Environmentally Friendly Energy Production and Utilization

The environmental consequences of energy production and utilization are well known. Global warming, oil spills, acid rail, smog, and acid mine drainage are only a few of the problems caused by our dependence on coal, petroleum, and natural gas. In the future, a transition from petroleum products to solar, bioenergy, or nuclear sources is expected.




Synthetic fuels and fuel cell technology may soon replace petroleum products and traditional engines. In addition, nuclear power may be utilized more often in the future since the waste products can be easily contained and controlled. Purdue has an active research program in the alternative energy development area. Furthermore, global warming and ozone depletion are critical environmental problems in the field of energy utilization. The future will demand dramatic improvements in energy efficiency and environmental impact of energy utilization equipment.

A group of researchers at Purdue investigates both evolutionary and revolutionary changes in such technologies, including the development of alternative cycles that employ naturally occurring working fluids, novel approaches for heat and work recovery, enhanced components for system integration, and better controls and part-load performances.