editorial Director: Yaw Yeboah, [email protected]/Editor: Rachel Altemus, [email protected]. Design Assistant: Anna Morrison, [email protected]

U.Ed. EMS 09-118

This publication is available in alternative media on request. Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.

Connection 3

There is nothing more important to a well-rounded education than hands-on experience. In addition to internships and co-ops, students in the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering have always gained such first-hand knowledge through coursework and learning experiences carried out in the department’s laboratories. These labo-ratories, however, are now all in need of major upgrades to equipment and space, and in some cases, complete overhauls.

“The majority of our laboratory facilities are housed in the Hosler and Deike buildings, which were constructed in the 1950s and 1960s,” ex-plained Dr. Yaw D. Yeboah, department head and professor of energy and mineral engineering. “Their age coupled with the fact that our student enrollment has increased by over 500% in the past five years has made it necessary for us to improve our laboratories on a large-scale. Of course, equipment is updated or replaced when necessary or possible and some cosmetic changes have been made to a few labs over the years, but no full-scale renovations to the space itself have ever taken place in most cases,” he added.

That is why the department has initiated the EME Laboratory Enhancement Project. In all, the project covers sixteen teaching laboratories that have been determined to need critical improvements. The selected labs cross all EME disciplines. Currently the project is undergoing a feasibility study conducted by a recently selected local architectural firm. As part of the study, representatives from the firm will meet individually with faculty members responsible for the run-ning of each lab. During these meetings they will view the available space, discuss each lab’s needs, and make suggestions for how the labs can be more effectively redesigned. The architects then will supply construction costs for each space along with interior illustrations, in-cluding a schematic design and 3D renderings, of the proposed space enhancements. The study should be completed by fall.

First up is the Production Engineering Laboratory, which is used heavily by petroleum and natural gas engineering students to learn the basic measurements that must be taken in production monitoring and control as well as basic production engineering principles. A total of eight types of major equipment are split between two separate rooms and as the space is currently designed, there is little room to operate and expand current and new experiments.

“The Production Engineering Laboratory is at the top of our list be-cause it will be undergoing one of the most dramatic transformations

EME Laboratory Enhancement Project underway

of all our labs,” said Turgay Ertekin, professor of petroleum and natu-ral gas engineering, George E. Trimble Chair in Earth and Mineral Sciences, and undergraduate program officer of petroleum and natural gas engineering. “We would like to see the two rooms combined into one larger space which will instantly make room for much-needed equipment and will ultimately improve the way the instructor and students conduct their experiments.”

Once all sixteen labs undergo this assessment, the department will have a clear picture of the potential of its many facilities, the benefits that instructors and students will gain with the enhancements, and the overall cost of the entire project. From there, naming opportunities will be defined and enhancement plans will be put into operation as funding becomes available.

“We have a very generous and forward-looking base of alumni and industry partners who understand that we need modernized, quality teaching and research facilities in order to attract top students and to send them out into the workforce with the skills necessary to succeed,” Yeboah said. “We look forward to their support in making this project a reality.”

Facilities included in the EME Laboratory Enhancement Project

Electrochemical / Energy Conversion LaboratoryEME Computing LaboratoryEnvironmental Health and Safety Engineering LaboratoryEnvironmental Separations Laboratory SuiteFluids and Flames LaboratoryFuel Characterization and Thermal Sciences LaboratoryOil Well Drilling LaboratoryProduction Engineering Laboratory

Modernized laboratory space and up-to-date equipment will help EME stay competitive in student recruitment

Renewable Energy LaboratoryRig Floor Simulation LaboratoryRock and Fluid LaboratoryRock Mechanics / Geomechanics LaboratoryRock Preparation LaboratorySample Analysis LaboratorySample Preparation and Physical Separations LaboratoryVentilation Laboratory and Model Mine

Edward C. Dowling, Jr. (‘82 B.S. Mining Engineering, ‘87 M.S. , ‘98 Ph.D. Mineral Processing) was presented with the 2009 Robert Stefanko Distinguished Achievement Award at the annual EME Awards Banquet. Dr. Dowl-ing joined Anatolia Minerals as president, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Director in early 2008 after a success-ful tenure as President and CEO of Meridian Gold Inc. He has 30 years of mining experience and his other leadership roles include: DeBeers SA as Executive Director of Mining and Exploration; Cleveland- Cliffs as Executive Vice President – Operations; as well as Cyprus Amax Minerals and Phelps Dodge Corporation in various leadership capacities. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

S.M. Farouq Ali (‘62 M.S., ‘64 Ph.D. Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering) has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering “for pioneering techniques for enhanced oil and gas recovery.” He will be inducted into the Academy in October 2009.

Last year Dr. Ali was awarded a 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award from Penn State. He has been a professor at both Penn State and the University of Alberta. He currently works as president of the Petroleum Engineering and Research Laboratories Canada Ltd. in Edmonton, Alberta.

Alumni Update

Timothy N. Magner (‘79 B.S. Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering) was pre-sented with the 2009 C. Drew Stahl Distinguished Achieve-ment Award at the annual EME Awards Banquet. After graduating from Penn State, Mr. Magner joined Chevron USA where he has progressed through various technical and managerial positions in the petroleum engineering field. During his 30-year career with Chevron, Mr. Magner has had extensive experi-ence in major field developments, optimization of existing opera-tions, and unitization and reserve evaluations. He has worked on and managed numerous projects in countries all over the world, including the United States, Scotland, England, Papua New Guinea, Australia, The Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria. Mr. Magner is currently the General Manager for Reservoir and Produc-tion Engineering at the Chevron Energy Technology Company in Houston, Texas.

