The United States consumed 97.7 quadrillion BTUs of energy in 2017, of which 68 percent was rejected as waste heat. Conventional therlectric generators use solid-state inorganic components which have coupled ion and thermal conductivities ultimately limiting device performance. My project seeks to develop an alternative thermogalvanic generator based on electroactive organic molecules and redox flow battery (RFB) architectures. This approach offers the opportunity to decouple ion and thermal conductivity while maintaining durability, safety, and scalability. To that end, my research efforts will include prototyping a thermogalvanic flow cell with redox-active organic molecules, modeling the system using a techno-economic analysis, and optimizing the system to reduce cost.

My research in the Brushett group has exposed me to a wide array of electrochemistry and energy storage technologies. This SuperUROP project will allow me to more thoroughly develop my research skills. I’ m excited to create new technology and contribute to improving energy efficiency. In doing so, I will learn about materials development, energy economics, and system modeling.