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A recent trip to the Philippines gave Teresa Alleman, an engineer with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Center for Transportation Systems and Technologies (CTTS), a unique opportunity to talk to government officials about a project that may one day influence the production of domestic biodiesel. During her visit, Alleman met with Philippines Secretary of Energy to talk about the technical assistance NREL lent to his country for a study of biodiesel made from coconuts. "Having the opportunity to talk to Secretary Raphael Lotilla about the study results is something I'll remember for the rest of my life," Alleman said. "It gave me the chance to talk to people outside of my peer group and to teach politicians about the science that will help them make better decisions for their country." Alleman supports the CTTS' Fuels Performance Group by working on advanced and alternative liquid fuels, such as biodiesel and Fischer-Tropsch diesel, for buses, delivery trucks and other heavy duty vehicles. She came to NREL in 2000 after working as a research associate for the Colorado Institute for Fuels and High Altitude Research at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM). Alleman earned her bachelor's and master¹s degrees in chemistry at CSM. "I always knew I'd pursue a technical career because my dad is an engineer, but I didn't plan to go into heavy duty engine research, that just happened," Alleman said. "However, I think it's a good fit because in fuels work my chemistry background is an important tool I use almost daily." Looking ahead to 2006, Alleman will continue to monitor the Philippine biodiesel project as well as support DOE's Vehicle Technologies Fuels Technology subprogram on biodiesel related projects. Alleman continues to serve as the principal investigator on a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and NREL. Under the CRADA, she will look at ways to reduce emissions from transport refrigeration units (TRU) mounted on heavy duty diesel delivery vehicles. NREL has a long standing relationship with SCAQMD and Alleman is looking forward to continuing the good work the two organizations do. "The partnership between NREL and SCAQMD, a regulatory agency, allows our organizations to leverage the strengths of each to achieve our common goals," Alleman said. Submitted by DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory |
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Check out symmetry—the
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Labs help Russian Federation open new nuclear security training centerRussian Federation Navy officials and security managers now have a new curriculum of courses and a new training center to assist them in providing stronger protection for the Russian navy's nuclear materials. The upgraded security training, accomplished through Russian and U.S. efforts under the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Material Protection Control and Accounting (MPC&A) Program, has involved work by employees from Lawrence Livermore and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Known as the Kola Technical and Training Center, the new facility represents a unique training complex for nuclear security professionals, established cooperatively by the Department of Energy, NNSA and the Russian Ministry of Defense. “Our goal has been to work with the Russian Navy to assist them in developing an upgraded security infrastructure for protecting their weapons-grade materials,” said Livermore's Mary Elliott, the Kola training program lead. “This is about international security. The NNSA has installed these systems to keep those who shouldn't have nuclear materials from obtaining them, but without regulations, procedures and training, the systems won't operate as designed,” Elliott added. The latest chapter in the four-and-a-half year project working with the Russian Navy came Sept. 30 when Ambassador Linton Brooks, administrator of NNSA, and Russian leaders dedicated a new training center in northern Russia. Located in Severomorsk, about 400 miles northeast of Moscow on the Barents Sea, the Kola Technical and Training Center will serve as a security training hub for the western third of Russia, including 11 Navy bases and sites. About 400 Russian Navy security managers, system operators and others are expected to receive training on MPC&A security systems at the Kola center in fiscal year 2006 and at least 600 more annually in future years, Elliott said. To date, about 30 courses have been developed to address security areas such as console operations, badging, access control, alarm systems, management training, and the design and maintenance of security systems. Ten more courses are due to be developed to complete the project. Built with U.S. funds, the $9 million Kola Technical and Training Center has almost 30,000 square feet that includes space for offices, classrooms, conference rooms, and maintenance and testing workshop areas. The Russian government acquired the land, cleared the building site, provided transportation and lodging for the construction workers, and supplied the training instructors. Construction on the Kola center started in March 2003 and was completed in June 2005, with the Kurchatov Institute serving as the project's construction manager and Russian firms doing the building. “The Russians are very proud of the center and of the courses that have been developed,” Elliott said. “The center is well built and it is a very appropriate building to serve as a training center.” The training courses for the MPC&A program, developed by Russian firms with input from U.S. security specialists, have been offered since December 2001 at four interim locations in Russia. Those sites will now be consolidated into the Kola center. Submitted by DOE's
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