Hydrogen battery: Storing hydrogen in coal may help power clean energy economy 05/22/2023 The quest to develop hydrogen as a clean energy source that could curb our dependence on fossil fuels may lead to an unexpected place — coal. A team of Penn State scientists found that coal may represent a potential way to store hydrogen gas, much like batteries store energy for future use, addressing a major hurdle in developing a clean energy supply chain. |
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Particle size is key factor in coal mining-related respiratory disease 05/19/2023 One of the major occupational health hazards for coal workers in the U.S. is coal mine dust-related respiratory diseases. New findings by Penn State researchers shed light on the causes of respiratory diseases related to coal mine dust. |
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Mining PA Conference offers outlooks from leaders in mining 05/11/2023 Pennsylvania mining industry leaders, government representatives and faculty will speak at the inaugural Mining PA Conference, to be held Aug. 14-16 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in State College. The conference offers the opportunity for mine and processing plant operators, equipment suppliers, government agencies, professional societies and industry advocates to connect with one another and address challenges and opportunities in health and safety, environmental protection, critical minerals and new technologies. |
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EMS Student awarded Presidential Scholarship by mining societies 05/03/2023 Hannah Chop, a senior majoring in environmental systems engineering, was recently awarded the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America and the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Foundation (MMSA/SMEF) Presidential Scholarship. |
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Five EMS graduate students recognized with University awards 04/27/2023 Akshay Pradip Gharpure, doctoral student in energy and mineral engineering, was among the 40 recipients of Penn State’s annual graduate student awards, administered by the Graduate School in collaboration with several Penn State units. The awards recognize and celebrate graduate students who are excelling in teaching, research and service, as well as other academic pursuits. |
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New Zealand offers students chance to see path to sustainable energy future 04/27/2023 This spring break 14 students and three faculty members on a seven-day sustainability tour of New Zealand. The trip is part of a three-credit Sustainable Energy in New Zealand course offered by Derek Elsworth, G. Albert Shoemaker Chair in Mineral Engineering. |
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Professor awarded DOE grant to study corrosion in nuclear salt reactors 04/19/2023 FeiFei Shi, assistant professor in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, received a $400,000 research and development award from the Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) in the U.S Department of Energy (DOE) to develop foundational research on the corrosive damage caused by molten salt in nuclear salt reactors (MSRs). |
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Spring break trip to Iceland empowers sustainability leaders of tomorrow 04/10/2023 Twelve students in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences capitalized on their time off to gain an exclusive educational experience abroad. The students traveled to Iceland, a small country known for its outsized renewable energy resources, to see classroom concepts in real life, while crossing off a bucket-list global experience. |
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Jaquelin Cochran to speak at April 13 Women in energy and water research seminar 03/28/2023 The spring 2023 Celebrating Women in Energy and Water Research seminar series continues on Thursday, April 13, with two seminars by Jaquelin Cochran, director of the Grid Planning and Analysis Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The free seminars are open to Penn State faculty, staff and students. |
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USGS scientist to discuss critical mineral commodities at 2023 Shoemaker Lecture 03/28/2023 Elisa Alonso, a physical scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), will give the 2023 G. Albert Shoemaker Lecture in Mineral Engineering at Penn State. Her talk, “Rare earth elements are not the only critical mineral commodities,” will be held at 3 p.m. on Friday, April 14, in the Hub-Robeson Center’s Freeman Auditorium and online via Zoom. A reception will follow the lecture at 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. |