Research

Overview

Our group, Greener Production @ Waterloo focuses on addressing the challenges in bridging energy/chemical production processes and sustainability. The goal is:

(a) Utilizing clean and renewable energy resources for power generation and chemical production;

(b) Understanding how energy processes impact the economy, environment and sustainability;

Research examples

1. Flexible hybrid energy storage system

- We are currently looking at combining different energy storage technologies (e.g., Li-ion battery, hydrogen and compressed air) to achieve a more sustainable energy storage system: long-term, large scale, fast response, and small footprint.

- We have developed oxygen permeable membranes to support water/carbon dioxide splitting for hydrogen/syngas production at elevated temperatures (PECS, ChemSusChem, MIT News link).

2. Cleaner hydrogen and ammonia production

- We combine gasification and hydrogen separation in a chemically and thermally integrated manner to produce high purity hydrogen with carbon capture at a much lower energy penalty (JAMP, AIChE J)

- We study water splitting on oxygen permeable membranes for clean hydrogen production (PCCP)

3. CO2 capture and utilization

- We are investigating direct air CO2 capture technologies (Capstone project)

- The captured CO2 can be effectively converted back into fuels utilizing the oxygen permeable membrane technology (ChemSusChem and MIT News link) or high temperature electrolysis with methanation (Applied Energy)

4. Chemicals with smaller footprints

- We are looking at converting biomass into liquid fuels to de-carbonize the transportation industry, especially for aviation, ships and trucks.

- We develop technologies for value added chemicals from methane and CO2:

- perovskite oxides replacing precious metal as catalysts for syngas/ethylene production from methane (JEI, AIChE J)

- combining methanation and H2O/CO2 electrolysis in one reactor unit to achieve higher efficiency (Applied Energy)

5. Cooling with higher efficiency

- We develop regenerative cooling system in engines to use the thermal/chemical heat sinks of supercritical kerosene nanofluids for efficient heat transfer (ICHMT)