UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR ENERGY RESEARCH

Energy exploration, production, and usage has been inextricably tied to the economic health of the United States for the past 75 years. This is even more evident in Oklahoma and surrounding states, where enormous fluctuations in prosperity have occurred as the price and availability of energy resources have oscillated. The University Center for Energy Research (UCER) was established in 1979 to provide a multi-disciplinary base to address the complex problems in the field of energy research.

The UCER supports energy-related research programs and encourages the organization of inter-disciplinary activities. Proposals for funding are submitted to UCER in March of each year. The proposals undergo a peer review process with final selection of projects to be funded made by the Director and the Advisory Committee. An important objective of the UCER is the support of new faculty and new and/or innovative research. Funding from the UCER is often used as an initiative. This initiative enables faculty to develop a sound knowledge base in their research areas that will enable them to generate additional funding within two or three years. The projects support students, post-doctoral research associates, and the procurement of state-of-the-art equipment.

1992-93 PROJECTS

In fiscal year 1993, the UCER supported seven research projects, which involved five departments of the university. Research topics included the following:

the development of improved estimates of demand elasticities and better forecasts for various types of energy models Ą
the investigation of alternate processing strategies that will significantly improve energy efficiency and waste minimization in the chemical industries; Ą
a study of the fundamental engineering aspects of pervaporation, a membrane separation technique that has the potential to replace the common, energy intensive unit operation of distillation; Ą
an experimental study of the thermodynamic properties of polymer-surfactant mixtures, with relation to phase stability in flooding fluids for enhanced oil recovery; Ą
the development of measurement and modeling techniques for the characterization of fractionation fluids used in enhanced oil recovery operations; and Ą
a study of the anyon theory of superconductivity.

The seventh project funded by the UCER is an interdisciplinary program of experimental and theoretical research to develop and advance energy efficient methods of low pressure diamond synthesis for industrial applications. The research project centers on diamond synthesis, characterization, and mathematical modeling of the synthesis process. Alternate synthesis processes have been investigated, including combustion synthesis, microwave chemical vapor deposition (CVD), hot filament CVD, and laser CVD. Faculty members in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics departments have been involved in this project. Successful completion of this project will contribute significantly to the application of CVD diamond technology in various mechanical, materials, chemical, and manufacturing (friction and wear reducing) applications with emphasis on energy conservation and utilization.

An additional outcome of the FY 1993 UCER research program has been the submission of seventeen research proposals by faculty supported by the program. The proposals were submitted to a number of different agencies, including the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, and the Petroleum Research Fund.

Students were supported through UCER funding in several ways. Fellowships were provided to two students through collaboration with the Environmental Sciences Graduate Program. Twelve undergraduate, graduate, and post- doctoral students were supported on the research projects funded by the UCER.

SERVICES

Faculty have contributed through individual research programs, seminars, journal articles, short courses, and reports. UCER strives to promote awareness by providing energy information to the public.