Job Title:

Generation Sector Student Internship: Low Carbon Resources: Hydrogen Blending Analyst

Location:

Charlotte, NC

Job Summary and Description:

EPRI was ranked the #3 internship program within the Energy & Renewables industry in 2024 according to Vault!

EPRI’s Generation Sector focuses on a wide spectrum of research and development (R&D) across all thermal and renewables sources of power generation. The research supports EPRI’s mission of delivering independent, objective thought leadership and industry expertise to help the energy sector identify issues, technology gaps, and broader needs that can be addressed for the benefit of society. Research may include materials science, water technologies, digitalization, cyber security, turbomachinery, wind, solar, or hydro power (renewables), non-battery energy storage (chemical, mechanical, and thermal), carbon capture and sequestration, hydrogen economies and technologies at-scale, environmental sciences, etc.

Students working in the summer semester will typically work either at the EPRI Charlotte or Palo Alto locations, with some positions specific to a laboratory setting.  Students will take part in the Generation Sector’s summer student internship program experience.

The summer internship experience provides a technical mentor, training, and social and professional networking opportunities in addition to guided project-focused research work. This unique setting will provide students with rare, but essential practical insight to industry problems and issues and improve links to academic coursework. Other development and social activities in prior years have included:

• Lunch and learns with past interns, current EPRI employees

• Team building activities, for example a trip to the National Whitewater Center

• Tours of local power generation facilities

• EPRI lab tours

• Final presentations by summer student internship employees to their peers, mentors and other EPRI technical staff

Students may be hired into one of many research programs in the Generation Sector to work over the timeframe of May to August. Students who demonstrate exemplary skillsets and learning over this ~12-week period may be asked to work part time after the summer period and/or be invited in subsequent years to extend their exposure to the Energy Sector.

This internship would be working in EPRI’s Low-Carbon Resources Initiative (LCRI). Description of the opportunity is listed below:

• Hydrogen Blending Demonstration Analytics: This opportunity would directly support one of EPRI’s Low-Carbon Resources Initiative demonstration projects. This demonstration entails the blending of hydrogen into a model municipal natural gas distribution system, and the combustion of the blended fuel in an experimental “tiny home” containing typical consumer gas-fueled appliances (e.g., stove, dryer, generator, etc.). An objective of this demonstration is to determine and quantify, where possible, any differences that the gas provider’s customers may experience when using blended hydrogen-natural gas, such as time to heat water, time to dry clothes, appearance/irradiance of the stove’s flame, and any emergent safety considerations. This summer internship will focus on the development and execution of such test plans which attempt to predict issues related to the customer experience when using domestic appliances fueled by blended hydrogen-natural gas. The intern will develop test plans in concert with an EPRI/LCRI subject matter expert, the host utility company, and others as appropriate. Then, the intern will assist with execution of testing on-site, analysis/processing of data, and reporting of results in various formats.

Candidates:

EPRI is looking for exceptionally talented science and engineering students wishing to gain additional experience in the power industry. Typical majors could include, but are not limited to the following:

• Engineering / Science - Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace / Aeronautical, Materials, Welding, Chemical / Chemistry, Computer, Environmental, or similar fields

• Information Technology / Cyber Security

• Data Science: Experience with data analysis and visualization with python or R

Typical activities and responsibilities include the following:

• Conduct literature surveys and clear documentation of results in written and visual form

• Review documentation and interview stakeholders involved in EPRI’s relevant areas of research.