[POSITION FILLED] Small Integrated Fuel Cell Systems: Development of a “Channel-less self draining” Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Stack
Faculty Sponsor and Department: Jay Benziger, CHE
Project Summary: A group of students will build a channel-less self-draining 1 kW PEM fuel cell stack based on the design demonstrated by the Princeton group.  Students will design molds to cast carbon loaded epoxy bipolar plates and develop gasket sealing and compression systems for the stack.  Catalyst coated membranes and membrane-electrode assemblies will be prepared in collaboration with Wuhan University of Technology.  For more information, click here.

[POSITION CLOSED] Quantum Chemistry Predictions of Disilane Reaction Energetics with Si(100)
Faculty Sponsor and Department: Emily A. Carter, MAE
Project Summary: Disilane and other higher silanes have been found to react as fast with hydrogen covered Si(100) as without hydrogen present. This puzzling observation, key to fast, low temperature growth of crystalline silicon that can be used in photovoltaics, will be explored in the proposed project. Here we will use accurate quantum mechanics calculations on cluster models of the silicon surface to determine the reaction mechanism. For more information, click here.

[POSITION FILLED] Opportunity in Plasma Science & Technology, PPPL
Departments: AST, CHE, CHM, ELE, MAE, PHY, PPPL
Project Summary: Plasmas are essential to many high-technology applications. One key example is fusion energy, for which fuel is high temperature plasma. Fusion-oriented plasma physics experiments are conducted on major plasma confinement devices and on smaller, exploratory facilities. Plasmas are also extensively used in the fabrication of solar cells and components of modern turbine generators. For more information, click here.

[POSITION FILLED] The Chemical Biology of Renewable Fuels Production
Faculty Sponsor and Department: Charles Dismukes, CHM
Project Summary: This research project is aimed at students considering a professional career in renewable energy systems (concentration in chemistry, biochemistry, bioengineering). It will focus on the principles of chemical biology important for production of bio-fuels and energy from renewable sources. This federally funded research project will examine the best ways to produce 1) biomass optimal for conversion to fuels, including cells lacking cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose; 2) biohydrogen from water via photosynthesis; 3) oils from algae.  For more information, click here.

[POSITION FILLED] Catalysts for Renewable Hydrogen Production from Water
Faculty Sponsor and Department: Charles Dismukes, CHM
Project Summary: The "Holy Grail" of renewable energy systems is the solar driven production of hydrogen and oxygen from water. This process of solar energy conversion to fuels is presently inefficient and utilizes unavailable rare metals. This project aims to develop abiotic catalysts for this conversion, which are more efficient and use cheap abundant materials. The catalysts are designed using the principles of natural photosynthetic enzymes that perform this chemistry with high efficiency. The approach involves: 1) synthesis of catalysts for either water oxidation to oxygen or proton reduction to hydrogen; 2) integration of these catalysts within an electrochemical half cell for coupling to solar radiation; 3) fabrication of an integrated solar cell for H2 and O2 production from sunlight.  For more information, click here.

[POSITION FILLED] Interpreting the Observed Interannual Variability of Short-Lived Greenhouse Gases
Sponsor and Location: Arlene Fiore and Larry Horowitz, GFDL
Project Summary: Analysis of seasonal and spatial distributions of methane and ozone observations with a focus on how these vary from year to year.  For example, since 1989, large fluctuations in the growth rate of global methane have been observed to be associated with El Nino events, reflecting the impact of climate on its source, atmospheric sink, or both.  Methane and ozone are the 2nd and 3rd most important greenhouse gases, respectively, after carbon dioxide, and also play a major role in global air pollution.  Possibilities exist to examine data from a variety of observational platforms, including ground-based, aircraft and satellite. Project details can be tailored to match student interest and may expand to include analysis of other meteorological datasets as well as simulations from the GFDL chemistry climate model to aid in interpretation of the processes controlling the observed variability.  This type of interpretation is essential for improving the understanding of how the short-lived greenhouse gases can be expected to respond to (and feed back on) a warming climate, as well as their impacts on global air quality.  For more information, click here.

[POSITION FILLED] Retrieval of Aerosol Plume Height from MISR Satellite Data to Better Constrain Aerosols in GFDL Model
Sponsor and Location: Paul Ginoux, GFDL
Project Summary: The polar orbiting sun-synchronous Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument aboard Terra acquires imagery at nine angles ranging from 0 to 70 degrees off-nadir. This multi-angle capability facilitates the stereoscopic retrieval of aerosol plume heights associated with near-source plumes. The MISR data covers the globe in 9 days and its record extends from present to 2000. The MISR team has developed an IDL interactive visualization program called MISR Interactive eXporer (MINX), which determines plume heights from MISR data. The program has been used to create a climatology of smoke plumes from North America. For this project, the student(s) will create a climatology of smoke plumes from tropical Africa (project 1) and/or dust plumes from West Africa (project 2), which can later be used to better constrain aerosol in GFDL climate model. This project will be in collaboration with NASA MISR team.  For more information, click here.

