Gordon A. and Mary Cain Department of Chemical Engineering
Fall 2000 |
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Fall 2000 Departmental Distinguished Seminar Series
A professor of Chemical Engineering at the
University of Connecticut, Dr. Fenton is currently conducting a study to
develop fuel cell membranes that will be conducive to high temperatures while
retaining fuel integrity and keeping costs down. The applicability of this
particular kind of fuel cell would reduce the release of carbon monoxide,
and therefore, cut down on air pollution. Dr. Fenton's visit was hosted by
Dr. Elizabeth Podlaha.
David
Venerus
Dr. Venerus and his colleagues at the Illinois
Institute of Technology are looking at the lesser-known thermal properties
of polymers at rest and during deformation. Using methods analogous to optic
techniques, such as Forced Rayleigh Scattering, they have developed a method
to measure the thermal diffusivity in deforming polymers. Dr. Venerus' visit
was hosted by Dr. Carl Knopf.
Ronald
Kander
In the search for new energy sources, proton
exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are being developed for use in cars and
buses, and even in block-type thermal power stations. Dr. Kander and others
at Virginia Tech University are looking at four challenges in PEM fuel cell
research: long-term environmental durability of PEMs, the development of
sensors to monitor PEM aging, and improvment of power-to-weight efficiency
and corrosion resistance of fuel cell assemblies. Dr. Kander's visit was
hosted by Dr. Kerry Dooley.
Erich
Müller
The head of the applied thermodynamics group
at Simon Bolivar University in Caracas, Venezuela, Dr. Müller presented
a novel algorithm for evaluating phase equilibria of multicomponent systems,
using simple isotonic potential functions. He says that the low-cost availability
of parallel computers and simplified intermolecular potentials allow for
quantitative prediction of phase equilibria for industrially relevant systems.
Dr. Müller's visit was hosted by Dr. Carl Knopf.
Wilma
Subra
President of Subra Company, Inc., Ms. Subra
represents the interests and concerns of the grassroots environmental community
at the local, state, and national levels. Ms. Subra spoke about efforts in
communities in Louisiana and Texas, to educate the citizens and organizations
about analyzing pollution data. She says that these efforts have brought
about increase inspections and surveillance of the polluting industries in
those communities. Ms. Subra's visit was hosted by Dr. Ralph
Pike.
John
Walz Dr. Walz described a force-balance model that he and fellow researchers at Yale University developed, to determine the effect of nonadsorbing polyelectrolytes on the stability of a dispersion of like-charged colloidal particles. This research is looking extensively into the effects of a nonadsorbing charged species; about which very little is known, but its significance as a system involving such interparticle interaction is both found in nature and used in industry. Dr. Walz' visit was hosted by Dr. Carl Knopf.
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