A West Virginia University work on a more efficient solid oxide fuel cell system that uses coal syngas has been tapped for presentation to lawmakers in Washington, D.C. by a national undergraduate research organization.

Sean Belardo, who works with Dr. Xingbo Liu and Dr. Mingyang Gong in the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, has been asked to present a poster depicting his work at the Council on Undergraduate Research’s Posters on the Hill event April 24 in the Halls of the U.S. Congress.

More than 850 projects were submitted for consideration in the competition. Only 74 were chosen.

CUR was founded in 1978 by a group of chemists from private liberal arts colleges who wanted to provide information about research that was being conducted at liberal arts colleges by faculty, often in collaboration with students. Since that time, CUR has grown to include all disciplines and all types of institutions. Today, members include more than 4,500 individuals and nearly 600 colleges and universities.

The organization’s work is consistent with the WVU Strategic Plan precept that faculty members enhance teaching and contribution to society by remaining active in research and by involving undergraduates in their research.

Undergraduate research like Belardo’s is characterized by CUR as “an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline.”

Belardo has been working with Liu and Gong on solid oxide fuel cells – devices that produce electricity directly from an electrochemical conversion or oxidizing of fuel – a process that takes advantage of the natural tendency of oxygen and hydrogen to react. Energy is harvested by controlling the way reactions occur and directing that reaction through a device – a fuel cell. There are no moving parts to a fuel cell and only four component elements. Solid oxide fuel cells are seen as promising in energy research because they are efficient, have long-term stability, fuel flexibility, low emissions and relatively low cost.

But, one of the problems of solid oxide fuel cells is that one of its four components, called an anode, deteriorates quickly, especially from “sulfur poisoning” that comes from the fuels used. Since sulfur is widely present in many fuel sources, especially fossil fuels, finding a way to prolong solid oxide fuel cell anodes is a critical research topic. Success in the field can also lead to continued effective and efficient use of coal.

“If we can manage to get our fuel cells to operate on coal syngas, further refining and cleaning of this gas would be unnecessary, saving time and money,” Belardo said. “Another great benefit to fuel cells in general is that the fuel does not react with the nitrogen in the air like in an internal combustion engine. Only carbon dioxide and water vapor are produced which can be easily collected, separated, and properly dealt with.”

Belardo stresses that making the fuel cells work with coal syngas can be a great help to the West Virginia economy.

“Coal accounts for about 20 percent of energy used in the United States and is an important part of our economy, especially here in coal rich West Virginia,” he said. “If this raw coal is converted to cleaner coal syngas and then run into solid oxide fuel cells, we can increase energy output, decrease waste, and reduce harmful emissions.”

Belardo, who plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, said his initial inspiration came from his engineer father.

“I’ve always had a fascination with anything mechanical particularly anything automotive or aerospace related,” he said. “In high school I began to take an interest in remote controlled aircraft and played with engines. Then looking at the continual rise in gas prices and our dependence on foreign oil, I became aware of the importance of alternative and more efficient forms of energy. While at WVU, I had an opportunity to work a research position with fuel cells and I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”

He credits the wide range of study opportunities at WVU with his undergraduate success.

“Along with my undergrad research at WVU, I’ve taken part in our Design, Build, Fly program where in 2010, our aircraft took eighth place out of 70 international teams,” he said. “This year I’m a member of the WVU Baja car team which will race this April. The opportunity to take what we’ve learned in the classroom, apply it to a design challenge, and see our final product is very satisfying and beneficial to us before we go out into the real world.”

-WVU-

gg/04/17/12

Contact: Xingbo Liu, associate professor, mechanical and aerospace engineering
304.293.3339, Xingbo.Liu@mail.wvu.edu

Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.