I was born and brought up in the historic city of Warangal, India and in the due course of my academic and professional journey, I had a great opportunity to pursue my studies and work in various parts of India, the USA and Canada.
I earned B.A.Sc and M.A.Sc of chemical engineering from the BNUT University, located in Iran. During this period, I had a chance to work on the optimization of nonlinear mathematical and theoretical models. I received my 2nd M.A.Sc degree in Environmental Engineering program from the University of Windsor. After which, I was hired by the University as a research associate. During this period, several academical and industrial projects were completed successfully.
Currently, I am a Ph.D. student in the department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo under the supervision of Dr Xianguo Li at Fuel Cell and Green Energy Lab (FCGEL), I am mainly focused on fluid flow and thermal CFD Analysis inside the PEMFC’s bipolar plate from the cell to stack level. The main goal of my research will be addressing the issue due to the water accumulation inside the fuel cell which can detrimentally affect the whole performance of Fuel cell.
I am a post doctorate fellow joined September 2022 in Prof Xianguo Li’s Green Energy and Fuel Cell Lab at University of Waterloo, Ontario.
I was born in Redwood City, California, USA and spent most of my childhood near Vancouver, BC, Canada. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of British Columbia (UBC), earning a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering in 2020. During my studies at UBC, I undertook a one-year internship at Ballard Power Systems, a major manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cell products and systems, where I worked in the Stack Test Engineering team. This experience exposed me to the commercialization of clean/renewable energy technologies and grew my interest in working in this sector. In my senior year, I contributed to a capstone project designing a dual-axis solar tracking system and completed a small research project about microneedle injections. After graduating from UBC, I decided to pursue a Master’s degree at the University of Waterloo, where I can continue working towards a career in fuel cell technology and/or renewable energy systems.
I am Navpreet Kaur. I obtained my Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering at AKTU University. I am currently working as Lab assistant with Dr Xianguo Li at Fuel Cell and Green Energy Lab and will be joining Dr Li’s team as MASc Candidate in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering in Winter 2023. I have worked in HVAC industry for almost two years and am enthusiastic about the clean technologies.
I am currently pursuing my PhD in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo. My research focuses on the experimental characterization of metallic bipolar plates used in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs). I am currently conducting ex-situ analyses, investigating the corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, and thermal properties of these plates. As the research progresses, I plan to move on to in-situ analysis of a single PEMFC cell to assess its overall performance. Additionally, I aim to incorporate machine learning neural networks to predict the degradation behavior of metallic bipolar plates, using both ex-situ and in-situ characteristics to enhance the accuracy of these predictions and improve PEMFC performance assessment.
I completed my undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering at Anna University, Chennai, India, during which I had the opportunity to attend a 3-month internship in Canada. I worked on the project titled “Airlift Pumps - Design and Manufacturing of Energy-Efficient Pumps for Sustainable Food Systems” at the University of Guelph, where I gained significant knowledge and developed an interest in pursuing a research career. As a result of this internship, I decided to pursue graduate studies in Canada and was accepted into the University of Waterloo for my master’s degree. I earned my MASc in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo, focusing on the topic “FPGA-Based Ultrasound Non-Destructive Testing.” My role involved developing an FPGA-based system to capture and analyze the weld qualities of joints using ultrasound technology. During my master’s, I became fascinated by fuel cell technology, leading me to pursue in-depth knowledge in this field. Consequently, I began my PhD study on PEMFCs, which I am currently undertaking at the Fuel Cell and Green Energy Lab (FCGEL).
Projects at FCGEL:
Publications:
I am a postdoctoral fellow at the department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo. I completed my PhD in process engineering with a major in asset integrity management from Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada in 2020. My bachelor's and master's degrees are in chemical engineering.
I am Tanya Nischal. After completing Bachelor's in Mechanical and Automation Engineering from Delhi, India, I am now pursuing my Master of applied science in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, with specialization in Green energy from the University of Waterloo. I am currently in the first semester of the course wherein I am also working as a Lab Assistant in Fuel cell laboratory under Dr Li.
Xin has obtained her Ph.D. and B.S. degrees from the School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China, in 2016 and 2021, respectively. Afterwards, she joined the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in 2021. Her research was focused on the design and fabrication of transition metal electrocatalysts for water/seawater splitting.
Originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, I received my undergraduate degree in engineering chemistry from Queen’s University in 2016, during which my thesis research was focused on polymer chemistry. After graduating I spent four years working as a bicycle touring guide, leading multi-day bicycle trips in Canada and abroad, including places such as Spain, Ireland, Norway and Costa Rica. I joined the Fuel Cell and Green Energy lab in September 2021 as a MASc student and am working on fuel cell catalyst layer structural characterization and pore-scale modeling. During my free time, I enjoy rock climbing, cycling or cooking up new recipes for dinner!
