Harnessing Energy and the Environment

1. There will be a fold here There will be a fold here There will be a fold here There will be a fold here Clean Energy Research CenterUniversity of South Florida, College of Engineering4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620 http://cerc.usf.edu Harnessing Energy and the Environment Our Research Mission Statement The Clean Energy Research Center’s (CERC) mission is scientific research, technical and infrastructure development and information transfer. CERC is involved in fundamental investigations into new environmentally clean energy sources and systems: hydrogen, fuels cells, solar energy and energy conversion and biomass. For more information please visit http://cerc.eng.usf.edu. Solar Thermal Power Generation Antenna Solar Energy Conversion • More than 93% of solar energy may be theoretically converted to mechanical work by thermodynamic cycles • Solar energy can be converted to electricity using Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants that convert the solar energy to thermal energy or heat and then to electricity. • CSP Plants use optical concentration devices to enable thermal conversion at high solar flux and with relatively little heat loss. • The thermal energy is stored using various materials, transferred using a fluid and used to drive a turbine that is connected to the generator. • Nanoantennas can take in energy from both sunlight and the earth's heat with higher efficiency than conventional solar cells. • Because of their size, nanoantennasabsorb energy in the infrared part of the spectrum, just outside the range of what is visible to the eye. Dr. Elias Stefanakos, Director Dr. Yogi. D. Goswami, Co-Director • Renewable energy is energy that comes from naturally replenished natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat. • It is important for countries such as the United States, to move away from dependency on foreign oil and to use energy resources that are clean and readily available. • Renewable energy doesn’t contribute to acid rain or snow, global climate change, smog, regional haze, mercury contamination, water withdrawal, and particulate-related health effects. Accomplishments • Antennas operating at millimeter wavelength and infrared frequencies are under development at CERC. • Thermal Energy Storage materials and novel Heat Transfer Fluids are being developed for a large scale (100 kW) solar power plant at USF. Photovoltaic (PV) Thin Film Technology • The direct conversion of solar energy to electricity can be achieved by photovoltaic cells in concentrated solar power systems. Thin film PV is emerging as a leading contender for next-generation green power production. • Thin films of special photovoltaic material can produce solar cells with relatively high conversion efficiencies using less material than other technologies. Some Facts about Renewable Energy • If it could be properly harnessed, enough sunlight falls on the earth in just one hour to meet world energy demands for a whole year! • A 1-kilowatt home solar system will prevent approximately 170 lbs. of coal from being burned, 300 pounds of Carbon dioxide (CO2) from being released into the atmosphere and 105 gallons of water from being consumed each month! • Unlike most other electricity generation sources, wind turbines don’t consume water. • Globally, the long-term technical potential of wind energy is believed to be five times total current global energy production, or 40 times current electricity demand. • About 81 per cent of total primary energy supply in Iceland is derived from domestically-produced renewable energy sources. Combined Power/Cooling Thermodynamic Cycle • A novel thermodynamic cycle for combined power and cooling has been developed and patented by CERC Co-Director, Dr. Yogi Goswami. • This novel cycle can provide power output as well as refrigeration with power generation as a primary goal. • The cycle can achieve high thermal efficiencies for low heat source temperatures which can be obtained easily from geothermal sources, flat plate and low concentration solar collector, and waste heat from other cycles. • New thin film materials and deposition approaches are being developed at CERC. Photocatalytic Bacteria Destruction in Water and Air • According to UNICEF, nearly 6,000 people die each day due to water related illnesses. • Photocatalysisis catalysis under light irradiation. • The light reacts with the photocatalyst to produce hydroxyl radicals that rapidly destroy the chemical bonds of the contaminant. This method destroys the contaminant millions of times faster than traditional oxidants such as oxygen or ozone.   Hydrogen Storage in Metal Hydrides and Complex Hydrides • Hydrogen is a clean fuel that can be derived from renewable sources. • Being the lightest element, hydrogen is very difficult to store. The first 20,000W solar charging station in the world was developed at USF • CERC’s research will develop various efficient solid-state hydrogen storage materials that act as a sponge to absorb and release hydrogen. • CERC is currently researching methods to produce an efficient photocatalyst capable of utilizing solar energy. For more information on clean energy, you can visit RivoltaIsigo vehicle converted by CERC to electric