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Washington, D.C. – Congressman Pete Visclosky today announced that the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development approved $6 million for advanced energy research projects in Northwest Indiana. The funding, which supports cutting edge projects that attract new economy workers, is included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill.
“As the nation works to solve the energy crisis, we in Northwest Indiana can play an important role in the solution and create local economic opportunities at the same time,” said Visclosky. “This funding for advanced energy research will further the development of new energy solutions and attract high tech jobs to the region.”
Purdue University Calumet is slated to receive $5.5 million for three programs. First, $3 million will go to the Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation (CIVS) to support further expansion of computational tools and equipment. The CIVS provides an innovative way to learn and understand extremely complex information through visualizing, manipulating, and interacting with computer-generated simulations and models, as well as allows users to interact with three dimensional computerized environments. Rapid advancements in computation speeds, sophisticated graphics, and numerical methods enable the widespread use of simulation, including the design and optimization of industrial systems. For example, Purdue Calumet’s visualization laboratory made it possible for researchers to simulate wear inside steelmaking blast furnaces, see how erosion in the furnaces is distributed, and evaluate ways to decrease damage.
Second, Purdue University Calumet is slated to receive $2 million for the Energy Efficiency & Water Institute Research Facility. The funding will support the expansion and equipping of laboratory and research space for two academic research programs, the Energy, Efficiency and Reliability Center and the Water Institute Research Facility. The project will modify 4,400 square feet of research and lab space and equip the facility with fume hoods, computer analysis stations, microscopes, and other equipment that allow students and faculty to conduct cutting edge research.
Third, Purdue University Calumet, along with Purdue West Lafayette, is slated to receive $500,000 for the Comprehensive Wind Energy Program. The funding will support efforts to expand a research and development program for engineers focusing on wind technologies. The first aspect of the project will be the construction of a wind turbine and improvements to the existing wind tunnel research infrastructure. The second aspect will support research activities focused on turbine design and development, aerodynamic modeling and simulation, and additional scope essential to the successful deployment of cost-effective wind technologies.
“These additional resources will fund important technology improvements, which in turn will help Purdue Calumet support local manufacturing industries efforts to take advantage of less costly, more efficient ways to make improvements in their operations,” said Purdue Calumet Chancellor Howard Cohen. “Our Center for Computational Simulation and Visualization also will be able to establish a master’s degree program as a result of this funding.”
Valparaiso University is slated to receive $500,000 for the Solar Furnace Research Program. The funding will support an interdisciplinary program for undergraduate and faculty research on solar energy. The program will utilize a solar furnace, a device that concentrates sunlight to produce heat, for research into ways to harness sunlight to produce materials that can be used as sources of energy.
“Congressman Visclosky's visionary support of the Valparaiso University Solar Energy Program will have a positive, transformative impact for Northwest Indiana,” said Valparaiso University President Mark Heckler. “This state-of-the-art, research program and facility will allow new and interesting interactions among Valparaiso University, Northwest Indiana communities, and national research laboratories.”
The Fiscal Year 2010 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill is scheduled for consideration in the full Appropriations Committee on July 7 and on the floor of the House of Representatives on July 16. Subsequent to House passage it must be approved by the Senate before it can be signed into law by the President. |
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