Profs. Neal Sullivan and Robert Braun of the Mechanical Engineering Department were awarded a two-year contract from industrial partner Independent Energy Partners (IEP) of Parker, Colorado. Through this award, Profs. Sullivan and Braun will conduct performance testing, characterization, and validation of “Geothermic Fuel Cells” designed and fabricated by Delphi, Inc. of Rochester, New York. IEP’s patented Geothermic Fuel Cell concept seeks to harness the heat that is naturally produced during operation of solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) to liberate the oil trapped within oil shale. The kW-scale Geothermic Fuel Cells fabricated by Delphi will be integrated with balance-of-plant hardware and tested at the Colorado Fuel Cell Center. The project will support two post-doctoral researchers and one graduate research assistant. To learn more about the project, visit IEP’s website at www.iepm.com.