(67a) Creating a Pathway to Sustainability: The Critical Contribution of Particle Technology Research

Maintaining adequate future supplies of energy and water requires the creation of a pathway to sustainable energy and water that is both multi-faceted and complex. An effective pathway aims to improve the reliability, security, and affordability of energy and water by: utilizing a least-cost strategy to reduce the negative impact of energy consumption on climate change and water availability; emphasizing the gradual decarbonization of the global energy system; increasing energy efficiency and conservation; and preserving natural resources and the environment.

A successful pathway to sustainability must include short-term, transitional, and long-term plans that must be launched simultaneously. This presentation will discuss the critical contribution of particle technology research to the successful implementation of these plans.

The role of circulating fluidized bed (CFB) research in carbon capture processes and particle pulverization as a recycling tool for polymeric and elastomeric materials as examples of the short-term plan will be presented.

As an example of the transitional plan, the impact of fluid-particle flow and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) research in the production of natural gas from unconsolidated hydrate reservoirs will be discussed.

The contribution of particle technology to the long-term plan, including the effect of rain droplets on wind turbine performance and the role of the fluid-particle mixture as a very effective heat transfer medium for concentrated solar power (CSP) systems will be presented.