Penn State

Research: Energy

Energy, Catalysis, Electrochemistry, and Fuel Cells

fuel cell demo

Of all its many uses, nanotechnology's role in energy production and conservation may prove to have the greatest impact in the near to medium term. If it proves true, as many have suggested, that oil production will peak and decline in this decade, then not one, but many replacement technologies will need to be put in place to supply increasing energy demand. At Penn State, researchers at the nanoscale are investigating catalysis, electrochemistry, and fuel cells, among other methods, as means to develop alternative energy sources or to improve on existing technologies.

The Penn State H2E Center
Using hydrogen in fuel cells produces power that is 60 to 70 percent efficient, safe for the environment, and produces water as its only byproduct. The Penn State Hydrogen Energy (H2E) Center is dedicated to developing new technologies related to hydrogen and fuel cells. Some of these methods for generation of energy include generating electricity from wastewater using microbial fuel cells, new materials for fuel cell membranes, electrocatalysis, and computer modeling of solid oxide fuel cells.
www.engr.psu.edu/h2e

The Energy Institute
The Energy Institute in the College of Earth and Minerals Sciences provides research facilities for a diversity of energy research at the bulk and nano scale. Recent projects using nanotechnologies include: mesoporous molecular sieves for deep hydrodesulfurization catalysts; techniques for measuring the electrokinetic properties of micro and nano particles; and nanofibers for hydrogen energy storage.
www.energy.psu.edu

The Materials Research Institute
Researchers associated with the Materials Research Institute are finding new uses for nanoscale materials for energy production and storage. Carbon nanotubes for hydrogen storage, titania nanotubes for dye solar cells, and dielectric materials for high energy capacitors are only a few of many recent materials breakthroughs at the nanoscale.
www.mri.psu.edu

Highly ordered arrays of transparent titania nanotubes for dye solar cell shows great promise as a relatively low cost solution to efficiently producing electricity from the sun.
http://live.psu.edu/index.php?sec=vs_highlight&story=15997&highlight=1

CO2 Molecular Basket
www.energy.psu.edu/factsheets/CO2_Molecular_Research.pdf

Exfoliated graphite nanofibers for hydrogen energy storage
www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/a/d/adl11/EGNF.htm

High Temperature Nanoelectrophoresis of Oxide Materials
www.energy.psu.edu/factsheets/EDL.pdf

Fuel Cell research with solid nanomaterials
www.energy.psu.edu/factsheets/HT_PEMFC.pdf

For an overview of nanotechnology in energy
www.foresight.org/impact/whitepaper_illos_rev3.PDF

Faculty: Energy

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