Dr. R. Larry Grayson (left) with Dr. Edward C. Dowling, Jr. (right)

Penn State President Graham Spanier (left), Dr. Farouq Ali (center), Board of Trustees

Chairman James Broadhurst (right)

Dr. Turgay Ertekin (left) with Mr. Timothy N. Magner (right)

What About You?

We’d love to hear about your recent accomplishments and honors.

Please send your alumni updates to [email protected].

4 www.eme.psu.edu

Upcoming Alumni Receptions

Make plans to attend the EME Alumni and Friends Reception being held at your next professional society meeting. It’s the perfect place to re-connect with old friends over drinks and snacks. Plus you have the chance to win lots of EME- and Penn State-themed door prizes. You also get the opportunity to chat with your favorite professors and meet some of the current students following in your footsteps. If you don’t see your society of choice listed below, drop us a line to let us know when there is an upcoming meeting ([email protected]). We hope to see you there!

Society for Petroleum Engineers (SPE) ATCE: Oct. 4-7, 2009, New Orleans, LA Reception to be held Tuesday, Oct. 6, 5:30 to 7:00 PM at the Hilton Riverside, New Orleans, LA

Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME) Annual Meeting: Feb. 28- Mar. 3, 2010, Phoenix, AZ Reception to be held Tuesday, Mar. 2, 5:30 to 7:00 PM Location to be announced

On March 22, 2009, the Fuel Science program lost one of its most renowned scholars with the death of Dr. Philip L. Walker, Jr. at the age of 85. Born on January 10, 1924, Dr. Walker was an internationally known expert of coal and carbon science. He served 32 years on the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) faculty before retiring in 1983 with the rank of Evan Pugh Professor of Materials Science.

“I remember the first time I attended a carbon conference with Dr. Walker,” recalled former student Dr. Alan Scaroni, associate dean for graduate education and research in the EMS College. “For the week of the conference I never saw him without a crowd. It reminded me of a United Nations gathering. He was held in such high esteem that people, particularly young people, wanted to talk to him and he obliged them in his polite and courteous manner. I have never met a finer gentleman.”

During his long and distinguished career, Dr. Walker authored over 300 publications and served as Editor of Chemistry and Physics of Carbon and Associate Editor of the international journal, Carbon. He also was one of the founders of the American Carbon Society, serving as Treasurer and later, Chairman.

Among the fuel science community and his co-workers, Dr. Walker’s meticulous record-keeping practices were legendary and his approach to research considered innovative, as former student Dr. Ljubisa R. Radovic, professor of energy and mineral engineering and benefactor of Dr. Walker’s library, explained. “As I browse through his files, his legacy shines brightly: laser-power identification of key issues, and then adoption of a broad-based approach to resolve them. There is plenty of evidence of interdisciplinarity long before this became a popular concept in academic research.”

In 1969, he received the Storch Award of the American Chemical Society for “distinguished contributions to the science and utilization of coal.” Then in 1971, he received the Skakel Award of the American Carbon Society for “achievements in virtually all areas of the field of carbon which have significantly influenced the science and technology of carbon materials.”

Starting out as an instructor in the EMS College in 1950, Dr. Walker earned his Ph.D. in Fuel Science from Penn State in 1952 (he received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemistry from the Johns Hopkins University in 1947 and 1948 respectively). By 1954 he was head of the Fuel Science program, a post he would keep until 1959 and hold again from 1978 until his retirement. He became a full professor in 1956.

From 1959 to 1964 he served as Chairman of the Mineral Technology Division of the EMS College. In 1967 he was appointed Head of the newly formed Department of Materials

In Memoriam

Mildred L. Charmbury, 92, of State College, died Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008, at her home. Born Sept. 17, 1916, in Nashville, York County, PA, she was a daughter of the late Claude E. and Mary Alice Sprenkle Wentz. On June 22, 1938, she married H. Beecher Charmbury (‘42, Ph.D. Fuel Science), who died Nov. 9, 1994.

Mildred graduated from the West York High School in 1934 and from Thompson Business College in 1936. She was a member of Grace Lutheran Church and a member of the Esther Circle there. She was also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, the Obelisk Society, the State College Area Senior Citizen’s Club and the Red Hat Society. She was a past president of the Dames Club at Penn State for wives of graduate students. Mildred volunteered at local nursing homes. She was active with the Sight-Loss Support Group, visiting people who recently had experienced vision loss.

She is survived by her children, Deborah L. Vellines and her husband, Harry, of East Dundee, IL, and Thomas E. Charmbury, of State College; two grandchildren, Kaitlyn Charmbury, of State College, and Jeff Vellines, of Geneva, IL; two great-grandchildren, Luke and Lily Vellines; and a brother, Harold S. Wentz, of York.

Mildred and her husband were longtime friends of the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering. Together they established the H. Beecher and Mildred Charmbury Scholarship Fund. The award recognizes and supports full-time undergraduate students enrolled in Environmental Systems Engineering who have proven financial need.

Saying goodbye to Philip L. Walker, Jr., former head of Penn State’s Fuel Science program

Dr. Philip L. Walker, Jr.

Science and Engineering, continuing to serve as Head until 1978. He directed the M.S. and Ph.D. research of over 100 graduate students and also directed post-doctoral research of some 50 students from throughout the world.

