Earth and Environmental Sciences Area Logo Earth and Environmental Sciences Area Logo
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Logo
Menu
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Organizational Charts
    • Virtual Tours
    • EESA Strategic Vision
  • Our People
    • A-Z People
    • Alumni Network
    • Area Offices
    • Committees
    • Directors
    • IDEA Working Group
    • Paul A. Witherspoon
    • Postdocs & Early Careers
    • Search by Expertise
  • Careers & Opportunities
    • Careers
    • Intern Pilot w/CSUEB
    • Mentorship Program
    • Recognition & Funding Opps
    • EESA Mini Grants
    • S&E Metrics for Performance and Promotion
    • Student Opportunities
    • Supervisor EnRichment (SupER) Program
    • Promotion Metrics (Scientific)
  • Research
    • Area-Wide Program Domain
      • Earth AI & Data
    • Our Divisions
    • Climate & Ecosystem Sciences Division
      • Environmental & Biological Systems Science
        • Programs
        • Environmental Remediation & Water Resources
        • Ecosystems Biology Program
        • Bioenergy
      • Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions
        • Programs
        • Climate Modeling
        • Atmospheric System Research
        • Terrestrial Ecosystem Science
      • Climate & Atmosphere Processes
        • Programs
        • Climate Modeling
        • Atmospheric System Research
      • Earth Systems & Society
        • Programs
        • Climate Modeling
    • Energy Geosciences Division
      • Discovery Geosciences
        • Programs
        • Basic Energy Sciences (BES) Geophysics
        • Basic Energy Sciences (BES) Geochemistry
        • Basic Energy Sciences (BES) Isotope
      • Energy Resources and Carbon Management
        • Programs
        • Carbon Removal & Mineralization Program
        • Carbon Storage Program
        • Geothermal Systems
        • Hydrocarbon Science
        • Nuclear Energy & Waste
      • Resilient Energy, Water & Infrastructure
        • Programs
        • Water-Energy
        • Critical Infrastructure
        • Environmental Resilience
        • Grid-Scale Subsurface Energy Storage
        • National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI)
    • Projects
    • Research at a Glance
    • Publication Lists
    • Centers and Resources
    • Technologies & National User Programs
  • Departments
    • Climate Sciences
    • Ecology
    • Geochemistry
    • Geophysics
    • Hydrogeology
    • Operations
  • News & Events
    • News
    • Events
    • Earth & Environment Newsletter
  • Intranet
  • Safety
    • EESA Safety
  • FoW
  • Search

  • all
  • people
  • events
  • posts
  • pages
  • projects
  • publications

Barry M. Freifeld

Guest Scientist/Mechanical Engineer (Retired)

Affliate

M/S 74R316C

Phone: 510-520-2618

bmfreifeld@lbl.gov

Curriculum Vitae

  • Researcher ID
  • Google Scholar
  • Education
  • Experience
  • Patents
  • Awards

Biography

Barry Freifeld is a Guest Scientist/Mechanical Engineer (Retired) at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he was the Principal Investigator for numerous projects relating to CO2 sequestration and arctic hydrology. He also spent three years (2016-2019) as the Head of the Hydrogeology Department in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Area.

He received his BA in Applied Mathematics (UC Berkeley), his MS in Mechanical Engineering (UC Santa Barbara), and PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering (UC Berkeley, 2001). He is an expert in the development of well-based monitoring instrumentation and techniques. His recent innovations include the U-tube geochemical sampling methodology, as well as thermal perturbation fiber-optic monitoring techniques for understanding subsurface processes. He has also received a U.S. patent for a portable whole-core x-ray computed tomography imaging system used at continental drill sites and on drilling vessels.

Publications

  • Researcher ID
  • Google Scholar

Research Interests

At Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Barry's recent research has focused on:

  • Geological sequestration of CO2, particularly field demonstrations in saline and depleted gas aquifers.
  • Understanding thermal and hydrologic conditions in arctic regions.
  • Development of fiber-optic DTS techniques for monitoring subsurface processes.
  • Currently I am the Principal Investigator for collaborations supporting two international carbon storage demonstration projects: the Otway Project in Victoria, Australia and the EU funded CO2SINK program in Ketzin, Germany.

Education

  • Ph.D. Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 2001, Freifeld, B.M., Estimation of Fracture Porosity in an unsaturated fractured welded tuff using gas tracer test, Ph.D. dissertation
  • M.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, 1992
  • B.A. Applied Mathematics, University of California, Berkeley, 1989

Experience

  • Guest Scientist/Mechanical Engineer (Retired), 2019-Present
  • Mechanical Engineer, LBNL, 1998-2019
  • Hydrogeology Department Head, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), 2016-2019
  • Staff Research Associate, 1997-1998
  • Principal Research Associate, 1995-1997
  • Senior Research Associate, 1992-1995

Patents

  • Device useful as a borehole fluid sampler - The present invention provides a novel method for sampling subsurface fluids behind a cemented casing string, US Patent 9863245
  • U-Tube Sampling System—Developed a deep-well sampling methodology for collecting and analyzing fluids maintained at in situ conditions. Techniques for handling multiphase fluid collected at high frequency permit characterization of tracer elution curves for multi-well transport studies, (Currently in use or proposed for use in numerous locations in N. America, Greenland, Australia, and Europe).
  • Portable X-ray Core Imager (US Patent 7082185)—A transportable x-ray core imaging system with a novel shielding arrangement that provides for a cabinet-safe system. Using an optimized compensator system enhanced dynamic range while imaging cylindrical objects using the cone-beam geometry is obtained., US Patent 7082185

Awards

  • 2016 Director’s Award for Societal Impact for contributions relating to the 2015 Aliso Canyon well blowout disaster in Southern California, 2016
  • U.S. Department of Energy Secretary's Achievement Award - Flow rate technical group / Nodal analysis team, 2011
  • American Rock Mechanics Case History Award - Coupled anlaysis of change in fracture permeability during the cooling phase of the Yucca Mountain Drift Scale Test, 2010
  • Schlumberger Gold Award - Carbon: Hot at Cooling the Climate recognition of CO2CRC Otway Project, 2008
  • LBNL Outstanding Performance Award - Methane Hydrate Research Team, 2006
  • LBNL Outstanding Performance Award - Frio Brine Pilot Research Team, 2006
  • LBNL Outstanding Performance Award - Transuranic Waste Shipment Team, 2004
  • LBNL Outstanding Performance Award - Engineering Task Force, 2003
  • LBNL Outstanding Performance Award - Contributions to Yucca Mountain Project Field Studies, 1998
  • Our People
    • Area Offices
    • Committees
    • Directors
    • Organizational Charts
    • Postdocs
    • Staff Only
    • Search by Expertise
  • Departments
    • Climate Sciences
    • Ecology
    • Geochemistry
    • Geophysics
    • Hydrogeology
  • Research
    • Climate & Ecosystem Sciences Division
    • Energy Geosciences Division
    • Program Domains
      • Programs
    • Projects
  • Contact
    • 510 486 6455
    • eesawebmaster@lbl.gov
    • Our Identity

Earth and Environmental Sciences Area Logo DOE Earth and Environmental Sciences Area Logo UC

A U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory Managed by the University of California

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory · Earth and Environmental Sciences Area · Privacy & Security Notice