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2006 Research Annual Report
(Adobe PDF: 35 Mb)
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* Energy and the Environment * Energy and the Environment *
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Energy and the Environment
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At present, 6.5 billion people compete for the Earth’s dwindling supply of fossil fuels.
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By 2050, there will be 8-10 billion, and major advances in energy technology will be required to meet their needs. Rensselaer has reacted to that challenge by launching and expanding programs in renewable energy sources and energy conservation.

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At the same time, the Institute is dedicated to tackling major environmental concerns, particularly the global need for clean, safe water.
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Energy Research *
* * Closing the Green Gap *
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Christian Wetzel, the Wellfleet Career Development Constellation Professor of Future Chips, heads a team that has been awarded a $1.8 million DOE grant to improve the energy efficiency of green light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The team aims to close the “green gap” by doubling or tripling the power output of green LEDs in three years, an advance that could make possible DOE’s goal of saving energy by replacing incandescent and fluorescent lamps with solid-state lights.
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Energy Research *
* * Improved Fuel Cell Membrane *
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Under a three-year DOE grant, Rensselaer’s New York State Center for Polymer Synthesis is conducting research on the component at the heart of a fuel cell — the polymer membrane. The team, led by center director and professor of chemistry and chemical biology Brian Benicewicz, is testing a new type of polymer membrane that he created for use in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell and hydrogen applications.
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Energy Research *
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Current work at the Center for Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Research includes high- and low-temperature membranes, electrodes for PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cells, water dynamics, neutron imaging, advanced instrumentation, fuel cell testing, porous media, nano-catalysts, electrochemical hydrogen pumps, biocatalysis, polymer modeling, and electrode manufacturing.
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Environmental Research *
* * Protecting the Hudson River *
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Rensselaer’s Darrin Fresh Water Institute, long known for its research on New York’s Adirondack waterways, is at the forefront of research on the Hudson River. Institute director and professor of biology Sandra Nierzwicki-Bauer and Arthur Sanderson, professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering, lead a cooperative effort to install distributed sensor networks that enable real-time environmental monitoring of the Upper Hudson.
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Energy Research *
* * Tracking the Sun To Obtain Maximum Energy *
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A multidisciplinary team of researchers headed by Anna Dyson, associate professor of architecture, and Michael Jensen, professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering, is developing the Dynamic Shading Window System (DSWS), a solar energy approach that integrates a concentrating photovoltaic solar energy system into building facades to produce electricity, thermal energy, shading, and reduced building energy loads.
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