FCRC
Principal Investigators |
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Dr. Brant A. Peppley (FCRC Director)
Professor and Canada Research Chair in Fuel Cells
Department of Chemical Engineering
Queen's University
Research Interests
o Fuel Processing - methanol, gasoline, diesel reforming
o Reliability and Durability of PEMFCs
o Mathematical Modeling and Optimization of PEMFC Power
Website:
http://chemeng.queensu.ca/people/faculty/peppley/
www.sofccanada.com |
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Dr. Kunal Karan (FCRC Associate Director)
Associate Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
Queen's University
Research Interests
o Engineered Electrodes for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) and Solid Oxide Fuel Cell
o Development and Performance Characterization of SOFC Composite Cathodes.
o Nano-engineered, structured electrodes for PEMFCs
o Mathematical Modeling of Fuel Cells
o Detailed Model of PEMFC Catalyst Layer
Website: http://www.chemeng.queensu.ca/people/karan/ |
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Dr. J.G. Pharoah, P.Eng (FCRC Associate Director)
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Queen's University
Research Interests
o Transport PEMFC Modelling
o SOFC Modelling
o Application of CFD to design
o Fuel Cell Transport
Website: http://me.queensu.ca/people/pharoah/ |
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Dr. Christopher P. Thurgood
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Royal Military College of Canada |
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Dr. Boyd Davis
Adjunct Professor
Department of Mining Engineering
Queen's University
Research Interests:
o Chemical Hydrogen Storage
o Metallurgical Process Development
oComputational Thermochemistry
o Metal Recycling
Website: http://mine.queensu.ca/people/faculty/Davis/ |
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Dr. Patrick H. Oosthuizen, P. Eng., Fellow ASME
Professor Emeritus
Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Queen's University
Research Interests:
o Basic Studies of Natural and Mixed Convective Heat Transfer
o Fuel Cell Modelling
o Heat Transfer through Windows
o Modelling of Solar Energy Systems for Buildings
Website: http://me.queensu.ca/people/oosthuizen/ |
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Dr. Steven Beale, P.Eng., F.ASME, F.IMechE
Adjunct Professor, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Queen's University
Senior Research Officer, Institute for Chemical Process and Environmental Technology,
National Research Council
Research Interests:
o Transport phenomena in the passages of fuel cells
o Heat and mass transfer
o Multi-phase flow
o Porous media
o Stack modelling
Website: http://cfd.icpet.nrc.ca/beale
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Dr. Pascale Champagne
Associate Professor
Department of Civil Engineering &
Department of Chemical Engineering
Queen's University
Research Interests:
o Biomass conversion
o Recovery of higher-value chemicals from waste biomass
Bionergy
o Solid waste management; minimizing the impact of municipal, agricultural and industrial activities on surface water and groundwater contamination
o composting and biostabilization of municipal, agricultural and industrial biosolids.
o Passive treatment of municipal and industrial wastewaters and leachates
Website:
http://www.civil.queensu.ca/ca/people/faculty/champagne
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Research Associates |
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Ela Halliop (Senior Research Associate)
Supervisor: Brant Peppley
Research Focus: Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, Electrochemical processes in PEMFC's. |
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Mark Hoidas (Research Associate)
Supervisor:Dr. A. Docoslis
Research Focus:
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Dr. Dzmitry Malevich (Senior Research Associate)
Supervisor: Kunal Karan
Research Focus: Electrochemistry, Electrocatalysis, Surface and Interface Chemistry
Website: http://post.queensu.ca/~malevich/
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Dr. Aidu Qi(Research Associate)
Supervisors: Brant Peppley & Chrisopher Thurgood
Research Focus:
- Fuel processing for H2-rich gas generation from bio-fuels;
- Reformer/reactor R&D as balance of plant for PEMFC or SOFC;
- Catalyst design, engineering and characterization;
- Reactions/processes integration, intensification and optimization
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Dr. Madhu Saha (Research Associate)
Supervisor: Brant Peppley
Research Focus:
- Electrochemistry of electrode materials for electrochemical energy conversion and storage
- Nano-scale electro-catalyst development for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs)
- Gas diffusion electrode inks formulation and Membrane Electrode Assembly fabrication, and characterization in PEMFCs
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Post-Doctoral Fellows |
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Odne Burheim (Post Doctoral Fellow)
Supervisor: Dr. Jon Pharoah
Research Focus:
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Hae-Won Choi (Post Doctoral Fellow)
Supervisors: Dr. Jon Pharoah/Dr. Steven Beale
Research Focus: Solid Oxide Fuel Cel (SOFC) modeling; SOFC system design and analysis with Open FOAM CFD Toolbox; transport modeling for microstructure of SOFC composite electrodes.
