With the world slowly but steadily running out of fossil fuels,
sources of renewable energy and more efficient strategies for energy
storage, transportation and conversion into electrical or mechanical
power need to be explored. A second driver for research in energy conversion
is the desire to replace the present rechargeable batteries in portable
electronics (e.g. cell phones, laptop computers, PDAs) with longer lasting
power sources based on fuel cells. Specific research
projects in our department include the development of fuel processors
for hydrogen production, solar cells, hydrogen storage, microfuel cells
for portable power, the engineering of proteins for biomass conversion,
microbes for biofuel cells, catalyst design, and power system design
and optimization.
- Richard D. Braatz – Design,
simulation and control of fuel processors and fuel cell-based power sources
- Paul J.A. Kenis – Fuel
reformers for hydrocarbon fuels, direct methanol microfluidic fuel cells,
silicon-based fuel cells, electrocatalysts for alkaline fuel cells, photocatalytic
energy conversion, biofuel cells
- Richard I. Masel – Ammonia decomposition for hydrogen production, direct formic acid fuel cells, catalyst materials and electrodes for fuel cells, nano power sources.
- Edmund G. Seebauer – Semiconducting metal oxide catalysts for environmental applications
- Mark A. Shannon – Developing new types of silicon microfabricated fuel cells (hydrogen, methanol, and formic acid) for small scale devices; fundamental science behind the charge transport within fuel cell catalysts and across proton exchange membranes.
- Huimin Zhao – Engineering
of proteins to enable efficient conversion of biomass into renewable fuels
such as ethanol, microbial biofuel cells
