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Howdy!
Welcome to the October issue of News Briefs, the Texas A&M Energy Institute's e-newsletter. News Briefs is intended to keep you informed about all the good things going on in energy research at EI and Texas A&M University as well as state, national and international energy-related news that affects all of us.
On October 7, the Energy Institute moved into the Wisenbaker Engineering Research Center. Our new address is 244 Wisenbaker but all of our other contact information remains the same. Stop by and see our new space.
If you have any questions, comments or ideas for future issues, please contact Lisa Groce at 979.458.1644 or tamuenergy@pe.tamu.edu.
Thank you and Gig 'em!
Steve Holditch
Director, EI |
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Energy Club to Host An Evening of Energy |
On November 2nd, the Texas A&M Energy Club will host a flagship event entitled "An Evening of Energy", to be held in the lobby of the Jack E. Brown Engineering Building from 6 to 9 pm.
Evening of Energy will be a very large student-led effort intended to bring all those involved in energy-related research at Texas A&M together to share and discuss efforts at the University to address the world's energy problems. The focus of the evening's activities will be a poster session and research and visualization exhibitions which are a fundamental step in creating collaboration among colleagues.
The event is free to the public. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend and to enter their work in the research or visualization competition. "We would like to make this event a success and solidify the importance of our University's position in working on the forefront of the global energy issues," stated Taylor Morrison, Energy Club president.
Please contact Taylor for more information at tamuenergyclub@gmail.com.
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Pappas Keynote Speaker at Texas Wind Energy Workforce Summit | |
John Pappas, associate director of the Texas A&M Energy Institute and director of the Wind Energy Center, was the luncheon keynote speaker at the Texas Wind Energy Workforce Summit held October 14 at the AT&T Conference Center in Austin, TX.
Pappas' presentation, Energy Education and Workforce Issues in a Down Economy, stressed the opportunities presented by the current economic climate to address energy education and workforce issues and to attract more people to the professional fields needed by the wind and other energy sectors. According to Pappas, "The looming shortage of professionals in STEM-related fields, along with the prospect of solving significant challenges to our energy security and the environment has made the energy field more attractive to non-traditional students - and we need to tap that talent pool. The relative strength of energy throughout this period has new people interested in engineering careers."
To read more, click here. |
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Alvarado Receives Grant from Department of Defense | |
Jorge Alvarado, associate professor in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution, recently received a grant from the Department of Defense (DoD) to develop and deploy a new generation of heat transfer fluids (HTF) for use in large military installations.
As part of the two-year project, Alvarado will be responsible for formulating and running on-site demonstrations of the new HTF that will include web-based monitoring of its thermal performance. The new HTF consists of microcapsules containing phase change material capable of increasing heat capacity by at least 40 percent. The HTF will be tested in cooling loops in two military installations to demonstrate their full potential as part of an Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) project.
For more information, follow this link. |
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Faculty Members Present Tutorial at IEEE Energy Conversion Congress | |
Robert Balog (assistant professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering) and Prasad Enjeti (professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering) presented a tutorial on Design Considerations for Photovoltaic Systems Installed on Curved Surfaces at the IEEE Energy Conversion Congress & Exposition held in Phoenix, AZ September 17-22, 2011.
To view the abstract, follow this link.
Two of Balog's students also presented papers at the conference. One paper was the result of a class term project that was part of Balog's experimental course, Power Electronics for Renewable Energy Conversion (ECEN 689-605), during the Fall 2010 semester.
To read more about the student papers, click here.
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Growing Green Communities Statewide Conference Scheduled for November 14-16, 2011 | |
The Growing Green Communities team at the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) is hosting the Texas Rural Sustainability Conference - Harnessing Energy for Rural Communities in Austin, TX November 14-16, 2011.
The conference program includes speakers from Texas finance, business and government, along with representatives from the wind, solar and other sustainable industries who will share real-life examples of how they have saved money, made money and created jobs by adopting sustainable technologies and business practices.
In addition, TEEX and the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration will honor nine outstanding initiatives that have created economic value and opportunity through environmental stewardship, energy conservation and sustainable practices in Texas rural communities. The awards program will showcase the best sustainable practices that save money, make money and/or create jobs.
For more information about the conference, follow this link. |
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The Energy Institute (EI) is addressing the world's energy challenges through research, development and deployment. The Institute matches researchers and world-class facilities with internal and external partners to define and solve energy problems and turn those solutions into useful global products. |
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A&M Consolidated Student wins Energy Day 2011 Media/Photography Competition |
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Sara Lyle (right) with the director of the Houston Geological Society. |
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Sara Lyle, a sophomore at A&M Consolidated High School, won first place in the media/photography contest, "A World of Change in My Community", co-sponsored by the Consumer Energy Alliance, the Houston Geological Society and the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
For more information about Sara's award and Energy Day, click here.
To view the winning video, click here. |
| Contact us | |
Texas A&M Energy Institute
3372 TAMU
244 Wisenbaker
College Station, TX 77843
979.458.1644 |
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