General CAER News

The UK Task Force on Energy and the Environment, which was led by Ari Geertsema, met four times during January and finalized its report. It was presented to and discussed with Drs. Nietzel and Baldwin in February. They are now considering the recommendations, discussing the items with the Deans and deciding on further actions. Given the current budgetary constraints in the Commonwealth and at UK, a number of the recommendations are likely to be held back for possible implementation. As soon as the report has been released by Dr. Nietzel, who constituted the Task Force, the report will also be posted on the CAER web site.

Dr. Mark Crocker, a scientist in the field of environmental catalysis, joined CAER in January. He is one of three new senior appointees who are joining CAER after a successful recruiting effort during 2002. Two more researchers, one in carbon materials and the other in coal technology, who accepted our offers, will join us by the middle of 2003. An announcement in this regard will be made in due time. With these three appointments, CAER is able to expand the opportunities for new work in the areas of our technical strengths.

Inputs were provided regarding draft Kentucky legislation concerning a proposal from Representative Jim Gooch on a Coal Development Fund under the guidance of the Kentucky Coal Council. A meeting with Representative Gooch was held to explain to him the position of CAER is this context and the draft language was modified to ensure that CAER will be part of the decision making process for awards from such a fund, should it be established and funded by the Commonwealth.

Ari attended a meeting of the Coal Utilization Research Council (CURC) on February 6 to discuss the pending federal DoE budget as it relates to coal R&D. The Council's suggestions were incorporated with those of a number of other energy interest groups and were generally accommodated in the bill for FY2003 as passed. Actions are already underway to give a next round of inputs for FY2004.

Meetings & Special Presentations

The CAER was well represented at the Biennial American Coal Ash Association (ACAA) meeting in January. Three papers were presented by the group including one by an intern from Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Clair Anderson. Also, staff members chaired several technical sessions.

B.K. Parekh chaired two technical sessions at the 2003 Meeting of the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration in Cincinnati, Ohio. The first was entitled "Mineral Processing Fundamentals" on Tuesday, Feb. 25, followed by "Closure and Reclamations of Coal Operations" on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

Sarah Mardon, an undergraduate in UK's Dept. of Geology and a CAER student worker under the mentoring of Jim Hower, was selected to present a poster at the state capital in Frankfort on February 6th. The poster was titled "Impact of coal properties on coal combustion by-product quality: Examples from a Kentucky power plant." The event was hosted by Kentucky's eight public universities to ensure that members of Kentucky's House and Senate, as well as the Governor, understand the importance of scholarly research to academic programs.

On Feb. 26-28, Uschi Graham attended the DoE Nanoscale Science Research Centers Workshop.

Personnel Accolades

Datta Patil began a one year post doctoral assignment in the ECT research group at the CAER. He will be working with B. K. Parekh, Darrell Taulbee, Daniel Tao, and Rick Honaker on the wood/coal pelletization project.

Outside Organization Interactions

Dr. Matthys Janse Van Vuuren, a scientist from Sasol, South Africa, completed a three-month period at CAER which was intended to strengthen the ties between our organizations and to train him in certain aspects of Fischer-Tropsch research techniques. It is anticipated that some time in the future there might be a reciprocal exchange.

Tom Robl and B.K. Parekh presented a proposal on tailings disposal elimination in coal mining to the Electric Power Research Institute/Upgraded Coal Interest Group, Feb. 16.

In February Burt Davis served on a panel review board to review new proposals to the National Science Foundation.

Jim Hower received a visitor from Elsevier Publishing Company. Tirza van Daalen, publishing editor of the International Journal of Coal Geology, made a short tour to visit US editors (of which Jim is one). While here they discussed future journal activities.

UK Connections

In January Ari began teaching a course in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering entitled Fuel Processing Technology. It is the first time that a CAER course has been presented since 1997. Nineteen students (mostly seniors) enrolled in this elective.