Despite his official retirement in 1983, Dr. Walker maintained an active presence in the fuel science community as an emeritus faculty member. He continued to attend departmental lectures, followed the findings of the latest research initiatives on carbon materials, and even published 20 additional papers. “After he heard about my work on shape-selective catalysis research, he shared with me his early work on shape-selective hydrogenation on carbon-supported platinum catalysts, the first of its kind,” remembered Dr. Chunshan Song, director of the EMS Energy Institute. “His great accomplishments with pioneering contributions, his kind words of encouragement, and his genuine interest in furthering the advances in science and technology long after his retirement have been a great inspiration for me.”

He is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Mrs. Virginia S. Walker, three children, and four grandchildren.

Connection 5

EME Education

6 www.eme.psu.edu

Starting in the summer of 2009, the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering will begin to offer a new Environmental Health and Safety Engineering option as part of the existing Environmental Systems Engineering (ENVSE) undergraduate program. As a result, the ENVSE program will now offer students a choice between two options, one in health and safety and one in environmental systems, and the current Industrial Health and Safety (IHS) degree program will be discontinued.

“Based on the trend in industry to integrate the environmental, health, and safety functions into a single position or job title, functions that previously had been often organized as separate departments or units, it made sense to transform the old IHS program into a health and safety option within the ENVSE program,” said William Groves, associate professor of industrial health and safety. “The combination of the established environmentally-focused program and the health and safety-focused set of option courses creates a synergy that will result in a highly marketable skill set for these graduates.”

Students who choose the health and safety option will earn an ABET-accredited degree in ENVSE, as will those choosing the

environmental systems option. Both options will follow a similar curriculum schedule during the first two years of study in which intermediary math, chemistry, and physics courses are emphasized. From there, the health and safety option will combine instruction in environmental systems engineering with the same specialized industrial health and safety training offered in the old IHS degree program. By graduation time, students will be qualified environmental

health and safety engineering professionals ready to take on the responsibilities of recognizing, evaluating, and controlling chemical, physical, and biological hazards.

“One of the shortcomings of many traditional industrial health and safety programs is that the students are not trained as engineers, and therefore they can often face challenges in working effectively with engineers in a production environment,” Groves said. “Graduates

Department adds new Environmental Health and Safety Engineering option to Environmental Systems Engineering program

with the health and safety option will first and foremost be engineers, who happen to have received specialized training in the area of environmental health and safety. This combination will yield a highly marketable collection of capabilities sought by many industries.”

Despite this new two-option approach, the last two years of the environmental systems option will look much the same as the existing course of study. Instruction will continue to focus on the impact of industrial activities on the environment, the prevention of pollution, and the monitoring, control, and remediation of pollution sources on the Earth, and students will still have the same curriculum flexibility.

“Students pursuing the environmental systems option will still be able to pursue a specialization in air, land, or water issues or follow a hybrid program as before,” said Mark Klima, associate head of energy and mineral engineering and associate professor of mineral processing and geo-environmental engineering. “The only change in the curriculum is that the students in the environmental systems option will take a required course in environmental health and safety in place of one technical elective. The overall number of credits will not change,” he added.

Currently, there are nearly 35 new fall 2009 entrants for the ENVSE degree program, with three students having already selected the health and safety option. Over the next few semesters the department expects to see that number increase to around nine or ten new students per year, and ultimately anticipates maintaining a steady enrollment of thirty to forty students in the health and safety option.

Associate Professor William Groves teaches a course in industrial health

and safety

Associate Professor Mark Klima watches as students conduct laboratory tests for an undergraduate geo-environmental engineering course

Connection 7

Field trip takes students to the Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm

On April 9, 2009, a group of Penn State students and faculty went on a tour of the Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm near Blue Knob, PA. The tour was organized by Susan Stewart, research associate at Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory, for the students in her course entitled, “Sustainable Energy Options.”

Participating students were mostly junior Energy Engineering and se-nior Environmental Systems Engineering majors. Additionally, several graduate students and faculty from across the University Park campus joined the tour, which was given by forester Michael Barton (’83, B.S. Forest Science), who manages the land for all of the wind farm land owners.

The trip was scheduled to coincide with the segment on wind energy covered in Stewart’s class so that the students could take what they just had learned in the classroom and experience a wind farm for themselves.

“There is truly nothing like being out there standing under a wind tur-bine to understand all of the environmental, technical, and economic issues that go into developing such a project,” Stewart said.

While showing the group around, Mr. Barton likened the develop-ment process to that of a road system with a series of high rise build-ings. As he explained, the project consists of 75 x 2 MW wind tur-bines manufactured by Gamesa, and was developed in two phases over the last two years. The wind farm is currently owned by Babcock and

Brown and at full capacity (winds above ~25 mph) it produces enough electricity to power all of Altoona, PA (~100,000 homes). On average it powers approximately one third of that region.

For more information about the tour or wind power in general, please contact Susan Stewart ([email protected]) or check out the Penn State Wind Energy Web site at www.psiee.psu.edu/windenergy.html.

Students traveled to the Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm near Blue Knob, PA as part of their course entitled, “Sustainable Energy Options”

On Friday, May 15, 2009, the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) held its spring commencement ceremony at the Eisenhower Auditorium at the University Park campus. Among the graduates receiving their diplomas were 56 students from the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering including the following:

•23EnergyBusinessandFinancestudents •1EnergyEngineeringstudent •14EnvironmentalSystemsEngineeringstudents •2IndustrialHealthandSafetystudents •4MiningEngineeringstudents •12PetroleumandNaturalGasEngineeringstudents

Shaina Sabatine, an environmen-tal systems engineering graduate of the highest distinction, served as the department’s student mar-shal. During her career at Penn State, Shaina built an outstanding academic record complete with teaching assistantships in very challenging engineering courses and a professional internship with the Chevron Corporation.

