Industry Leader Interview: Dana C. Christensen

Dana C. Christensen is Associate Laboratory Director for Energy and Engineering Sciences Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee. A leading center for industry-driven energy-efficiency research and development, ORNL is the Department of Energy’s (DOE) largest science and energy laboratory; their mission is to conduct basic science and technology research that provides innovative solutions to the complex energy problems facing the nation. Mr. Christensen is responsible for more than $350 million of programs for a variety of government and industrial sponsors in all dimensions of energy science and technology. He is the recipient of the DOE Gold Quality Award of Excellence and has been recognized with the DOE Weapons Recognition Award of Excellence for scientific contributions.

Efficiency News Oak Ridge National Laboratory is very involved in advancing energy-efficiency research and technologies. Can you tell us how you envision ORNL’s role in promoting energy efficiency and conservation in the future?

Dana C. Christensen As the Department of Energy’s largest multi-program laboratory, ORNL is uniquely positioned to advance and promote energy efficiency. As a research and development institution, we partner with the private sector, including U.S. industry and universities, who work with us to take the basic science research in materials, biological systems, neutron science, and computational science and perform the basic technology research that leads to new energy-efficient products and processes. That “science-to-energy applications” model is what DOE and, in particular, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) are looking for: strong interactions with industry to move technology out into the marketplace.

This past fall ORNL initiated six new projects under the EERE Technology Commercialization and Deployment Fund. These projects include topics such as energy-efficient materials for engine turbochargers, production of new solar cells and a novel bio-diesel technology.

E-News Can you tell our readers about the U.S. DOE’s EERE Program, and why ORNL is committed to expanding energy resource options and improving efficiency in every element of energy production and use?

DC The EERE Program is focused on enabling clean, abundant, and affordable energy production and use. The renewables portfolio includes research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) of technologies to produce liquid fuels and electricity from solar energy technologies, biomass, wind, hydro-and-water power, geothermal energy, and hydrogen.

The energy-efficiency portfolio is anchored by the “big three” programs that tackle the three sectors of the economy responsible for fossil fuel and electricity consumption and, therefore, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Vehicle, industrial, and building technology RDD&D are paramount, and the other areas of emphasis are the weatherization and intergovernmental and federal energy management programs. We also support DOE’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, which develops solutions to challenges in electric transmission and distribution, stationary energy storage, superconductivity, smart grid technologies, and other research and development initiatives.

DOE has determined, correctly, that no single technology will ever be the “silver bullet” required to meet the world’s expanding energy demands or mitigate the impact of GHG emissions. Rather, the ability to provide America with adequate, affordable and sustainable energy will be based on an array of new technologies spread across the areas of energy generation, distribution and consumption. ORNL is playing a leading role in building the research foundation required to develop a comprehensive set of energy options.

E-News I understand that ORNL is a supporter of DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Program, which focuses on high-risk research to develop fuel cells and advanced hybrid propulsion systems. Can you tell our readers about the major research areas of this program and what the next steps will entail?

DC This program is ORNL’s largest program funded by DOE-EERE. It encompasses the three big “drivers” that can reduce oil consumption and GHG emissions in the transportation sector: fuel switching (including biofuels and electrification), light-weighting, and engines and emissions research (reducing the fuel consumed and emissions per vehicle-mile traveled).

We are also doing research to remove technical barriers to the use of clean diesel technology, and exploring nitrogen oxide traps and other after-treatment technologies, which will need to meet stringent U.S. emissions requirements.

If cars can be made 40 percent lighter at costs American drivers can afford, then fuel economy will increase by about 25 percent. ORNL’s role is to work with industry to develop the necessary materials, remove technical barriers to their use, and provide design engineers with the ability to mix and match the materials accordingly. As for internal combustion engines, ORNL maintains responsibility, as directed by DOE, to increase engine efficiency to 45 percent.

ORNL is developing higher voltage, lighter weight “boost converters” that power the electric motor in a hybrid electric vehicle. We are also working with electric utilities such as the Tennessee Valley Authority to help evaluate the emissions issues associated with recharging plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, which very much depend on the region of the U.S. and the time of day that recharging occurs.