LIVERMORE, Calif. — Sandia National Laboratories researcher Chris LaFleur has received a 2017 Clean Energy Education & Empowerment Award.
Sandia National Laboratories researcher Chris LaFleur, left, receives a Clean Energy Education & Empowerment Award. (Image courtesy of Sandia National Laboratories) Click on the thumbnail for a high-resolution image.
LaFleur was one of 10 recipients recognized at the sixth annual C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium in partnership with the MIT Energy Initiative and Stanford University’s Precourt Institute for Energy.
LaFleur is responsible for leading Sandia’s research and development efforts that support the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fuel Cell Technologies Office’s Hydrogen Safety, Codes and Standards program and other DOE fire risk program activities. Her main research involves evaluating fire risks for emerging energy technologies, with her recent work focused on characterizing the risks from traffic incidents involving hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in tunnels for several metropolitan areas on the East Coast. This work also includes evaluating the impacts of hydrogen jet flames on steel and concrete structural material.
LaFleur said she is honored to receive the award.
“This award and the amazing opportunity to network with many other women leading efforts in clean energy will enable more progress toward creative energy solutions that are desperately needed in our world,” she said. “This award represents the work of many talented engineers and scientists here at Sandia working in the hydrogen program. I am honored to work with all of them.”
She has led risk characterization efforts for maintenance facility modifications to allow natural gas- and hydrogen-powered vehicles to be repaired indoors. Additional studies include failure mode analysis for liquefied natural gas-fueled locomotives and other heavy fleet vehicles. These analyses enable the safe implementation of cleaner transportation fuels to reduce the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels and increase the availability of renewable energy solutions. LaFleur has represented the country in developing hydrogen codes and standards for maritime applications and has authored peer-reviewed papers on performance-based designs for hydrogen fuel stations.
Sandia National Laboratories researcher Chris LaFleur evaluates fire risks for emerging energy technologies. (Image courtesy of Sandia National Laboratories) Click on the thumbnail for a high-resolution image.
Before joining Sandia, LaFleur worked at General Motors, where she managed corporate fire protection standards and was responsible for property insurance and enterprise risk management. She began her career as an environmental engineer for Parsons Engineering Science. She is a licensed professional engineer and serves as a principal committee member for National Fire Protection Association 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, and National Fire Protection Association 2, Hydrogen Technologies Code. She also serves on the U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen Safety Panel.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in geology and mechanical engineering from the University of Rochester, a master’s degree in fire protection engineering from the University of Maryland, and a doctorate of engineering in manufacturing from the University of Michigan.
C3E is an initiative under the auspices of the Clean Energy Ministerial, a forum of 25 major-economy governments, which strives to close the gender gap and increase women’s participation and leadership in clean energy fields.
See the complete of 2017 C3E recipients here.
Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia Labs has major research and development responsibilities in nuclear deterrence, global security, defense, energy technologies and economic competitiveness, with main facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Livermore, California.
Sandia news media contact: Michael Padilla, mjpadil@sandia.gov, (925) 294-2447