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University of Toledo
Principal Investigator: Krishna Shenai; TEL: (419) 530‐8196; EMAIL: krishna.shenai@utoledo.edu
Co‐PI’s: A‐M Azad, A. Compaan, D‐S Kim, C. Schall, T. Stuart and S. Varanasi
1. Abstract
The Center for Sustainable and Portable Electrical Power (CSPEP) proposes to conduct basic research
on core materials, devices and systems technologies critical for the development of next generation
of sustainable and mobile electrical power systems fueled from biomass and solar energy. Figure 1
illustrates the schematic of the proposed smart efficient electrical power system.
Figure 1 A schematic illustration of smart, clean, and portable electrical power system.
There is a critical need to develop sustainable and mobile electrical power for a wide range of
commercial, military and space applications that is efficient, reliable and economically viable. The
CSPEP proposes to demonstrate fundamental advances in cellulosic biomass conversion into efficient
load‐regulated electrical power by integrating advanced thin film solar photovoltaics and fuel‐cell
technologies, high‐temperature power electronics, and smart energy storage and management
concepts synergistic with DOE’s critical missions ‐ Energy Sources, Energy Efficiency and Environment.
Biomass Conversion: Three UT researchers (Varanasi, Schall, and Anderson) are pioneering a novel
cellulosic biomass conversion technique to produce sugars, and subsequent conversion of produced
sugars into ethanol using a novel fermentation process. This unique patented process results in high
ethanol production efficiency from a variety of biomass resources that include corn stalks, soybean
and canola oil, animal fats, praire grasses, hardwoods, and even algae. The process will be optimized
and biomass conversion efficiency improved by integrating advanced solar photovoltaics to enhance
the production of ethanol gas subsequently used as a feeder for the fuel cell converter.
Fuel Cell Converter: Two UT researchers (D‐S Kim and A‐M Azad) are pioneering an energy‐efficient
integrated process in which separation and conversion of bioethanol to hydrogen is performed in one
module without a distillation process. The hydrogen produced is then directly fed into a fuel cell to
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produce electricity with an energy gain in excess of 30% compared to the existing biofuel combustion
systems.
Electrical Power Conversion and Management: Two UT researchers (Shenai and Stuart) are
pioneering breakthrough advances in high‐frequency high‐temperature electronics capable of
delivering more efficient and reliable load‐regulated electrical power under harsh environmental
conditions based on advanced solid‐state power switching and control, cooling, thermal management
and system integration concepts. More than two‐fold increase in power density with improved field‐
reliability can be achieved using defect‐free silicon carbide (SiC) ‐based power switching electronics,
low‐loss high‐density magnetics, high‐temperature capacitors, SOI control electronics, liquid cooling,
and advanced packaging concepts. Smart grid connection, efficient energy storage, and energy
management will be accomplished by infusing novel wireless control electronics, battery
management, and intelligent information management concepts.
2. Research Team’s Competitive Position
The University of Toledo (UT) has been performing world‐class sponsored research in solar
photovoltaics (Wright Center on PVIC, DOE, DOD), biofuels (Third Frontier AEP, DOE, USDA, NSF),
hydrogen production from bioethanol and fuel cells (Wright Capital Project, DOE, NASA Glenn, US
ARMY, EMTEC/DOE, NSF/STTR), and electrical power conversion and management (Wright Center on
PVIC, Wright Capital Project, DOE, DOD, EPRI, NSF, NASA). Several UT researchers are world‐
renowned especially in the areas of thin film solar photovoltaics (Compaan), cellulosic biomass
conversion (Varanasi and Schall), hydrogen production from bioethanol (D‐S Kim and A‐M Azad),
desulfurization and fuel conversion (A‐M Azad, Lipscomb, and Coleman), hybrid vehicles (Stuart and
Abraham), and electrical power conversion and management (Shenai and Stuart). The total research
funding in this area at UT has exceeded $25M in the past decade. The UT researchers have major on‐
going collaborations in these fields with researchers from Ohio State University, Youngstown State
University, and Case Western Reserve University. Several UT researchers have well‐established
relationships with US DOE labs (NREL – Stuart, Compaan and Varanasi; ORNL – Shenai and Schall; PNL
– Shenai; Sandia National Lab ‐ Shenai), NASA (NASA Glenn – A‐M Azad, Shenai, Stuart), and US DOD
labs (WPAT – Shenai and Stuart; ARL ‐ Shenai). UT has a newly established Center for Renewable
Energy and Energy is one of the seven thematic focus areas of research and education. Dr. Krishna
Shenai, the PI for the project, is Professor and Chair of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Department at UT and is an internationally renowned authority on electrical power conversion and
management. Dr. Shenai has 25+ years of combined industrial and academic experience in the field
with a proven track record of successful international collaboration and project management.
3. Actual and Potential Partners
The CSPEP will be housed within the UT College of Engineering. It will have the collaboration and
participation of the following organizations: Ohio Institutions of Higher Education: OARDC ‐ Ohio
State University (PI: S. Slack), Youngstown State University (PI: M Abraham), and Case Western
Reserve University; Government Labs: Wright Center on PVIC, EWI, EMTEC, RGP, NREL, ORNL, PNL,
LANL, ANL, Sandia National Lab, NASA Glenn, WPAT, and ARL); and Ohio Industry: First Energy,
American Electric Power, Emerson Electric, Rolls‐Royce, Boeing, Rockwell Automation, Crown Battery,
Whirlpool, Diamler‐Chrysler, First Solar, Xunlight Corporation, The Andersons Inc., …