Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center

The Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center has substantial, cutting-edge expertise in various facets of fuel cell science and development. Below is a snapshot of research projects, funded by federal and industrial sources, currently underway in the Center. To review the abstract associated with a research project, or to review the brief profile for an individual researcher, click on the links below.

Mark Aindow
"Aerogel Based Catalysts for Hydrodesulfurization of Diesel for PEM Fuel Cells," Co-PI Can Erkey, Department of Defense, ($85,000)

Reda Ammar
"Very Fast Modeling Tools for Fuel Cells," Co-PI Sanguthevar Rajasekaran, Department of Defense, ($40,000)

Mehdi Anwar
"Multilevel DC-DC and DC-AC Converters for Fuel-Cell Systems," Department of Defense, ($40,000)

"Multilevel DC-DC and DC-AC Converters for Fuel Cell Systems," Department of Defense, ($51,484)

Theodore Bergman
"SGER: Engineered Microclimates For Enhanced Biomass Production," National Science Foundation, ($80,000)

"NSF Workshop for Frontiers in Transport Phenomena Research and Education," Co-PI Amir Faghri, National Science Foundation ($150,000)

"Thermal Management in Planarized Microfluidic Fuel Cells," Department of Defense, ($50,000)

"Accoustic Energy Anti-Ice Concept," Co PI: Michael Renfro, Pratt & Whitney Corporation, ($50,000)

"Improved Power Density of Portable DMFC Fuel Cells and DMFC Miniaturization," Department of Defense, ($75,000)

"Novel Thermal Control and Improved Power and Energy Density of Portable PEM Fuel Cells," Department of Defense, ($72,515)

"Backup Power Systems Packaging Design," Proton Energy Systems, ($5,000)

"Efficiency Change in PEM Water Electrolyzers Due to Recurring Freeze-Thaw Cycles," Proton Energy Systems, ($5,000)

Baki Cetegen
"Innovative Optical Diagnostic Tools For Fuel Cell Development and Operation Control," CT Innovations, Inc. Yankee Ingenuity program, Co-PI Mike Renfro and Trent Molter, ($176,000)

"In-Situ Optical Diagnostics for Measurements of Water Vapor Concentration and Temperature in PEM Fuel Cells," Co-PI Mike Renfro, Department of Defense, ($150,000)

Wilson Chiu
"Advanced Fuel Cell Research for Weapon Applications," Office of Naval Research, ($192,000)

"Structural Imaging and Optimization of Microtubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Electrodes," U.S. Army Research Office, ($150,000)

"Electrochemical Modeling of Advanced Naval Fuel Cell Systems," Office of Naval Research, ($70,000)

Fuel Cell "Hydrogen Economy" Powered Electric Go-Kart, University of Connecticut, ($5,000)

Eric Donkor
"Micro-fabrication of an Integrated Membrane-Electrode-Catalyst-Distributor Structure for Portable Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Development," Department of Defense, ($40,000)

"Over Potential Reduction in Direct Methanol Fuel Cells," Department of Defense, ($72,293)

Amir Faghri
"Transport Phenomena in Micro-Miniature Passive Vapor Feed Direct Alcohol Fuel Cells," National Science Foundation, ($300,341)

"SGER: A New Innovative Miniature Passive DMFC," National Science Foundation, ($110,000)

"NSF Workshop for Frontiers in Transport Phenomena Research and Education," Co-PI Theodore Bergman, National Science Foundation ($150,000)

"Passive Driven Micro Direct Methanol Fuel Cells," Department of Defense, ($50,000)

"Challenges of Heat Transfer Issues in Portable Fuel Cell Technology," Department of Defense, ($61,828)

Xinyu Huang
"Alternative Carbon Nanotube Supported Platinum Catalyst for PEM Fuel Cells," CT SBIR Mystic MD, ($21,424)

"Enabling Fuel Cell's for Distributed Telecom," PI Ken Reifsnider, Connecticut Innovations - Yankee Ingenuity Program, ($300,000)

"Enabling Fuel Cell's for Distributed Telecom," PI Ken Reifsnider, UTC Power's Match for Connecticut Innovations - Yankee Ingenuity Program, ($150,000)

"Specialty Coatings Development for Fuel Cell," PI Ken Reifsnider, Tanury Industries, ($101,828)

"Progressive Failure of Polymer-Based Composite Materials and Structures," PI Ken Reifsnider, ONR, ($366,042)

"Online Gas Analysis of a Reformer," Precision Combustion Inc., ($2,013)

