KU Energy Research Center (KU ERC)
Energy Research in Kansas Projects and Programs

Background

The KU Energy Research Center was re-organized in 1991 to more effectively bring the University’s research expertise to focus upon significant energy matters of state and national interest. KU ERC has undertaken development of five program areas:

• petroleum reservoir systems,
• improved petroleum recovery,
• energy databases,
• energy and the environment, and
• alternative energy.

Public policy analysis and technology transfer are essential activities of each of these programs. Effective communication with those outside the university is critical to maintaining visibility and relevancy of KU’s energy program. The role of the Center is to stimulate, strengthen, and promote programs in basic energy research, conventional and alternative energy supply, and energy consumption including efficiency and conservation. We envision increasing opportunities to facilitate collaboration among researchers and departments, and provide a visible link of energy programs across campus and the region.

During the past nine years projects totaling over $11.5 million in external funding have been submitted through the ERC. Interdisciplinary projects have focused on the petroleum energy programs in the Tertiary Oil Recovery Project (TORP), Chemical and Petroleum Engineering (C&PE), and the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS). Today these research projects have extended to include alternative and renewable energy projects, energy conservation, and basic energy research. Department participation at KU has grown include the Department of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy, and Architectural Engineering.

Researchers and departments will increasingly have opportunities to conduct collaborative and interdisciplinary research. Rapidly evolving technologies and innovations in energy research and business are changing the principles, guidelines, and economics of energy. The ERC desires help the research community respond to opportunities and challenges.

ERC Program Areas and Affiliated Projects

• Petroleum Reservoir Systems
  • Hugoton Project (http://www.kgs.ukans.edu/Hugoton/index.html (KGS)
  • Study of Depositional, Structural, and Diagenetic Controls on Reservoir Characteristics of Arbuckle Strata in Kansas (KGS)
  • Use of Potential Fields Data in Evaluating the Relationship Between Basement Structure, Stratigraphic Evolution, and Hydrocarbon Distribution in Kansas (KGS)
• Improved Petroleum Recovery
  • Evaluation of carbon dioxide flooding in mature oil fields in Kansas for improved oil recovery (IOR) http://www.kgs.ukans.edu/CO2/evaluation/index.html (TORP and KGS)
  • Evaluation of sequestration of carbon dioxide and its application to IOR in Kansas (http://crude2.kgs.ukans.edu/CO2/index.html) (KGS)
  • Polymer research and development to aid IOR (TORP)
  • Computer simulation of oil and gas recovery from fields to evaluate options and design optimum recovery strategies (http://www.kgs.ukans.edu/Class2/index.html) (KGS, C&PE)
  • Integrated petrophysical software development for practical applications using PC hardware http://www.kgs.ukans.edu/PRS/software/pfeffer1.html (KGS)
  • In-Situ Coal Gasification and coal-bed methane
• Energy Databases
  • Digital Petroleum Atlas (http://crude2.kgs.ukans.edu/DPA/dpaHome.html (KGS)
  • Sources of CO2 in Kansas (ERC)
• Energy and the Environment
  • Water Soluble and Water Swellable Block Co-Polymers (C&PE)
• Alternative Energy
  • Ultra-clean diesel fuels and Fischer-Tropsch technologies
  • Specialty chemicals from soybean oil and soy-biodiesel (C&PE)
  • Assembly of engine and generator for demonstrating alternative fuels (C&PE)
  • Cost analysis and service station planning for alternatively fueled vehicles in the Kansas City area and Wichita (C&PE)
  • Production of octane improvers from soybean oil and yellow grease (C&PE)
  • Ignition delay time analysis of alternative fuel blends (C&PE)
  • Fundamental Studies - Pour Point Depression of Fischer-Tropsch Fuels
  • Superconducting materials
  • Growth mechanisms of high temperature superconducting films in MOCDV systems including high capacity cables, generators and motors to reduce cost and improve service of electrical generation (Physics and Astronomy)
  • Development of High Performance and Long Life Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cells (C&PE)
  • Energy efficiency in building design
  • Space Cooling and Heating Loads Produced by Radiant Barrier Technology (Architectural Engineering)
  • Center for Building Physics (Arch. E.)
• Technology Transfer
  • Seminar on integrated energy analysis (Environmental Studies, ERC)
  • North Mid-Continent Regional Resource Center (http://www.kgs.ukans.edu/PTTC/)

KU ERC Contacts

Tim Carr, Co-Director, Kansas Geological Survey, 785-864-2135, tcarr@kgs.ukans.edu

Paul Willhite, Co-Director, Tertiary Oil Recovery Project, 785-864-2906, willhite@ukans.edu

Lynn Watney, Executive Director, KU Energy Research Center, 785-864-2184, lwatney@kgs.ukans.edu

Scott White, Research Assistant, KU Energy Research Center, 785-864-2073, whites@kgs.ukans.edu

Melanie Cromwell, Coordinator, KU Energy Research Center, 785-864-4445, melanie_cromwell@kgs.ukans.edu