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Post-Doctoral Researcher
Tom graduated in 2009 with a degree in Chemical Engineering from UCL.
Tom’s current research activity lies primarily with the InnovateUK funded manufacturing research project, featuring 5 industrial partners, to further the manufacturing readiness level for the FlexiPlanar fuel cell. As part of this role he is responsible for the design, manufacture, testing and diagnostics for the FlexiPlanar project, a collaborative enterprise between UCL and Imperial College.
Research
Research Project
Title: Development of advanced diagnostic techniques to study degradation in PEM fuel cells
Supervisor: Dr Dan Brett
Polymer
electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) performance degradation originates from various
mechanisms, and may involve all of the main components of the stack (i.e.,
electrolyte, electrodes and bipolar plates). These degradation mechanisms may
be partially reversible (e.g., poisoning by fuel impurities) or irreversible
(e.g., agglomeration of particles within electrodes) and may be exacerbated or
remedied by excursions from steady-state operation, such as the cycling of
temperature, electrical load, humidification level etc.
In order to develop more robust materials and to formulate operating regimes that minimise degradation, a clear understanding of the different degradation mechanisms needs to be achieved. As part of the Supergen Fuel Cell programme, this project is using advanced electrochemical diagnostic techniques to study PEFCs to establish and understand the various mechanisms of degradation.
Research interests
- PEM Fuel Cells
- Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy
- Water Management in Fuel Cells
Education
PhD Chemical Engineering UCL
BEng Chemical Engineering UCL (2:1 Honours)
