Energy Frontiers Laboratory
Research conducted in the Energy Frontiers Laboratory (EFL) is multidisciplinary nature. It encompasses a research program in which colleagues from Engineering, Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Physics collaborate.
Our graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and research associates are all exposed to this unique research environment. We believe that cross training of the senior researchers, including partners, is as important as students. Academic people must learn to work in synergistic matrices internally and with industry. This means cross training in disciplines beyond one's own.
In our matrix, 10 per cent of one's time is spent on "training" others for the full benefits of the multidisciplinary approach to our work. One of the major benefits for our industrial partners is the possibility first to train and then employ graduate students/PDFs working on the projects.
Research conducted in the EFL is focused on the following five areas:
- Reduction of Environmental Impacts of Energy Technology
- Supercritical Fluid Technology
- Biomass Conversion to Hydrogen and Biofuels
- Metallic Nano-fuels for Mars Exploration
- Immune Buildings (destruction of hazardous chemicals and biological agents).
The main equipment in the lab in the NASA Supercritical Test Facility. It's a multi-million-dollar equipment designed and manufactured by NASA. It's the only research equipment of this type in the world. This facility is also coupled with a Diamond Anvil Cell and shares analytical equipment with the Environmental Catalysis Laboratory.
NASA – SCW Reactor - designed to study reactions in supercritical fluids
Diamond Anvil Cell
