Director’s Corner

by Brian Anderson, Ph.D.

What do high tech tools to understand the internal structures of rocks; sophisticated heating equipment strong enough and hot enough to melt metals; and a cutting edge platform combining artificial intelligence with machine learning and information dissemination abilities have in common? The answer is NETL, where an evolving collection of technologies are playing an impressive role in advancing knowledge attaining breakthroughs in energy research.

Throughout April, visitors to our web site will have opportunities to learn about some of NETL’s most intriguing high tech capabilities that are aimed at unraveling scientific mysteries that can enable us to decarbonize our atmosphere, safely capture and store greenhouse gases and share vital information with leaders in science, industry and government.

In this month’s web articles, we will explain how:

• NETL upgraded its computerized tomography scanning technology to provide a tool that can look inside rock cores to provide knowledge necessary to responsibly store CO₂ underground.
• More efficient and powerful metal melting devices are helping to create stronger new metal alloys needed for the demanding conditions that evolving energy processes and plants require.
• The Science-based Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Institute (SAMI) is bringing cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning computational technologies that innovate effective, environmentally sustainable fossil energy resource recovery and utilization.

It is an ambitious list of capabilities that we are proud to use every day in pursuit of the Laboratory’s mission to drive innovation and deliver solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future.