Author: Graham, Barbara

Key Research Projects
Environmentally clean energy systems
Solar thermal power
Photovoltaics
Concentrating solar power
Energy storage (phase change materials, thermal storage, batteries, supercapacitors)
Photocatalytic detoxification/disinfection technologies
Hydrogen production and solid state storage
New efficient thermodynamic cycles
Solar energy conversion via rectifying antennae
Biomass conversion/biofuels

Clean Energy News

University of South Florida

Summer 2014

Concentrating Solar Thermal Power Plant

To reduce the cost of energy storage, major efforts are being directed towards the use of encapsulated phase change materials to be incorporated in concentrating solar power (CSP) plants to increase the capacity factor and address utility load requirements. Being able to save the energy collected from the sun, is a game changer, and phase change materials are seen as the next frontier in solar and other renewable energy.
With funding from federal and private industries, the CERC has built a CSP plant on the USF/Tampa campus. This concentrating solar thermal pilot power plant can produce 50 kW of electricity. The collected solar energy is translated into thermal heat which is stored in phase change materials, which are also under development at the CERC. The plant will be used for continued research and student hands-on education.

Low Cost Novel Smart Material

CERC desearchers have developed a low cost novel smart material that changes color rapidly without any external energy stimulus. Windows are responsible for 30% of the heating and cooling loads in buildings. Thin film coatings on glass with color change capabilities would reduce energy consumption by reflecting unwanted radiation and transmitting needed radiation during daylight hours. Currently, available chromic windows cost $15/ft2 with an additional $5/ ft2 to $10/ ft2 for periodic maintenance. Due to high costs, smart windows using electrochromic, liquid crystal, and photochromic technologies have not been commercially popular. It is estimated that the market for smart glass will grow at a rate of 30% annually therefore an opportunity exists for a company that can produce a chromatic device that is both effective and less expensive.

Phase Change Materials

FLEX House

Currently, CSP power plants use sensible heat storage systems based on synthetic oil or molten salts, which need large amounts of materials and therefore large tanks making the systems very expensive. Use of phase change materials (PCMs) provides the advantage of much larger specific storage capacity reducing the cost of the material and the storage tanks. PCMs have some drawbacks, most important of which are low thermal conductivity, and large volume changes during phase transition. Moreover, some PCMs, such as salts, are highly corrosive, especially at high temperatures. One of the promising ways to solve these problems is to encapsulate the PCM and use it in a packed bed heat exchanger. Macro-encapsulation of the PCM also helps in the separation of the PCM from other fluids where needed, increases the heat transfer rate by improving the surface area to volume ratio and provides a self-supporting structure for the PCM in molten state. We have introduced a number of innovations resulting in macro capsules of PCMs that take care of all of these concerns. The goal is high temperature thermal storage for power plant application by developing very high temperature (300-10000 C) thermal storage in PCM contained in ceramic or metal preformed structures. These salt filled balls can turn water into steam which powers turbines producing electricity.

Clean Energy News

FLEX HOUSE

Photocatalytic Detoxification and Disinfection

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evaluate the emerging natural gas based technologies. Towards this, gas heat hump systems will be tested in DeBary and Plant City, public buildings Santa Rosa Beach

VOCs are prepared (for H2O disinfection (above); TIO2 filter for closed air loop (right).

Supercapacitors and Rectifying Antennae (“Rectenna”)

Solar Energy Harvesting and GHz Detection with Nanoantennas. Developing a rectenna, nanotenna and rectifier (diode) that can operate at the 30 GHz range.

Field Testing of Gas Heat Pump

The development of photocatalysts and photocatalytic reactors for cleaning contaminated water and air are two of the objectives of this research. Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) filters, captures and oxidizes volatile organic compounds when inserted in closed air loop or within water

Developed by Prof. Yogi Goswami, the “Goswami Cycle” recovers waste heat and translates it into electricity (left); A specially designed closed loop air conditioning/heating vent to test photocatalytic detoxification of indoor air (right).

