Principal Investigator (PI)
Ana Flavia Nogueira – UNICAMP – Institute of Chemistry – anafla@unicamp.br
Co-PI
Mateus Giesbrecht – UNICAMP
Meet all the members of the division.
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The Energy Generation research division encompasses several multidisciplinary development and innovation projects in the areas of solar and wind energy.
In the field of solar energy, the program prioritizes perovskite solar cells, seeking to improve their efficiency and durability to meet the growing demand of the Brazilian photovoltaic market. With regard to wind energy projects, the focus is on offshore generation, with the aim of improving the reliability and efficiency of wind generating units.
To advance perovskite solar cell technology, the division covers everything from fundamental studies of this new class of semiconductors to challenges such as scaling up the technology to larger substrates and ensuring stability under environmental conditions.
Improving the reliability and efficiency of wind generating units will be achieved through advanced converter control techniques and the development of automatic fault diagnosis methods, involving artificial intelligence techniques. Robust simulation models will also be developed that will allow the optimization of critical components for operations on floating platforms, which will result in cost reduction and increased energy efficiency of wind energy generating units in the offshore environment.
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See the publication list of the division.
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Projects
Project leader:
Ana Flávia Nogueira (UNICAMP)
Objective:
- Study of optoelectronic properties of perovskites by advanced characterization techniques seeking higher performance and longer durability;
- Preparation of new and more stable molecules and materials aimed at the upscaling of perovskite photovoltaic devices able to withstand harsh climatic conditions.
Benefits:
- Higher efficiency than polycrystalline silicon solar cells;
- Better light harvesting over a wider range compared to silicon, which allows devices with smaller areas and still high efficiency;
- Perovskite solar cells may be assembled by cheaper production processes over flexible and even textured substrates;
- Exploration of Sirius, the Brazilian particle accelerator, to deeply understand fundamental properties of perovskites and then boost efficiency and durability.
Project leader:
Jilian Nei de Freitas (CTI Renato Archer)
Objective:
- Application of new and more stable materials and scalable processes for the upscaling of perovskite solar cells, from labscale devices (~0.1 cm2) to large-area single cells and minimodules (25 cm2), seeking more stable devices through light management.
Benefits:
- More stable perovskite solar cells;
- Increase in added value of locally developed materials;
- Demonstration of a novel technology;
- Technology transfer for the national industry;
- Contribute to the formation of specialized HR.
Project leader:
Mateus Giesbrecht – UNICAMP
Objective:
- Development of fault detection and diagnosis algorithms for wind power generation units and control systems for power converters.
Benefits:
- Detection of incipient faults and condition monitoring for wind power generation units;
- Development of control techniques for power converters in wind power generation units increasing the electric power quality.
Project leader:
Gregory Bregion Daniel (UNICAMP)
Objective:
- Improving the reliability and efficiency of wind turbines, with an emphasis on offshore vertical wind turbines.
Benefits:
- Application of representative models to ensure better fault diagnosis, prognosis and useful life prediction, directly impacting equipment reliability, availability and productivity;
- Better predictions related to the real performance of the wind turbine, thus aiming to mitigate critical operating conditions;
- Proposing improvements and optimization of mechanical components, in order to increase the efficiency and reliability of vertical floating turbines;
- Simplified floating base concepts to reduce installation costs.
Principal Investigator (PI)
Hudson Giovani Zanin – UNICAMP – Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering – hzanin@unicamp.br
Co-PI
Gustavo Doubek – UNICAMP – Faculty of Chemical Engineering
Meet all the members of the division.
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The objective of the Advanced Energy Storage division is to develop key technologies for strategic energy management, that is, for storing energy when there is excess production and supplying energy when there is demand.
This management is especially relevant in the context of renewable energies such as solar and wind, whose sources (the Sun and the wind) are intermittent. It significantly improves the processes of mobility and energy consumption that are present in people’s daily activities, and, at the same time, it facilitates the transition to a more sustainable energy matrix.
To be effective in this mission, the program trains people to develop batteries, supercapacitors, reformers and fuel cells.
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See the publication list of the division.
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Projects
Objective:
- To develop promising conversion batteries such as Li-S, Li-O2, and SLFB, along with their functional materials. It includes identifying technical and economic feasibilities and mapping local supply chains. We also plan to perform advanced cell and materials characterization under operational conditions.
