ENERGY STRATEGIES RESEARCH TEAM

IT IS… Rocket Science!!!

Our research team investigated alternative and emerging energy strategies, relating to our theme of Transportation, especially those that involve the resources abundant in our home state of West Virginia. A key premise in the scenario was that the energy mix of the world, and specifically West Virginia, was shifting to natural gas, while at the same time taking “a new look” at coal.

Looking beyond “on the ground” transportation, we focused on NASA’s recent shift to Liquid Oxygen – Liquid Methane propulsion systems for next generation space vehicles, and investigated the possibilities of providing advanced fuels and structural materials that could be derived from West Virginia natural gas and coal. Coal is seen as a source of high value added fuel, structural carbon products, and advanced electronic devices like Graphene Ultracapacitors, which we proposed for use in our Solar Airship.

Natural gas is proposed to be a source of not only Methane, but also additional gases, such as Xenon, which would be cryogenically separated and used for plasma drives, and ion engines. Radon should be separated and safely stored.

Particular emphasis is placed on the extraction of Helium from natural gas, including the extremely valuable Helium-3. Helium is often overlooked despite its strategic nature and high value. Our West Virginia Helium would be delivered in a solar airship, powered by thin film photo voltaics, while storing electrical energy with Graphene Ultra-Capacitors made with carbon derived from West Virginia natural resources.