1. Nebraska
Center for
Energy
Sciences
Research

2. NCESR Mission
 Established in 2006
 Collaboration between UNL and
Nebraska Public Power District
 To conduct energy research that
produces new technologies,
processes and systems that provide
new or significantly enhanced energy
sources and improve the quality of life
and economic opportunity for
Nebraskans.
NCESR

3. Seed grants grow energy ideas
 UNL faculty compete for energy
research funding
 Proposals are Peer Reviewed by
outside experts
 Funds support innovative research
and collaboration among faculty
 50 research projects funded to date
NCESR

4. Hydrogen Production and Storage
Using Wind and Nuclear Sources
 Dr. Jerry Hudgins, Electrical Engineering
 Integration of power electronics sub-systems between a wind turbine and
an electrolyzer, optimal tip speed control algorithms for low-power
turbines, and low-cost electricity can provide the needed factors for
successful realization of low- cost hydrogen production.
 It is estimated that integration of the power electronics systems will reduce the hydrogen
production costs by up to 7%.
 Further reduction in electricity costs must come from improved electrolyzer technology
and reduced electrical energy production costs by delivering electricity from unused
renewable generating sources (e.g. not hydrocarbon fueled generators).
NCESR

5. Passive Solar Powered Earth Contact Heat
Exchangers for Cooling Buildings
 Dr. Bing Chen, Computer and Electronics Engineering
 The goal is to develop a fully functional and optimally performing full scale
demonstration of a building cooling technique which employs an earth contact heat
exchanger for cooling of the building air.
 The air is drawn into a building space by a passive solar driven collector-solar
chimney array (through passive convection)
 The project will determine the maximum earth contact cooling possible and
compare to a conventional fan driven cooling system.
NCESR

6. A Probabilistic Framework for Determining Optimum
Maintenance Strategies to Improve Reliability, Efficiency,
Safety, and Cost-Effectiveness for Wind Generation Plants
 Dr. Sohrab Asgarpoor, Electrical Engineering
 To provide a knowledge-based maintenance management system to
optimally allocate maintenance resources such that reliability of a wind farm
is above a target level.
 To provide a framework to evaluate the performance of wind power plants.
NCESR

7. Energy Storage by Supercapacitors Based on
Carbon Nano-onions
 Dr. Yongfeng Lu, Electrical Engineering
 To develop supercapacitors of high energy density and low cost for
efficient energy collection, storage, and regulation.
 Carbon Nano-onions (CNOs) are used as an electrode material due
to their large SSA, excellent electrical conductivity, and low cost.
NCESR

8. Nanostructured Low Work Function
N-Electrodes for Polymer Photovoltaics
 Dr. Chin Li Cheung, Chemistry
 To develop nanostructured low work function electrodes for
organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices (solar cells).
NCESR

9. Online Non-Intrusive Wind Turbine
Fault Diagnosis
 Dr. Wei Qiao, Electrical Engineering
 To develop a new nonintrusive technology for online fault
diagnosis of wind turbine gearboxes and rotors/shafts.
NCESR

10. Investigating Wind Turbine Safety and
Reliability
 Dr. Michael Riley, Industrial and Management Systems Engineering
• To perform a comprehensive safety analysis of electrical generation
windmill work zones to identify potential workplace hazards
• Identify all sources of energy (electrical, mechanical, chemical, and
biological) that a worker could encounter in the windmill work zone
• Determine if the exposures to sources of energy are unreasonably
dangerous
• Complete a demonstration project and use a systematic approach to
select best safety practices to eliminate or minimize falls
NCESR

11. Development of an Inexpensive
Manufacturing Method for High Efficiency
Solar Cells
 Dr. Rodney Soukup, Electrical Engineering
 The goal of this research project is to develop a non-vacuum
technique which can be used to produce high efficiency solar
cells at relatively low cost.
This type PV material has
been shown to be up to 20%
efficient.
(Upper left) XRD patterns for CuIn1-xGaxSe2 (x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1) films;
(upper right) (112) lattice spacing (Å) as a function of Ga/(Ga+In); (lower left)
A1 phonon frequencies as a function of Ga/(Ga+In); (lower right) SEM image of
product CuInSe2 film (scale bar = 1.00 mm)
NCESR

12. Cycle 6 Focus Area: Produce or store commercially
useable energy supplies from renewable energy
sources, such as wind, biomass, solar or geothermal.
- Novel Supercapacitors Based on Nano-Structured
Materials
Yongfeng Lu, Electrical Engineering
- Portable Hydroelectricity in a Micro/Nano-World
Li Tan, Engineering Mechanics
- Self-X: An Intelligent Large-Scale Battery System
for Renewable Energy Storage
Song Ci, Computer and Electronics Engineering
- A Two-Phase System for Solar Domestic Water
Heating
Siu-Kit Lau, Architectural Engineering
NCESR

13. THE POWER OF RED
Nebraska Center for Energy Science Research
Whittier Research Center – Suite 230
2200 Vine Street
Lincoln, NE 68538-0857
www.ncesr.unl.edu
Slide design © 2011, The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska. All rights reserved.