A combination of knowledge from various engineering disciplines will be used to transform renewable energy systems, in order to improve their performance and sustainability over the long term.
As the world's population continues to grow, research into renewable sources of energy is taking on new urgency. In response, Dr Zulfiqar Khan from Bournemouth University, along with his team of PhD students, many of who are part funded by industry, are seeking to reduce corrosion, improve heat transfer and fluid dynamics, and use nano coatings to enhance the surface efficiencies in renewable energy systems.
According to Dr Khan, current renewable energy solutions are not a long-term solution.
"Currently, we are very reliant on solar photovoltaic for our solar panels, but we do not have a large supply of the materials used, so using it won’t be sustainable over a long period,” he explained.
"With our current levels of consumption and the non-renewable sources we are using, our energy sources won’t last forever. If we look to the future, our energy reserves used at our current rates will last us perhaps another 50 – 60 years for oil and gas, and coal another 100 years."
"I am developing a means of using readily available and sustainable materials in solar panels, which will help our future energy use. I am also looking at ways to move away from standalone panels to integrating them within standard building practices."
Dr Khan's project is segmented into four parts, and the goal is to create a multifunctional solar thermal technology. This system would be able to generate heat for colder climates, while in warmer climates, it would focus on generating electricity. The project will also look at thermo-fluids, with the aim of improving the efficiency of fluids within the solar energy system, while the final part will be the integration of a system to recover heat energy from waste.
At the moment, Dr Khan's team is testing the system for generating electricity in warmer climates, setting up labs which include a scale model of the solar thermal system for testing purposes.
The first phase of heat generation in cold climates is nearly at the point of being commissioned, while the third phase of testing thermo-fluids will begin in early 2016.
Due to the varied and complex nature of the program, an interdisciplinary approach is vital. Dr Khan's research will combine materials sciences, surface engineering nano coatings, heat transfer and thermodynamics, as well as storage and corrosion engineering.
"It is the combination of several subjects and disciplines which guarantees the delivery of objectives of this very challenging and exciting programme," says Dr Khan.
"This is why we shouldn’t shy away from other disciplines as it can bring huge benefits and opportunities to research which will give it originality, significance and reach."
Energy will be a major topic of discussion at the Australian Engineering Conference 2016 in Brisbane on November 23-25.