EPIC: driving advancements in energy fields, while educating a new generation of engineering professionals.

• Position: RESEARCH NORTH CAROLINA: UNC CHARLOTTE

The Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC) at UNC Charlotte provides the finest applied research facilities in the region for energy related projects. Formed in response to the need to supply highly trained engineers qualified to meet the demands of the energy industry, EPIC is part of the William States Lee College of Engineering. Their strong industry-education partnerships unite students, faculty and industrial partners to collaborate on valuable interdisciplinary research and learning. "Working with energy industries to identify challenges and solve problems they are facing, EPIC is able to provide students real-world experience, while facilitating the advancement of energy companies," stated Dr. Johan Enslin, director of EPIC and the Duke Energy Distinguished Chair in Power Engineering Systems.

In order to best focus and concentrate the broad spectrum of applied research of EPIC faculty members, students and industrial partners, research programs within EPIC are organized into six multi-disciplinary clusters (Energy Analytics and Markets, Energy and Environment, Power Systems Modernization, Power Infrastructure Development, Renewables and Energy Efficiency, and Large Energy Component Design and Manufacturing). An example of the work of one cluster (Energy and Environment) involves coal-ash and liquids-management research. EPIC is currently working on innovative and practical research projects involving the sustainable use of coal combustion byproducts, reducing its impact on the wastewater it generates, and on the beneficial use of coal ash. EPIC and the UNC Charlotte Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department have over 10 research experts and industry partners who are actively engaged in bench-scale studies and large, field demonstration projects that will reduce environmental impacts from coal power plants. These projects include assessing the attenuation or migration characteristics of coal-ash constituents in groundwater, to electrochemical treatment to stabilize flow-back waters from fracking operations.

In response to the recent federal regulations and because of growing demands of the electric power industry, UNC Charlotte is establishing the EPIC Coal Ash and Liquids Management (CALM) Office. This new research initiative will work closely with industry partners and government agencies to provide training courses for energy professionals and remediation contractors, and to develop innovative technical ideas...