Featured Projects
Development of New Nanomaterials for Solar Energy Applications
The global demand for energy is increasing and researchers are turning to renewable sources of energy to meet this demand. Amongst the possible renewable sources of energy, solar energy continues to fascinate the scientific community and is used in various fields such as photoluminescence, photovoltaics and photochromic electronic devices. The applications of solar energy have been made possible due to the remarkable photochemical, physicochemical and electrochemical properties of nanomaterials. Therefore, this research project focuses on the design, development and usage of nanostructured materials in the field of solar energy and investigates the overall enhancement of solar energy conversion.
Phase Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage
Thermal energy storage (TES) is very important in many engineering applications as it converts heat energy to other forms of energy, such as electrical energy. Phase change material (PCM), widely used in TES, is a substance that can release and absorb heat energy at nearly constant temperatures by changing its state. This research project aims to focus on the synthesis, refinement and characterisation of PCM as well as to identify the types of PCM that can be used to improve TES.
Development and Optimisation of Renewable Energy Technology
Solar energy, a constant renewable source of energy that can generate heat and electricity, has the potential to meet long-term global demand for energy. However, the main drawback of using solar energy is its inefficient conversion rate. This research project aims to enhance the efficiency rate of solar energy conversion, by improving the conversion rate of PV/T hybrid systems, without elevating the costs associated with solar energy technology. The research project proposes to adopt a smart mechanical and thermal design for the solar energy collector and use nanotechnology (nanofluid) as an efficient coolant and optical filter.
Advanced Heat Transfer Fluids
Oils and coolants are used as heat transfer mediums in various industries including renewable energy, thermal power stations, nuclear cooling, transportation, aerospace and manufacturing. These conventional oils and coolants suffer from poor thermal conductivity and suboptimal heating/cooling is a major problem in these industries. This research project focuses on the synthesis, thermo-physical characterisation, computational fluid dynamics and application studies of nanofluids and nanolubricants in improving thermal conductivity. This research project is also engaged in interdisciplinary research in heat transfer by combining nanotechnology, fluid mechanics, tribology, biotechnology and other fundamental sciences.
Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage
Electrochemical energy conversion is the process of converting energy from one form to another using an electrochemical reaction. This process is used in a variety of applications, such as batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitor, and electrolyzers. In batteries, chemical energy is converted into electrical energy, while in fuel cells, electrical energy is converted into chemical energy. In electrolysis, electrical energy is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Electrochemical energy conversion is an efficient and cost-effective way to store and use energy. Therefore, in energy storage system, advanced nanomaterials have been highly anticipated working as the electrocatalyst to conduct various reactions such as methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR), or any direct liquid fuel cells oxidation reaction, and other vital reactions are hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Our group has also started to explore the production of green hydrogen from water electrolysis by developing the electrocatalyst from using cheap and abundance transition materials and synthesis method as an innovation strategy for changes in the structure of materials to increase the number of active sites and provide affluent mass diffusion routes to improve electrochemical performance.
