Release Date: April 8, 2009

DOE Lauds Successful U.S.-U.K. Collaborative Effort
Five-Year R&D Partnership Leads to Numerous Accomplishments

Washington, DC —The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced numerous accomplishments coming out of a multi-year collaboration in the area of advanced materials research between the United States and the United Kingdom.

"The success of the US-UK collaboration demonstrates the power of international cooperation in energy research and development," said Dr. Victor K. Der, Acting Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy. "Sharing data, facilities, and experiences has accelerated the development of high-temperature materials solutions, paving the way for advanced coal power generation."

Highlights of the multi-year collaboration include:

• Formation of new steam oxidation testing facilities and models;
• Development of comprehensive high-temperature corrosion data and technology evaluation for boilers;
• Quantification of the effects of contaminants on gas turbines and the ranking of alloy and coatings that could be used in future gas turbine systems;
• Development of standardized data collection, exchange, analysis and storage methods to facilitate the effective use of research data;
• Evaluation and demonstration of methods and technologies for the use of oxide dispersion strengthened alloys in future high-temperature power plants; and
• Demonstration of virtual plant simulation technology to aid in the design and effectiveness of advanced fossil energy power generation systems.

Stringent environmental and efficiency targets will necessitate the development of more advanced materials and components, systems, manufacturing methods, and improved life assessment methods. The impact of changes such as fuel type, plant operating cycles/environments, and the introduction of CO2 capture technology will also place severe demands on the materials and components used in power plant equipment.

The US-UK effort stems from a 2003 energy R&D agreement between the two nations and is one of many international partnerships through which the Office of Fossil Energy is working to promote and develop cleaner, efficient and cost-effective fossil energy technologies.