Project Info

The role of self-assembly in tranport rates for fuel cell polymers

“PEM fuel cells are an emerging energy technology for electric vehicles running on intermittent clean energy sources. While significant progress over the past decade has led to cheaper, more efficient fuel cell vehicles and has enabled some market penetration, the key limiting processes in these devices remain poorly understood.
This project involves novel, fundamental research on thin-film polymers to understand the array of factors which influence the performance of key fuel cell polymer materials. The project can involve novel experiments and numerical simulation (driven by the student’s interests and abilities), which will be combined for high-impact publications to help provide guidance for future fuel cell designs.”

More Information

“The student can get a good idea of my research via my web pages:
1. My research page gives a general overview of my research program: http://inside.mines.edu/~decaluwe/research
2. Publications 11 and 7 at my ‘Publications’ page give specific insight into the research topic: http://inside.mines.edu/~decaluwe/publications”

Grand Engineering: Not Applicable

Student Preparation

Qualifications

The student should be self-driven and highly motivated. They should be able to keep meticulous records, and are capable of careful, precise work in the laboratory. While numerical simulation skills are not required, they would open up additional avenues for the research project. Finally, the student should have a basic understanding of how transport and chemical reactions proceed, in terms of the driving forces and resistances involved.

Time Commitment

16 hours/month

Skills/Techniques Gained

“The student will learn advanced fabrication and characterization techniques for thin-film polymers, including spin coating, quartz crystal microbalance, and X-ray reflecometry. Students will also be learn skills related to data processing and for repeatable data workflows, and the preparation of high-quality, publication-worthy graphics.

Finally, interested students will also be trained in the development of computer simulation codes.”

Mentoring Plan

I will meet 1-on-1 with the student every other week, and the student will also participate in meetings with my larger research group. Lastly, the student will collaborate with a graduate student mentor, who is also working on the same project.