June 12, 2001Contact: Andrew CareagaPhone: 573-341-4328E-mail: [email protected]
ENERGY EXPERTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ROLLA
ROLLA, Mo. -- With summer approaching, concerns about the nation's energy situation come to the forefront. Here are experts from the University of Missouri-Rolla who can address some of the issues related to U.S. energy concerns.
WILL RELIANCE ON COAL CREATE NEW SAFETY CONCERNS?
As the energy crunch renews interest in coal as the nation's primary source of electricity, it also is renewing concerns about the health and safety of coal miners. Dr. Larry Grayson, professor and chair of mining engineering at the University of Missouri-Rolla and an expert in mine health and safety, says the coal industry must work to ensure its improved safety record continues during a time of expansion in the mining business. Prior to joining the UMR mining engineering department in 2000, Grayson was associate director of mining at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in Washington, D.C. While there, he managed the merger of the former U.S. Bureau of Mines health and safety research functions into NIOSH. Previously, he was co-founder of the West Virginia Small Mines Assistance Center, which provided training and other safety interventions to prevent injuries in mines with fewer than 20 employees.
WORKING TO PREVENT POWER FAILURES
While California's rolling blackouts have grabbed most of the headlines, there's another kind of power failure -- known as "cascading" power failure -- that also threatens U.S. power grids. Two UMR professors -- Dr. Mariesa Crow of the electrical and computer engineering department, and Dr. Bruce McMillin of the computer science department -- are working to develop a computer system to control power flow across individual lines to prevent overloads. An expert on electrical power systems, Crow conducts research that looks into the causes of "voltage collapse" -- the sudden drop in power with little or no warning. She also researches power network security issues and directs a $2.7 million National Science Foundation program to boost graduate education in the design and development of electronic systems. McMillin is an expert in fault-tolerance software, distributed computing and computational mathematics.
NUCLEAR ENERGY: HOW SAFE IS IT?
Germany became the world's largest industrialized nation to abandon nuclear power on Monday, June 11, when German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and energy companies signed an agreement to shut down the nation's 19 nuclear power plants. Meanwhile, in the United States, President George W. Bush is uring tax credits to encourage construction of more nuclear plants, and owners of many plants now operating are expected to apply to extend their operating licenses. Dr. Nicholas Tsoulfanidis, professor of nuclear engineering and associate dean of the UMR School of Mines and Metallurgy, says nuclear energy is one of our nation's best solutions. An expert in the field of nuclear power, Tsoulfanidis is the author of two textbooks on the subject.
To arrange an interview with any of these experts, contact the UMR Office of Public Relations at (573) 341-4328 or via e-mail at [email protected].
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