Research Projects

The global consumption of non-renewable energy resources has led to environmental impacts such as acid rain, stratospheric ozone depletion, and global climate change. To address these issues, emerging technologies are being employed to produce clean, environmentally friendly, renewable, and cost-effective alternative energy sources. Hydrogen energy systems are one such solution, playing a significant role as an eco-friendly and sustainable fuel. Microfluidic devices can be used for renewable energy conversion, such as solar to chemical (e.g., H2) energy, to meet global energy demand. This work proposes designing and fabricating a micro reactor using soft lithography process and inserting thin metal electrodes into the microchannel. Basic alcohol solutions or pure water will be used for electrolysis, producing green or gray hydrogen depending on the electrolyte and technology adopted. Alkaline alcohol solution electrolysis requires lower reaction potentials than PEM style or industrial type alkaline water electrolysis, making it suitable for fast start-up and shut-down operations. Green hydrogen has significantly lower carbon emissions than grey hydrogen but is low due to high production costs. The project aims to choose a suitable electrolyte after thorough investigation, varying the properties of the electrolyte, and observing the performance of the microreactor. Advanced materials and electroplating will be used for better performance. A gas chromatography device will be used to ensure quality hydrogen production. The solar energy to hydrogen energy conversion ratio for different electrode types, electrode distances, and electrolyte solutions will be calculated, and a prototype of a device will be proposed to produce hydrogen gas efficiently at low cost.