Engineering

Presented by: Dr. Shahrzad Rahmani, Postdoctoral Researcher, WSU

 Abstract: The field of electrochemical applications has witnessed significant advancements in recent years, and the development of designed polymer nanocomposites has played a crucial role in driving these advancements. In this presentation, I will provide a brief overview of the…

At the heart of the transition to a zero-carbon power system is a technological paradigm shift from conventional generation to renewable generation connected to the grid via power electronics. In this context, the literature and public debate mostly focus on the variability and intermittency of renewable generation and loss of machine inertia. At the same time, the rapid and massive integration of power electronics and renewables results in significantly different power system dynamics and challenges standard operating, control, and analysis paradigms. This talk will focus on a universal grid-forming control paradigm that is compatible with a wide range of emerging and legacy power generation, conversion, and transmission technologies and enables rigorous end-to-end stability analysis of tomorrow’s complex power system dynamics. The talk will conclude with a brief discussion of challenges in control and stability analysis that need to be resolved to enable reliable and resilient zero-carbon power systems.

Over the last decade, nanotechnology has demonstrated great potential in contributing to durable and environmentally friendly concrete. This talk starts from a patented technology in which the value of coal fly ash was unlocked using a novel nano-sized material, graphene oxide (GO). This technology hinges on the use of GO in the waterglass activated fly ash to produce a “greener” cementitious binder, geopolymer.

Ubiquitous sensors are becoming an integral part of Internet of Things (IoT) applications, and progress in this domain has witnessed exponential growth. The promise is that everyone and everything will be connected via wireless data collection, and services like healthcare will be brought to everyone, everywhere, anytime, for virtually any need.

Motivated by climate change and its recognized impact on the infrastructure, environment and human health, the Biden Administration has set an ambitious goal of getting to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Getting to net-zero emissions is a game changer for our society and has impacts on the long-term planning for all sectors of the economy. Bulk power grid decarbonization and electrification of transport have been identified as first priorities to meet those goals.

Chemical reactions lie at the heart of processes designed to meet our growing energy and material needs. The first step towards designing and optimizing chemical reactions involves identification of underlying mechanisms and quantification of rates. Quantum chemistry methods along with theories such as transition state theory (TST) are indispensable for this purpose and have played a pivotal role in elucidating mechanisms in recent decades.