Modern high-performance computers enable researchers to study energy problems of unprecedented complexity with predictive accuracy. This provides a clear picture even in situations where experimentation is expensive, time-consuming, or dangerous. In addition, cutting-edge modeling and simulation extends across multiple length and time scales and incorporates large amounts of existing data from experiment or theory. Cloud infrastructures and machine-learning for high-throughput screening allow researchers to quickly identify the most promising solutions for a given problem in energy-related fields and beyond.
Areas of Research Focus
At the University of Illinois, diverse and cutting-edge computational researchers join their forces to develop predictive models for energy solutions of the future. Among them are projects on:
- Improving existing or developing novel technologies and materials for solar-energy harvesting, thermoelectrics, and hydrogen storage.
- Increasing energy efficiency by improving processing capabilities or high-temperature properties of materials for automotive, aerospace, reactor, and other applications.
- Improving thermal-mechanical systems and energy management systems by advanced modeling.
- Energy analysis investigating current and future energy technologies, e.g. low-carbon infrastructure and potential energy-use reductions.
- Photoconversion efficiency of perovskite solar cell materials.
- Sodium-cooled fast reactors.
- Spent nuclear fuel.
- Process simulation.
- Fluid mechanics and mass transfer.
- Hydrocarbon biomarker analysis and modeling.
- Thermal maturation and basin modeling utilizing geochemical markers.
Researchers
![Phillip Ansell](/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Ansell-ES.png)
Phillip Ansell
Electrical and chemical engineering; materials science
![Joseph Bentsman](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/bentsman2ES.jpg)
![Weng Cho Chew](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/chewES.jpg)
![Scott Frailey](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/fraileyES.jpg)
Scott Frailey
Petroleum engineering and CO2 storage
![George Gross](/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/grossES.jpg)
![Ravishankar K. Iyer](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/iyerES.png)
Ravishankar K. Iyer
Reliable and secure electrical systems
![Yongqi Lu](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/LuES.jpg)
![Moshe Matalon](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/matalonES.jpg)
![Hadi Meidani](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/meidaniES.jpg)
Hadi Meidani
Resilient infrastructure and sustainable transportation
![Nenad Miljkovic](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/milijkovicnewES.jpg)
Nenad Miljkovic
Fluid mechanics and thermal sciences
![Roland Okwen](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/okwenES.jpg)
Roland Okwen
Enhanced oil recovery and carbon capture
![Martin Ostoja-Starzewski](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/starzewskiES.jpg)
![Carlos Pantano-Rubino](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/pantanorubinoES.jpg)
Carlos Pantano-Rubino
Fluid dynamics and thermal sciences
![Arne J. Pearlstein](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/pearlsteinES.jpg)
Arne J. Pearlstein
Fluid mechanics and thermal sciences
![William H. Sanders](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/sandersES.jpg)
![André Schleife](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/schleifeES.jpg)
![Diwakar Shukla](/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/shuklaES.jpg)
![Clifford Singer](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/singerES.jpg)
![Vijay Singh](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/singhES.jpg)
![Kyle Smith](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/smithES.jpg)
![Ashlynn Stillwell](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/stillwellES.jpg)
![Rizwan Uddin](/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/uddinES.jpg)
![Donna Caraway Willette](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/willetteES.jpg)
![Yang Zhang](/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/YangZhangES.jpg)
Yang Zhang
Nuclear engineering
ILLINOIS RESEARCH CENTERS
- Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI)
- Center for Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems (POETS)
- Illinois Center for Smarter Electric Grid (ICSEG)
- International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I²CNER)
- Light Material Interactions in Energy Conversion (LMI-EFRC)
- Trustworthy Cyber Infrastructure for the Power Grid (TCIPG)
- Novel High Voltage/Temperature Materials and Structures (HV/TMS)
ONGOING GRANTS & GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
Coming soon.
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