Aeronautics and Engineering (CAE) Clean Energy and Sustainability Lab

The Clean Energy & Sustainability Lab is a new facility on Kent State campus in the Aeronautics and Technology Building that is part of the College of Aeronautics and Engineering. Research and development is focused on clean energy technologies, such as fuel cells, electrolysis and solar energy technologies. The lab is home to a full spectrum of academic endeavors from undergraduate work to postdoctoral research. It maintains a wide variety of materials processing and fabrication capabilities. This lab is equipped to characterize and evaluate kilowatt-scale fuel cells and electrochemical devices. A laser sintering/3D printing system is under consideration.

Equipment, Features and Services

The lab features a high-capacity fuel storage and delivery system that can store and deliver logistical fuels such as hydrogen, methane, natural gas and others directly to fume hoods for continuous and long term testing of fuel cell capabilities. It is also equipped with a specialty gas-monitoring system for safety and has various equipment including; Across International high temperature sintering furnaces (1400-1600°), PTL-MM01 dip coating machine, Carver 10-ton pellet press, ULT-80 recirculating chiller (-80°), TTC-1200 tape casting machine, Labconco Freezone 2.5 Freeze Dryer, Welch 8917-A vacuum pump, a Metrohm Autolab Potentiostat-Galvanostat PGSTAT302N and Autolab 20A Booster module. The lab also has various renewable energy education kits and RC fuel cell vehicle kits, as well as three commercially available fuel cell systems including an Almus Ubocell Hydrogen SOFC Demonstration Kit, Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies MFC100 Methanol Reformer System, and a WATT Fuel Cell Imperium 1.0 Propane Fuel Cell System.