“Consistent with her environ-mental systems engineering ma-

EME students earn their tassels

jor, Shaina is an environmentally conscious person, with deep interests in promoting and protecting the environment with special emphasis upon water supplies based on personal experience,” said Randy Vander Wal, associate professor of energy and mineral engineering, who was assisted by Shaina in his course entitled, “Environmental Sampling for Statistical Analysis.”

Elizabeth Ellis, who earned two degrees of high distinction in energy business and finance and meteorology, was selected as the 2009 Sci-ence Honor Graduate. Among her many accomplishments at Penn State, Elizabeth received the National Merit Scholarship for her entire four years at Penn State as well as the University’s Evan Pugh Scholar Award for juniors and seniors in the top 5/10ths percent of their class.

Several other EME students also were honored at the ceremony with induction into the inaugural class of EMSAGE Laureates. The Earth and Mineral Sciences Academy for Global Experience (EMSAGE) was formed by the EMS College in 2008 to recognize students’ ac-complishments in scholarship, experiential learning, global competen-cy, service, and leadership. Laureate status is bestowed on those with an extensive breadth and depth of accomplishments. EME graduates selected as members of the 2009 EMSAGE Laureates class include: Michael Carite (energy business and finance), Kelly Diehl (energy business and finance), Adam Kalb (environmental systems engineer-ing), Emily Shutt (energy business and finance), and Ricardo Torres (energy business and finance).

Shaina Sabatine

EME @ Your Service

8 www.eme.psu.edu

116 years and counting: Penn State’s Miner Training Program carries on the tradition of service

Last year, a total of 52 miners died in mining accidents across the United States. It’s a far cry from the thousands who lost their lives every year during the early part of the 20th century, but it’s still a number that makes Mark Radomsky, director of the Penn State Miner Training Program (PSMTP), cringe. That’s because it has been his business for the past 30 years to help train miners and mining professionals to prevent fatal and non-fatal injuries.

“In the U.S., mining has progressed from a dangerous occupa-tion to a hazardous one,” Radomsky explained. “What we have

achieved is the result of re-search, technology, improved enforcement of standards for work and workplace conditions, and of course—education and training. The Miner Training Program has trained thousands of miners to work safely, and educated supervisors, trainers, and other mining professionals, to motivate and train others to do the same.”

The PSMTP is funded by the Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Ad-ministration (MSHA) and

administered through the PA Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Mine Safety.

As part of the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineer-ing, the program carries on the tradition of high quality miner training outreach that the University began in 1893. Consisting of Radomsky and two other full-time instructors, Mr. Joseph DeSalvo and Mr. Joseph Flick, the PSMTP is considered one of the country’s leading resources for superior site-specific safety and professional development training for coal and min-eral industries operations. It closely collaborates with faculty, industry, labor, state and federal government agencies, and the Penn State Continuing Education office, to bring relevant,

contemporary offerings to a growing list of clients. This in-cludes mandatory health and safety courses for underground and surface miners, first-aid and CPR certification courses, mine instructor training, mine officials’ certification preparatory courses, and new miner training.

“Penn State and their training professionals have been ex-tremely helpful in keeping our trainers current with most of the new programs and information made available to the mining community for training,” said Thomas J. Smith, President of TJS Mining, Inc.

In addition to individualized instruction, the PSMTP also organizes and hosts the annual Professional Development Mine Safety Seminar for Supervisors, the most recent seminar being held this past January. Co-sponsored by industry and govern-ment stakeholders, the event is dedicated to enhancing the safety management skills of frontline supervisory personnel. On top of that, Radomsky, DeSalvo, and Flick are often staples at many other mine safety conferences and meetings across the nation.

“The Penn State Miner Training Program has been an invalu-able resource for our companies and our employees for over 25 years,” said Daniel Parisi (‘78, B.S. Mineral Economics), chief engineer at Action Mining Inc. “The annual refresher training that each and everyone of our miners receive is not only re-quired by law, but very informative, educational, and absorbing. It truly is a fine example of industry, government, and academia, working together for the betterment and safety of our miners,” he added.

The PSMTP’s reputation for effective educational outreach recently garnered the group a second Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grant in as many years. The initial grant was used to create the Escape and Survive Miners’ Town Hall meeting, held in June 2008 in conjunction with MSHA. The gathering, which included presentations and discussions from a panel of mine safety experts, was designed to increase awareness of underground mine safety procedures and to provide instruction for miners on how to survive and evacuate a mine in the event of an emergency. It has since been made available to a wider

Mark Radomsky, Director of the Penn State Miner Training Program

audience of miners via web- cast and a complementary training program entitled, Do You Understand Mine Emer-gencies? Are You Prepared for a Mine Emergency?, has been created to help both instruc-tors and participants practice proper mine emergency preparedness procedures that can improve a miners’ capability to survive a mine emergency.

According to Radomsky, the second grant is helping to fund the production of two full-length, high definition training videos. One of the videos simulates an orderly evacuation from a mine fire, and the other depicts an escape—a situation in which miners working in remote parts of the mine must use their training (i.e.,

knowledge of the mine map, escape ways, and rescue breathing apparatus, etc.) to successfully exit the mine. In addition to the videos, the PSMTP team also is preparing a tool-box talk series and group activities for use by supervisors and mine safety in-structors. As space permits, training materials will be available online at: http://www.minerstownhall.org.

Connection 9

2009 Shoemaker Lecture gets the golden touch

On April 17, 2009, the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering held the 18th annual G. Albert Shoemaker Lecture in Mineral Engineering at University Park, PA. Mr. Richard T. O’Brien, president and CEO of the Newmont Mining Corporation, served as the 2009 lecturer with a presentation entitled, “Managing for Value in the Current Precious Metals Environment.”

