Welcome to the ACPA Seminar Series, a monthly webinar series including various topics of interest related to advancing the Chemical Profession in Alberta. For the next seminar in this series, we are happy to introduce Daniel Sikstrom for 'Developing Sustainable Clean Energy Solutions with Batteries and Fuel Cell Technology' on February 27, 2024. Each seminar will be eligible for 1 PDC credit.
The development of energy storage and conversion systems has become more essential with the rapidly changing global economy at the cost of environmental pollution from fossil fuel combustion. Battery demand is on the rise around the globe, primarily resulting from the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions considering potential electric vehicles (EVs) and battery chemistry developments. Lithium-ion batteries are currently the dominant energy storage technology that has transformed the global market. However, this technology is too expensive for long-term storage, fast charging capabilities, and poses several safety concerns. In this presentation we will describe several different battery technologies, such as lithium, sodium, lithium-sulfur, and flow batteries, that may lead to safer and cheaper batteries for the grid storage and EVs.
Energy conversion technologies such as fuel cells are also attracting a great deal of attention. Solid oxide fuel cells one among them use a highly efficient chemical-to-electrical energy conversion process to convert oxygen and hydrogen into electricity and water. Current solid oxide fuel cells operate at high temperatures (> 800 °C), however, at such conditions degradation of the cell components (anode, cathode, and electrolyte) are greatly accelerated. Operating at intermediate temperatures (600 – 800 °C) results in sluggish kinetics for the oxygen reduction reaction at the cathode compartment, lowering the overall cell voltage and performance. In this presentation we will review technologies to address these challenges and will focus on the development of advanced materials, specifically perovskites and double-perovskites, as cathodes and electrolytes with superior performance for use in the next generation of intermediate temperature - solid oxide fuel cells.
Agenda
6:45 - 6:59 PM MT - Networking
7:00 - 8:00 PM MT - Presentation and Q&A
Speaker
Daniel Sikstrom
Daniel Sikstrom has conducted 2 years of undergraduate research and is now in his first year of graduate studies, all of which has taken place at the University of Calgary under the supervision of Dr. Thangadurai. His research focuses on the development of advanced materials/design for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells which can provide clean and continuous, grid scale power fueled by hydrogen.
As an undergraduate, Daniel received the PURE scholarship, IDEAS fund, and the Sustainability Award at the Undergraduate Research Symposium from the University of Calgary. He has traveled to Boston Massachusetts to present his research at the 18th International Symposium on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells and Detroit Michigan to learn at the Nissan Technical Center North America.
Registration
Admission: FREE
Registration Deadline: February 26, 2024
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
If you have questions, contact the ACPA office at [email protected].