At the American Filtration and Separations Society Conference in May, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa graduate student Isabella Kotsol earned a scholarship and poster presentation award. Kotsol presented research to develop specialized materials for use in air filters for hydrogen fuel cells.
Hydrogen fuel cells generate power from a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, and produce only electricity, heat and water, making this a critical technology in the transition to clean energy. Typically, the oxygen used is from atmospheric air; however, air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide can enter the fuel cell and damage crucial components, so mitigating sulfur dioxide contamination through air filtration is necessary.
Working with Godwin Severa, assistant researcher at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Natural Energy in the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), Kotsol focuses on a filtration material made of activated carbon that has been coated in chemicals called ionic liquids, which have a high capacity for absorbing sulfur dioxide from the air.
“The findings of my research showed that the ionic liquid-coated activated carbon materials performed better than previously reported materials for sulfur dioxide filtration,” said Kotsol, who is pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and expects to graduate in December 2023.
Kotsol presented research among 12 graduate student presenters from universities across the country. The presentations were judged by industry professionals in the filtrations and separations field.
“As a soon-to-be graduating master’s degree student, the opportunity to attend this conference and network with the people who work in the field of my research was particularly valuable,” said Kotsol, who is part of the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s accelerated bachelor’s and master’s program. “I am starting to think about what I will do after graduation, and being able to talk to and exchange information with a variety of professionals has definitely broadened my ideas and access to opportunities in the research field, something I would not have had without the conference experience.”
For the full story go to the SOEST website.
