A renewable energy project led by Illinois and Kyushu researchers, this research is funded by the Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) program. Narayana Aluru, a professor of Mechanical Science and Engineering (MechSE) and director of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) at Illinois is the principal investigator on the project, entitled, Integrated Computational Materials Engineering for Active Materials and Interfaces in Chemical Fuel Production. “This award combines our world-class experimental resources, computational facilities, and expertise to solve the energy storage grand challenge,” Aluru said. “The team will focus on solid oxide electrolysis cells that transform renewable energy into chemical energy and store it for later use. These cells are viewed as a clean, efficient path to a carbon-neutral economy. Our goal is to make this technology more efficient and reliable.”

The program is centered at the University of Illinois and Kyushu University in Japan. Collaborating institutions include Northwestern University and the University of California-Berkeley. For more information see the School of Engineering Announcement.