Industrial Technology Assessments An Evaluation of the Research Program of the Office of Industrial Technologies (1999) / Chapter Skim
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3 Crosscutting Programs
3 Crosscutting Programs
Pages 18-31
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From page 18... ...
To aid the committee in its assessment of the overall OIT program, the committee provided oversight to three topical panels to assess different types of crosscutting technology initiatives. These included intermetallic alloy development, part of a mature program already focused on crosscutting R&D; manufacturing process controls, an area identified in several industry visions as critical to their future competitiveness; and industrial separations, which were identified in several industry visions as important enabling technologies.
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From page 19... ...
programs, has provided roughly one-third of the funding to ORNL for the development and commercialization of intermetallic alloys. Program Assessment Overall, the ORNL intermetallic alloy development program has been successful in terms of the technical goals and objectives established by the program (i.e., to develop high-strength, ductile intermetallic alloys that can be processed and utilized for high-temperature structural applications)
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From page 20... ...
The early decision to focus on Ni3A1 alloys and to concentrate on optimizing alloy composition, characterizing material behavior, and developing production scale processing methods has been critical to the success of the program. Technical accomplishments in the characterization and development of Ni3A1 alloy compositions are listed below: · the identification of brittle grain boundary fracture mechanisms at ambient temperatures and the substantial loss of ductility at intermediate temperatures as major material deficits · the determination of causes of brittle fracture at ambient temperatures (moisture-induced embrittlement)
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From page 21... ...
, IOF industry "vision documents" and road maps would help identify industry needs and priorities that could be met through the use of intermetallic alloys. Examples of potential applications include expanding the use of Ni3A1 for hot metalworking (dies, fixtures, furnace components)
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From page 22... ...
· ORNL should emphasize low-cost processes in the development and optimization of intermetallic alloys. · OIT and the ORNL intermetallic alloy development program should use the following approach to identify and prioritize research programs: Identify IOF needs and priorities that can be met through the application of intermetallic alloys.
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From page 23... ...
The Panel on Manufacturing Process Controls was established to identify key processes and needs for improved manufacturing control technology, especially the needs common to several IOF industries; identify specific research opportunities for addressing these common industry needs; suggest criteria for identifying and prioritizing R&D to improve manufacturing control technologies; and recommend means for implementing advances in control technologies. Manufacturing Process Controls was selected as the second panel under CITA because process monitoring sensors and process control technologies were identified in several industry visions as important to their future competitiveness.
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From page 24... ...
are listed below: . · the development of sensor materials with significantly improved thermal and chemical resistance · the compilation of a comprehensive database of candidate sensor material properties to accelerate the design and development cycle for the fabrication of new sensor systems · the development of methods to measure temperatures accurately and reliably the development of low-cost, miniaturized, integrated analytical instruments that can directly and easily measure process chemistry for a wide range of process flow-streams and conditions, including harsh environments · the application of new processing science for the fabrication and packaging of integrated sensor/data processing/actuation modules · the development of measurement technologies for the rapid characterization and evaluation of physical properties for wide-sheet and web processes · the application of wireless telecommunications technology to advanced wireless sensors
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From page 25... ...
· Facilitate interaction between the researchers developing improved process control technologies and potential IOF users. These interactions could include technical progress reviews of crosscutting R&D programs and technology workshops to discuss technical developments and identify opportunities for validating and implementing them.
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From page 26... ...
Some industry-specific tasks are listed below: · the development of road maps to identify technology needs and implementation plans · interaction with crosscutting technology programs (e.g., technical workshops and R&D progress reviews) · the development and validation of process models related to specific key processes that would facilitate moving from environment-level to in-situlevel control schemes · the development of actuators to control specific key process variables · the optimization of process control systems, especially using supervisory controllers and plant-wide integration · the validation and implementation of improved sensor technologies and process control systems in large-scale processes Finally, the panel recommended that OIT continue to coordinate interagency and intra-agency progress and plans in complementary technologies to avoid duplications.
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From page 27... ...
The Panel on Industrial Separation Processes was established to identify the most important needs for separation processes in the IOF; to identify separation technologies that can meet these needs, especially technologies that are applicable to two or more industries; and to suggest criteria for identifying and prioritizing research and development in separation technologies. Industrial separations was selected as the third study under CITA because separation process technologies were identified by several of the industry visions as important enabling technologies.
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From page 28... ...
separation methods using multiple driving forces, including processes in which a naturally occurring driving force for a specific operation is enhanced by an intervention that changes the system thermodynamics or where two or more separation techniques are combined (e.g., membrane separation and distillation, affinity-based adsorbent separation, and electrically aided separation) · separations associated with chemical reactions, in other words, methods that combine reaction and separation in one process step (e.g., reactive metal complex sorbents and chemically facilitated transport membranes, combined chemical synthesis and separation processes, membrane reactors, and electrochemical methods of separation)
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From page 29... ...
methods for separating components from dilute gaseous streams, such as adsorption, high-selectivity membranes,inorganic membranes, and advancedparticle-capture technologies for the removal of micron-sized particles · methods for separating components from dilute aqueous streams, such as reactive metal complex sorbents, reducing agents, air oxidation combined with absorption, membranes, steam and air stripping, electrically facilitated separations, destructive-oxidation techniques, electrodialysis, ion exchange, and crystallization Drying and Dewatering Technologies Several industries identified separation needs that could be met by improvements in drying and dewatering technologies. Examples include: the removal of solvents from polymers (devolitalization)
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From page 30... ...
Projects for the development of new separation technologies should be multidisciplinary and should be scaleable to production volume, both in technical and economic terms. CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED Crosscutting Initiatives Based on these case studies and a review of existing OIT programs, the committee identified four types of crosscutting technologies: .
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From page 31... ...
OIT should emphasize the early involvement of key industrial participants in crosscutting programs, including suppliers, producers, and users of particular materials or process technologies. Metrics Even though the OIT program has relied on industrial participants to establish needs and priorities, the "profit-based" metrics used in industry to measure the efficacy of R&D may not be appropriate for measuring progress in government-funded long-term research.
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