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Omowoleola Akinyemi, senior engineer andproject leader for diesel emissions programsLocomotive engines are electric drivevehicles, conventionally speaking, thatare driven by electric motors becausethey make it easier to control the torque.By generating electricity to drive thesemotors, it can make better use of thediesel fuel, Merfeld noted. Braking oneof these 1,000-ton vehicles also producesa great deal of kinetic energy, and thatelectricity is pumped out as steam. Storingthis electricity would reduce not only fuelconsumption, but also emissions.“We’ve developed a sodium metalhalide battery, which allows you to put alot of energy into a small space,” Merfeldsaid. “The big challenge is to be able topredict how long a battery will last. Weperform single-cell tests that can actuallysimulate a profile of a locomotive travelingfrom Ohio to Tennessee. By knowing thetopology and weight of the train, you canassume the weight of the battery, and wecan tell how much fuel you’ll save and howlong the battery will last.“We have a digital energy business,and these batteries could be used asbackup for critical loads,” he said.“Hospitals and data centers have dieselgenerators, and they can’t afford to losepower. The window of time you have tocover is 15 minutes before the generatoris up and running. We’re talking abouthaving four to five times the life of leadacid batteries at a volume that’s one-halfto one-third that size.”These batteries could also be used incell phone towers, which are required, bylaw, to have battery back-up lasting six toeight hours.GE will begin work this fall onits $100 million advanced batteryplant, converting a former turbinemanufacturing site on its downtowncampus into a battery manufacturingcenter that is expected to create at least350 new jobs when the plant is completedand at full capacity by mid-2011. All ofthe batteries were developed at GE GlobalResearch in Niskayuna.Although batteries may seem tobe very fundamental components, theamount of research and experimentationthat goes into designing them is quitesignificant.“Our teams are comprised ofchemical engineers, electrochemists,physicists and material scientists,” Merfeldsaid. “Just the nature of a battery is verymulti-disciplinary; it involves inorganicchemistry, ceramics, metallurgy, transportphenomena and the interaction betweenchemistry and power electronics. Then,there’s hybridization, examination of waysto control that and writing algorithms tooptimize performance. In order to ensurethat we optimize a product with such levelsof complexity, we have to bring expertisefrom all of these different perspectives,and we have decades of experience here.”Air of confidenceAviation and wind turbines are otherfields in which researchers are developingproduction-ready, advanced manufacturingtechnology, according to Alhart.“We knew if we used the existingmaterials to lengthen our wind turbineblades, it would place too much stress onthe turbine structure. We had to comeup with alternative, lighter materials thathad the required strength,” he said. “Wewere able to do that with carbon fibercomposite materials that we had workedwith a lot in aircraft engines to replacetitanium metal parts, which helped us takea lot of weight out of engines and improvetheir efficiency and fuel performance. It’sa huge deal for fuel costs and emissionsrequirements, and a lot of that researchexpertise was developed right here inNiskayuna.”Mark Vermilyea, senior engineer andproject leader in the composites designand processing lab at GE Global Research,believes the collaboration among highlyskilled researchers is what leads to suchinnovation in the manufacturing anddesign process.“We not only have collaboration ofpeople with different ways of looking ata problem, but also people from differentcultures and backgrounds. It’s veryenlightening,” he said. “Eighty percent ofour work is in the technical area. We’reworking with aviation on fan blade casingand new ways of making these parts. Theepoxies we use to glue fibers togetherare critical, and chemists will work onthat. We also work with researchers inelectromagnetics, physics, mechanicalengineering and chemical engineering.”Since joining GE Global Researchin 1980, Vermilyea has worked in variousareas, including electromagnetics andhealth care devices before moving tocomposite materials in 2007. “We usesome of these in health care devices.Here, it’s aviation and wind blades,” hesaid. “Carbon’s history is mostly in theaerospace industry, due to its strengthand stiffness, but it’s worth the money incomposite fan blades and wind blades.With composites, you can make anyorientation possible.”Composites design and processingis one of several scientific disciplinesat GE Global Research representing adiverse collection of minds examining thebest ways to build the best product at areasonable cost.“In the research lab, we’re far24 | acchamber.org | techvalley.org
upstream. We’re mostly productdevelopment people, so we’re closer tothe end-product side,” Vermilyea said.“Here, we’ve got a number of people withdifferent skills, and we’re always listeningto suppliers to determine what worksand doesn’t work for them. We’re alwaystrying to meet cost goals, keep an eye onwhat’s going on in universities and withour competition to see what innovationsare being developed. The key is to try andkeep working on the near-term with an eyetoward the long-term.” •Technology is coreAt GE, technology is central to everything itdoes as a company. GE Global Researchin Niskayuna is at the heart of this effort.GE Energy’s power generation businesshas a large presence in the Capital Region,but GE’s portfolio extends to many otherindustries and the financial sector as well.As the need for usable water — for drinkingand other purposes — rises, the concernabout water scarcity increases. GE’sresearchers are developing the technologiesto more efficiently purify and conserve theworld’s water supply.Imagine washing machines thatcommunicate to dryers, or microwaves thatcook eight times faster than traditionalovens. Through GE research, people enjoythe technologies that make their lives easierand their appliances more efficient.GE is helping to meet the world’s demandfor oil and gas while also developingthe technologies that will be needed toaddress tomorrow’s energy challenges. Itstechnologies are ensuring responsible energyaccess for generations to come.Education that WorksSCCC now offers 40 Transfer Degree, Career Degree and Certificateprograms, including our Alternative Energy A.A.S. degree andour Nanoscale Materials Technology A.A.S. degree that preparestudents for immediate employment in these exciting new fields.And SCCC is affordable. You can attend SCCC for the first two yearsof your 4-year degree and save over $40,000.Learn more at our Fall Open House, Wednesday,November 10, 3:30 -6:00 p.m.Make the smart choice: take a closer look at SchenectadyCounty Community College.SchenectadyCountyCommunityCollege5 1 8 - 3 8 1 - 1 3 6 6 • w w w . s u n y s c c c . e d uVisions 2010/July/AugustSeptember 2010 | VISIONS | 25
Page 1 and 2: September 2010 | VISIONS | a
Page 3 and 4: My Purpose:Financial flexibility
Page 6 and 7: 4 | acchamber.org | techvalley.org
Page 12 and 13: BE A SMALL BUSINESSSUPERPOWER.Exert
Page 14 and 15: Albany labor parade held soon after
Page 17: Fruits of laborRyan’s Farmers Mar
Page 20 and 21: Export control essentialsCompanies
Page 22: Thousands ofhistoric photos andcolo
Page 25: cancer patients. By injecting fluor
Page 29 and 30: personal and professional developme
Page 31 and 32: Anchor50thAd_1.qxp 5/7/10 10:44 AM
Page 33 and 34: What do we do?All aspects of commer
Page 35 and 36: DID YOU KNOW?Take steps toprevent i
Page 37 and 38: new highlights of the Times Union C
Page 39 and 40: Don’t miss Flett’s keynote pres
Page 42 and 43: Chamber hosts September16 breakfast
Page 44 and 45: WORD ON THE STREETWhat is the most
Page 46: VIEWPOINTYour next careerawaits you

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