Hydrogen: The Fuel of the Future. Where Are We Now and Where Are We Going?
Dr. Moe A. Khaleel
The 21st century will see a dramatic increase in global energy consumption, driven by rising standards of living and a growing world population. This increase will demand innovative scientific solutions, part of which is a hydrogen-fueled economy. Hydrogen is one of the most common substances on earth. It is clear, clean, and powerful. Hydrogen is an attractive alternative to hydrocarbon fuels, such as gasoline. Today, many technologies exist that can use hydrogen to power cars, trucks, electrical plants, and buildings.
At the Community Science and Technology Seminar Series event held on Wednesday, October 15, 2003, at 7 p.m. in the Columbia Basin College theatre, Dr. Moe A. Khaleel, a Laboratory Fellow at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, addressed the relationship between increased global energy needs and opportunities to harness renewable resources. He also talked about PNNL's role in helping to develop a new energy system and a hydrogen-fueled economy. The presentation layed out a path to a sustainable future that may demand the integration of fossil and non-fossil sources. Dr. Khaleel also highlighted the President's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative and FreedomCAR, a program that places emphasis on the transportation sector to develop efficient and cost-effective vehicles.
Dr. Moe A. Khaleel obtained his degree in engineering from the University of Jordan, and his doctorate from Washington State University. In 1993 Dr. Khaleel joined the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and became Laboratory Fellow in 2001. He conducted research on advanced materials for transportation application and has since turned his attention to world energy systems and the future role for hydrogen systems. Dr. Khaleel has published more than 100 technical articles and received the Federal Laboratory Consortium Award for Superplastic Forming (2000) and the Robert J. McGrattan Literature Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (1999).
The Seminar Series is sponsored by PNNL and Columbia Basin College, with the support of the Columbia River Exhibition of History, Science and Technology and by the local chapter of Sigma Xi, the international honor society of scientific and engineering research.