In his lecture, Mr. O’Brien discussed how the supply and demand trends of the gold market and the current economic climate are affecting mine production. It’s a complex topic that the department was pleased to have an expert shine some light on.

“It is not easy for even experienced professionals to understand, let alone for lay folks, the problems and opportunities that a troubled economy presents to mining companies, particularly for those involved in the extraction of precious metallic ores,” said Dr. Raja V. Ramani, professor emeritus of mining engineering and geo-envi-ronmental engineering, while introducing O’Brien.

The Shoemaker Lecture series began in 1992. Established to honor Mr. G. Albert Shoemaker, a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus and leader in the minerals industry, the event brings leaders from the energy and minerals world to University Park to discuss with faculty and students topics of significant importance to their fields.

(from left to right) Distinguished Professor Kwadwo Osseo-Asare, Professor Emeritus Raja V. Ramani, 2009 Shoemaker Lecturer Richard T. O’Brien, and 2009 Robert Stefanko Distinguished Achievement Award recipient Edward Dowling, Jr.

Joseph Flick (right), with Bill Brown, WJAC-TV newscaster and Escape and Survive Town Hall Meeting moderator

Joseph DeSalvo (right), with Bill Brown, WJAC-TV newscaster and Escape and Survive Town Hall Meeting moderator

14th Pennsylvania Drilling and Blasting Conference

When: November 12-13, 2009Where: Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, State College, PAWho: The conference is for underground and surface blasters, engineers, suppliers, and other professionals associated with drilling, blasting, and explosives.

http://www.outreach.psu.edu/programs/blasting/

EME develops short course for NIOSH PRL

On January 13-15, 2009, the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering presented a short course entitled, An Overview of the Principles and Practices of Underground Metal/Non-Metal Mining in the United States, to employees from the Pittsburgh Research Labo-ratory of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH PRL) in Pittsburgh, PA. Course instructors included Dr. Raja V. Ramani, professor emeritus of mining engineering and geo-environmental engineering, Dr. R. Larry Grayson, professor of energy and mineral engineering, George H., Jr., and Anne B. Deike Chair in Mining Engineering, and Dr. Jamal Rostami, assistant professor of energy and mineral engineering.

The seminar offered participants 24 hours of instruction on topics that included: underground mine development, caving methods, novel underground methods, rock mechanics and ground support, drill-ing and blasting, mechanical excavation methods, mine ventilation and atmospheric environment, underground unsupported methods, underground metal/nonmetal mining supported methods, and health and safety issues.

The department previously presented a short course to NIOSH in November 2007.

10 www.eme.psu.edu

Before the spring semester came hurtling to its end, Penn State mining engineering students successfully organized and launched a new student chapter of the International Society of Explosives Engineers (ISEE). The chapter’s inaugural meeting was held at the end of April, with 33

undergraduate students from a variety of engineering disciplines in attendance. Three members of the ISEE including, Mr. Dale Ramsey of Senex Explosives Inc., Mr. Matt Tomlin of American Rock Mechanics, and Mr. Kirk Whitaker of Dimension Supply, were also on hand to welcome the new chapter, give presentations about the benefits of belonging to the professional society, and share some personal stories about their own experiences in the explosives industry.

The ISEE is a professional society that promotes the safe, secure, and controlled use of explosives in mining, quarrying, construction, manufacturing, demolition, and many other peaceful uses of explosives. Membership tops 4,500 and crosses 90 countries with the society being recognized as a world leader in explosives technology, information, and public education.

According to Bob Burns, sophomore in mining engineering and Penn State’s newly elected ISEE student chapter president, becoming a member group of the organization could bring a multitude of benefits to participating students. “The benefits of joining the ISEE society include scholarship opportunities, field trips to blasting sites, lectures from experienced explosives engineers, trips to the ISEE annual conference, and possibly hands-on blasting activities, and much more. It’s a good experience for anyone who is interested in a career in an explosives

Professional Society and Club News

Students form Penn State chapter of the International Society of Explosives Engineers (ISEE)

Faculty advisor Jamal Rostami (second from left) and industry advisor Dale Ramsey (far right) stand with

student chapter officers (left to right) Bob Burns, Haris Saeed, and Patricio Terrazas

They’re not even out of school themselves, but that didn’t stop a group of students from the Penn State student chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) from taking what they’ve learned thus far to teach younger people about petroleum and natural gas engineering.

On February 20-21, 2009, Erica Byerly (senior, petroleum and natural gas engineering), Erileck

Navas (senior, petroleum and natural gas engineering), Dennis Arun Alexis (M.S. student, petroleum and mineral engineering), and Kavind Balasundaram (senior, petroleum and natural gas engineering) traveled to the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh to participate in National Engineers Week. They were accompanied by Jeffrey R. S. Brownson, assistant professor of energy and mineral engineering.

The annual event serves as an early recruiting tool that aims to help youngsters learn more about engineering and all its fields, while also giving them a better appreciation of engineers’ contributions to society.

More than 50 event tables and booths featuring different presentations, demonstrations, and hands-on activities were set up throughout the arena. Penn State used its booth, which was sponsored by the Pittsburgh Petroleum Section of SPE, to promote both the University and the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, and to showcase

Continued on page 15

Children and their parents listen as Erileck Navas and Dennis Arun Alexis explain what

petroleum engineers do

SPE students talk engineering with the next generation

Continued on page 15

The Penn State booth included a workspace for hands-on activities

Faculty Attributes

Connection 11

Seth Blumsack, assistant professor of energy policy and economics, was presented with the 2009 Wilson Research Initiation Grant at this year’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Wilson Banquet.