I am a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Fuel Cell and Green Energy Lab (FCGEL), University of Waterloo. My research focuses on developing and analyzing the corrosion degradation model for metallic and non-metallic coatings for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) bipolar plates, with specific applications in the aerospace sector. This involves a detailed investigation of material substrates and coating properties to optimize the performance and durability of next-generation bipolar plates.
I earned my PhD in Process Engineering from Memorial University of Newfoundland, specializing in Materials Science and Engineering. I worked extensively on electroplating zinc, zinc-nickel, and zinc-nickel oxide for offshore and marine corrosion protection. I also hold bachelor's and master’s degrees in chemical engineering. In parallel to my research, I was actively engaged in a large-scale project, Sustainable Emissions Reduction by Digital Integrity Management (SERDIM), collaborating with institutions like Dalhousie University, NRC, MITACS, PRNL, and major industry partners such as Suncor Energy and Lloyd's Register.
My postdoctoral work spans critical areas, including electrochemistry, materials science, corrosion control, intelligent coatings, numerical modelling, data-driven modelling and experimental design. I am collaborating with colleagues at FCGEL to pioneer new materials and coating technologies for PEMFC bipolar plates, aiming to significantly enhance their efficiency, durability, and corrosion resistance for aerospace applications. Beyond research, I have contributed to academia by teaching at universities and colleges across Canada since 2017.
Projects at FCGEL:
Achievements:
Selected publications:
Shams Anwar, Xianguo Li, (2023) “Production of Hydrogen from Fossil Fuel: A review” Frontiers in Energy, 17, 585-610.
Education background
University of Waterloo, 2021.09-present
PhD candidate, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
Columbia University, 2012.09-2014.05
Master of Science, Chemical Engineering
Beijing Institute of Technology, 2008.09-2012.06
Bachelor, Chemical Engineering and Technology
Professional experience
General Electric
Lead Engineer – Process Engineering, 2019.11-2021.04
Engineer – Process Engineering, 2016.12-2019.10
Haldor Topsoe
Proposal Engineer, 2014.09-2016.12
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I am currently pursuing my PhD in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo. My research focuses on the experimental characterization of metallic bipolar plates used in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs). I am currently conducting ex-situ analyses, investigating the corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, and thermal properties of these plates. As the research progresses, I plan to move on to in-situ analysis of a single PEMFC cell to assess its overall performance. Additionally, I aim to incorporate machine learning neural networks to predict the degradation behaviour of metallic bipolar plates, using both ex-situ and in-situ characteristics to enhance the accuracy of these predictions and improve PEMFC performance assessment. |
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I hold a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Pakistan. After graduation, I began my career in the quality department at Wilson’s Pharmaceuticals. I then relocated to South Korea, where I worked at the High-Temperature Energy Conversion Laboratory at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) in Daejeon. During this time, I completed my master's thesis, focusing on the development of novel perovskite oxide materials for use as cathodes in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC). Following the completion of my master's degree, I joined E & KOA Co., where I gained valuable industrial research experience in SOFC technology. Before moving to Canada to pursue my PhD, I worked as a researcher at Chunbo Chemical in Suwon, South Korea, where I focused on optimizing additive materials for lithium-ion batteries. Currently, I am working on my doctoral thesis, which involves the simulation and modeling of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cells and electrolysis systems.
Before coming to Canada, I studied in China. In 2015, I received a bachelor's degree from Hubei University of Technology, and in 2019, I received a master's degree from Wuhan University of Technology. When I was an undergraduate student, I majored in polymer material science and engineering, concentrating on learning methods to synthesize polymers and molding. After that, I did research on precious metal alloy catalysts for fuel cells, specifically DMFCs (direct methanol fuel cells) as an MEng student. I am now doing a PhD in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo, where I am supervised by Prof. Xianguo Li, aiming at developing efficient catalysts for fuel cells.
I obtained my Bachelor of Energy and Power Engineering in 2017 at Guangdong University of Technology, China. And a master's in power engineering and thermal physics in 2021, at Chongqing University, China. My research included zinc-air batteries and microfluidic fuel cells for my master's thesis. After graduating from CQU, I was the BMS engineer in Evergrand's new energy technology focusing on function safety design, then I was hired as a research assistant at THU, CUHK, and HKUST, and my project was about microfluidic biochip and triboelectric nanogenerator. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo under the supervision of Prof. Xianguo Li. My research focuses on applying the machine learning method to predict the performance of fuel cells.