[POSITION FILLED] Energy Efficiency of Low-Income Housing in Urban Areas (ISLES)
Sponsor and Location: Robert H. Harris, CEE
Project Summary: This project is focused on developing an evaluation of and responses to energy inefficiencies in low-income houses in Trenton, N.J. This project continues the work of a Princeton intern last summer who researched the state and federal programs which assist low-income homeowners with energy audits and weatherization. The project also strives to understand the significance of these inefficiencies to the carbon footprint of urban areas nationwide by analyses of data collected in Trenton, other urban areas, and by federal and state energy programs.  For more information, click here.

[POSITION FILLED] Renewable Energy at Princeton University
Faculty Sponsor and Department: Tom Kreutz, PEI
Project Summary: This project will: 1) research how Princeton University might be able to significantly reduce its carbon footprint in the coming decades by the use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, and 2) develop compelling proposals for one or more renewable energy projects that will be put forward to the University administration for consideration as a part of the University's Sustainability Initiative.  For more information, click here.

[POSITION CLOSED] CO2 Capture by Algae: Energy Systems Modeler
Faculty Sponsor and Department: Tom Kreutz, PEI
Project Summary: This project continues the work of three undergraduates last summer (supported by the Siebel Energy Grand Challenge) who modeled the performance and cost of a system that converted macro algae to electric power.  In this work, we seek to look more broadly (across algae types, growth locations, and ultimate energy carriers) and identify the contexts in which CO2 capture by algae is most economically and environmentally advantageous.  For more information, click here.

[POSITION FILLED] The Biological Effects of Ocean Acidification
Faculty Sponsor and Department: Francois M.M. Morel, GEO, CHM & CEE
Project Summary: The objective of this project is to ascertain the biological effects of the increase in the dissolved CO2 concentration and decrease in pH in surface seawater, which are resulting from the ongoing rise in atmospheric CO2. A wide variety of projects are available to interested students with background in geosciences, chemistry, biology or engineering and with some laboratory experience. Most projects will involve performing laboratory experiments with cultures of marine phytoplankton.  For more information, click here.
 
[POSITION CLOSED] Measurements of transport properties of film silicon for solar cells, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Faculty Sponsor and Department: Sigurd Wagner, ELE
Internship Location: Goldon, CO
Project Summary: This project will introduce the student to solar cell semiconductor research in a National Laboratory. NREL is developing a new generation of film silicon solar cells on inexpensive substrates.  The student will participate in the optical and electrical characterization of epitaxial Si material deposited for these devices.  The student will understand how key optoelectronic properties of semiconductors are measured and will gain a sense of the research methods used in advancing solar photovoltaic conversion, click here.

[POSITION FILLED] Evaluation of the Electrical Characteristics of Thin-Film Solar Cells, United Solar Ovonic Inc.
Faculty Sponsor and Department: Sigurd Wagner, ELE
Internship Location: Troy, MI
Project Summary: This project will introduce the student to solar cell research in an industrial setting. The student will (1) learn operation of a solar simulator, current/voltage source-meters, calibrated reference cells, and determination of active cell area; (2)  learn operation of a spectrophotometer, and determine spectral response of solar cells to single-wavelength light without and with bias light; and (3), learn calculation of photocurrent from spectral response and then use all of these acquired these skills to support the project of a staff scientist.  The student will understand how solar light flux translates to output current, and will gain a sense of the industrial approach to solar energy conversion.  For more information, click here.

[POSITION FILLED] Laser Spectroscopic Carbon Dioxide Sensor Network for Surface and Sub-Surface Monitoring of Geologic Carbon Sequestration Sites
Faculty Sponsor and Department: Gerard Wysocki, EE
Project Summary: Sequestration of carbon dioxide in geologic formations such as oil and gas reservoirs has high potential to reduce climate change through a very efficient CO2 capture from the atmosphere and long-term underground storage. This process can simultaneously enhance the recovery of oil and gas from geological structures, which facilitates development of “clean” hydrocarbon energy systems. The overall goal of the proposed project is to develop and implement an optical sensor network to monitor potential leaks from CO2 geological sequestration reservoirs and pipelines. Each sensor network node will consist of a laser-based spectroscopic sensor whose characteristics will be specifically tailored to achieve optimum specificity and sensitivity required. Mid-IR tunable semiconductor quantum cascade lasers will be used as light sources in  these low-cost, high-sensitivity, high-selectivity, portable trace gas sensors that can be deployed in harsh environments and can reliably deliver continuous monitoring data without need for periodic calibrations. In the current phase, the project is focused on design of the optical micro-sensor module, development of miniature, energy-efficient sensor control electronics, and optimization of data acquisition and processing algorithms. Test of basic network sensing and communication capabilities will be carried out during the internship.  For more information, click here.

Additional Internship Opportunities Supported by Programs other than the Energy Grand Challenge: