Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Scott Olson

The pain motorists feel at the pump is prompting oil consumption to drop, if only just temporarily. But a discreet cluster of laboratories in the basement of a college building could have a say in helping America reduce its overwhelming dependence on foreign oil.

The research under way is part of the Richard G. Lugar Renewable Energy Center, which was founded at IUPUI in March 2007 and honors the U.S. senator`s work to put Indiana at the forefront of alternative-fuel exploration.

The center`s mission is to conduct and promote research in the area of renewable energy through collaborative efforts among IUPUI faculty, partnerships with industry, government labs and local communities.

Given that oil imports total 60 percent of U.S. consumption, and federal officials predict the amount will jump to 68 percent by 2025, more attention is being paid to renewable energy sources.

Much of the focus at the Lugar Center is on encouraging the development of fuel cells powered by renewable hydrogen derived from cellulosic ethanol. Ethanol made from cellulosic materials such as corn stalks and switchgrass is expected to be more energy-efficient than corn-based ethanol. It also doesn`t require a food source.

One factor some blame for recent price hikes in food is the government-subsidized practice of using corn for ethanol production. An estimated 30 percent of America`s corn crop now goes to fuel, not food.

Researchers would like to find a better method of producing hydrogen. Most is made from natural gas, which is not a renewable energy source and is costly to produce, explained Andrew Hsu, the Lugar Center`s director. He also is associate dean for research and graduate programs at Purdue`s school of engineering and technology.

"The hydrogen fuel cell is still the most efficient fuel cell and the current candidate for future fuel cell cars," he said.

Other research at the Lugar Center involves developing non- precious-metal catalysts and more efficient membranes for fuel cell usage, and the production of cellulosic ethanol by using genetically engineered yeast to ferment glucose into ethanol. Developing a lithium battery large enough to replace the costlier nickel batteries now used to power hybrid electric cars also is part of the center`s goal.

Of course, the aim is to develop technologies that can be commercialized by spin-offs or companies with which researchers are collaborating. British aerospace company Rolls-Royce Group PLC and Michigan-based auto parts supplier Delphi Corp. are among the more notable partners.

The center has no real physical presence, other than the loose conglomeration of labs. But, in the year since its founding, a number of steps have been taken to expand capabilities.

Making strides

Initially funded by the university with $100,000 annually for three years, the center has attracted an additional $2 million in each of its first two years. That includes a pair of $1.2 million grants from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory in Adelphi, Md.

Hsu is pursuing federal grants from the departments of Defense and Energy, and is looking to align with Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago and Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls. He already has an agreement with Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center in Martin County.

Roughly 20 faculty members are involved in the center, including three new hires with expertise in renewable energy research. Five post-doctorate fellows whose sole responsibility is to conduct research also have been brought aboard.

Perhaps the most influential development, however, will be the construction of the Innovation Center at IUPUI, set to begin in 2011. Its mission is to enhance collaboration among science, engineering and business faculty. The Lugar Center will be a tenant, Hsu said.

In addition, the Purdue schools of Science and Engineering have proposed a doctorate degree in Sustainability Science and Engineering. Two courses, Go Green and Introduction to Renewable Energy, already are being taught.

Indiana University is involved in the center as well. The IU School of Medicine and locally based startup Xylanco Inc. are working on the development of the genetically engineered yeast to make ethanol.

Xylanco president Tom Ward is encouraged by the progress made.

"I think Dick Lugar has been a proponent of [renewable energy] for a very long time and with the establishment of this center," Ward said, "I think our chances for success are really good"

Hubs of research

Ward is owner of Greenwood-based Omni-Site.net, a developer of cellular monitoring systems for utilities, andfounded Xylanco in January. Its mission is to develop an ethanol-production facility, or micro-refinery, so farmers can convert cellulosic materials to ethanol right on the farm.

Micro-refineries would eliminate the need for traditional ethanol plants, allowing the fuel to be processed at a fraction of the cost, Ward said. The Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI should have the micro-refinery designed and built within the next two years. And the IU School of Medicine should have the yeast developed within the year, he said.

Another company the center is working with is I Power Energy Systems in Anderson. The Remy International spin-off makes natural- gas powered electric generators that could be the primary power source for corporate and college campuses. Yet, it`s concentrating of late on developing applications for electric generators that burn biogas from sources ranging from garbage to ground-up corn.

That type of cutting-edge research, coupled with Indiana`s existing manufacturing base, should position Indiana at the forefront of the renewable energy movement, said Jesse Kharbanda, director of the Hoosier Environmental Council.

"Right now the [Lugar] Center is very, very sharply focused on next-generation technology research," he said, "and I think the public should know more about that."

Outreach and education programs meant to raise public awareness about the importance of renewable energy and energy security in general complement the center`s research. Sen. Lugar gave the keynote address at its first Indiana Renewable Energy Forum in January, an event Hsu wants to hold twice a year.

The Lugar Center is part of IUPUI`s broader Signature Center initiative intended to bolster the campus` research efforts by creating hubs that "will stand out like skyscrapers over the surrounding landscape," said Uday Sukhatme, IUPUI executive vice chancellor and dean of the faculties upon the program`s launching last year.

The Lugar Center was one of 19 campus entities designated in 2007 to receive $7 million collectively during the next three years.

Richard G. Lugar Center for Renewable Energy

Founded: March 2007

Director: Andrew Hsu, associate dean for research and graduate programs, Purdue University School of Engineering and Technology, Indianapolis

Address: IUPUI campus, 700 W. Michigan St. Mission: Developing fuel cells powered by renewable hydrogen and other technologies that promote renewable energy sources

Funding: $100,000 annually for three years from the university, and $2 million in grants, in each of its first two years

Copyright IBJ Corporation (c) 2008 Indianapolis Business Journal.