WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management has selected the West Virginia University Research Corporation to research advanced components that can improve the ability of thermal power plants to generate highly-flexible, low-carbon power from traditional, renewable, and nuclear energy.
The $5 million research program will focus on developing a manufactured graded composite transition joint (AM-GCTJ) that joins different metals within thermal power plant parts so they can better withstand the numerous stresses and extreme changes temperatures.
The goal is to develop a cost-effective and readily scalable AM-GCTJ that eliminates the common problems experienced with conventional dissimilar metal welds.
The department also announced a $1 million award to Morgantown-based United State Research Impact Alliance to identify and mature federally funded technologies that have the potential to solve a targeted set of challenges for the energy and manufacturing industries.