"Fabrication and Testing of PEM FC with Alternative Low Pt Loading Cathode," Co-PI Alevtina Smirnova, FuelCell Energy, ($13,958)

"Development of low-cost integrated Composite Seals," Co-PI Kenneth Reifsnider, Department of Energy - SECA, ($300,000)

"Mechanical Modeling of PEM Stack in Support of Failure Analysis," PI Ken Reifsnider, UTC Power, ($261,326)

"Constitutive Modeling for Mechanical Response of NanoPhase Composite Laminates," PI Ken Reifsnider, National Science Foundation, (39,000)

"Nanostructured Mixed Ionic/Electronic Conducting Catalyst for...," Co-PI Kenneth Reifsnider, US Nanocorp, ($16,113)

"In-situ NDE Method," NASA Epscor, ($10,000)

Faquir Jain
"Micro-Fuel Cells for Helmet Mounted Displays and other Portable Applications," Co-PI's Fotis Papadimitrakoupoulos and Harris Marcus, Department of Defense, ($225,000)

Bahram Javidi
"Monitoring & Measurement of Micro-Structured Evolution of SOFC's with Digital Holography," Department of Defense, ($40,000)

Jeong-Ho Kim
"CAREER: An Integrated Research and Education on Functionally Graded Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: Modeling and Experiments," National Science Foundation CMMI-Division, ($400,000)

H. Russ Kunz
"Novel High-Temperature Composite Membrane," (co-PI's: J. Fenton and M.B. Cutlip), Department of Energy, DE-SC02-98EE50526, ($120,000)

"Direct Methanol PEM Fuel Cells for Soldier Systems," (co-PI: J. Fenton), Department of Defense, ($468,336)

Robert Magnusson
"Electrical Power Regulation and Control for a Hybrid Fuel Cell System," Department of Defense, ($50,000)

"Development of Optical Fiber Sensor Technology for Fuel Cell Diagnostics," Department of Defense, ($40,000)

Ramesh Malla
"Structural and Mechanical Effects on Water Management, Gaseous Diffusion, and Electrical Conductivity of Pem Fuel Cells," Department of Defense, ($40,000)

Harris Marcus
"Micro-Fuel Cells for Helmet Mounted Displays and other Portable Applications," Co-PI's Faquir Jain and Fotis Papadimitrakoupoulos, Department of Defense, ($225,000)

Trent Molter
"Solid Hydrogen Fuel Element Development - Thermal/Fluid Analysis of Fuel Element Housing and Ammonia," Ensign Bickford, ($90,533)

"Innovative Optical Diagnostic Tools For Fuel Cell Development and Operation Control," CT Innovations, Inc. Yankee Ingenuity program, PI Baki Cetegen, Co-PI Mike Renfro, ($176,000)

"Effects of Impurities on Fuel Cell Performance & Durability," Co-PI's Kenneth Reifsnider & Ugur Pasaogullari, Department of Energy, ($1,868,580)

"Ammonia Borane Pyrolysis - Analysis & Characterization," Co-PI's Ugur Pasaogullari & Benjamin Wilhite, Ensign Bickford, ($195,882)

"Development of a Proton Exchange Membrane Testing Device," FuelCell Energy, ($8,729)

"Testing of Porous All Metal Flow Field," CT SBIR - Mott Corporation, ($13,980)

"Electrochemical Hydrogen Separation Demonstration," CT Clean Energy Fund - FuelCell Energy, ($75,000)

"Reconfigurable Marine Fuel Cells and Biological Reformers," DARPA, ($595,516)

"Hybrid Propulsion Systems for Undersea Weapons," Design-By-Analysis, ($21,000)

"Proposal Preparation for UUVBAA," Hamilton Sundstrand, ($20,000)

"Testing and Evaluation of the Advanced Product Water Removal and Management," NASA - Infinity Fuel Cell & Hydrogen, ($20,000)

"Lightweight Energy Production and Storage," MDA-Lynntech, ($36,880)

"Fuel Cell Advanced Product Water Removal (APWR) and Management," NASA-Infinity Fuel Cell & Hydrogen, ($25,000)

"PEM Electrolytic Fueling System Modeling," Proton Energy Systems, ($25,000)

Ken Noll
"In Silico Modeling of Microbial Catabolic Pathways to Optimize Fuel Oxidation in Microbial Fuel Cells," Co-PI Dong-Guk Shin, Department of Defense, ($75,000)

Fotis Papadimitrakoupoulos
"Micro-Fuel Cells for Helmet Mounted Displays and other Portable Applications," Co-PI's Faquir Jain and Harris Marcus, Department of Defense, ($225,000)

