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James A. Batdorf, Ph.D., Director of Research and Development, is responsible for planning and executing research and development to support PEM™ implementation, energy recovery, and byproduct utilization. He holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Idaho. From 1983 to 1989, Dr. Batdorf conducted experimental and theoretical research of plasma technology at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). Dr. Batdorf was responsible for developing a state-of-the-art plasma experimental laboratory at the INEL Research Center, including installing and operating transferred and non-transferred plasma torches with power capabilities up to 180 kW; a 60 kW inductively coupled plasma (ICP) system; a 100 kW cyclone plasma reactor; and a low pressure 13.56 MHz ICP reactor. Work at this laboratory included development of new plasma reactor concepts for performing "plasma phase" reactions, emission spectroscopy to evaluate plasma temperature and departure from equilibrium, laser-Doppler velocimetry to measure particle velocities, and laser induced florescence to measure plasma species concentrations. During the 1990s, Dr. Batdorf worked for Science Applications International Corporation in a variety of roles including process development, process control, process modeling and simulation, process design, environmental permitting, and project management in the fields of thermal waste treatment, air pollution control, and radioactive waste processing. Dr. Batdorf is one of the key inventors of the Plasma Hearth Process (PHP) technology for treatment of radioactive waste contaminated with hazardous metals and organic compounds and was responsible for the research and development of this technology. The PHP program consisted of three experimental systems: a non-radioactive bench scale system, a radioactive bench-scale system, and a non-radioactive pilot plant system that processed whole 55-gallon drums of waste at a rate of up to three drums per hour over a continuous 100 hour period. | 