The Utah Clean Coal Program's mission is the generation of scientific and technical information to allow for the clean and efficient utilization of coal in a carbon-constrained world. Building on the existing core-competencies developed over a long history of basic and applied research in coal science and combustion processes, the Utah Clean Coal Program (UC3) proposes to support DOE's goals in the following five areas:
Simulation - developing a new generation of large-eddy simulation (LES) based, entrained-flow computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models and developing a validation and verification environment that integrates experimental results and submodels developed in the thrust areas. Philip Smith is the key contact.
Mercury control - providing mechanistic understanding and kinetic rates for sorbents of interest to DOE and integrating these submodels into NETL's models of sorbent injection. JoAnn Lighty is the key contact.
Oxy-fuel combustion - exploring effects of variations in the partial pressure of O2 and CO2 on coal jet ignition in retrofit oxy-coal combustion applications and providing fundamental rate parameters and sub-scale model validation for circulating fluidized beds (CFBs). Jost Wendt is the key contact. See recent presentation.
Gasification - providing data that will address two problems encountered in entrained-flow gasifiers, those of the shorter than desired lifetimes of the refractory linings and the lower efficiencies of carbon conversion. Kevin Whitty is the key contact.
Sequestration - studying the impact of contaminant gases on sequestration chemistry and vertical mixing of CO2 and brine. Milind Deo is the key contact.
Combustion chemical looping - providing a mechanistic understanding and chemical reaction rates for oxygen carriers of interest to the DOE. Edward Eyring is the key contact.
Materials investigations - supporting the Oxy-fuel combustion and Gasification thrust areas via the development of materials expertise for fuel-conversion systems with an emphasis on (ultra)super critical steam generation systems. Larry Baxter at BYU is the key contact.
NETL student research experience - offering select University of Utah graduate and undergraduate research opportunities at NETL. Kerry Kelly is the key contact.
Feel free to view our Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO).
