Release Date: October 20, 2005

The Office of Science and Engineering Research – the onsite research arm of the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory – prizes creativity and inventiveness among its research staff.

A recent addition to the staff came with her own truckload of inventiveness which she is now applying to projects designed to help accomplish important national goals.

Mary Anne Alvin, who joined the research staff in OSER’s Separations and Fuel Processing Division in May of this year, was awarded her 22nd patent in July. Her patented inventions have been in the area of materials development for such applications as hot gas particulate filtration, catalytic combustion, gas separation membranes and aerospace lubricants.

She brought to NETL 30 years of experience in advanced energy systems.

Her patents are for inventions while she was employed by Westinghouse Electric Corporation in Pittsburgh from 1974 to 1998, and then at Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation in Pittsburgh from 1998 until she joined the NETL staff in May.

Alvin was attracted to NETL because it provided the opportunity to focus her creativity on solving scientific and technological challenges identified as important to the national interest. She was familiar with NETL’s research expertise through her long-term association with the national laboratory while working in hot gas filtration while employed by Westinghouse and Siemens Westinghouse.

At NETL, Alvin is conducting research in programs that support material and process technology development for gas turbines, fuel cells, gas separation membranes, and catalysis.

She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Microbiology and Biophysics. She has a master of arts degree from Duquesne University’s School of Music and a Master of Science degree from Duquesne’s Department of Chemistry.

Asked why she has been such a prolific inventor, Alvin said, “Enthusiasm and a super team of people who worked together to make the development of new technologies happen.”

The National Energy Technology Laboratory’s primary mission is to implement a research, development, and demonstration program to resolve the environmental, supply, and reliability constraints of producing and using fossil resources. NETL is one of only 17 national laboratories. Most of its research projects are in support of the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy.