Our research focuses on building tools to reduce the environmental impacts of energy systems, with an emphasis on greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from fossil energy systems. Our research methods include engineering-based life cycle assessment (LCA) modeling and computational optimization. Our research targets include transportation fuels (conventional oil and oil substitutes) and carbon dioxide capture and storage.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is used to generate comprehensive measures of environmental impacts from producing a fuel, a product or a service. Our group builds LCA models of energy technologies.
The depletion of conventional energy resources has led to the development of fossil-based substitutes for oil such as oil shale, tar sands, and coal- and natural gas-based synthetic fuels. We examine the nature of resource depletion and the dynamics of these transitions.
OPGEE is a bottom-up LCA tool that allows the user to estimate GHG emissions from oil and gas production operations under a variety of conditions and production technologies.
Could the need for conventional oil decline more rapidly than expected, reducing concerns about geologic constraints to oil production? In this study, we examine the possibilities for oil depletion mitigation from demand reduction, efficiency improvements, and substitution of non-liquid and liquid fuels for conventional oil.
We study leakage from the natural gas system, with a focus on comprehensive assessment of leakage mechanisms, as well as ongoing work on detecting leakage from natural gas systems.
Optimization is used to choose technology configurations, designs, and operating conditions to achieve goals such as reduced cost and environmental impacts. Our group focuses on two main challenges: the production of low-carbon electricity, and the functioning of global fuel markets.