Summary of Professor Kostic’s Energy Activities at Northern Illinois University:

Professor Kostic’s primary interest and expertise, including his teaching, research and scholarly work, is in fundamentals and application of energy.  His all-time favorite area is Thermodynamics, a science of energy, and the Mother of All Sciences that will provide vision for the future energy solutions. Kostic is well respected among his peers and has recently been invited to write three energy reference articles in two prestigious encyclopedias: Work, Power, and Energy in Academic Press/Elsevier's Encyclopedia of Energy; and Energy: Global and Historical Background, and Physics of Energy in Taylor & Francis/CRC Press' Encyclopedia of Energy Engineering and Technology, and plenary lectures World Energy and Future and in Heat Transfer area. He is cited in Marquis' "Who's Who in the World" and "Who's Who in Science and Engineering," was awarded the Fulbright Grant, the NASA Faculty Fellowship, Sabbatical Semester at Fermilab as a Guest Scientist, and the summer Faculty Research Participation Program at Argonne National Laboratory, where he conducted research in Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer and related fluid-thermal-energy sciences; with emphases on physical comprehension and creative design, experimental methods with computerized data acquisition, and CFD simulation; including nanotechnology and development of new-hybrid, POLY-nanofluids with enhanced properties.

Most recently, Kostic’s activities in nanotechnology area have been recognized by his appointment to serve on the NSF’s NIRT Review Panel. He is working on development of POLY-nanofluids, a novel idea of combining drag-reducing polymers with high thermal conductivity nanofluids.  The development of reduced flow friction and high thermal conductivity nanofluids may revolutionize the field of heat transfer and further contribute to energy conversion and conservation processes (pending patent application in collaboration with ANL). The results of such studies could be used to enhance and optimize fluid properties and their use for existing critical energy applications as well as emerging and novel applications.

Kostic is offering new ideas to rejuvenate and enhance the important Freedom Field energy project initiative, with emphasis on integral and practical energy issues – it is a unique opportunity for our region and could be much more important than what it appears to be. In addition to technological experts involved, there is a need for fundamental and global energy check-and-balance expertise, to provide for comprehensive and integral assessment and thus assist in critical energy development of our region. In addition to hydrogen and fuel cells (may be of interest to cutting-edge research but not feasible for immediate practical development), Kostic strongly recommends implementation of fundamental and comprehensive energy conservation (now marginalized in the project) and other renewable and alternative energy resources, where new jobs and consumer market is and will be. For example, the fast expending hybrid cars (Prius phenomenon!) already adapt, enhance and optimize the existing technology to substantially improve energy conservation and efficiency, with similar potentials everywhere (MKatMWR).

Perhaps our greatest challenges, and thus opportunities, in achieving a sustainable future are related to energy production and consumption. Energy is ultimately the basis for a large part of the global competitiveness, and more of it will be required to raise living standards in the developing world. Because of the fossil fuels’ issues (nonrenewable limited supply, cause of pollution and possible climate change), finding sustainable, renewable alternatives is becoming increasingly urgent. Most probably new ideas and investment in related areas will be most needed and profitable.

The two things are certain: in not distant future (1) the world population and their living-standard expectations will substantially increase, and (2) fossil fuels’ economical reserves, particularly oil and natural gas, will substantially decrease. The difficulties that will face every nation and the world in meeting energy needs over the next several decades will be more challenging than what we anticipate now. The traditional solutions and approaches will not solve the global energy problem. New knowledge, new technology, and new living habits and expectations must be developed to address both the quantity of energy needed to increase the standard of living world-wide and to preserve and enhance the quality of our environment.

A probable scenario … in the wake of a short history of fossil fuels’ abundance and use (a bleep on a human history radar screen), the following energy future activities, in order of practical urgency but all (diversity) are critically important:

1. Creative adaptation and innovations, with change of societal and human habits and expectations (life could be happier after fossil fuels’ era).

2. Intelligent hi-tech, local and global energy management in wide sense (to reduce waste, improve efficiency and quality of environment and life).

3. Energy conservation and regeneration have unforeseen (higher order of magnitude) and large potentials, in industry, transportation, commercial and residential sectors.

4. Nuclear energy and re-electrification for most of stationary energy needs.

5. Cogeneration and integration of power generation and new industry on global scale
(to close the cycles at sources thus protecting environment and increasing efficiency).

6. Renewable biomass and synthetic hydro-carbons for fossil fuel replacement (mobile energy, transportation, and chemicals).

7. Advanced energy storage (synthetic fuels, advanced batteries, hydrogen…).

8. Redistributed solar-related and other renewable energies (to fill in the gap…).

However, regardless of imminent shortages of fossil fuels the outlook for future energy needs is encouraging. There are many diverse and abundant energy sources with promising future potentials, so that mankind should be able to enhance its activities, standard and quality of living, by diversifying energy sources, and by improving energy conversion and utilization efficiencies, while at the same time increasing safety and reducing environmental pollution.
 

(More at: Energy & Environment).