RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is partnering with Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on a new U.S. Department of Energy project aimed at making clean energy more efficient, affordable and sustainable for the future.

The two-year project focuses on improving biomass drying, a critical but energy‑demanding step in producing fuels and bioproducts from plant-based materials such as agricultural waste and forestry residues. Currently, drying biomass can account for more than 70 percent of the total energy needed before these materials can be turned into usable energy products.

By combining advanced artificial intelligence developed at the School of Mines with cutting‑edge energy research at INL, the project seeks to dramatically reduce energy use, lower costs and make renewable energy technologies more practical at large scales.

The research team includes Khoda and Nepu Saha, a research scientist at INL who is the project’s principal investigator. The team will explore new drying methods that use recovered waste heat, including heat from nuclear power plants, and pair those techniques with AI‑based predictive models. Khoda’s research group, Process Optimization, Design Integration and Informatics, will develop physics‑informed, machine‑learning models capable of determining how moisture moves through plant materials and identifying smarter ways to dry biomass using less energy. These AI tools will help researchers and industry partners optimize processes before they are built, saving time, money and resources.

“Collaborating with INL allows us to merge world-class experimental science with our expertise in physics‑informed AI,” Khoda said. “This collaboration strengthens South Dakota Mines’ role in national clean‑energy research and demonstrates how trustworthy, high‑fidelity AI can accelerate discovery in bioprocessing, materials and energy systems.”

The project will support student training and workforce development, giving Mines students opportunities to collaborate with INL on federally funded research aligned with national energy priorities. Students and early-career researchers will gain hands-on experience in clean‑energy innovation, data science and advanced‑manufacturing applications.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2026 KOTA. All rights reserved.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is partnering with Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on a new U.S. Department of Energy project aimed at making clean energy more efficient, affordable and sustainable for the future.

The two-year project focuses on improving biomass drying, a critical but energy‑demanding step in producing fuels and bioproducts from plant-based materials such as agricultural waste and forestry residues. Currently, drying biomass can account for more than 70 percent of the total energy needed before these materials can be turned into usable energy products.

By combining advanced artificial intelligence developed at the School of Mines with cutting‑edge energy research at INL, the project seeks to dramatically reduce energy use, lower costs and make renewable energy technologies more practical at large scales.

The research team includes Khoda and Nepu Saha, a research scientist at INL who is the project’s principal investigator. The team will explore new drying methods that use recovered waste heat, including heat from nuclear power plants, and pair those techniques with AI‑based predictive models. Khoda’s research group, Process Optimization, Design Integration and Informatics, will develop physics‑informed, machine‑learning models capable of determining how moisture moves through plant materials and identifying smarter ways to dry biomass using less energy. These AI tools will help researchers and industry partners optimize processes before they are built, saving time, money and resources.

“Collaborating with INL allows us to merge world-class experimental science with our expertise in physics‑informed AI,” Khoda said. “This collaboration strengthens South Dakota Mines’ role in national clean‑energy research and demonstrates how trustworthy, high‑fidelity AI can accelerate discovery in bioprocessing, materials and energy systems.”

The project will support student training and workforce development, giving Mines students opportunities to collaborate with INL on federally funded research aligned with national energy priorities. Students and early-career researchers will gain hands-on experience in clean‑energy innovation, data science and advanced‑manufacturing applications.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2026 KOTA. All rights reserved.