André Boehman, professor of fuel science, gave invited talks at the spring meeting of the Central States Section of the Combustion Institute and at the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) in Ciudad Real, Spain. André was also presented with the 2009 Wilson Award for Excel-lence in Research at this year’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Wilson Banquet.

Yongsheng Chen, assistant professor of energy and min-eral engineering, was chosen to lead a team to perform x-ray experiments at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) at the Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Turgay Ertekin, professor of petroleum and natural gas engineering, was presented with the 2009 Wilson Faculty Mentoring Award at this year’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Wilson Banquet.

Joel Haight, associate professor of energy and mineral engineering, has had an exceptional response to the multi-volume handbook for safety and health professionals that he con-tributed to and edited. The handbook, which was published by the Ameri-can Society of Safety Engineers, is now in its third printing. Joel has also arranged for a student scholarship to be funded from a percentage of the royalties.

Vladislav Kecojevic, associate professor of mining engineering, was named a Henry Krum Lecturer for the Society for Mining, Metal-lurgy, and Exploration, Inc.

Zuleima Karpyn, assistant professor of petroleum and natural gas engineering, received a $1 million research award from the University of Wyoming’s Clean Coal Technologies Research Program. Zuleima was also presented with a Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Service to the American Association of Petroleum Ge-ologists – Eastern Section.

Sarma Pisupati, associate professor of energy and mineral engineer-ing, was elected as the Chair of the Energy Conversion and Conser-vation Division of the American Society for Engineering Education. Sarma was also appointed to the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology.

Raja V. Ramani, professor emeritus of mining engineering and geo-environmen-tal engineering, received the President’s Citation Award from the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc.

Zuleima Karpyn

Seth Blumsack (left) and Dean Bill Easterling (right)

André Boehman (left) and Dean Bill Easterling (right)

Joel Haight

Turgay Ertekin (left) and Dean Bill Easterling (right)

Yongsheng Chen (right)

Raja Ramani

Research In Motion

12 www.eme.psu.edu

Penn State coal-based alternative jet fuel did “A-O.K.” in test burnBy Shea Winton, Communication Specialist, EMS Energy Institute

Williams International, a major manufacturer of small gas turbine en-gines, successfully completed a test burn of a coal-based jet fuel in one of its commercial engines. The fuel, provided by Penn State, was theculmination of twenty years of research.

Williams International tested the fuel in an FJ44-3 engine, widely used in the general aviation market. The company ran 2,000 gallons of the alternative fuel through 118 engine-cycles during 21 hours of operation at its Walled Lake, MI facility. During the test, the engine performance using the synthetic fuel was identical to using Jet-A, a conventional petroleum-derived fuel; no modifications were required. According to Williams International, this test validates the flexibility of the FJ44 engine design to take advantage of alternative fuels com-posed of different compounds and created from various processes.

Penn State initially developed this particular fuel in response to a request from the air force to be able to withstand 900 degrees Fahren-heit for two hours without degrading. The air force was looking for aspecialty fuel that could be used in extremely high performance aircraft where there is a need to have onboard coolant. The simplest solution to that need is to use the fuel as a coolant according to Dr. Harold Schobert, a professor of fuel science at Penn State. So a team of researchers worked to develop a fuel that wouldn’t degrade and clog engine components, such as fuel lines, injectors and filters, when exposed to such high temperatures.

The specifications, which inspired the fuel’s name, JP ( Jet Propulsion) 900, reflected what the air force believed to be the most difficult con-ditions a fuel could possibly have to withstand. After Penn Statedeveloped the JP-900 fuel, the air force said it was the most stable liquid they had ever tested. However, the research team recognized that the fuel might have other applications.

“We realized about five years ago that not only did we succeed in making a specialty fuel to these absolutely wild specifications, we have a coal-based replacement fuel that could be used as a replacementfor JP-8 or Jet-A,” Dr. Schobert said.

It turned out that the fuel they developed to the air force’s require-ments met essentially all of the specifications for the current conven-tional jet fuel – a petroleum-derived fuel called JP-8 in the militaryand Jet-A in civilian aviation. So Penn State made a second batch of one hundred barrels of the fuel and sent the bulk of it to Williams International for testing.

Dr. Schobert spoke about two major benefits of replacing the petroleum-derived Jet-A. First, the new fuel is made from a domestic American resource – coal, which is an important step toward greater energy independence. Second, the fuel was designed with production steps that are the same as those in cur-rently operating oil refineries.

“What that means is that it is much cheaper and much faster to get this fuel into production than if you started a synthetic fuels plant from the ground up,” Dr. Schobert said. “If you start with a grass-roots synthetic fuel plant, a good rule of thumb is that you multiply the number of barrels per day of fuel by 100,000 and that’s the cost in dollars of the plant. So a 50,000 barrel-a-day plant is 5 billion dollars. It’s hard to get a loan for that much.”

By adding this fuel production process to an existing oil refinery a lot of the infrastructure is already present, reducing the initial capital and the building time. Dr. Schobert believes that the time involved in building a plant – six years or more – is something the public doesn’t fully understand.

“From a national security perspective if something goes haywire in the Middle East,” Dr. Schobert asked, “what are we going to do for six years?”

