recognized with a prestigious AECOM Excellence Award for his work to improve the environmental and commercial benefits of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC).
SOFCs are an exceptionally clean energy technology that can run on hydrogen produced from coal-derived synthesis gas or shale gas. When incorporated into advanced power systems, SOFCs can enable electricity production from fossil resources with near-zero emissions. Dr. Lee’s work is increasing SOFC performance, which is a key strategy for lowering costs and improving commercial viability.
While private sector companies recognize the potential of fuel cells, their use has traditionally been cost-prohibitive. Dr. Lee’s research is enabling the promising technology to become a viable solution for the regional fossil energy industry.
Dr. Lee’s innovation includes a technique, known as “infiltration,” that can optimize the functionality of SOFCs and improve their efficiency. His work led to a second innovation that is centered on a manufacturing commercialization element designed to move infiltrated SOFCs from lab to market. Dr. Lee is collaborating with industry partners to advance the SOFC innovations for viable applications.
Dr. Lee works at NETL as a contractor with AECOM. This year, AECOM’s Excellence Awards honored work that exemplifies the company’s core values to: safeguard, collaborate, inspire, anticipate, deliver, and dream. A series of internal juries selected 12 winners—one project or project team and one individual for each category—from more than 230 nominations collected from AECOM’s 92,000 employees around the world.
Dr. Lee won in the “Dream” category because as a result of his visionary work, WV’s energy industry will have access to a solution to the environmental impacts associated with producing electricity from fossil energy resources.