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Keith Huynh (Post Doctoral Fellow)
Supervisors: Dr.Brant Peppley/Dr. Boyd Davis
Research Focus:
Utilization of automobile engine waste heat to power a thermally regenerative fuel cell.
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Misha Monder (Post Doctoral Fellow)
Supervisor: Kunal Karan
Research Focus: Using first principles mathematical models, along with modeling guided experiments, to better understand the coupled physical and chemical processes in solid oxide fuel cells.
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Ph.D. Candidates |
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Jan De Bakker (Ph.D. Candidate)
Supervisor: Boyd Davis
Research Focus: Molten Salt Hydrates, which are highly concentrated solutions of such salts as magnesium, calcium and iron chlorides. My research will investigate the thermodynamics of MSHs and look at applications for these melts in metallurgy and heat storage.
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David Harvey (Ph.D. Candidate)
Supervisor: Jon Pharoah
Research Focus: Direct numerical simulation of PEM catalysts
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Barath Ram Jayasankar (Ph.D. Candidate)
Supervisor: Kunal Karan
Research Focus:
Modeling and impedance analysis of PEM fuel cell
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Mobin Khakbaz-Baboli(Ph.D. Candidate)
Supervisor: Jon Pharoah/Brant Peppley
Research Focus: Numerical modeling of PEM catalyst layers. |
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Chenxi Li(Ph.D. Candidate)
Supervisor: Pascale Champagne
Research Focus:
Enhance anaerobic digestion process for biogas production using municipal organic waste treatment. |
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Mayur Mundhwa(Ph.D. Candidate)
Supervisor: Chris Thurgood (RMC)
Research Focus: Enbridge/MCFC |
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Rajesh Parmar (Ph.D. Candidate)
Supervisor: Kunal Karan
Research Focus: To develop a microchannel reactor for diesel and biodiesel reforming. |
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Devproshad Kumer Paul(Ph.D. Candidate)
Supervisor: Kunal Karan/Brant Peppley
Research Focus: Synthesis and electrochemical characterization of catalyst layer, MEA fabrication, PEM Fuel Cell performance. |
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Sangeeta Shakrawar (Ph.D. Candidate)
Supervisor: Brant Peppley/Jon Pharoah
Research Focus:
Thermal stress analysis of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs)" |
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M.Sc. Candidates |
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Nakkiran Arulmozhi (M.Sc. Candidate)
Supervisor: Kunal Karan
Research Focus:
Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) mechanism in mixed-conductor SOFC cathodes. Experimental studies on Transport and kinetics phenomena at cathode/Electrolyte interface using impedance spectroscopy (micro-probe) on dense and porous systems |
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Craig Baker (M.Sc. Candidate)
Supervisor: Jon Pharoah
Research Focus: Numerical simulation of PEMFC and PEM cathode. |
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Drew Blore (M.Sc. Candidate)
Supervisor: Jon Pharoah
Research Focus: Numerical modeling of PEM fuel cells. |
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Harsh Dhingra (M.Sc. Candidate)
Supervisor: Brant Peppley
Research Focus: Enbridge/MCFC
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Jonas Elliott Gerson (M.Sc. Candidate)
Supervisor: Kunal Karan
Research Focus: The creation of novel mircropumps for fuel cell and related applications. I will be functionalizing PDMS to create cost-effective micropumps to deal with water accumulation in PEM fuel cells. |
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Eric Hardjo (M.Sc. Candidate)
Supervisor: Dr. Kunal Karan
Research Focus: My research focus is on single-pore microstructural mathematical modeling of SOFC anode. I will be investigating the full chemical and electrochemical kinetics occurring at the micro-pore anode. The heat and transport effects will be investigated as well. The model will be constructed in COMSOL simulation software. |
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Jerome James (M.Sc. Candidate)
Supervisor: Jon Pharoah