Throughout the 20 years, this project has been funded by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Sandia National Laboratory. Dr. Schobert was joined by various researchers in the EMS Energy Institute, including André Boehman, professor of fuel science; Caroline Burgess Clifford, senior research associate; Rob-ert Santoro, Guillet Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Chunshan Song, director of the EMS Energy Institute; and Semih Eser, profes-sor of energy and geo-environmental engineering. In addition, the University worked with Intertek-PARC and Duquesne University.

Williams International is the world leader in the development, manu-facture and support of small gas turbine engines. The privately owned company is headquartered in Walled Lake, Michigan.

Dr. Harold Schobert

Connection 13

Amidst the new and lasting reality of higher oil prices and shrinking supplies, the search is heating up across the globe for viable alternative fuels. And there’s no sector of business more eager to make a break-through on that front than those in the aviation industry, whose high-est cost is fuel. That is why NASA, together with research groups from three other government agencies, five companies, and three universi-ties, recently conducted a series of tests on two non-petroleum-based jet fuels. The research project is part of the organization’s Alterna-

tive Aviation Fuel Experiment (AAFEX), with the ultimate goal being to find an alternative fuel capable of powering commercial jet aircraft.

Right in the middle of the action representing Penn State is Randy Vander Wal, associate professor of energy and mineral engineer-ing. Dr. Vander Wal is using his extensive background in carbon structure, chemistry and their characterization to collect and characterize the test fuels’ car-bonaceous particulate emissions from jet engines.

“Several groups, from the United Technologies Research Center, the Environmental Protection Agency, Aerodyne, NASA, and Missouri-Rolla measured aerodynamic particle sizes and gas compositions,” Vander Wal said. “We, however, are the only group examining the structure and chemistry of the carbonaceous particulate.”

The first round of tests took place in late January and early February at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in California. They were car-ried out on a grounded DC-8 aircraft by using sampling probes placed downstream of the jet’s right inboard engines.The purpose of the tests was to measure the engine performance and aircraft emissions of two synthetic fuels derived from coal and natural gas using the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process.

The FT process is a chemical reaction in which a synthesis gas – a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen – is converted into liquid hydrocarbons of various forms. The process produces synthetic petro-leum for various uses, but primarily for fuel.

Both 100 percent synthetic fuel and 50-50 blends with JP-8 were tested and compared to pure JP-8, the current, petroleum-derived, aviation fuel. The two fuels were chosen because they have the energy necessary for commercial flight. With samples back from the tarmac, it is now Vander Wal’s task to analyze the samples for differences re-lated to the different fuel sources and compositions.

“We are presently in the midst of using high resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to charac-terize the nanostructure and chemistry of the emissions,” Vander Wal said. “We anticipate differences in both categories to reflect the dif-ferent fuels used in the tests, a high-sulfur JP-8, a natural gas derived Fischer-Tropsch fuel or a coal-derived Fischer-Tropsch fuel.”

As explained by Vander Wal, both the physical and chemical proper-ties of engine emissions have environmental and health implications. The emission of particulate matter (PM) from aircraft gas turbine engines is a unique pollutant source according to the Clean Air Act. Until recently PM emissions from jet engines have not been well characterized. To understand the evolution and fate of aircraft engine generated PM, especially for current/advanced technology engines, fundamental physical and chemical parameters are required.

Sampling 100% pure fuels along with blends should help to prove or disprove the current theory that synthetic fuels create fewer particles and other harmful emissions than standard jet fuel. If proven true, the use of synthetic fuels could improve the air quality around airports. Almost all previous testing has considered only blends.

From here, the research team will finish the analyses of the initial tests and load the findings into a database. According to Vander Wal, they then will move on to take additional emissions measurements.

“We anticipate another field campaign with other aircraft, engine types, and fuel. Results will then be compared to particulate emissions from laboratory-scale flames and combustors, to be conducted in both my lab here at Penn State and at the NASA-Glenn Research Center in Cleveland,” he added.

Prior field campaigns, such as Aircraft Particle Emissions Experiment (APEX) III, studied emissions from a variety of jet aircraft including a Boeing 757, 737, Learjet and an Airbus A300 at a variety of power settings. Results showed significant differences between the different engines and selected conditions. According to Vander Wal, although models are being developed for soot formation from such combustors, the experimental particulate signatures are quite different compared to those from laboratory scale systems upon which such models are based.

This article was compiled with information obtained from a NASA press release.

Penn State participates in new alternative jet fuels tests launched by NASA

Dr. Randy Vander Wal

Test instrumentation was set up behind the inboard engines of NASA’s DC-8 airborne science laboratory during alternative fuels emissions and performance

testing at NASA’s Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, CA. Photo Credit: NASA Dryden

Student Voice

14 www.eme.psu.edu

Natural fusion is what powers the sun, so it’s fitting that Penn State’s 2009 Solar Decathlon team — one of 20 nationwide that will compete in October on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for the top solar-powered house — would dub its entry Natural Fusion. But for the Penn State team, the name is a concept aimed at building an energy-efficient home featuring the holistic integration of elements across all aspects from design to construction.

“Natural Fusion was born out of the idea of building an integrated house and using things that have been used for years but in a new way,” said Thomas Rauch, team member and media liaison. “It’s redefining the engineering and the cross-disciplinary educational and design processes.”

The idea touches everything the team does. More than 120 team members from every academic college at Penn State, including students, staff and faculty, are working on the project. They work closely with industry to create the house and to implement the technologies that will make it energy-efficient and sustainable.

“Nothing is without a purpose or a reason,” Rauch said. “There’s a need for that kind of efficiency now. That’s what Natural Fusion really focuses on - making the most of what we have and really having a reason for everything we do.”

