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Eye-catching snapshots win the Framing the Future: Industrial Technologies Photo Contest.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy
What does the industrial sector of the future look like? To help visualize cutting edge technologies powering the industrial transformation, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) launched the Framing the Future: Industrial Technologies Photo Contest. Professional and amateur photographers submitted photos of the innovative technologies, processes, and people that will increase competitiveness of the U.S. industrial base and strengthen America’s economy. After six months and 125 submissions, 18 winning snapshots have been selected across six categories.
“These photos capture the essence of innovation and collaboration needed to transform our industrial sector and increase U.S. competitiveness abroad,” said IEDO Director Avi Shultz. “Through the lenses of these talented photographers, we see not just technologies and processes, but the people driving the change toward a sustainable, prosperous future.”
IEDO awarded one grand prize winner in the category of Energy Intensive Industries. For the other subcategories, grand prize, runner up, and honorable mention winners were selected from the pool of 125 submissions.
The winning photos and other eligible submissions are featured on DOE’s Flickr account. These photos are available to the public and may be used in DOE outreach materials in the future.
The winners of the Framing the Future: Industrial Technologies Photo Contest are:
Category 1: Energy Intensive Industries
Grand Prize: Chris Yountz from Charlotte, North Carolina – $2,000
At the Nucor Steel facility in Arkansas, manufacturers use a special kind of furnace called an electric arc furnace to create steel from 100% scrap metal. This method minimizes energy consumption, reduces waste, and contributes to a circular manufacturing economy.
Iron and Steel
Runner-Up: Armin Silaen from Hammond, Indiana – $1,000
A research team visits a reheating furnace at the Indiana Harbor steelmaking complex as part of a project to increase the efficiency of steel production.
Honorable Mention: Armin Silaen from Hammond, Indiana – $500
Researchers and technology developers in the iron and steel industry use visualization and simulation tools to optimize processes, reduce energy consumption, and evaluate efficient alternatives in a virtual environment before real-world implementation.
Food and Beverage
Grand Prize: Eric Wolfanger from San Leandro, California – $2,000
California-based food manufacturer New Culture developed a plant-based cheese.
Cement and Concrete
Grand Prize: Cara Caulkins from Ashburn, Virginia – $2,000
CarbonX, a three-dimensional-printed, cement-like building material developed by Texas company Icon Build, is designed to increase the sustainability of cement production by incorporating alternative materials into construction.
Runner-Up: Indya Barginere from Charlotte, North Carolina – $1,000
Algae-based cement and concrete offer a sustainable alternative to traditional construction materials.
Category 2: Cross-Sector Industrial Technologies
Grand Prize: Grace Chrisman from Streetsboro, Ohio – $2,000
The Selas Heat Technology Oxy Flat Flame Burner enhances heating efficiency by using oxygen-enriched combustion, reducing fuel consumption.
Runner-Up: Michael Alan Ross from Newark, California – $1,000
California-based manufacturer Verdagy developed a cost-competitive electrolysis technology that can turn renewable energy sources like wind and solar into hydrogen.
Honorable Mention: Jake Stevens from New York City, New York – $500
The Daimler Trucks North America facility in Emporia, Kansas, converted a manual sand-blasting machine into an automatic sand blaster by adding vertical sandblasting arms to the inside of the machine.
Category 3: Onsite Energy
Grand Prize: Blake Nyquist from Minnesota – $2,000
At a water treatment plant in Minnesota, a water tank cover doubles as a site for a solar power array.
Category 4: Improving Water and Wastewater Treatment
Grand Prize: Blake Nyquist from Minnesota – $2,000
A water treatment facility in Wisconsin near a local park.
Runner-Up: Leah Howard from Luray, Virginia – $1,000
The interior water treatment system at the Toray Plastics fabrication plant in Front Royal, Virginia.
Category 5: The People and Communities of the Industrial Sector
Grand Prize: Chris Yountz from Charlotte, North Carolina – $2,000
A worker at Nucor Steel’s Berkeley, North Carolina factory monitors an electric arc furnace.
Runner-Up: John Moreland from Hammond, Indiana – $1,000
Purdue University Northwest’s Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation develops programs like this crane training simulator for use in business, industry, and education.
Honorable Mention: Jasper Rosenau, Renegade Plastics Corporation – $500
At the Renegade Plastics factory in Green Bay, Wisconsin, workers create a mattress cover. The company’s polypropylene-based fabric releases lower volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, making it safer for both manufacturers and end-users.
Category 6: Creative Interpretation
Grand Prize: Charles Chapman from Huntsville, Alabama – $2,000
The rays of the rising sun illuminate solar panels at a 30-megawatt solar farm in Huntsville, Alabama.
Runner-Up: Chris Yountz, Nucor Corporation – $1,000
At the Nucor-Yamato Steel Company in Arkansas, water bubbles and steams as it cools a freshly forged, red-hot I-beam.
Honorable Mention: Michael Alan Ross from Newark, California – $500
Machinery and workers stand at the ready in Verdagy’s Silicon Valley Electrolyzer Factory.