Benefits:
- After five years of research, the goal is to determine operating mechanisms and failure modes, as well as to enhance energy storage and delivery capabilities. We also plan to understand the battery market.
Objective:
- To develop batteries and supercapacitors with superlative energy and power densities, extending their cyclability. This project aims to combine the best of both devices into one hybrid device. We plan to improve our manufacturing facilities to develop locally better cells. Then it is essential to identify which materials can have greater technical and economic viability as well as to map, assist, and develop a local supply chain.
Benefits:
- After five years of research, the goal is to improve cell manufacturing. We plan to understand operating mechanisms and failure modes with advanced operando characterizations.
Objective:
- To develop metal-supported SOFCs and bioethanol reformers with all necessary constituent materials, such as diffusion barriers against Cr migration from the metal support, optimization of the microstructure to improve current density, optimization of construction methods for the active electrodes, catalysts and electrolyte, always keeping in mind the scalability of the processes and the availability of materials considering the national supply chain.
Benefits:
- After 5 years of research the goal is to develop prototypes of ethanol reformers and SOFC cells and stacks that can convert biofuels into electricity, study their working mechanisms and failure modes.
Principal Investigator (PI)
Ernesto Chaves Pereira – UFSCar – ernesto@ufscar.br
Co-PI
Lúcia Helena Mascaro Sales – UFSCar
Meet all the members of the division.
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Hydrogen is a molecule that has many advantages when used as a fuel. In addition to not generating carbon emissions during use, hydrogen comes from renewable and abundant sources such as water and biomass, and has the capacity to store very high amounts of energy. In addition to being a great fuel, hydrogen can also be used as an input for other products, for example fertilizers, having an impact on many sectors of the economy.
However, for hydrogen to be considered green, the electrical energy used in its production must be green. And Brazil is one of the best positioned countries in the world in this regard, with 82% of its electrical energy coming from low-carbon and renewable sources.
The objective of the Green Hydrogen division is to study fundamental and technological aspects of the production of green hydrogen through electrolysis. This chemical process occurs thanks to the supply of electrical energy, which generates an oxidation-reduction reaction capable of producing molecules such as hydrogen.
In this sense, the different types of electrolyzers will be studied, without forgetting issues related to their increase in size to meet industrial scale: alkaline cells, proton transport membrane cells and anion transport membrane cells (technology that is still in the beginning of its development worldwide). The program will investigate from fundamental aspects of the reaction that generates hydrogen and the formation of bubbles in this process, to the use of nanostructured catalysts to make the reaction more efficient.
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See the publication list of the division.
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Projects
Project leader: Ernesto Chaves Pereira de Souza (UFSCar)
Objective:
- To control the morphology, microstructure, and electronic defect levels in nanomaterials which will be used as electrodes in proton exchange membrane electrolyzers, mainly based in Iridium compounds. Reaction mechanism will also be investigated.
Benefits:
- Nanomaterial´s electrocatalytic activity and long term stability is dependent on material structure, shape, morphology etc. Then, we can employ different chemical tools, and synthesis routes as strategies to improve the activity and stability of electrolyzer´s electrodes for water decomposition.
Project leader: Lúcia Helena Mascaro Sales (UFSCar)
Objective:
- To improve the efficiency of green hydrogen production by electrolysis or photoelectrolysis;
- Pursuing economic feasibility for the process by synthesizing innovative electrode materials;
- Replacing water oxidation reaction with organic molecule oxidation.
Benefits:
- Exploration of new catalysts and membranes represents technological advancements;
- To reduce the environmental impact associated with hydrogen production avoiding the traditional water oxidation reaction in favor of organic molecule oxidation;
- Green hydrogen sector can lead to job creation in various fields;
- The project aligns with global efforts to transition towards cleaner energy sources;
- To promote more efficient and economical hydrogen production methods.
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Principal Investigator (PI)
Juarez L. F. Da Silva – USP – Instituto de Química de São Carlos – juarez_dasilva@iqsc.usp.br
Co-PI
Marcos Gonçalves Quiles – UNIFESP
Meet all the members of the division.