Clean Energy Research Center
College of Engineering
4202 E. Fowler Avenue
Mail Stop ENB 118
Tampa, FL 33620
Phone: 813-974-7322
Fax: 813-974-2050

Florida has no substantial indigenous supply of fossil fuels but we do have solar and biomass resources. The Clean Energy Research Center (CERC) at the University of South Florida pursues R+D of new/environmentally clean energy systems, such as, solar thermal power, photovoltaics, concentrating solar power, energy storage (phase change materials, thermal storage, batteries, supercapacitors), photocatalytic detoxification/disinfection technologies, hydrogen production and solid state storage, new efficient thermodynamic cycles, solar energy conversion/rectifying antenna (rectenna), and biomass conversion/biofuels. http://cerc.eng.usf.edu/

Clean Energy is Green Energy

For more information contract CERC Directors:
Prof. Elias K. Stefanakos estefana@usf.edu
Prof. Yogi Goswami goswami@usf.edu

Student Activities
Poster Winners: Two of CERC’s Ph.D. candidates won prizes for best poster at the 2014 USF Research One, an event which showcases excellence in graduate student research.
Tanvir Alam, Jaspreet Dhau, and Yogi Goswami: “Encapsulating Phase Change Materials: Application in Thermal Energy Storage for Concentrating Solar Power Plants.”
Saumya Sharma, Elias K. Stefanakos, J. Zhou, and Yogi Goswami: “Narrowband Infrared Emitter for Energy Harvesting Applications.”
Student Group: In 2014, CERC graduate students formed “ ISES POWER at USF” a student group of the Int’l Solar Energy Society, to educate and pursue solar energy interest campus- and community-wide. They earned USF’s “Outstanding New Student Organization” recognizing the group’s rapid growth and its ongoing outreach .
Solar Award: Rachana Vidhi, CERC Ph.D. Candidate, was awarded the American Solar Energy Society’s (ASES) John and Barbara Yellott Award (2014) for her work on supercritical Rankine cycles for low temperature power generation.

Solar Scholarship Winner: Jamie Trahan, CERC Ph.D. candidate, was honored as the first recipient of the “Johnnny Weiss Scholarship” from Solar Energy International, who’s empowering mission is to teach sustainable energy practices. The scholarship gave Trahan the opportunity to take hands-on-training in photovoltaic systems in Paonia, Colorado, in June.

She has also garnered the 2014 “Outstanding Teaching Assistant of the Year” from USF’s student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

Photovoltaic Car Port:
Energy for Campus

Developing effective hydrogen storage in solid state materials (metals, polymers) is the primary objective.

http://cerc.eng.usf.edu/

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CERC is a leader in innovative energy systems paving the way for alternative energy strategies, improving energy efficiences, and expanding the economic development for Florida.
CERC’s 20,000 watt solar photovoltaic electric charging station was the nation’s first for charging electric vehicles, in 1995.
In 2012, the PV carport was upgraded with modern panels and state of the art inverters.

“To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or quote from the story here.”

Inside this issue:

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Photocatalytic Detoxification and Disinfection for Indoor Air and Water

. Yogi Goswami
Fellow, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), 2013.
Technical Communities Globalization Medal, (ASME) 2013.
Srinivasan, S., Niemann, M.U., Goswami, D.Y., and Stefanakos, E.K. (2013) “Method of Generating Hydrogen-Storing Hydride Complexes”, US Patent number 8,440100 (May 14, 2013).
Int’l Scientific Committee, Solar World Congress 2013, ISES, Cancún, México.
Int’l Scientific Committee, SolarPACES Conference, IEA, Las Vegas, NV, 2013.
Elias K. Stefanakos
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Power and Energy Engineering, Scientific Research Publishing. (2014)
Editorial Board Member, The Scientific World Journal, Hindawi Publishing Corp.
Int’l Scientific Committee, Solar World Congress 2013, ISES, Cancún, México.