Located at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the Solar Fuels and Technologies Lab (Solar FTL) studies technical processes and fundamental science that make solar energy more accessible and more versatile. We research thermochemical processes using concentrated sunlight, and we develop cycles for the production of solar electricity, solar-processed materials, and solar fuels.
Our research combines traditional mechanical engineering knowledge, including fundamental phenomena of thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and combined heat and mass transfer, with cross-disciplinary work in materials science and engineering, chemical engineering, and chemistry. The broad scope of our research provides frequent opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, both within and outside of Georgia Tech.
We offer a state-of-the-art research lab located in Georgia Tech’s Carbon Neutral Energy Solutions Laboratory. The lab features a high-flux solar simulator that can provide 6 kWth of concentrated light at concentrations nearly 5000 times greater than that of the sun, allowing repeatable on-sun experimentation closely approximating the conditions at concentrating solar facilities.
Students affiliated with the Solar FTL can expect to perform work coupling both the theoretical and experimental aspects of solar thermochemistry. Students interact with the concentrating solar and solar thermochemistry communities at an international level by publishing their work in peer-reviewed journals and attending and presenting at international conferences.
The Solar FTL is currently examining three promising pathways for the storage and delivery of solar energy:
1. Solar Fuels synthesis gas produced from mixtures of CO2 and H2O via two-step reduction-oxidation cycles
2. Thermochemical Energy Storage solar storage and electricity production at high temperatures using two-step cycles
3. Solar Gasification synthesis gas via gasification of carbonaceous materials, such as coal, algae, and switchgrass