RESEARCH
Sponsors
U.S. National Science Foundation
U.S. Department of Energy
U.S. Army Research Laboratory
Tennessee Valley Authority
Mississippi State University
Research Interests
Reactor design, modeling and testing for high-temperature thermochemical fuel production and energy storage (e.g., “solar fuels” and “solar electricity”)
Multiscale modeling of reaction-transport coupling in reactive materials, structures and solar reactors
Thermal-mechanical stress and creep-fatigue analysis for high-temperature solar receivers
Low-temperature thermal/thermochemical energy storage (TES/TCES) in buildings
Thermal management of high-power structures/devices (e.g., batteries, metal foams) and systems (e.g., electric vehicles, heat exchangers)
Lattice Boltzmann method for complex flows and heat mass transfer
Phase field-lattice Boltzmann method (PFM/LBM) for crystal/dendritic growth
PFM/LBM modeling of additive manufacturing processes
Current Projects
Thermochemical Energy Storage Reactor Design and Demonstration to Accommodate Renewable Energy Intermittency (2023-2024)
Funding: Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), $150,000
Role: PI
RII Track-4: Understanding Reaction-Transport Coupling in High-Temperature Thermochemical Energy Storage Systems (2021-2023)
Funding: U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), $168,062
Role: PI
Light Trapping, Enclosed Planar-Cavity Receiver for Heating Particles to Enable Low-Cost Energy Storage and Chemical Processes (2022 - 2025)
Collaboration with National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL, lead), Purdue University, Heliogen, Alumina Energy, Colorado School of Mines, and King Saud University
Funding: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO-21 Program), $3.75 million total, $632,333 to MSU
Role: Co-PI; MSU PI
Enhancing Particle-to-sCO2 Heat Exchanger Effectiveness through Novel High-porosity Metallic Foams (2021-2022)
Collaboration with Sandia National Labs and National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL)
Funding: Department of Energy (DOE) SETO-20 Program, $375,000 (MSU as lead)
Role: Co-PI
Solid-State Solar Thermochemical Fuel for Long Duration Storage (2020-2023)
Collaboration with Michigan State (lead), Oregon State, and Purdue University Northwest
Funding: Department of Energy (DOE) SETO-19 Program, $2.5 million total , $375,000 to MSU
Role: Co-PI; MSU PI
Development of Lattice Boltzmann-Based Modeling Frameworks for Thermal-Fluids Systems with Applications in
High-Temperature Thermochemical Energy Storage for Concentrating Solar Power (CSP);
Low-Temperature Thermal Energy Storage for Residential and Commercial Buildings;
Directional Solidification and Dendritic Growth Manipulation in Lithium Metal Batteries and Additive Manufacturing (AM);
Prediction of Effective Transport Properties of Porous Structures;
Understanding the Coupling between Non-equilibrium Transport Phenomena and Chemical Reactions.
Funding: MSU Start-up Fund
Role: PI
Completed Projects
Carbon Dioxide Shuttling Thermochemical Storage Using Strontium Carbonate (2014-2015)
Funding: DOE SunShot Initiative, $494,500
Role: Co-PI
Dynamic Natural Convection-Passive Cooling for the LWR Fleet (2019-2021)
Collaboration with NuVision Engineering Inc.
Funding: Department of Energy (DOE), $3.75 million to NuVision Engineering total , $550,275 to MSU
Role: Co-PI
Develop an Initial Welding-based AM Theoretical Constitutive Model Framework for Inconel 718 and 250 Maraging Steel (2020 – 2021)
Funding: U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL), $250,064
Role: Co-PI
Design of Additively Manufactured Metal-Foam Structures for Energy Storage in Buildings (2020 - 2021)
Funding: Mississippi State University (MSU) Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED), $2,000
Role: PI