Richard Parnas
"Proposal to Measure Fuel Cell Membrane Operation with Fiber Optic Sensors," Co-PI Thomas Seery, Department of Defense, ($80,000)

Ugur Pasaogullari
"Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis of Portable Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells," Design-By-Analysis, ($24,939)

"Effects of Impurities on Fuel Cell Performance & Durability," PI Trent Molter and Co-PI Kenneth Reifsnider, Department of Energy, ($1,868,580)

"Ammonia Borane Pyrolysis - Analysis & Characterization," PI Trent Molter Co-PI Benjamin Wilhite, Ensign Bickford, ($195,882)

Ranga Pitchumani
"Analysis and Design of Microfuel Cells," Department of Defense, ($50,000)

"Simulation and Oxidation of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells," Department of Defense, ($75,000)

Sanguthevar Rajasekaran
"Very Fast Modeling Tools for Fuel Cells," Co-PI Reda Ammar, Department of Defense, ($40,000)

Michael Renfro
"Innovative Optical Diagnostic Tools For Fuel Cell Development and Operation Control," CT Innovations, Inc. Yankee Ingenuity program, PI - Baki Cetegen, Co-PI Trent Molter, ($176,000)

"In-Situ Optical Diagnostics for Measurements of Water Vapor Concentration and Termperature in PEM Fuel Cells," Co-PI Baki Cetegen, Department of Defense, ($150,000)

Ken Reifsnider
"Effects of Impurities on Fuel Cell Performance & Durability," PI Trent Molter and Co-PI Ugur Pasaogullari, Department of Energy, ($1,868,580)

"Enabling Fuel Cell's for Distributed Telecom," Co-PI Xinyu Huang, Connecticut Innovations - Yankee Ingenuity Program, ($300,000)

"Enabling Fuel Cell's for Distributed Telecom," Co-PI Xinyu Huang, UTC Power's Match for Connecticut Innovations - Yankee Ingenuity Program, ($150,000)

"Specialty Coatings Development for Fuel Cell," Co-PI Xinyu Huang, Tanury Industries, ($101,828)

"Progressive Failure of Polymer-Based Composite Materials and Structures," Co-PI Xinyu Huang, ONR, ($366,042)

"Cold Temperature Fatigue of Inner Liner Materials," Exxon Mobile, ($200,000)

"Nano-Structure based material design and life prediction," Siemens Power, ($50,000)

"Mechanical Modeling of PEM Stack in Support of Failure Analysis," Co-PI Xinyu Huang, UTC Power, ($261,326)

"Constitutive Modeling for Mechanical Response of NanoPhase Composite Laminates," Co-PI Xinyu Huang, National Science Foundation, (39,000)

"Characterization of Micro-Miniature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells," Department of Defense, ($50,000)

"Mechanical Modeling of PEM Stack in Support of Failure Analysis," UTC Fuel Cells, Inc., ($152,869)

"Development of Micro-Miniature Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cells," Co-PI's: Nigel Sammes, Nitin Padture and Mei Wei, Department of Defense, ($300,000)

Nigel Sammes
"Dvelopment of the novel cathode catalysts for Intermediate Temperature SOFCs," Co-PI Alla Smirnova, UTC Research Center, ($75,750).

"Ceramic Reactor Project," NEDO Fine Ceramics Research Association, ($499,729)

"SOFC Fuel Cells & Stacks," Salamone & Associates, ($53,990)

"SOFCs for Energy Security," NATO, ($13,000)

"Environmental Analysis of Manure Digester Bio-gas-powered Fuel Cells, EPA, ($10,000)

"Highly Integrated Reformer & SOFC Unmanned Underwater Vehicles," Mesoscopic Devices, ($30,000)

"Lightweight, High Specific Energy for Battery Charger," Mesoscopic Devices, ($5,000)

"Fuel Cell Technology: State and Perspective Workshop," NATO, ($24,790)

"Development of a Micro Tubular SOFC System for Battery Replacement Market," Connecticut Innovations - Yankee Ingenuity Program, ($125,596)

"Development of a Micro Tubular SOFC System for Battery Replacement Market," NanoCell Match for Connecticut Innovations - Yankee Ingenuity Program, ($10,000)

"Interfacial Reactions," Sulzer Hexis, Inc., ($33,042)

"Low Cost Materials, Designs and Manufacturing Processes for Robust Tubular SOFC," RIST, ($35,440)

"Evaluation and Performance Metrics of Aerogel Composite Material," Co-PI Alevtina Smirnova, Aerogel Composites, ($95,177)

