Carbon Fiber Technology Facility (CFTF)

Information provided to AMTEC Job Fair Participants

Roane State Community College

Oak Ridge, Tennessee

2 Managed by UT-Battellefor the U.S. Department of Energy

Why Low-cost Carbon Fiber?

Energy Independence

Jobs Growth

U.S. Manufacturing

Large Scale Commercialization

of Low Cost Carbon Fibers

• Lightweight vehicles

• Larger wind turbines

• Infrastructure• Power distribution

• Precursors• Carbon Fiber• Composites

design, testing, manufacturing

• Construction• Manufacturing• Engineering• Management

3 Managed by UT-Battellefor the U.S. Department of Energy

CFTF is the Bridge from R&D to Deployment and Commercialization

· CFTF will:– Demonstrate LCCF technology scalability – CFTF is the

last scaling step below full-scale commercial production– Produce quantities of Low-Cost Carbon Fiber needed for

large-scale material and process evaluations / prototyping

Relevance

4 Managed by UT-Battellefor the U.S. Department of Energy

Key FeaturesHighly instrumented, highly flexible conventional carbon fiber line for “any precursor in any format”

Melt-spun fiber line to produce precursor fibers

Provisions for additional future equipment

Produce up to 25 tonnes/year of carbon fibers

Demonstrate technology scalability

Train and educate workersGrow partnerships with US industry Notional facility and equipment

perspective

Future Equipment

Melt Spin Line

Conventional Conversion

Line

Relevance

5 Managed by UT-Battellefor the U.S. Department of Energy

CFTF construction in Horizon Center

Located about 5 miles from downtown

Oak Ridge

6 Managed by UT-Battellefor the U.S. Department of Energy

Creel/pre-treatment Melt spinning Oven stack 1 Oven stack 2

Low-temperature furnace

High-temperature furnace Post-treatment Winding

Scale of operations

· Production line length: 388 ft.· Equipment height: 26 ft

7 Managed by UT-Battellefor the U.S. Department of Energy

Dealing with demanding operating conditions

· Equipment requires round-the-clock operation– 6–12 hours to start

up carbon fiber line

– Large demand for electricity during start-up

· Minimum practical operating schedule: 3 shifts (24 hours/5 days)

Overarching goals

• Safety and reliability (procedures, training, discipline)

• Strong start with well-planned commissioning

• Early technology demonstration leading to commercialization

• Workforce development encouraging local/regional commercial investment

8 Managed by UT-Battellefor the U.S. Department of Energy

Major safety considerations Consideration Controls

Heat stress• 7.5 air changes per hour in high bay• Hydration and work breaks

Explosion in high-temperature furnace

• Water deflection at furnace entry/exit• Auto E-stop if sprinklers deploy

Walking/ working surfaces

• OSHA compliant platforms• Fatigue mats

Thermally hot surfaces (melt spinner) • Specially designed tools

Pinch points or “caught up” points

• Dress requirements• Plentiful E-stops

Hydrogen cyanide gas

• Thermal oxidation unit• Atmospheric vent system• Personnel HCN monitors

Process excursions in ovens • Oven quench system

9 Managed by UT-Battellefor the U.S. Department of Energy

Working with the ORNL Carbon Fiber Team: Expectations

• Safety is our number one priority – willful violation of safety rules will not be tolerated

• Work schedules will require a 24/5 rotating shift schedule, with flexibility needed during equipment commissioning

• Attendance and promptness are expected and enforced

• Some portion of the work requires some physical exertion – walking, climbing stairs

• During summer months, the production floor will be hot. We will always keep you safe, but you may be uncomfortable at times.

• Basic computer skills are important – you need to be comfortable in front of a keyboard and touch screen

10 Managed by UT-Battellefor the U.S. Department of Energy

Working with the ORNL Carbon Fiber Team: Eligibility

• Adult – 18 years or older

• High school diploma or GED; graduate of Roane State’s AMTEC program or currently enrolled or accepted into the AMTEC program

• Must have Silver level or above on all four sections of National Career Readiness Certificate Assessment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or have a Legal Permanent Resident status VISA

• Must be eligible to receive a badge for access to the ORNL reservation

• Must pass drug screening

• Males born on or after Jan. 1, 1960 must provide proof of Selective Service registration

• Must have a valid driver’s license

• Must be able to walk for several hours and able to move up to 40 pounds