Research Experiences

The goals of this research project were to characterize two compounds, PdCu and PtCu, in their ability to catalyze wood smoke pollutants. This REU took place over the summer of 2022, which was the summer between my first and second year of college. When I initially began work on this project, I had some experience with MATLAB and excel from my GCSP Stipend experience, but I had almost no experience with chemistry of catalysis. Although I was very new to this field of study, my faculty mentor, program leaders, and PhD students in the lab were very helpful in getting me onboard. 

This research project is related to the sustainability theme because the goal of the project is to improve air quality by filtering and converting out harmful pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, and hydrocarbons. These pollutants can cause many lung problems for those using indoor wood-burning stoves. Furthermore, nitrous oxide emissions can react with ozone in the atmosphere to form photochemical smog, which greatly decreases air quality. There is also a climate change perspective, since one of the pollutants of wood burning stoves is black carbon, which has an enourmous warming impact on the climate compared to CO2. 

I began my research internship with a literature review, which was a critical part of the program for me. The literature review experience in an in-depth field like this allowed me to put together piece by piece what we were trying to accomplish in this project and how it should be done. It allowed me to see what other researchers in the field were doing, and, most importantly, how my project was relevant to the field. 

One of the challenges with very focused work like this, especially for me, is the idea of whether or not the work is making a difference. In the beginning, it seemed like this hyperfocused topic was mainly to find the theoretical properties of the materials towards a very specific use. It seemed like the project did not have much merit the more I learned about the overall topic, because PtCu and PdCu are most commonly used as Diesel Oxidation Catalysts and would not be the best choice to convert wood stove emissions due to their potential toxicity and high cost. Towards the end of the project, though, I realized that the direct applications of the research was not necessarily as important as I initially thought. The fact that the research was being done at all was the most important thing.

The final results of this research essentially showed that PdCu and PtCu catalysts would not perform as well as cheaper, more sustainable alternatives. Although the research findings did not support the initial expectations the project was based on, it did give a very valuable piece of information: these catalysts would not really work for wood smoke. This is valuable because, with further research, it could inform those designing catalytic converter systems, saving them the task of running their own studies on the effectiveness of these materials. Even more importantly, the tests highlighted some interesting material properties and relationships, which, through further testing, might allow researchers to diagnose these problems and improve the formulations, or apply the material for other uses.

This project was very valuable to my professional development. It helped me get a better sense of why research is done and understand my future goals in terms of graduate school. In addition, I greatly improved my data analysis skills in programs like MATLAB and Excel, and learned how to design, troubleshoot, and operate various testing rigs in the lab. This research also helped me define my interest in sustainability to focus more on the thermodynamics/physics sides in energy engineering, rather than the chemistry side of engineering. 

For more information on this project, please see my poster and final report below.

The initial goals of this research project were to develop a greater understanding of the drinking water needs of the homeless population in Phoenix and to analyze how a proposed method of meeting this need through a system to clean and refill reusable water bottles compares to the common single use water bottle drive approach. Throughout the semester, the goals were refined as more research was done both through this specific stipend project and from findings from the rest of the research group. Additionally, time and planning constraints lead to various reassessments of the scope of the research project.

This research project is related to the sustainability theme because it involved analysis of greenhouse gas equivalent emissions of two approaches to providing hydration. This analysis stemmed from predicting potential power demands for the system, and calculating energy used over time for various scenarios. This was compared to information about equivalent greenhouse gas emissions generated by the production and distribution of single-use bottles. Furthermore, financial analysis was done to determine financial feasibility. Analysis was done in MATLAB and Excel.

One of the main obstacles that I had not anticipated at the beginning of the research project was the challenge of acquiring data needed for the analysis. Acquiring data for this research project was a challenge because this project is more of an entrepreneurial and product development type of project. A significant portion of the time was spent reaching out to stakeholders. I would get in touch with one person who would connect me with another, following this chain until I found the data needed. Furthermore, my initial plans to complete an IRB-approved survey of shelters and unhoused individuals regarding the proposed system were not fulfilled because I did not apply for IRB approval soon enough. 

Because of these difficulties in acquiring data, I pivoted my research project to focus more on the development of a mathematical model and analysis methodology in MATLAB which would compute financial and environmental feasibility given concrete data. I also had to make certain assumptions in my analysis based on missing information in the data. Because of the uncertain nature of this data, I also plan to program the model to compare multiple scenarios given different hypothetical data values. 

Aside from these setbacks, I believe this project was successful because I was able to define a methodology with which to analyze the feasibility of the system to help the team see the potential financial and environmental impacts before the system is implemented. The results show that the primary driver in both GHG emissions and costs is the number of reusable bottles purchased, and the amount of times both the reusable bottles and the single-use bottles are reused. The proposed machine itself has a very low impact compared to the single-use and reusable bottles. The next United Way drive is planned to take place this summer, with a goal to donate 1 million bottles. With the connections I have built through this research project, I plan to continue refining the model and acquiring better data to create a more comprehensive understanding of the process. Over the summer, I plan to use the model that I have built this semester to more accurately predict the impact of the proposed solution. I also plan to modify the model to account for the impact of reusable bottles, which will help tell the complete story.

Overall, my stipend experience was incredibly valuable to my development as an engineering student, researcher, and problem solver. I learned a lot about time management, communication with others, and the mindset needed to develop a new product. I’ve learned that, with a project like this, the most important part is to keep working after the initial excitement of the idea. Successfully implementing this project will require more time than a single semester, but this semester has been pivotal in creating a foundation to build upon over the next few years. I am very grateful for my faculty mentor, Dr. Steven Trimble, for his insight, compassion, and guidance to keep the team motivated and the project on track. I am also grateful for the wonderful experience of working with inspiring people like Mary Contreras and Kelli Fawcett at United Way. This experience also built the foundation for me to continue my research journey at through my REU internship at Oregon State University. I look forward to continuing work on this project and building on my GCSP Stipend experience throughout my undergraduate career. 

For more information, please read my poster below.