NEW YORK, Jan. 29, 2007 – A biomass fuel project in place at the University of Iowa is the topic of a virtual seminar that the ASME International Gas Turbine Institute (IGTI) will host on Feb. 6, 2007.

A virtual seminar is an Internet-based program of information exchange allowing participants to receive a technical presentation on a computer screen.  In Discover the Benefits of Renewable Energy: Biomass Fuel Project at the University of Iowa, Ferman Milster of the university’s Department of Facilities Management will provide a case study in the successful conversion of a non-conventional fuel in the generation of electric energy.

The University of Iowa Main Power Plant co-fires coal and natural oat hulls in a combined-cycle system, in the process reducing carbon dioxide emissions and also demonstrating cost savings.  In his presentation on Feb. 6, Milster will discuss the design and operational features of the facility, including its circulating fluidized-bed boiler system.

Milster, a member of ASME, has been responsible for operations at the University of Iowa Main Power Plant since 1991.

IGTI, based in Atlanta, Ga., is dedicated to the international exchange of information regarding gas turbine technology.  IGTI will sponsor Turbo Expo – Gas Turbine Technical Congress and Exposition, May 14-17, 2007, at Palais des Congres in Montreal, Ontario, Canada.

Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization promoting the art, science and practice of mechanical and multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences.  ASME develops codes and standards that enhance public safety, and provides lifelong learning and technical exchange opportunities benefiting the engineering and technology community.

-#-