CE&S Research Components

The overarching goal of the Center for Energy and Sustainability is to research and develop new technologies that can potentially help the world meet its growing energy demand while considering the sustainability of these technologies and their impact to environmental systems. Faculty speciatly areas at California State University Los Angeles has led to the development of the research components shown below. Click here for a complete list of publications developed at CEaS.

• Advanced Materials for Photovoltaic Cells

  

  Multiple methodologies and materials are being tested to develop novel photovoltaic materials. These involve the attachment of photosensitizers and platinum complexes to Quantum Dot (QD) surfaces, the study of nanoparticles and magnetic thin-films, and a priori molecular dynamics simulations of structures capable of transmitting a photocurrent. Large-scale studies include the incorporation of photovoltaic technologies in smart grids and in local energy applications. [more...]

• Education and Outreach

  

  We are dedicated to the development and implementation of educational resources and activities that support and broaden student interest and involvement in studies related to energy and sustainability. The policy work focuses on issues dealing with sustainable urban infrastructure. Of particular interest are the analysis and reduction of total energy consumption for neighborhoods. Other projects include the design of low-energy consumption affordable housing units, the design and creation of nei [more...]

• Microfluidic-based Fuel Cells and Optimization

  

  The future of portable electronics requires efficient and small power sources to operate them. The focus of this project is to develop microfluidic direct methanol fuel cells (?DMFCs) as well as those utilizing hydrogen and formic acid. The use of these fuels entails one of the most promising mobile technologies by which such power can be provided. Fuel cells can be considered chemical reactors designed to convert chemical reactant streams into electrical energy and chemical products. Dr. Frank [more...]

• Modeling and Simulation

  

  Mathematical models, algorithms and numerical simulations of different engery-related phenomena and systems are being developed at our Center to promote energy diversity, efficiency, and sustainability. These models are being constructed from fundamental principles or are machine learned from observed data on existing systems. The results from this group are central to developing affordable and efficient methodologies for the design of novel and analysis of extant and novel renewable energy syst [more...]

• Properties and Applications of Overdoped High-Temperature Superconductors

  

  The ultimate goal is to discover superconductivity at temperatures high enough to revolutionize energy-related technologies. This part of the project will also be utilized in the determination of the best parameters in the OD range of high-temperature cuprate superconductors for specific applications. The second part of the project is an applied research project on high-temperature superconducting tapes to enhance their critical densities and irreversibility fields for high-current applications [more...]