Georgia Institute of Technology
High-temperature (1290°F +) thermophysical property testing
In 2018, the Department of Energy (DOE) provided funding for several universities, national labs, and private companies to research, design, and build a next generation (“Generation 3“) Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) system. This latest generation raises the temperature (above 1290°F) and chemistry of a CSP system’s working fluid, which since the mid-1980s has typically been a nitrate salt mixture. Georgia Tech was awarded funding from the DOE to determine what structural materials are best suited for this high-temperature environment. Over the past three years, I have performed a high-temperature material testing campaign on several CSP-candidate metal alloys and ceramics using Laser Flash Analysis (LFA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TG). Combined, these techniques allow me to determine the temperature-dependent thermal conductivity of the proposed materials. These properties are important to analyze in the context of a next-generation CSP system; as the piping and salt tank materials, the materials’ thermal conductivity and specific heat are key design properties.
Molten salt corrosion tests
In the next phase of my research, I will be performing a series of high-temperature, molten chloride salt immersion tests to understand the corrosion properties of our candidate metal alloys. Since all of these materials are commercially available, some data do exist at high temperatures; however, they are frequently incomplete. My testing campaign will provide a set of temperature-dependent properties using a Gen 3-appropriate chloride salt mixture. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) imaging, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and other post-immersion test analyses will be conducted to fully characterize the materials. These tests will be conducted with the CMCRL group in Georgia Tech’s School of Material Science and Engineering.
University of Pennsylvania
Pressure myography testing on aging mice
Upon graduating from Illinois, I joined Dr. Richard Assoian’s Pharmacology Lab at Penn in 2016. There, I developed a protocol for testing mouse carotid and aorta arteries using pressure myography, a technique that allows for controlled pressurization of arteries to measure their longitudinal and circumferential stiffness. This research is important for studies on hypertension and the aging process. My Master’s thesis documented the process for establishing the testing protocols and arterial stiffness results for mice at various ages.