{"670491":{"#nid":"670491","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Professor David Sholl Leading New Energy Earthshot Research Center to Stem Climate Change","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDavid Sholl, a professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE), is leading a new Energy Earthshot Research Center (EERC) at the Department of Energy\u0027s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ornl.gov\/\u0022\u003EORNL\u003C\/a\u003E) that is focused on developing chemical processes that use sustainable methods instead of burning fossil fuels to radically reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions to stem climate change and limit the crisis of a rapidly warming planet.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ornl.gov\/staff-profile\/david-s-sholl\u0022\u003ESholl\u003C\/a\u003E, who is director of ORNL\u2019s Transformational Decarbonization Initiative, is director of the ORNL-led Non-Equilibrium Energy Transfer for Efficient Reactions (NEETER), which also involves ChBE faculty members \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/fani-boukouvala\u0022\u003EFani Boukouvala\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/carsten-sievers\u0022\u003ECarsten Sievers\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;as key members.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENEETER is one of two new DoE EERCs involving ChBE faculty; the other (co-led by Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/david-flaherty\u0022\u003EDavid Flaherty\u003C\/a\u003E) is\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHarnessing Electrostatics for the Conversion of Organics, Water and Air: Driving Redox on Particulate Liquids Earthshot (DROPLETS).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDebaronizing Large-scale Processes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENEETER will coordinate a research team from across the nation focused on replacing bulk heating for chemical processes with electrified means, providing a new way to do chemistry, and decarbonizing large-scale processes in the chemical industry. The Department of Energy has committed $19 million over four years for the center.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThis center is an exciting opportunity to advance innovative methods for performing important chemical reactions with heat derived from electricity instead of burning fossil fuels,\u201d Sholl said. \u201cOur world-class team will combine powerful fundamental insights with leadership-class computing to push forward use of mechanochemistry and resistive heating to achieve chemical outcomes that are simply not possible with traditional heating methods.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESholl, who also serves as interim executive director of the University of Tennessee Oak Ridge Innovation Institute, will lead the NEETER effort to harness the expertise of more than 20 co-principal investigators from two other national laboratories and several universities. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn addition to ORNL, other center investigators come from DOE\u2019s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Delaware State University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Princeton University, the University of Houston, and the University of Maryland.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe scientists, in addition to using their own laboratories, will use DOE Office of Science user facilities, including ORNL\u2019s\u0026nbsp;Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, Spallation Neutron Source, High Flux Isotope Reactor, and Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences. They will also include the beam line at SLAC.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EEnergy Earthshot Goals\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cOur Energy Earthshots are game-changing endeavors to unleash the technologies of the clean energy transition and make them accessible, affordable, and abundant,\u201d said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. \u201cThe Energy Earthshot Research Centers and the related work happening on college campuses around the country will be instrumental in developing the clean energy and decarbonization solutions we need to establish a 100% clean grid and beat climate change.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENEETER\u2019s proposed research is a radical departure from traditional chemistry and holds promise for transformational breakthroughs in energy-related chemical reactions. The NEETER EERC addresses the DOE\u2019s Industrial Heat Shot announced in 2022, which aims to develop cost-competitive industrial heat decarbonization technologies with at least 85% lower greenhouse gas emissions by 2035. This EERC will employ new kinds of chemical catalysis as one pathway toward electrifying the delivery of process heat.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIndustrial heat involves the burning of fossil fuels, which contributes massive amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. About 40% of those emissions come from chemicals and refining procedures. Because many industrial processes require extremely high energy, decarbonizing these chemical processes via electrification would radically alter the industrial chemical landscape.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EResearchers propose two main ways of electrification, Sholl explained. One is through a process called mechanocatalysis, which creates mechanically initiated reactions. Another is Joule heating \u2014 using electricity to achieve very rapid temperature increases. The aim is to control chemical reactivity through temperature and pressure, by rapid heating in the Joule heating case, or by mechanical collisions in the case of mechanocatalysis.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENEETER\u2019s mission is \u201cTo understand and control spatial and temporal non-equilibrium heat transfer to enable transformational breakthroughs in energy- and atom-efficient endothermic catalytic reactions beyond limitations of thermodynamic and kinetic equilibrium to decarbonize the US chemical industry.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESaid Sholl, \u201cWe envision a future where we use renewable electricity to provide heat and produce chemicals without greenhouse gas emissions.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDROPLETS Earthshot\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/david-flaherty\u0022\u003EDavid Flaherty\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, is co-principal investigator of another Energy Earthshot Energy Research Center called \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003EHarnessing Electrostatics for the Conversion of Organics, Water and Air: Driving Redox on Particulate Liquids Earthshot (DROPLETS).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe overall objective of DROPLETS is to explore an unconventional, straightforward, and underutilized approach based on microdroplet-enabled redox reactions (which involve the transfer of electrons between substances) towards H2 production (a clean and renewable energy source), CO2 activation (which can help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions), and the synthesis of redox species for long-duration energy storage (LDES).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDROPLETS strives to achieve simplicity and lower the energy input and reactor cost for complex chemical reactions, a key advantage to simultaneously achieve multiple Energy Earthshots, including the Hydrogen Shot, the Long Duration Storage Shot, and the Carbon Negative Shot.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDROPLETS is led by Professor Joaquin Rodriguez Lopez of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":" The Department of Energy also selected David Flaherty to co-lead a second project designed to lower energy input and reactor cost for complex chemical reactions"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDavid Sholl, a professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE), is leading a new Energy Earthshot Research Center (EERC) at the Department of Energy\u0027s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ornl.gov\/\u0022\u003EORNL\u003C\/a\u003E) that is focused on developing chemical processes that use sustainable methods instead of burning fossil fuels to radically reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions to stem climate change and limit the crisis of a rapidly warming planet.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The NEETER Energy Earthshot Center is focused on developing chemical processes that use sustainable methods instead of burning fossil fuels to radically reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions."}],"uid":"27271","created_gmt":"2023-10-18 15:04:53","changed_gmt":"2023-10-18 15:16:09","author":"Brad Dixon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-10-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-10-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672076":{"id":"672076","type":"image","title":"David Sholl","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDavid Sholl, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory\u0027sTransformational Decarbonization Initiative, is director of the ORNL-led Non-Equilibrium Energy Transfer for Efficient Reactions (NEETER).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1697641512","gmt_created":"2023-10-18 15:05:12","changed":"1697641767","gmt_changed":"2023-10-18 15:09:27","alt":"Professor David Sholl","file":{"fid":"255260","name":"shollornlfull.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/18\/shollornlfull.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/18\/shollornlfull.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":49727,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/10\/18\/shollornlfull.jpg?itok=1mcr7Vdf"}},"672077":{"id":"672077","type":"image","title":"David Flaherty","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDavid Flaherty, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1697641818","gmt_created":"2023-10-18 15:10:18","changed":"1697641967","gmt_changed":"2023-10-18 15:12:47","alt":"Professor David Flaherty","file":{"fid":"255261","name":"flaherty_dave210119-90.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/18\/flaherty_dave210119-90.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/18\/flaherty_dave210119-90.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":792209,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/10\/18\/flaherty_dave210119-90.jpg?itok=hxjg9iFR"}}},"media_ids":["672076","672077"],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"832","name":"greenhouse gas"},{"id":"10795","name":"chemical reaction"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrad Dixon, braddixon@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["braddixon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}