Design began last year when Penn State was accepted to the Department of Energy-sponsored competition for the second time. (Penn State’s

MorningStar took fourth place in 2007.) The basic structure of the home — framed, roofed and drywalled — arrived at the University Park campus on Saturday, April 18 from the team’s modular builder in Middleburg, PA. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the construction site to celebrate the occasion.

The team will now get down to work on what makes the competition-maximum 800-square foot house special, installing the photovoltaic solar panel array, and all the other technologies and amenities that will create a solar-powered, energy-efficient and green home.

Rauch said the work of the team’s architects and architectural engineers on the house’s architectural design gives Natural Fusion an early advantage. The work of the Solar Decathlon team and its collaboration with industry, meanwhile, could very well change how the nation views solar-powered technology.

“We have a really great collaboration with industry where some of the products we’re using have never been seen before,” Rauch said, noting that the competition requires all products used in the houses be commercially available, but does not prohibit new technology from being unveiled for the first time. “In a couple of cases, nothing like them has been seen before. They’re completely revolutionary ideas. Our work with industry has been absolutely instrumental.”

Rauch said the ultimate goal is to produce a house that people will view as a realistic potential home.

“We’re trying to show people this isn’t just something cool you saw in Scientific American or Popular Mechanics,” Rauch said. “It’s something you can walk through and say, ‘Wow, I could live here.’ “

Rauch added that the team already has several residential, commercial and industrial offers to purchase the Natural Fusion competition house after the Solar Decathlon ends.

But for now, the Natural Fusion team is focused on the task at hand — getting the house completed and ready for transport to Washington for the competition in 10 categories (scored by measured performance and juror evaluation) and public display Oct. 8-18.

“It’s very exciting, but it’s a very daunting task,” Rauch said, adding that the team encourages the Penn State community to make a visit to the Solar Decathlon in October and to help with the building process over the next few months. “There’s a lot to get done.”

For more information on Penn State’s Solar Decathlon team, visit http://solar.psu.edu.

Penn State Solar Decathlon team ready to make Natural Fusion a realityBy Geoff Rushton, Penn State Live

Members of the Solar Decathlon team give faculty from the EME Department a tour of

the basic structure of their home

The Solar Decathlon team held a ribbon-cutting event to mark the arrival of the

framework of their home

engineering related field.”

Before their introductory meeting came to a close, the students took the opportunity to choose their chapter officers. Along with electing Burns as the chapter president, other officers include: Vice President: Patrick D’Elia (sophomore, mining engineering); Secretary/Treasurer: Haris Saeed (junior, mining engineering); Social Chair: Patricio Terrazas (junior, mining engineering); and Service Chair: Scott Cicero (freshman, architectural engineering). In addition, Mr. Ramsey was chosen as the industry advisor and Dr. Jamal Rostami, assistant professor of energy and mineral engineering, will serve as the faculty advisor.

The group’s application to become a chartered student chapter will be considered by the ISEE Board of Directors at their annual meeting this summer. If accepted, Penn State will become only the ninth university in the nation to have a student chapter of ISEE. In the meantime, the group will begin making plans for future activities. “Plans for the next academic year include attending the 14th annual Drilling and Blasting Conference at Penn State and attending the annual meeting of the International Society of Explosives Engineers in Orlando, Florida,” Burns explained. “We must also raise money for future field trips. The ultimate goal would be to eventually set up a certification curriculum or even a minor in explosives or blasting engineering.”

Connection 15

Thirty-three students packed into the room for Penn State’s inaugural ISEE student

chapter meeting

Continued from page 10Students compete in 2009 mucking competitionOn Saturday, April 4, 2009, a team of Penn State mining engineering students squared off against other universities at the 31st International Intercollegiate Mining (Mucking) Competition, hosted by Montana Tech in Butte, Montana. This was only the second time Penn State has entered the contest and while the team didn’t place in any of the individual events, they easily surpassed their scores from last year’s initial outing.

“I was very impressed with the huge improvement over last year’s performance,” said Dr. R. Larry Grayson, professor of energy and mineral engineering, George H., Jr., and Anne B. Deike Chair in Mining Engineering, and undergraduate program officer of mining engineering. “It was pretty clear that they were very motivated to compete. They improved their performance in six of seven events by 27% to 74%.”

The competition was split into four divisions: men’s, women’s, co-ed, and alumni. Teams in each division competed in seven trials that hearken back to the mining methods used in the Old West, most of which are now mechanized. These include hand steeling, mucking, track stand, jackleg drilling, gold panning, Swede saw, and surveying.

First prize in the overall men’s competition went to the Western Australia School of Mines. Also participating in the weekend event were Montana Tech, the University of Nevada Reno Mackay, Virginia Tech, the Missouri University of Science and Technology, the University of Arizona, and Camborne School of Mines Great Britain.

Members of Penn State’s men’s team included Patrick D’Elia (sophomore, mining engineering), Ryan Mauser (junior, mining engineering), Phillip Ruby (senior, mining engineering), Frank Wallace (freshman, mining engineering) and returning members Drew Mason (sophomore, mining engineering) and Timothy Nolan (junior, mining

engineering). Now with two contests under their belt, the students already are looking forward to next year’s mucking competition, which will be hosted by the Western Australia School of Mines in Perth, Australia.

Members of the 2009 Mucking Team

Team members take part in the track stand event

Penn Stater Frank Wallace chisels his way through the hand steeling event

...ISEE

...SPE students Continued from page 10

what exactly it is that petroleum and natural gas engineers can do. Children also were treated to an interactive demonstration of what sedimentary layers look like beneath the ground.

Penn State student Erica Byerly helps a young boy understand what petroleum and natural gas engineering is all about

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