Sustainable Energy and Water

Research

This research thrust is centered on meeting the escalating demands in energy, and clean and adequate drinking water of an expanding world population, sustainably, through innovation in technology and practice. The major focus of our current research in sustainable energy is on harvesting energy in new ways from wind, sun, ocean and mechanical vibrations such as those produced on railroad tracks.

The facility houses a state-of-the art- low speed wind tunnel which researchers can use to develop high-efficiency wind turbines by optimizing their aerodynamic and structural performance. One of the current projects
is centered on designing a cost-effective low speed wind energy
harvester for small households

Research in Sustainable Water focuses on innovative, scalable, and green solutionsare to provide clean and adequate drinking water necessary for human well-being and resilent aquatic ecosystems. Examples of current projetcs inlcude exploring large scale and inexpensive deployment of nanoporous graphene for desalination of water, functionalized graphene for arsenic removal, and adaptation of Virginia Tech’s proceess of manufacturing melt-blown polymer non-woven fibers and filaments that can be used for a number of applications including water filtration and targeted delivery of fertilizer.

A related project, “Waste to Wealth” aims to address the nexus of food, energy, and water by developing effective and efficient technologies for recovering useful energy from food, beverage and agricultural wastes/wastewater, achieve reuse of water for food and agricultural processes, and accomplish resource recovery (e.g., ammonium).

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Inspiration, innovation, and countless opportunities.

Cost-Effective, Low-Speed Wind Energy Harvester

The renewable energy research focuses on harvesting energy in new ways from wind, sun, ocean, and mechanical vibrations such as those produced on railroad tracks. The facility houses a state-of-the-art low speed wind tunnel, which researchers can use to develop high-efficiency wind turbines by optimizing their aerodynamic and structural performance. One of the current projects, led by Dr. Myoor Padmanabhan, is centered on designing a cost-effective, low speed wind energy harvester for small households.

Porous Graphene and its Composites for Drinking Water

Guided by Professor Mahajan of Virginia Tech, this project focuses on exploring the large scale and inexpensive deployment of nanoporous graphene and its composites for the desalination and filtration of water. Among the most innovative projects is the use of silkworm cocoons modified by coating of graphene and (or) graphene oxide as filters for dirty air and water. These projects will be carried out in the graphene research laboratory at Virginia Tech India, which will also be equipped with a test facility to measure the permeability and performance characteristics of graphene-based filters. These projects will complement similar research currently underway in Professor Mahajan’s laboratory at Virginia Tech.

Waste to Wealth

In its early stages, this project, as the name implies, aims to address the nexus of food, energy, and water by developing effective and efficient technologies for recovering useful energy from food, beverage, and agricultural wastes/wastewater, achieving the reuse of water for food and agricultural process and for accomplishing resource recovery (e.g., ammonium).

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Research