Carnegie Mellon University

2009-2010 Steinbrenner Doctoral Fellows

Emily Fertig (Engineering and Public Policy)

Title: An engineering-economic optimization of compressed air energy storage (CAES) to enhance wind power reliability

Advisor: Jay Apt

Project Description: Concerns about global climate change have caused 25 states to establish renewable portfolio standards to reduce the greenhouse emissions of the electricity industry. As the proportion of electricity generated from renewables increases to 20% and more, the problem of variability in generation must be overcome with large-scale bulk storage. We propose to model the economic and technical performance of wind farms paired with compressed air energy storage (CAES) to mitigate the fluctuations in wind power generation. The proposed research takes an approach that is more integrative than previous research on wind power/CAES systems. In examining a broader scope of parameters that affect the economic feasibility of these systems, the proposed work represents an important step towards the possible implementation of the technology as a means to provide reliable wind power and help lower the greenhouse gas emissions of the electricity industry.


Catherine Izard (Engineering and Public Policy)

Title: Economic and Emissions Effects of Climate Change Policy on the Iron and Steel Industry in the United States

Advisors: Christopher Weber, H. Scott Matthews

Project Description: In this project, Catherine will develop a method for evaluating the impact of various types of climate policy on the iron and steel industry in the United States. This project will combine the results of trade, economic and physical flow models of the U.S. and major iron and steel trading partners to answer the following questions:

  • What is the demand forecast for iron and steel production in the U.S. to 2050?
  • How will the steel consumption, use, and disposal structure change, in both the U.S. and trading partners, to 2050? How much steel scrap is likely to be available to U.S. iron and steel producers, from both domestic and foreign sources?
  • What is the maximum emissions reduction potential by 2050 of the iron and steel industry from both technology improvements and increased secondary production?
  • How does the emissions reduction potential compare with the requirements of various climate policies? Is it possible for the iron and steel industry to meet projected targets?
  • How will trade patterns for steel and scrap change as a result of climate policies, and is carbon leakage a potential outcome?
  • What would an ideal climate policy (national and international) for the U.S. iron and steel industry look like, with respect to both global emissions and financial health of the industry?

The results of this research will help determine the best role for the iron and steel industry in a climate policy, given the unique physical dynamics and competitiveness concerns of the industry.


Elizabeth Traut (Mechanical Engineering)

Title: How Does Energy Policy Affect Vehicle Design?

Advisor: Jeremy Michalek

Project Description: We will construct a theory- and data-driven mathematical model of vehicle design responses under alternative market and public policy scenarios. We will use the model to address three questions: (1) What emerging alternative vehicle technologies will be competitive?; (2) How will public policies currently under consideration affect vehicle design outcomes?; and (3) What factors and uncertainties are most critical to determining future outcomes? Specifically, We will focus on comparing current corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards to proposed carbon taxes, cap-and-trade policies, European CO2 emissions standards, and California’s Zero-Emission Vehicle policy, with respect to their effects on decisions between conventional vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). We will identify critical values for any major uncertain factors affecting the technology choice.


Jessica Wilson (Civil and Environmental Engineering)

Title: Brominated Disinfection By-Products in Drinking Water: Impacts from Shale Gas Production in Pennsylvania

Advisors: Jeanne VanBriesen, Kelvin Gregory

Project Description: The goal of this research is to investigate the effect on drinking water sources in southwestern Pennsylvania from natural gas extraction, specifically the relationship between increased bromide concentrations in source water and increased haloacetic acid concentrations in finished water. Natural gas is considered to be one of the cleanest fossil fuels because when it burns it produces less nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide than coal or oil combustion for equivalent energy. In the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, natural gas may be a bridge fuel. The Marcellus Shale gas reserve in Pennsylvania is estimated to contain 262-500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and is one of the largest underdeveloped reservoirs of gas in the U.S. Extracting this natural gas has recently become economically and technologically feasible by using hydraulic fracturing, which requires the introduction of a fracturing fluid, usually water with sand and chemical additives, at high pressure. A single well being fractured requires several million gallons of water, of which 25-100% may be returned to the surface. This “produced” water contains high total dissolved solids (TDS). Current disposal practices involve mixing this wastewater with domestic sewage for dilution and then releasing it to surface waters. Because the Marcellus Shale is a marine formation, the TDS in the produced water is high in chloride and bromide. The present research will use Capillary electrophoresis methods to measure total Haloacetic acids concentrations in finished water at two drinking water plants along the Monongahela River where source water bromine will be measured continuously at the water intakes using ion specific electrodes. We will coordinate this monitoring with PaDEP monitoring of the TDS in the river and its tributaries.