Papers by Shankar Dhanushkodi
Energies, Oct 5, 2023
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Energies, Sep 4, 2023
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT
Saltwater from the ocean constitutes 96.5% of the total water available on the Earth. The remaini... more Saltwater from the ocean constitutes 96.5% of the total water available on the Earth. The remaining 3.5% is freshwater, which is a crucial resource for living organisms. Increasing population and activities related to climate change have led researchers to develop new methods to maximize freshwater resources. Solar desalination is an environment-benign method that can fulfil the requirement of freshwater. However, the efficiency of desalination cells is limited by the fouling phenomenon. The efficiency of the desalting process decreases because the pores of the membrane are clogged by fouling. Therefore, methods for detecting and diagnosing the fouling phenomenon by using mathematical models are required. We propose a machine learning modelling framework comprising of K-nearest neighbor, random forest, artificial neural network, and support vector machine algorithms to monitor the onset of fouling in desalination cells individually. Permeate datapoints from the filtration process were collected using a lab on a chip device. The datapoints were used to validate all four models. Furthermore, model responses for permeate data points were used as an indicator or soft sensor to grade the fouling level and potability of the treated water. The modelling framework can be used to detect the onset of fouling and erosion in desalination cells with high precision.
I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, inc... more I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public.
The Impact of Online Classes and the Implication of Education Policy
SSRN Electronic Journal
Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells: Characterization and Diagnostics
ECS Transactions, 2014
The normal operation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) can induce significant t... more The normal operation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) can induce significant temperature, humidity, pressure or concentration gradients across the cell’s active area. The overall performance and stability can be affected negatively by these gradients, and they may contribute to material degradation, and ultimately, to cell failure. We report on diagnostic techniques and methodologies to characterize PEMFC material properties and the inhomogeneities across the active area of a working cell. Specifically, we describe in-situ techniques for the spatially-resolved characterization of PEMFC performance. Our testing hardware features sixteen fully isolated segments over a 49 cm2 active area, reference electrode capabilities, and individual segment control. The techniques are applied to the in-situ characterization of effective platinum surface area (EPSA) degradation under 1×105 accelerated stress testing (AST) cycles.
Kinetic and 2D reactor modeling for simulation of the catalytic reduction of NOx in the monolith honeycomb reactor
Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 2008
Emission of NOx is of primary environmental concern in the oil sands industry. Selective catalyti... more Emission of NOx is of primary environmental concern in the oil sands industry. Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is one of the best NOx reduction technologies. The present study discusses the testing of a mechanistic kinetic model for the SCR of NOx to describe the kinetics of V2O5/TiO2 catalysis at atmospheric pressure and a temperature of 623K in a monolith honeycomb reactor. The modeling results impart insight into the significance of the diffusion with reaction steps and guidance for optimal monolith design for SCR. The validated expression would predict the conversion performance of the catalysts for different values of temperature inlet and ammonia concentration. A good agreement between experimental and model results has been obtained. A heterogeneous numerical model consisting of coupled mass and momentum balance equations was solved using the finite elements method without neglecting the axial dispersion term. The operating range for the catalyst relies on the NO conversion and emission. The optimum operating range for the best performance of the reactor is discussed.
Study of the effect of temperature on Pt dissolution in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells via accelerated stress tests
Journal of Power Sources, 2014
ABSTRACT
Life Cycle Analysis of Fuel Cell Technology
Journal of Environmental Informatics, 2008
ABSTRACT Fuel cells are recognized as an emerging power generation system for the future. Fuel ce... more ABSTRACT Fuel cells are recognized as an emerging power generation system for the future. Fuel cells make use of mostly hydro-gen gas as their input fuel, which is extracted from various processes involving emissions and energy consumption. A complete understanding of environmental impacts associated with fuel cell during its entire life cycle, starting from extraction of fuel, through manufacturing, operation and ultimately to the disposal stage is greatly required. The current paper reviews various life cycle analysis studies on fuel cell technology. Such an approach would demand the support of informatics tools to analyze and manage information. The paper aims at assessing various environmental informatics tools available to support the life cycle studies. The paper investigates, in particular, the environmental contributions of various components and materials during the production process of hydrogen fuel. En-ergy requirements and reduction in air emissions have been studied in comparison with alternative technologies such as IC engines, wind and solar energy.
Transport phenomena in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells via voltage loss breakdown
Journal of Power Sources, 2015
ABSTRACT This study presents a voltage loss breakdown method based on in-situ experimental data t... more ABSTRACT This study presents a voltage loss breakdown method based on in-situ experimental data to systematically analyze the different overpotentials of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. This study includes a systematic breakdown of the anodic overpotentials via the use of a reference electrode system. This work demonstrates the de-convolution of the individual overpotentials for both anode and cathode side, including the distinction between mass-transport overpotentials in cathode porous transport layer (PTL) and electrode, based on in-situ polarization tests under different operating conditions. This method is used to study the relationship between mass-transport losses inside the cathode catalyst layer (CL) and the PTL for both a single layer and two-layer PTL configuration. We conclude that the micro-porous layer (MPL) significantly improves the water removal within the cell, especially inside the cathode electrode, and therefore the mass transport within the cathode CL. This study supports the theory that the MPL on the cathode leads to an increase in water permeation from cathode to anode due to its function as a capillary barrier. This is reflected in increased anodic mass-transport overpotential, decreased ohmic losses and decreased cathode mass-transport losses, especially in the cathode electrode.
Carbon corrosion fingerprint development and de-convolution of performance loss according to degradation mechanism in PEM fuel cells
Journal of Power Sources, 2013
ABSTRACT
Carbon Corrosion Fingerprint Development and De-convolution of Performance Loss According to Degradation Mechanism in PEM Fuel Cells
ABSTRACT
RSC Advances
Systematic study of printing scheme and sintering time and temperature on the conductivity of sil... more Systematic study of printing scheme and sintering time and temperature on the conductivity of silver flims on glass.
Concepts of industrial ecology – A review
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Papers by Shankar Dhanushkodi