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Mr. Robert Purgert was invited to present the findings from the U.S. Advanced UltraSuperCritical project at the AMSE international Conference held in Vienna, Austria during March 2023. Mr. Purgert made his presentation to an interested audience, particularly given Europe's energy constraints as a reult of the Ukraine war. Mr. Purgert also chaired Session 6-3: Materials and Technologies for Energy Conversion, Saving and Storage and found the conference very worthwhile given the international energy environment.

Mr. Robert Purgert, President of the Energy Industries of Ohio, met In Warsaw, Poland with co-author, Professor of Poland Dr. Natalia Sobczak, Vice President of the Polish Academy of Sciences, to discuss a reprint of the book entitled "Nickel SuperAlloys-Recent Developments in Liquid Metal Engineering". Dr. Sobczak's efforts were instrumental in collaboration with EIO on a number of projects to include the Advanced UltraSuperCritical Materials project, syntactic aluminum foams, high conducting metal matrix composite materials through roles at the Polish Institue of Metals and Material Sciences and Foundry Research Insitute. Dr. Sobczak is world renowned specializing in the physiochemistry of metals and alloys, physical metallurgy and heat treatment, foundry engineering, and the practice and theory of metal composites.

During the summer of 2022, EIO sponsored 4 academicians from Ukraine to further their studies for high temperature applications. These candidates were supported to permit ongoing study while residing in Poland as a result of the conflict raging in Ukraine. Because of EIO’s support, these candidates were able to attend the High Temperature Capillary (HTC2022) meeting where results of EIO’s work with high nickel alloys was presented.   Pictured here are those scientists along with the Director of both Poland’s and Bulgaria’s National Academy of Sciences.

EIO proudly sponsored and was Plenary speaker at the 3rd International Conference of Metals, Ceramics and Composites held in Varna, Bulgaria. This conference brings leading scientists from throughout the world to present new innovative concepts and understanding of the interactions between various materials. EIO was invited to present recent developments and liquid metal engineering of nickel super alloys used in extreme conditions.  Dr. Natalie Sobczak made the presentation on behalf of EIO due to travel conflicts preventing in person attendance.

World’s largest (10 ton) Haynes 282 high nickel super alloy casting produced at McConway and Torley (M&T) in Kurtztown, PA for the U.S. Advanced Ultra Supercritical Program (AUSC) managed by The Energy Industries of Ohio. Technical support provided by Metal Tek International Waukesha, WI and AGH University School of Foundry Engineering, Krakow, Poland.  Simulation modelling was completed in December 2020 using two different software packages. Trial pours were completed, and a successful casting produced at the M&T facility in March 2021.    This is a breakthrough manufacturing process for producing large turbine castings needed to demonstrate the readiness of the alloy for large castings such as the nozzle carrier undertaken in this project.  The Haynes 282 alloy has been qualified for use in applications up to 760°C and 5,000 psi.

10-ton Steam Turbine casting after knock out

Casting Team at M&T Kurtztown, PA

On September 20, 2022, Bob Purgert, president of EIO received the prestigious Exemplary Collaborator award from EPRI. This award recognizes those individuals who have provided support and direction for projects involving high levels of collaboration and cooperation. As "Principal Investigator" responsible for the U.S. DOE/Ohio Coal Office project, he provided the overall administrative support to include insuring adequate funding was obtained and accounted for from the funding sources. This 20 year project, under the technical direction of EPRI, was an instrumental success in developing new alloys for use in high temperature applications that were tested and achieved commercialization.

Professors Jerzy Sobczak and Dean Rafal Danko from Poland's AGH University, Faculty of Foundry Engineering along with  EIO's President Bob Purgert and Government Affairs Manager Chris Sinagra visit Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur's office in Cleveland Ohio in June 2019.  Congresswoman Kaptur provided a letter of support for a collaborative effort between Poland's AGH University and The Energy Industries of Ohio for developing new casting processes for super alloys.

During May 2019 Bob Purgert, President of EIO, visited Poland's Center of Energy located at AGH University in Krakow, Poland.  Discussions regarding the Advanced UltraSuperCritical program and its potential applications for Poland were undertaken culminating in plans to hold a joint U.S./Poland  workshop of key government and utility officials.  Pictured above are Professor Jerzy Sobczak and  Bob Purgert along with the Centre of Energy's Director, Professor Wojciech Nowak and Dr. Sanislaw Tokarski, Management Director.

U.S. Department of Energy Awards EIO $16M Phase II follow-on project.   EIO as the prime contractor with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is now undertaking the Phase II portion of the U.S. Advance UltraSuperCritical program's component test program. This Phase will construct full scale assemblies,  castings, forging and valves that will be used in next generation a-dvanced power generation systems. Though primarily to be used in high temperature and high pressure applications,  these components will demonstrate the fabricability of the materials developed during  earlier phases to put the U.S. at the forefront of other national programs for High Efficiency  Low Emission (HELE) technologies. The goal is to use these materials for more efficient energy production and to aid with energy independence.

Besides offering advantages for transitioning  U.S. coal based systems for reducing CO2 emissions these materials offer benefits for use in solar,  nuclear and other power generation scenarios.  As a spin off benefit,  a domestic supply chain leading the world for making components from these advanced  materials will be established to include a number of Ohio firms being qualified for future applications with both domestic and export opportunities.

This phase of the AUSC program is estimated to be finished by late 2021 as all precompetitive efforts will have been completed. It will end a twenty year, $100million development project led by Energy Industries of Ohio that included participation by all US boiler and turbine manufacturers, key utility companies, the Electric Power Research Institute, and a number of suppliers who co funded the effort along with the Ohio Coal Development Office and the U.S. Department of Energy.  This program's coordinated and shared research has enabled the project's partners to develop cutting edge technology and vast intellectual property that looks to benefit the United States.

The high temperature/high pressure advanced materials development program conducted by an industrial consortium led by the Energy Industries of Ohio has published its final report completing this $70 Million, 15 year effort.  This effort, where EIO was the prime contractor and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) acted as the technical lead organization, identified and qualified a number of materials capable of operating under extreme conditions. These conditions are needed for future power generation systems that include nuclear, solar concentrators and fossil plants that will operate with considerably lower emissions. The project was funded by the Ohio Coal Development Office, the U.S. Department of Energy with cost share from EPRI, Babcock & Wilcox, Alstom Power, Foster Wheeler, Babcock Power, General Electric and Siemens Westinghouse. These reports are available on the Department of Energy's website Office of Scientific and Technical Information www.osti.gov.