"Evaluation and Performance Metrics of Aerogel Composite Material - Phase 2," Co-PI Alevtina Smirnova, Aerogel Composites, ($26,895)

"Application of Mixed Conducting Ceramic Membranes for Hydrogen Separation," Co-PI Alevtina Smirnova, CeraMem, ($16,000)

"Tube Development," Department of Energy - Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, ($68,671)

"Pollution Reduction and Resources Saving Through the Use of Waste Gas," EPA, ($9,824)

"Feasibility Study of Electrospray Deposition," FuelCell Energy, ($20,000)

"40kW Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell Demonstration Program," GenCell Corporation, ($28,540)

"Fabrication of a Micro Fuel Cell," NanoCell, ($22,673)

"PEM 1 kW Fuel Cell Test," Proton Energy Systems, ($20,000)

"Investigation of Scandia-Stabilized Zerconia Electrolyte Fuel Cell Performance," SOFCo, ($21,527)

"Support for NATO Conference," NATO, ($1,000)

"Manufacture of MEA's," Aerogel Corporation, ($43,832)

"Low Temperature SOFC Electrodes," Lilliputian Systems, 7/1/03-5/31/04, ($36,342)

"Development of Micro-Miniature Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cells," Co-PI's: Ken Reifsnider, Nitin Padture and Mei Wei, Department of Defense, ($300,000)

"Modeling of a Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell System," GenCell Co., ($17,838)

Thomas Seery
"Proposal to Measure Fuel Cell Membrane Operation with Fiber Optic Sensors," Co-PI Richard Parnas, Department of Defense, ($80,000)

Leon Shaw
"Novel High Performance, Low Cost, Polydisperse Carbon Black/Polymer Blend Composites for Bipolar Plates of Micro/Portable PEM Fuel Cells," Department of Defense, ($75,000)

Montgomery Shaw
"Development of the Proton Exchange Membrane," Department of Defense, ($75,000)

"Development of Proton Exchange Membranes," Department of Defense, ($130,220)

"Development of Proton Exchange Membranes based on Poly(ether Ketone Ketone) for Fuel Cell Applications," (co-PI:R.A Weiss), Connecticut Innovations, ($299,570)

Alevtina Smirnova
"Dvelopment of the novel cathode catalysts for Intermediate Temperature SOFCs," PI Nigel Sammes, UTC Research Center, ($75,750).

"Carbon Supported Non-Noble Metal Electrocatalysts," National Science Foundation, ($49,528)

"Testing of the Catalysts for PEMFC Applications using Rotating Disc Electrode," UTC Power, ($7,241)

"SOFC for Energy Security," NATO, ($27,000)

"Evaluation and Performance Metrics of Aerogel Composite Material," PI Nigel Sammes, Aerogel Composites, ($95,177)

"Evaluation and Performance Metrics of Aerogel Composite Material - Phase 2," PI Nigel Sammes, Aerogel Composites, ($26,895)

"Application of Mixed Conducting Ceramic Membranes for Hydrogen Separation," PI Nigel Sammes, CeraMem, ($16,000)

Steven Suib
"Enhanced Selectivity of Steam Reforming Catalysts for the Development of Miniature and Micro Fuel Cells," Department of Defense, ($75,000)

"Fuel Cell Catalysts," Department of Defense, 6/1/02 - 5/31/03 ($119,405)

Jiong Tang
"System Level Dynamic Modeling and Control Development for PEM Fuel Cells," Department of Defense ($40,000)

Mei Wei
"Fabrication of Micro-Miniature Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cells by Electrophoretic Coating Technique," Department of Defense, ($50,000)

"Development of Micro-Miniature Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cells," Co-PI's: Nigel Sammes, Ken Reifsnider and Nitin Padture, Department of Defense, ($300,000)

Robert Weiss
"Phosphonated Polystyrene Ionomer Proton Exchange Membrane," Department of Defense, ($75,000)

"Development of Proton Exchange Membranes based on Poly(ether Ketone Ketone) for Fuel Cell Applications," (co-PI:M.Shaw), Connecticut Innovations, ($299,570)

"Ionomer Containing Binary Polymer Blends," National Science Foundation, DMR 97-12194, ($491,022)

Benjamin Wilhite
"Heat Integration in Hydrogen Production from Logistics Fuels: Creation of Scalable, Cartridge-Based Microreactor Reformers," ONR, ($299,010)

"Ammonia Borane Pyrolysis - Analysis & Characterization," PI Trent Molter and Co-PI Ugur Pasaogullari, Ensign Bickford, ($195,882)