2008-2009 Steinbrenner Doctoral Fellows
Melissa Chan (Engineering and Public Policy)
Title: Assessing Future Supply Curves for Coal in Light of Technological and Environmental Uncertainties
Advisors: M. Granger Morgan, David Gerard, H. Scott Matthews
Project Description: Coal is viewed by many as an abundant and inexpensive fuel. Demand will increase, as advanced technologies enable us to use coal with less environmental impact. However, coal extraction is a dirty and dangerous business. Our work will estimate the environmental cost to extract coal. The outcome of this work will be a more accurate understanding of the complete environmental cost of options to generate electricity from coal. It will evaluate environmental costs incurred during extraction, identify technologies and strategies that might be used to mitigate those costs, and the research agenda needed to become better able to reduce those costs. The research will build on our work to understand environmental problems likely to arise with continued, and increased coal extraction in the United States. It also complements existing Carnegie Mellon research to examine financial and environmental cost of coal transportation, its use in electricity generation, and capture and storage to control CO2 emissions. With better insight into the health, safety and environmental consequence of coal extraction, we will be in a better position to reduce or eliminate them where they occur in the fuel cycle, and choose options of lowest environmental impact.
Varun Dutt (Engineering and Public Policy)
Title: Human problems of forecasting in dynamic systems
Advisor: Cleotilde Gonzalez
Project Description: Through laboratory experiments and computational cognitive modeling, we will help determine the main cognitive problems involved in human forecasting on dynamic systems like the climate control. One of the important themes in forecasting on climate problems involves human predictions of carbon-dioxide absorptions in order to control levels of anthropogenic carbon-dioxide in atmosphere by indirect regulation of carbon-dioxide emissions over many years. Initial work on the regulation of emissions suggests human cognitive problems and limited mental models that inhibit proper forecasts on climate problems. A proper understanding of the human cognitive problems in forecasting in dynamic systems is extremely important to ensure a successful future in climate policy making. The main outcome of this research would be a characterization of the cognitive problems involved in these systems and a definition of a set of interventions that could be used to improve policy decisions on our environment and sustainability.
Sharon Wagner (Engineering and Public Policy)
Title: The Feasibility of Using Parabolic Trough Solar Technology to Increase Renewable Energy Production
Advisors: Edward Rubin, M. Granger Morgan
Project Description: Climate change, induced by human activities (especially consumption of fossil fuels), is a unique environmental issue because its adverse effects may be experienced across the world in this century. Renewable energy must play a critical role in reducing fossil fuel use and the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Solar energy is an attractive renewable energy source because the sun’s energy is free, and it does not pollute. However, issues such as cost and intermittency have kept it from the forefront of energy solutions. Using solar thermal energy (concentrated solar power (CSP)) instead of photovoltaics can limit these factors and make solar more competitive. There are three main types of CSP – Parabolic Trough, Dish Design, and Power Tower. The research proposed here will examine the potential for parabolic trough solar technology to meet the standards specified in renewable portfolio standards (RPS.) The goal is to understand the limitations of this proven technology and what it will take (technically and financially) for it to make up a large portion or the entire portion of a RPS.