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In this context, computational simulations and methods based on artificial intelligence make it possible to predict material properties in different situations, significantly accelerating the process of discovering and evaluating materials for use in these technologies.
Furthermore, natural language processing techniques help to analyze large quantities of scientific documents and, in this way, identify trends and research opportunities.
The program focuses on the search for perovskites and two-dimensional materials for use in solar cells, catalysts for the sustainable production of hydrogen and ammonia, and materials for batteries and supercapacitors. Additionally, we use artificial intelligence to monitor the health of wind turbines and batteries, helping to detect faults before they cause major problems.
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See the publication list of the division.
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Projects
Objective:
- This project focus into atomistic quantum-chemistry analysis of energy conversion materials for photovoltaic applications. We concentrate on two fronts: advancements in perovskites-based materials and the potential of two-dimensional semiconductors in photovoltaics.
Benefits:
- The quest for materials harnessing sunlight to convert electrical energy intensifies for global greenhouse gas reduction. Three-dimensional perovskites show promise in solar cells, but face challenges like UV degradation and lead toxicity. Despite hurdles, cost-effectiveness and simplified synthesis methods make perovskites compelling for clean energy, sparking exploration of strategies to overcome limitations.
Objective:
- This initiative revolves around the atomistic investigation of catalyst materials for green hydrogen production using atomistic quantum-chemistry simulations. Our focus encompasses catalyst materials for water splitting through electrolyzers and catalyst materials for green ammonia.
Benefits:
- Green hydrogen offers a clean energy solution, contributing to reduced global carbon emissions. Its production through electrolyzers powered by renewable sources aligns with sustainability goals. The adoption of green hydrogen presents an opportunity to transform the energy landscape in Brazil, minimizing environmental impact.
Objective:
- Atomistic simulations of materials to optimize energy storage devices: electrolyte candidate selection; study of electrolyte-electrode interphases; supercapacitor modeling; and modeling battery investigations.
Benefits:
- Energy storage through batteries and supercapacitors is crucial for harnessing intermittent sources like wind and photovoltaics. These systems store excess energy during peak production and release it during low or no production periods, ensuring a consistent and reliable power supply. By mitigating fluctuations, energy storage enhances the stability and efficiency of renewable energy grids, facilitating a smoother transition to sustainable and reliable power sources.
Objective:
- The main goal of this project is a comprehensive view of energy storage cells, e.g., ion batteries and supercapacitors, on operating conditions via computational simulations. The theoretical approaches to fulfill our goals must come from a combination of several methods based on phase-field and multiscale techniques to simulate batteries and supercapacitors.
Benefits:
- The increase in demand for clean energy is motivating the utilization of intermittent sources for energy production, e.g., solar and wind. Then, the development of batteries and energy storage systems is crucial for modulating the delivery of energy to meet its demand during periods of scarce production. Hence, a full understanding of the material’s behavior at an engineering scale approach is an important step in the development of real devices.
Project leader: Marcos Quiles (UNIFESP)
Objective:
- This project will tackle the power of Artificial Intelligence in supporting materials design. We aim to develop and apply machine learning methods in various aspects such as predicting properties of different material classes, exploring chemical space for materials design, and learning potential energy surfaces for accurate molecular dynamics.
Benefits:
- This project will accelerate the discovery and evaluation of new materials essential for various problems, such as energy conversion and energy storage, thereby fostering innovation in sustainable energy solutions. It will also contribute to the efficiency of research processes in material science through the integration of advanced AI techniques.
Project leader: Marcos Quiles (UNIFESP)
Objective:
- Firstly, we aim to apply and extend state-of-the-art natural language processing techniques to academic papers in Materials Science and Quantum Chemistry. This will enable us to extract relevant information from large collections of documents, identifying trends and research gaps.
- Secondly, we will utilize data analysis and machine learning techniques for intelligent diagnoses and health monitoring. This includes detecting incipient failures in wind turbines and monitoring the state of charge in batteries and capacitors.
Benefits:
- The project’s innovative approach in applying AI and machine learning will significantly enhance our ability to process and utilize large volumes of data. By extracting insights from academic literature and monitoring the health of devices, we can make informed decisions, identify potential problems before they occur, and optimize device performance. This will be particularly beneficial in fields like renewable energy, where equipment reliability and efficiency are crucial.
