Rob Murphy, a mechanical engineering graduate student, has earned the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Fellowship from the Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory.
Murphy, of Beckley will begin the ORISE fellowship this month and continue at the NETL facilities in Morgantown until August.
At NETL, Murphy’s responsibilities will include supporting the DOE in projects using the dynamic gas turbine test rig, a facility that simulates gas turbine conditions. One of the projects he will be working on is a DOE Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research project to examine specific heat transfer effects, involving particulate deposition from coal syngas combustion in an IGCC power plant, on gas turbine components. This research is important to extend the useful life of turbines and to decrease the overall downtime of turbine engines by preventing possible failure. The principal investigator of this project is Dr. Andrew C. Nix, Murphy’s graduate advisor and a research assistant professor in the Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions within the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department.
“This fellowship is a great opportunity to learn in a professional setting, further my research interests and gain valuable knowledge in the research field,” said Murphy.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for Rob,” Nix said. “This fellowship will allow him to gain more hands-on experience in the NETL labs and assist in advancing our current turbine engine aerothermal research with the DOE.”
During his time at West Virginia University’s College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, Murphy has been active with the student chapter of Engineers Without Borders, as well as recruiting for the College.
Upon graduation, Murphy plans to work in a competitive research environment in the gas turbine Industry.
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cam/2/17/11
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