Research Centers and Labs
Renewable Energy Research Laboratory
Sustainable energy is an increasingly important component of the new energy mix. The lab experiments cover the technologies in energy conversion, utilization and storage in solar, wind, fuel cells, and hybrid systems. The smart micro-power grid will also be designed and optimized through a simulation with the consideration of cost and environmental effect.
This lab is motivated from the strong need to prepare the next generation of inter-disciplinary engineers with a comprehensive background in sustainable energy. The experiments in this lab are designed to stimulate students’ interest in development and research. At the end of the course, the students are expected to:
- Estimate the solar irradiance on solar panels, set up solar panels, and evaluate their performance.
- Estimate the wind energy, understand the working principle of wind turbine, and evaluate its performance.
- Understand the working principles of fuel cell and electrolyzer, set up these instruments, evaluate their performance.
- Design, simulate, and optimize energy systems for home or small community
Projects
- Solar Cell and Solar Energy
- Hydrogen production and fuel cells
- Wind turbine
- Power electronics
- Simulation of micro power grid with sustainable energy
- “A Performance Metric for Smart Grid Systems with Distributed Renewable Energy Resources and Energy Storage”, IEEE Transactions on Power Systems (submitted)
- “Sensing mechanism of the metal/insulator/semiconductor hydrogen sensor”, IEEE Sensors Journal, 2009, 9(10), P. 1196-1201
- “Dual-Mode Operation of a Pd/AlN/SiC Device for Hydrogen Sensing” Sensors and Actuators B, 2008, 129(1), P. 35-39
- “Characteristic jump in the electrical properties of a Pd/AlN/Si-based device on exposure to hydrogen” Phys. Rev. B 2007(75), 075308
- “Reverse Response Transients in a Pd-Ni/AlN/n-Si Hydrogen Sensor” Sensors and Actuators B, 2007. 123(1), P. 277-282
- “Response to Hydrogen of a metal/AlN/Si thin film structure: effects of composition and structure of a combination Pd-Cr gate” Sensors and Actuators B, 2006. 113(2): p. 843-851
- Linfeng Zhang, Xingguo Xiong, Junling Hu, Developing a new graduate program in sustainable energy engineering, 2010 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Louisville, KY, 2010, accepted
- Linfeng Zhang, I. Al-Homoudi, M. H. Rahman, E. F. McCullen, L. Rimai, R. Baird, R. Naik, G. W. Auner, K.Y.S. Ng “Stabilized Pd-alloy/AlN/Si Hydrogen Sensor” 2005 MRS Spring Meeting, San Francisco, CA, March 28-April 1, 2005
- Linfeng Zhang, E. F. McCullen, L. Rimai, R. Naik, G. W. Auner, K.Y. S. Ng, “Performance of a MIS Type Pd-Cr/AlN/Si Hydrogen Sensor” 2004 MRS Fall Meeting Proceedings A 5.4.1-A 5.4.5
- I. Al-Homoudi, Linfeng Zhang, E. F. McCullen, L. Rimai, R. Naik, K.Y.S. Ng, G.W. Auner, “Fabrication of Anatase TiO2 thin film using pulsed DC magnetron sputtering” 2004 MRS Fall Meeting Proceedings FF3.20.1-FF3.20.6
- L. Zhang, E. F. McCullen, L. Rimai, R. Naik, G. W. Auner, K. Y. S. Ng, “Pd/Cr Gates for a MIS Type Hydrogen Sensor” 2004 AIChE Annual Meeting Proceedings
- L. Rimai, M.H. Rahman, E.F. McCullen, L. Zhang, R. Naik, G. M. Newaz, K.Y.S. Ng, G.W. Auner “The Electrical Behavior of Pd/AlN/Semiconductor Thin Film Hydrogen Sensing Structures” 2004 MRS Spring Meeting Proceedings J5.7.1-M.H. Rahman, L. Zhang, I. Al-Homoudi, E.F. McCullen, L. Rimai, R. Naik, K.Y.S. Ng, R.J.Baird, G. Auner “Effect of Substrate Materials on the Electrical Behavior of Pd/AlN/Semiconductor Based Hydrogen Sensors”, 2005 MRS Spring Meeting, San Francisco, CA, March 28-April 1, 2005
- L. Zhang, E. F. McCullen, L. Rimai, R. Naik, G. W. Auner, K. Y. S. Ng “Performance of a MIS Type Pd-Cr/AlN/Si Hydrogen Sensor” 2004 MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, Nov.29-Dec. 3, 2004 (Poster Session)
- L. Zhang, E. F. McCullen, L. Rimai, R. Baird, R. Naik, G. W. Auner, K. Y. S. Ng “Stable Pd-Cr gates of a MIS Type Hydrogen Sensors” 31st Annual Spring Symposium AVS-MI, Detroit, MI, May 17, 2004
- L. Zhang, E. F. McCullen, W. Mo, L. Rimai, R. Naik, G. W. Auner, K. Y. S. Ng “The Electrical Characteristics and Hydrogen Response of a Pd/AlN/Si Thin Film Gas Sensor” 2003 AIChE Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, November 16-21, 2003