The talks are on:
Chengcheng Zhao
Ph.D. Student, supervised by Prof. Mani Sarathy
Abstract: As the world grapples with ongoing global environmental challenges, such as climate change, Saudi Arabia is proactively striving to lessen its reliance on fossil fuels while fostering technologies that aid in worldwide decarbonization. Hydrogen proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) present a notable opportunity for decarbonizing the transportation sector. This research explores the potential of gray and blue hydrogen-fueled PEM fuel cell vehicles in Saudi Arabia by conducting a thorough life cycle assessment (LCA) for heavy-duty transportation. The study compares the environmental impacts of 20 grey and blue hydrogen-fueled PEM fuel cell buses operating in Mecca, 20 battery-electric buses powered by the Saudi Arabian grid, and 20 diesel-fueled internal combustion engine (ICE) buses. The assessment encompasses global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), and photochemical oxidation potential (POP) across fuel and vehicle cycles. Moreover, given Saudi Arabia's unique context, this research explores hydrogen refueling station infrastructure and charging station requirements in Mecca, LCA for hydrogen transportation from eastern Saudi Arabia to Mecca, energy consumption in bus cabin air conditioning systems under extreme outdoor temperatures, and bus transportation from assembly sites to Saudi Arabia. Sensitivity analyses for each bus type are also conducted. By addressing the research gap in the environmental evaluation of PEM fuel cell and electric buses in Saudi Arabia, this study offers essential insights for stakeholders and decision-makers seeking to make informed decisions on sustainable transportation solutions.
Bio: Chengcheng Zhao earned her master’s degree in mechanical engineering from RWTH Aachen University, Germany, in 2020. In the same year, she acquired valuable experience working on emissions analysis for the aviation sector at the Juelich Research Center in Germany. Currently, as a Ph.D. student under the guidance of Prof. Mani Sarathy, her research focuses on life cycle assessment of alternative energy sources for transportation and the investigation of decarbonization strategies.
Michael Oyinloye
Ph.D. Candidate, supervised by Prof. William Roberts
Abstract: The development of novel and economical methods to improve carbon capture from point sources is critical in alleviating global warming and climate change concerns. Carbon capture continues to play a significant role in the energy industry meeting the 2050 net-zero global carbon emission target. Cryogenic carbon capture is one of the most promising technologies for capturing carbon, especially for high concentration carbon emission point sources. The ability of CO2 to exist in gas and solid phases at ambient pressure and cryogenic temperatures is the underlying principle of this study. Despite the limited data in the literature on the thermal properties of solid CO2 and the CO2 desublimation phenomena, this work presents experimental findings for the desublimation of CO2 on a solid surface. This study examined the impact of the flow rate and cooling surface temperature on the rate of CO2 desublimation, crystal nucleation, and frosting distribution over time. This study could be advanced and applied in the areas of industrial cryogenic carbon capture systems using contact solid surfaces and ultimately, direct contact cryo fluids.
Bio: Michael Oyinloye is a Chemical Engineering PhD student under the supervision of Prof. William Roberts. Before joining KAUST for his Masters at KAUST’s Ali Al-Naimi petroleum engineering research center (ANPERC) in 2019, He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Petroleum engineering from Kazan National Research and Technological University in Russia. His PhD research focuses on understanding low temperature CO2 desublimation as carbon capture technology.