The Wyoming DOE EPSCoR program supports building competitive applied research capability through funding of research clusters in areas of science and engineering of importance to both DOE and Wyoming. Specifically, the Wyoming DOE EPSCoR program includes research in fossil energy, electrical energy efficiency, and environmental science.

Human Resources Development: The development of personnel who are educated and interested in energy-related areas of math, science, and engineering is another objective of the Wyoming DOE EPSCoR program. This year, the projects have involved 12 graduate students and 12 Wyoming high school students. In addition, there have been 26 undergraduate students working on the projects, including 22 from Wyoming, two from Colorado, and one each from Minnesota and Montana.

The Earth System Science Internet Project (ESSIP) links 5th — 12th grade students with UW scientists and science educators. The activities focus on meaningful "real world" problems, involve the students in hands-on data collection and a web-based exchange of ideas and collected information with students at other sites. Sixteen teachers from around Wyoming have been involved in the development and revision of these initial activities. In the summer of 1997, stipends were awarded to ten additional teachers who will join the project in the fall. In the second phase of the project, we will add a module which investigates coal mines and coal as an energy source and we will provide workshops for all interested teachers in Wyoming to join the ESSIP project.

Fossil Fuels Research Cluster: The project to investigate upgrading coal without increasing the risk of spontaneous combustion has completed theoretical studies associated with molecular level interactions and the construction of the experimental batch reactor. The results using CO2 for coal drying are encouraging. During the renewal grant, a continuous feed fluidized bed reactor will be used and treated coal will be tested for BTU content and stability.

The project to formulate and produce cobalt phthalocyanines as catalysts for removing nitrogen oxides from power plant glasses has produced some promising species. Candidate catalysts will soon be tested in a scaled scrubbing system.

The research on converting simple hydrocarbon compounds (e.g. coal liquids) to important petrochemical products using superacids has focused on the stability and reactivity of organometallic catalyst systems under superacidic conditions. Following phases will address the reactivities of carbonylation systems and the practical technological applications of these materials.

A new coal upgrading subproject is being added to this cluster which seeks to improve the manufacture of formed coke briquettes from Wyoming coal. This project has been formulated in cooperation with FMC Corp. and will investigate the role of oxygen in producing adequate mechanical strength in the finished briquette. This research is a fine example of a process that adds significantly to the value of a Wyoming product, leading to economic development and job creation within the state of Wyoming.

Electrical Energy Research Cluster: The research on efficient and precise control of large electric motors has resulted in theoretical algorithms that will improve the efficiency and precision with which induction motors can be operated. A 7.5 hp inverter that can implement the algorithms has been built and tested. A 60 hp version of this inverter is under construction. Upon the completion of economic payback testing of these control methods, research will be moved to a demonstration phase with applications in both oil well pumping and agricultural irrigation systems. In addition, a new thrust aimed at the early detection and correction of motor drive power system degredation will be pursued.

In the first grant period, important new measurement and analysis capability was developed in the area of radio frequency interference, both radiated and conducted. These facilities have been used to characterize the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) problems associated with a variety of energy efficient devices. The next phase will result in the development of statistical models of the interference. Such models will help to reliably predict effects of radio frequency interference on other systems such as cellular communications.

The large photovoltaic (PV) system is installed and operating. The research in the next two years will examine the economics of using PV arrays in the utility industry, including power quality issues, increasing total power output by dynamic array reconfiguration, and the use of demand-side management to increase the value of PV generation.

Environmental Science Research Cluster: The environmental group has produced important results in both remediation and pollution prevention projects. Progress has been made in evaluating the utility of microbes in the remediation of PCP contamination through dechlorination. Two genes have been amplified from Flavobacterium and Pseudomonas species, which are now considered members of a single genus, Spingomonas. These genes have been sequenced and subcloned into E. coli overexpression vectors. Future work will focus on mutant isolation and engineering strains capable of elevated rates of PCP metabolism.

In a similar fashion, rhizosphere microbial communities from sites that are contaminated with heavy metals (copper and uranium) have been collected, examined, and characterized. The intent is to determine whether the efficiency of phytoremediation of these sites can be improved through inoculation of the plants with these microorganisms.

Surfactant enhanced electrokinetic (SEEK) remediation for soils contaminated with petroleum products has produced some promising results. In some lab studies, as much as 99% of the residual gasoline products were removed. Various surfactant combinations in the more difficult case of complex combinations of gasoline products in soil columns will soon be tested.

Finally, three subprojects aimed at pollution prevention are incorporated in the research work. One of these involves new approaches to the reduction of emissions from drying of natural gas, a process of great importance in Wyoming. Another is developing a commercially viable method of spraying paints or coatings without the use of environmentally dangerous solvents. The final project is being initiated in this study period and involves new methods to dispose of explosives in a safe, environmentally acceptable manner.