MEMS Seminar: Bobby Noble (EPRI), "Decarbonization Pathways - How Dispatchable Gas Turbines Are Critical for Our Energy Trilemma."

Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Spring 2025 Seminar Series, welcomes Bobby Noble, Senior Program Manager Gas Turbine R&D at EPRI, who will be presenting a lecture entitled, "Decarbonization Pathways - How Dispatchable Gas Turbines Are Critical for Our Energy Trilemma."

ABSTRACT: Most countries and areas worldwide have decarbonization goals with major milestones targeted for 2030, 2040, and 2050. These goals target major carbon reductions to full, net-zero requirements over the next quarter century. While 26 years may seem like an extended timetable, as an energy industry there are many challenges to overcome in a short period of time to realize these goals. To ensure reliable, resilient, and affordable energy, it is imperative to bolster a mix of generation and source options. It is clear renewables alone, even with battery storage, will not meet the needs of society. Clean energy sources like Nuclear and dispatchable generation using low-carbon fuels or carbon capture are needed as well. Specifically for Gas Turbines, low-carbon fuel options are of strong interest around the world. Typically, most will point to hydrogen; however, ammonia is a strong candidate for some areas along with renewable liquid fuels playing a large part. This seminar will focus on research from around the world aimed at developing additional capabilities for gas turbines, specifically highlighting NOx emissions. Demonstration data will also be shared to help translate laboratory testing to the real-world along with effects on combustion dynamics and operability range implications.

BOBBY NOBLE is the Senior Program Manager for the Gas Turbine R&D at EPRI. He is responsible for the gas turbine research area, where he and his team work on topics involving all aspects of the gas turbine system. His primary gas turbine expertise is in gas turbine combustion, with focus on combustion dynamics, hydrogen and other renewable fuels, along with next-generation, low-NOx combustor architectures. He's instrumental in gas turbine health and performance analytics developments, including digital twins. Mr. Noble is an ASME Fellow with more than 20 years of experience in the gas turbine and power industry. He's the 2024 ASME Westinghouse Silver Medal recipient. He holds five patents, co-edited the book "Renewable Fuels: Sources, Conversion, and Utilization," and has authored/co-authored 15+ journal publications along with 50+ conference publications.