March 12, 2009

Energy expert to give Pioneers in Energy lecture

The lecture, sponsored by Purdue University's Energy Center in Discovery Park, the College of Engineering and the College of Agriculture, will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 26, in the Mechanical Engineering Building, Room 161.

Ramage, who has bachelor's, master's, doctorate and honorary doctorate degrees in chemical engineering from Purdue, will discuss "Transitions to Alternative Transportation Technologies: A Focus on Hydrogen."

He chaired a National Research Council study that looked at prospects for a hydrogen economy. The study concluded that the maximum number of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that could be operating in the United States by 2020 is 2 million out of 280 million light-duty cars and trucks. But the study found that the number could grow rapidly after that, to about 25 million by 2030, and that hydrogen power could account for 80 percent of new vehicles sold by 2050.

Ramage is the retired executive vice president of ExxonMobil Research and Engineering. He currently is chairing National Research Council committees that are looking at resource requirements for a hydrogen economy and alternative liquid transportation fuels. He also is a member of Energy Secretary Steven Chu's Hydrogen Technical Advisory Council.

The Pioneers in Energy lecture series is designed to increase understanding of specific energy challenges and to promote interaction with prominent scientists to build a stronger Purdue energy research community across disciplines.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Registration is available online at https://www.purdue.edu/dp/energy/events/
pioneers_in_energy_lecture_series_2009/

Writer: Judith Barra Austin, 765-494-2432, jbaustin@purdue.edu

Source: Wendy Madore, Energy Center administrative assistant, 765-494-6792, wmadore@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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