Research Focus: Imaging the porous transport layer of PEM Fuel Cells under various loading situations using micro x-ray tomography. |
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Yasir Z. Khan (M.Sc. Candidate)
Supervisor: Brant Peppley
Research Focus: |
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Aida Khosravi (M.Sc. Candidate)
Supervisor: Brant Peppley
Research Focus: Catalytic coatings of metal foam monoliths for compact reformers. |
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Jillian Lackey (M.Sc. Candidate)
Supervisor: Pascale Champagne
Research Focus:
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC’s) are a promising technology for producing clean electrical power from reformed hydrocarbon fuels. Before a fuel can be used, its effects on the SOFC must be known. I will be conducting a sensitivity analysis of a tubular solid oxide fuel cell (T-SOFC) to reformate of the anaerobic digestion process |
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Seyed Alireza Tanhatan Naseri (M.Sc. Candidate)
Supervisor: Brant Peppley
Research Focus:
Fuel processing and process integration for fuel cell systems |
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Amin Oliazadeh (M.Sc. Candidate)
Supervisor: Boyd Davis
Research Focus: |
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Kristin Skrecky (M.Sc. Candidate)
Supervisor: Boyd Davis
Research Focus: |
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Alexandru Sonoc (M.Sc. Candidate)
Supervisor: Christopher Thurgood
Research Focus: Biogas conditioning/purification - purification of biogas for use in solid oxide fuel cells |
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Edward Thomas (M.Sc. Candidate)
Supervisor: Kunal Karan
Research Focus: Integrated microreactors/heat exchangers.
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| Research Assistants |
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Stephen Trevor Wartman (Research Assistant)
Supervisor: Chris Thurgood (RMC)
Research Focus: The steam reforming of biofuels; specifically higher alochols such as 1-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, 2-mtheyl-1-propanol.
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Surmita Paul (Research Assistant)
Supervisor: Kunal Karan (FCRC)
Research Focus:
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FCRC Graduates
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Mohamed Abdul (M.Sc.)
Supervisors: Kunal Karan, Boyd Davis
Research Focus: Extraction of hydrogen from NaBH4 utilizing ionic liquids.
Thesis Defended: November 2006
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Name Withheld (Research Assistant 1)
Supervisor: Christopher Thurgood
Research Focus: Rejuvenation of an ATR (autothermal reformer) to test the performance of a modified catalyst. The ATR was constructed and used by a former Masters student. |
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Ryan Aubin (M.Sc.)
Supervisor: Boyd Davis
Research Focus: The development of a thermally regenerative fuel cell utilizing low-grade industrial waste heat.
Thesis Defended: September 2009
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Mark Austin (M.Sc.)
Supervisors: Jon Pharoah
Research Focus:
Thesis Defended: September 2005
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Adegboyega Babasola (M.Sc.)
Supervisor: Brant Peppley
Research Focus: Fuel cell for generating Non-Combustion Thermal Energy for preheating at pressure drop point in gas pipeline transportation.
Thesis Defended: August 6, 2010
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David Castagne (M.Sc.)
Supervisor: Kim McAuley, Kunal Karan
Research Focus: Investigation of water transport in PEMFCs.
Thesis Defended: September 2008
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Alex Davis (M.Sc.)
Supervisor: Jon Pharoah
Research Focus: Analysis, design and fabrication of microchannel chemical reactors.
Thesis Defended: April 2006
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Dan Hamilton (M.Sc.)
Supervisor: Jon Pharoah
Research Focus:
Thesis Defended: November 2005
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David Harvey (M.Sc.)
Supervisor: Jon Pharoah
Thesis Defended:
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Mark Hoidas (M.Sc.)
Supervisor: Dr. A. Docoslis
Research Focus:
Thesis Defended: December 17, 2009
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Cliff Howard (M.Sc.)
