Solving the Energy Puzzle continued
A globally recognized authority on energy pol- icy, Professor Edward S. Rubin was among an international group of scientists honored for their contributions to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which won the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize
for 2007. Today, he continues to impact policy as a mem- ber of the California Carbon Capture and Storage Review Panel, a group that is helping that state meet its pioneering environmental regulations for greenhouse gas reductions. Rubin developed the Integrated Environmental Control Model, a widely used tool for engineering-economic design and analysis of environmental control options for current and advanced power generation systems. His current research is focused on the modeling and assessment of CO2 capture and sequestration options for climate change mitigation, as well as the potential of advanced renewable energy systems.
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As one of MechE’s newest faculty members, Assistant Professor Donghyun You is expanding the Department’s focus on energy. You’s research goal is to develop a compu- tational framework for high-fidelity simulation and design of thermo-fluid systems that rely
on innovative energy-conversion and energy-utilization processes. In addition to conventional energy conversion and propulsion systems, You is also interested in renew- able and sustainable energy conversion systems—includ- ing wind- and hydro-powered turbines, as well as hydrogen conversion systems such as combustors and fuel cells. To encourage alternative energy utilization, You is focused on developing flow control and optimization methods that enhance energy efficiency, performance, and stability— while reducing pollutants, acoustic noise, and other unfavorable features of these emerging technologies.
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The research of Professor Allen Robinson examines technical and policy issues related to energy and the environment. His current focus is fine particulate matter. Fifty thousand Americans are estimated to die prematurely each year from fine particle pollution, and almost 70 million people in the U.S. live in areas that violate the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for fine particle mass. In the Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies, Robinson examines the origin, influence, and fate of atmospheric particles. These particles are an essen- tial piece of the sustainable energy puzzle, because they
have so many impacts. They play a pivotal role in cloud formation, they affect visibility and the overall radioactive balance of Earth, they influence the chemical properties of droplets and thus the oxidation of various pollutants, they directly influence human health, and they dissolve into surface waters, influencing their acidity. Robinson hopes to illuminate not only the immediate effects of these particles, but also their long-term environmental consequences.
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Professor Shi-Chune Yao is interested in mathematical modeling of de-hydrogenation micro-reactors for vehicles, using liquid car- riers of hydrogen fuel. Hydrogen holds huge energy potential, but there are many options for storing it. Yao’s research explores the po-
tential of organic liquid carriers, which hold great promise because they can utilize all the current infrastructure of gasoline fuels, with few modifications. His work is encour- aged by recent breakthroughs in hydrogen combustion in internal combustion engines, which may lead to an early realization of hydrogen vehicles without waiting for fuel cell development. The missing link is the hydrogen-releasing device on the vehicle, which requires a large surface area for the catalyst, along with small overall size, light weight, and robust operational dynamics. Yao is examining the use of micro-channel based micro-reactors for the de-hydrogenation process in vehicle applications, using mathematical models to support the design and optimiza- tion of these devices.
• • • • • 4 CARNEGIE MECH
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