Seeding energy research

The Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation’s Seed Grants for Energy Research will provide funding to three projects headed by faculty in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The program supports research in area like energy sources, production, efficiency, and environmental impacts.

Alan McGaughey, a professor of mechanical engineering, will explore “Thermally-Stable Halide Perovskites for Photovoltaic Energy Conversion.” This work aims to identify structural features that stabilize halide perovskites for future use as high-performance energy materials.

Venkat Viswanathan, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, is investigating “Electrochemical testing infrastructure to enable ‘big data’ for batteries.” This proposal seeks to apply ‘big data’ machine learning methods to develop new paradigms for battery power, energy and life cycles. 

Kate Whitefoot, assistant professor of engineering and public policy and mechanical engineering, will research “Global Vehicle Emissions Regulations, Product Platforms, and Adoption of Fuel-Saving Technologies.” There are currently no estimates that can help us understand how vehicle greenhouse gas emissions affect emissions and costs in other countries; this study will help guide policy and automotive planning as various countries make regulations on vehicle emissions.

This year, the Scott Institute’s seed grant program awarded $372,095 and the EQT Foundation provided an additional $126,695 for eight proposals. Read about all the projects in the full article.

Media contact:

Lisa Kulick
lkulick@andrew.cmu.edu