Supervisor: Pat Oosthuizen
Research Focus: Investigating natural gas expansion turbine and fuel cell hybrid system for power generation at pressure letdown stations.
Thesis Defended: October 29, 2009
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Ben Kenney (Ph.D.)
Supervisor: Kunal Karan
Research Focus: Cathode design for low temperature solid oxide fuel cell
Thesis Defended: December 18, 2009
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Jin Kim (M.Sc.)
Supervisor: Nicolas Cunningham and Chris Thurgood
Research Focus: To develop an air-breathing PEM fuel cell which uses porous carbon foam (RVC) in the cathode side.
Thesis Defended: January 20, 2009
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Mike Lankin (M.Sc.)
Supervisor: Kunal Karan
Research Focus: Fabrication of thin layer electrolytes via electrophoretic deposition for solid oxide fuel cell applications; Direct ethanol fuel cells.
Thesis Defended: December 2006
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Dean Latham (M.Sc.)
Supervisor: Kim McAuley
Research Focus:
Thesis Defended: December 2008
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Flora Lo (M.Sc.)
Supervisor: Kunal Karan
Research Focus:
Thesis Defended: December 2005
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Emmanuel Resch (M.Sc.)
Supervisor: Jon Pharoah
Research Focus: Mathematical modelling of PEM/SOFC fuel cells.
Email: emmanuel.resch@gmail.com
Thesis Defended: October 2008
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Lan Sun (Ph.D.)
Supervisor: Pat Oosthuizen
Research Focus: Mathematical modelling of PEM fuel cells.
Thesis Defended: December 2006
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Wei Sun (M.Sc)
Supervisor: Kunal Karan
Research Focus:
Thesis Defended: January 2005
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Steve Sylvestre (M.Sc.)
Supervisor: Pat Oosthuizen
Research Focus: Numerical modelling of hydrogen production from iso-octane in an authothermal reforming reactor.
Thesis Defended: August 29 2007
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Brian Tysoe (M.Sc.)
Supervisor: Jon. G. Pharoah and Steven Beale
Research Focus: Numerical and experimental characterization of PEMFC electrodes.
Thesis Defended: October 2006
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Adam Shaw (M. Sc.)
Supervisors: Stephen Harrison, Patrick Oosthuizen
Research Focus: Experimental analysis of an autothermal gasoline reformer for automotive purposes.
Thesis Defended: March 2008 |
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Adam St. John (M. Sc.)
Supervisors: Boyd Davis, Jon Pharoah, Kunal Karan
Research Focus: Hybrid hydrogen storage method.
Thesis defended: Fall 2007 |
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Andrea Van Bruinessen (M.Sc.)
Supervisor: Kunal Karan
Research Focus: Nanoengineered and Structured Electrodes for PEM Fuel Cells.
Thesis Defended: December 2008
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Markus Van Doormall(M.Sc.)
Supervisor: Jon Pharoah
Research Focus:
Thesis Defended: October 2005 |
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Former HQP
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Ruhul Amin (Post Doctoral Fellow)
Supervisor: Kunal Karan
(Left FCRC January 30, 2010)
Research Focus: Intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell cathode materials, special emphasis on micro-contact measurement for elucidating the mechanism of oxygen reduction kinetics. |
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Arganthaël Berson (Post Doctoral Fellow)
Supervisor: Dr. Jon Pharoah
Research Focus: Experimental characterization of the two-phase flow in the micro-channels of PEM fuel cells.
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Dr. Arunabha Kundu (Research Associate)
Supervisor: Brant Peppley
Research Focus: Development of Stable and Durable Catalyst for Diesel Reforming. |
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Dr. Rajender Kondakindi (Research Associate)
Supervisor: Brant Peppley
Research Focus: Development of carbon and sulfur tolerant catalysts for the diesel reforming. Development of low-temperature sinterable electrolyte and new anode materials.
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Dr. Ying Wan (Research Associate)
Supervisor: Brant Peppley
Research Focus: Ionic conducting polymers; Solid polymer electrolytes; Polymer composite membranes; Alkaline polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells.
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