Ruishu F. Wright, Ph.D.

Aging energy infrastructure around the country can lead to pipeline explosions, power-grid fires and other disasters that pose significant risks to public safety and cost billions of dollars.

Ruishu Wright is addressing this critical issue, leading a multidisciplinary team that has developed novel sensor technologies and machine learning methods to monitor pipelines, electrical grids, bridges and other critical infrastructure and provide early warnings to prevent failures. The novel technology contributes to safety, reliability and security of energy transportation networks and energy transmission systems, which are essential to supporting anticipated domestic load growth in the coming years.

“Ruishu Wright’s expertise and leadership have significantly advanced infrastructure sensing technologies,” said David Battaglia, a team supervisor at the Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory, or NETL. “Her work will help save billions of dollars and people’s lives caused by catastrophic infrastructure failures such as pipeline explosions and power grid outages.”

Most of the country’s 3 million miles of natural gas pipelines are around 60 years old, making them prone to corrosion and gas leaks which can cause pipeline failures and explosions. Power outages annually cost the U.S. economy $150 billion dollars, with every hour of an outage costing a large manufacturer potentially $5 million, according to NETL.

Wright leads multiple research projects to develop sensor technologies that industry can adopt for critical energy infrastructure ranging from pipelines and power transformers to oil and gas wells to spent nuclear fuel storage canisters.

One of the award-winning technologies, developed by NETL and partners at the University of Pittsburgh and Sensible Photonics Inc., continuously gathers and sends sensing data to an artificial intelligence-based analysis system to locate at-risk infrastructure. Using ultrasonic waves and optical fiber cables to detect cracks, corrosion or other deterioration, the technology sends alerts and warnings indicating a structure needs to be serviced or replaced.

Wright’s unique combination of scientific and technical knowledge, and her leadership and business perspectives, have distinguished her in her role, according to Paul Ohodnicki, associate professor and director of the Engineering Science Program at the University of Pittsburgh and a former Sammies finalist.

“It’s very clear that her goal is to successfully deliver for the American people and the taxpayers, from a technology and innovation standpoint” he said.

The 11 pending and awarded U.S. patents Wright holds are a testament to her expertise and leadership, according to Battaglia.

Jared Ciferno, a senior program manager in DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy, said Wright is “an outstanding researcher and technical portfolio lead, responsive [and] super smart.”

Wright said she entered public service because government funding encourages innovation that, through technology transfer, can lead to great advancements.

“I like to learn new things, and I like to solve problems, especially if I know that problem has a great impact,” she said.